Dell

PC giant Dell, known to rely on direct online sales since 1990, is reportedly now looking at going the retail way...

It started, possibly, with Dell PCs going on sale in Wal-Mart stores in the US and Puerto Rico. And now the company is planning on putting its PCs on retail in Asia (India, China, and Japan), and Australia.
There is a feeling within industry that this paradigm shift in thinking might have been influenced by Michael Dell's return to the company early this year. Also that in trying to gain back some of the ground lost to Hewlett Packard (HP) globally, retail sales might be a huge bet.

Computer maker Dell has chosen Ubuntu as the operating system for its range of Linux computers for consumers.

Fans of Linux hope that the move will persuade more mainstream PC users to abandon Microsoft Windows and opt for the open-source operating system.

London-based firm Canonical, the lead sponsor of the Ubuntu project, will ensure the software works on Dell PCs.

Ubuntu includes software like office programs, e-mail, a browser, instant messaging software and a media player.

Dell to Expand Linux Factory Installed Options
Since launching Dell IdeaStorm a little more than a month ago, one idea has risen to and stayed at the top: better support for Linux. We have heard you and appreciate the direct feedback. On March 13, we responded by launching a Linux survey asking for your feedback on what you need for a better Linux experience. Thank you to the more than 100,000 people who took the survey. Here are some of the highlights from the survey: