Why Wont Dell Promote Its Linux Desktops?

Published: Feb 27, 2006
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Last Thursday, when I wrote about Dells new Linux desktop, was one of the most frustrating days of my professional life.

My eWEEK colleague John Spooner and I tried our best to get Dell to confess that they really had released an honest-to-God Linux desktop.

But Dell simply wouldnt do it.

I have been following Linux since Linus Torvalds was a graduate student, and Dell since Michael Dell moved his computer sales operation out of his dorm room. I think theyve done something new here.

Everyone I talked with, including Dan “The Best Operating System Analyst on the Planet” Kusnetzky, thought Dell was doing something new.

The only folks who disagreed live in Austin, Texas, and work for Dell.

What is going on here?

Why isnt Dell, as one mid-level IT executive I spoke with said, “shouting it from the roof tops?”

/zimages/5/28571.gifRead the full story on DesktopLinux: Why wont Dell promote its Linux desktops?

/zimages/5/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

I'm editor-at-large for Ziff Davis Enterprise. That's a fancy title that means I write about whatever topic strikes my fancy or needs written about across the Ziff Davis Enterprise family of publications. You'll find most of my stories in Linux-Watch, DesktopLinux and eWEEK. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, I worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.