http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2009/10/ibm-and-ubuntu-roll-linux-for.htmlIBM is joining the Linux bandwagon along with Dell. With the upcoming release of Windows 7 tomorrow (Oct. 22), IBM has started a campaign in the United States that it has already done in Africa - marketing desktop computers with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed instead of Microsoft Windows. They claim that Linux is a completely viable alternative to Microsoft-based operating systems on the basis that you do not need to worry about hardware upgrades, viruses and security vulnerabilities. Ubuntu is their distribution of choice, as it was Dell's when they started rolling out Linux-based laptops and desktops to customers.
From the article: "The effort was originally announced more than a year ago, in August of 2008 as the Microsoft-Free PC effort. The basic idea is to have an Linux OS, with IBM smart client applications called Open Collaboration Client Solution software (OCCS)(Lotus Symphony and Notes) for enterprise apps. The solution that has now been announced for the U.S, leverages the IBM Client for Smart Work which includes the same set of IBM's collaboration software. As to why IBM is marketing the solution to the U.S now, the answer is simple: Windows 7."