Dell's Ubuntu Page Loses Assurances Of Safety

Just last week, we here at OStatic praised Dell Computer for its unwavering support for Linux, and particularly for Ubuntu. Dell has consistently offered systems pre-loaded with Ubuntu and has remained vocal about many of the operating system's strong points. However, in what is very probably an illustration of how Linux is perceived as a threat to other operating systems, Dell's Ubuntu page now does not include certain advantages of the OS that were cited on the very same page last week.

The VAR Guy asks the key questions about why Dell chose to take down language from its site that claimed that Ubuntu is "safer" than Windows due to the fact that hackers don't favor it:

"But now, Dell has apparently updated its web site to remove/alter that statement. Linux conspiracy theorists think Microsoft pressured Dell to make the change. Is that really the case? Frankly, The VAR Guy doesn’t know for sure."

It's hard to know for sure, but one thing that is for sure is that only a few days ago Dell's Ubuntu page had lots of language posted about how Ubuntu is safer than other operating systems. (There still is a very minor sentence that attests to Ubuntu's immunity from malware, but it isn't as extensive and specific as the previous statement.) Microsoft, of course, has had a long-standing close relationship with Dell, and the hardware maker played a part in Microsoft's early successes in getting the Windows operating system entrenched.

From all appearances here, somebody convinced Dell to change its stance on Ubuntu. What good reason is there for that?