Linux coming to the main stream?
Today Dell announced that it is going to provide Linux based desktops and notebooks, and of course like any other Ubuntu loving person, this greatly sparked my interest.
Dell is not the first major player to make the leap and offer a Linux based system to the general public. HP tried this several months ago and met some resistance from the community. This resistance ultimately led to them quickly discontinuing their Linux line.
Many believe that this is because of what the Linux demographic represents. These users are often extremely passionate about computers and the free sharing of information. Some might even say they take on a “fight the man” mentality. With this in mind I believe that the face of Linux is changing.
Every day Linux becomes more and more mainstream, and with that mainstream comes the “average” user. Perhaps these users are fed up with Microsoft, or are looking for a system where they are not constantly being attacked by viruses and spyware. Either way, these new users are quickly out numbering those who have been long time supporters.
This in turn, increases the likelyhood of success for companies like Dell to come in and start selling Linux based desktops and notebooks. These users are the bread and butter for companies like Dell and HP. They (users) often don’t require support. They have a strong interest in computers but not a passion for them. They have enough interest that they purchase a new computer every 2-4 years. These are the highest margin customers for companies like Dell and HP and if they do not give the people what they want they will be loosing market share to companies like System76, a relative unknown.
So to Dell I say thank you, although I will probably never purchase a Linux computer from you, I know that I, along with many others will reap the benefits of your move into the open source world.
PS I think HP will announce a similar idea before the end of April…