Canonical and Dell have recently decided to offer a subset of Dell desktop computers and laptops pre-installed with Ubuntu Linux. Preinstallation, along with an expected price drop seems to make it an attractive option when purchasing a new notebook or desktop computer.

With Mandriva and others rejecting Microsoft’s Linux payoff deal, there is a lot of talk lately about Microsoft’s new Patent Infringement Protection Plan and how it might not be the “you scratch our backs and we won’t stab you in yours” plan that it was initially thought to be.