It would appear that Dell is making life difficult for UK customers who want to buy a Dell PC running Linux. Being a snooping journalist myself, I went to have a look for myself and indeed it is a lot harder to buy a Linux powered Dell than all the hype, fuelled in no small part by the Dell PR machine of course, would lead you to believe.

If you're a newb looking to dip your toe into the waters of the Linux world, Dell's line-up of preinstalled Ubuntu PCs is a very good first choice. After all, you'll be able to get started right out of the box, without having to struggle with unsupported hardware and missing drivers.

Recently I found that Dell has partnered with Canonical to offer the latest version of Ubuntu (7.04) with the sale of new Dell computers. This piqued my interest because of the hoops I had to jump through to get my Dell Intel Pro Wireless (IPW) 2200bg card to work with Fedora Core 4. My theory is that Ubuntu 7.04 should be incredibly easy to install and configure on my Dell laptop.

Dell's Ubuntu strategy once again faces Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD). Multiple times in the past 12 months or so, Dell's strong Ubuntu efforts have been undermined by disappearing desktop offerings. Here's what's wrong - and right - with Dell's Ubuntu initiatives.

The latest panic in desktop-Linux-land was that Dell would no longer be selling Ubuntu pre-installed on laptops and netbooks. Alas, for those who love drama, it wasn't true. In fact, Dell is expanding its Ubuntu desktop offerings.

Groklaw member Tyche got a Dell Inspiron 530N with Ubuntu Linux and when I saw him post that he'd ordered it, I asked if he'd please write up a quick review after it arrived. He has done so, and as you will see, he found getting online so easy he had nothing at all to do to make it happen. Just poof.

With Dell's new Ubuntu offerings, everyone had been wondering how much cheaper, if any, an Ubuntu PC would be compared to a PC with Windows Vista on it. Now that Dell has actually posted their Ubuntu offerings, I've configured some similar PCs on their site and compared them. I'm pleasantly surprised - the Ubuntu machines are noticeably cheaper.

With the release of 7.10, many have been wondering if Dell will ship 7.10. Well, the answer to that question has been answered, according to a DesktopLinux story. Anne Camden of Dell corporate communications said: "We will offer Ubuntu 7.10 preinstalled on our systems soon"

"This is pure speculation by The VAR Guy. But things are getting a little strange over at Dell. It seems that some people who ordered Dell PCs with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled have been told that ship dates have been delayed a bit."