^,
And based on the information I just posted in the "Michael Dell" thread, my guess is that it'll be Ubuntu, but there's hundreds of distros, and no common core. It would be a bit of a crap shoot for Dell to guess which one to go with.
I posted this interview with Michael Dell on the other thread, but it's appropriate here too. He discusses Dell's Linux philosophy:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS3822185143.htmlPersonally, I wouldn't hold my breath on an installed distro for a while. If you need a new computer, and want Linux only, and not a dual boot, my strategy would be to buy the box, and not to "crack the wrapper" on the Windows installation.
On various Linux forums, there have been reports, that you can get a refund on the Windows install, as long as you don't use it. Then wipe the hard drive and install any distro you want.
As of today anyway, it would be cheaper to do that than buy an empty computer from Dell. But, that may change, and in fact, that may be Dell's future strategy - Competitively priced empty machines, with full peripheral support for Linux drivers, etc., rather than offer a distro or two preloaded.