Citing slow demand for the operating system on client PCs over the last several quarters, a Dell spokesman said the PC maker chose to stop preinstalling Red Hat Linux on desktop and notebook models in the US.
The Australian office, however, has decided to hold off on plans to remove Linux as an option in the pre-installation stage. Rob Small, corporate communications director at Dell Computer Australia, explained the US move was merely a result of customer demand, and not part of a global move to remove Linux.
Although desktop level demand for Linux operating systems has been relatively low in Australia, Small said Dell has seen growth in demand for Linux in a server environment.
In response to the US announcement, Dell has moved quickly to ease the concerns of users who have already invested in Linux-installed PCs and notebooks.
Customers demanding Linux will still be "supported on a Dell-plus process", which refers to factory integration of standard operating systems, according to Small.
