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PC builder giant Dell has stopped offering Ubuntu Linux as a pre-installed option for systems purchased on the firm’s web store.
Dell has recently courted controversy by introducing a web page last month which said that Ubuntu was more secure than Microsoft Windows before swiftly removing the page.
It recently introduced a new web page to explaining the choice of operating system by saying that users should choose Ubuntu if "You do not plan to use Microsoft WINDOWS" and "You are interested in open source programming." A description which had subsequently been decried as insultingly simplistic by Linux enthusiasts.
The change is apparently the result of a lack of demand with the company telling PC Pro that "The reason why they’re not on our main pages is because Ubuntu systems are primarily targeted towards advanced users and enthusiasts, and the vast majority of consumers purchase PCs with Microsoft Windows pre-installed."
Dell also claimed that it still sells Ubuntu systems but only does so over the phone. The move will be seen as a setback to continued efforts of the Linux community in having Ubuntu seen as a viable alternative for Microsoft Windows for main stream desktop computing.
