Ubuntu and Dell

[Matt Graham]

From: "Eric \"Shubes\"" <plug at shubes.net>
> Anyone been to the Ubuntu home page lately? It's sporting Dell desktop and
> notebooks which come with Ubuntu preloaded (and certified).

"Dude!  They've SOLD OUT!  Bummer, man!  I was using Ubuntu *before* it
was mainstream!  Their early CDs were, like, really something...."
*cough*

Actually, this is a good thing.  The main problem comes when users see
"certified" and think "that means no problems will happen, ever", then
get disenchanted.

> Could this be the long-awaited year of the Linux desktop?

Could be.  (It could also be the long-awaited Year of the Honest
Politician, but I'm not holding my breath.)  One large problem is that
Microsoft has tens of millions of $ to spend on shiny marketing 
campaigns, and Ubuntu doesn't.  Another problem is that Ubuntu, for all
its niftiness, is not Windows, and a bunch of users will have a problem
with that.  But this is a step in the right direction, I think.