Why do the hardcore fanboi type geeks have to knock every little attempt to push Linux into the mainstream? Ok Dell's recent record isn't one of overachieving, but they deserve some credit for this attempt. Maybe when XP is properly killed off and Vista and Ubuntu are the only options available on Dell hardware, Linux might spark the imagination of the masses. The pressure is on Dell to get the pricing right and if they do, Linux becomes more plausible. Push the abilities of programs like wine to allow the punter to run MS office and Linux becomes a threat. Even the fact that its only punted on lower spec hardware shouldn't be an issue as Linux doesn't need your super-dooper-nuclear spec powerful machine to run as well as required by the great unwashed for checking their email and surfing their interwebs.

And anyways, Who told apple they could have runaway success with Unix based OSX?