| Google starts running Dell Linux Desktop ads |
Mar. 30, 2007
 Analysis -- On March 28, Dell quietly announced that it would start offering a variety of laptops and desktops with pre-installed Linux. Now, Dell has started advertising its Linux desktops on Google ads.
While working on my personal blog site, which happens to have Google Adsense ads running on it, I was surprised to find Google ads for Linux-powered Dell desktops showing up. Here's what I saw:
 
Finally: Dell starts promoting Linux desktops for the rest of us!
A click-through on the first generic ad, which simply read "Dell Linux Desktop: Shop for Dell Desktop PCs and more. Low Prices on Powerful Desktops," took me to a Dell Special Offer page.
On this page, there were two offers: - A Dell Inspiron E1405 Notebook with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, DVD Player, and 1 GB of Dual-Channel Memory, for $799
- A Dimension E520 Desktop with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1GB of Shared Dual-Channel Memory, and 19-inch Flat Panel, for $699.
The Inspiron and Dimension are two of Dell's home/office line of computers. The promoted operating system for both was Windows Vista Home Premium.
The second ad, which read, "Linux Desktop: Shop Dell XPS Gaming Desktops Now. Powerful Leading Edge Technology," took me to the XPS Desktop page. These are gaming computers ranging in price from $999 to $1,699. Again, the promoted operating system was Vista Home Premium.
Officially, if you look for an "open source" desktop today, you'll only find Dell's Dimension n-Series systems, which don't come with an operating system installed. Dell has long offered a "no operating system" series to users. Clearly, however, Dell wouldn't be advertising Linux desktops if it didn't intend to deliver them sooner rather than later.
David Lord, a Dell spokesperson, is on record as saying that Dell will be selling within weeks true pre-installed Linux systems. Sources close to Dell indicate that these systems will come with community-provided software support and Dell-provided hardware support. Lord also said that Dell will be offering Linux-powered computers in weeks, rather than months.
Dell is still being cagey about both which Linux distributions it will be pre-installing, and which systems will have Linux offered on them. Based on these ads, though, it appears that -- in its first launch of Linux-powered PCs -- Dell will be soon be offering Linux on a wide variety of systems including the Inspiron laptop line, the Dimension desktop line, and the XPS gaming PC series.
-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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