Ever since Dell announced that it would start pre-installing Linux on select PCs [1], open-source geeks have predicted that Ubuntu would be the Texas manufacturer's distribution of choice. Michael Dell even dropped a hint a few weeks ago when he admitted that he was running Ubuntu on his home machine [2]. So it should come as no surprise that Dell has announced that it will begin offering Ubuntu "Feisty Fawn" [3] on select consumer laptops and desktops starting in June, with enterprise machines to follow shortly. Whether or not the move makes financial sense for Dell [4], this is good news for Linux fans, as Ubuntu is the hottest and most user-friendly flavor of Linux at the moment. "We heard loud and clear from customers that they wanted this," Dell spokesperson Kent Cook said. According to Cook, out of those who requested Linux on the company's IdeaStorm website, "80 percent came back and said Ubuntu." Could this be the beginning of Linux in the mainstream? "The market is ready," Canonical's director of operations Jane Silber said. "We think the combination of the timing, the technology and the partner are aligned to make it happen."

For more on the announcement:
- see this ZDnet article [5]