Back in February, Dell announced that even though some 85,000 of you requested Dell machines with pre-installed Linux as a configuration option, the company wasn’t quite ready to take the open-source plunge. Oh, what a difference a month makes. The company’s badgering by Linux fanboys and fangirls has apparently become too loud to ignore, with 70 percent of participants on the IdeaStorm site requesting some form of Linux. Thus, the company has caved into the pressure; in a blog post, a company spokesperson confirmed, “We will expand our Linux support beyond our existing servers and Precision workstation line.” In addition to Windows and no pre-installed OS, Dell customers will soon be able to choose Linux as a pre-installed option on certain laptops and desktops, though there’s no word yet on which machines the OS will be made available or which distributions will be offered. The company will release a statement in the coming weeks that will offer more details. This is certainly a welcome move from Dell and should increase options for both open-source enterprises and consumers alike. Dude! You’re getting a Linux!

For more on Dell’s Linux plans:
– see this PC World article