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Pressure mounts on Dell over Linux PCs

David Meyer ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 18 Jun 2007 17:06 BST

More than 20,000 people have signed a petition calling on Dell to offer Linux-based PCs outside of the US.

In late May, the computer manufacturer started selling three models pre-loaded with the Ubuntu Linux distribution, but only in the US.

The decision to sell PCs with pre-loaded Linux came as a result of pressure from visitors to the IdeaStorm website, Dell's user forum. IdeaStorm is now playing host to several motions calling for the company to offer such products outside the US.

One motion, entitled "Sell Linux PCs Wordwide [sic] — not only the United States", had attracted over 23,000 votes at the time of writing. A separate motion, "Dell Ubuntu for Europe", calls for the same thing and has garnered over 10,000 votes.

Dell's EMEA director of client marketing, Eric Greffier, said in May that Dell would offer the rest of the world Linux PCs some way behind the US due to driver certification issues and the logistical difficulties posed by translating support documentation.

But Dell refused to confirm when it would release Linux PCs in the UK. Dell said it was "still working out details of its global programme and will share details when it has definitive plans — there is nothing further to add to this position".