Dell, the world's No 2 computer maker, unveiled Thursday its first three models preloaded with Ubuntu Linux: the Insprion E1505n, a 15-inch notebook; the XPS 410n, a desktop that starts out with virtually identical specs to the Dimesion, and the Dimension E520n, a middle of the line desktop.

The new models give buyers a third choice when shopping for a PC at Dell: a machine with Windows installed, a machine with no OS, on which they can install one of their choice, and now a machine with Ubuntu Linux already installed.

The systems come with hardware support through Dell's normal support channels. Software support will come from a variety of dedicated Web sites and Linux forums, Dell said.

Buyers can choose service upgrades from Canonical, the sponsor of Ubuntu, in a 30-day "get started" service and a one-year basic, or standard, service.

The long-awaited release is a landmark for Linux, the most popular variant of open-source software, in the consumer market. Unlike proprietary software, open-source software lets developers share code and add functions, and users only pay for custom features, maintenance and technical support.

However those who hope that a free OS would mean a cheaper PC are a bit disappointed. The laptop starts at 599 U.S. dollars, while the two desktops, the Dimension E520 and XPS 410n, start from 599 dollars and 849 dollars each, respectively.

Linux is used as the operating system on less than 5 percent of the world's computers, mainly on servers, but it is growing at 20-30 percent a year.

Dell's move came after a campaign by Linux enthusiasts on a company website set up to solicit new ideas from customers. The Austin, Texas-based company is under pressure on Wall Street to improve its sluggish sales performance and make up for a string of profit warnings last year.

Lionel Menchaca, Dell's digital media manager, said that 30,000 people had weighed in to push the company to offer Linux, and the three products released would not be the last.

Despite Dell's entry, Linux on computers other than workstations and servers is expected to remain a niche market, at least for the foreseeable future. Part of the reason is the difficulty users are likely to experience in getting drivers for peripherals. Not all hardware vendors support Linux.

One potential problem acknowledged by Dell is spotty multimedia support. The new machines don't include support for proprietary audio or video codecs that aren't distributed with Ubuntu. These include MPEG, WMA, WMV, DVD, Quicktime, and more.

Dell has said it's working to improve multimedia support, and is also working with hardware vendors to get more Linux drivers.

Source:Xinhua/Agencies