February 3, 2000 Web posted at: 10:08 a.m. EST (1508 GMT) by Dan Neel

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(IDG) -- Dell announced Tuesday that it is pre-installing the Linux operating system on two of its current laptop offerings.

Red Hat Linux 6.1 is now available on the Dell Inspiron 7500 and will become available on the Dell Latitude CPX by Friday. The Linux-enabled laptops will cost no more than their Windows 98 counterparts, according to a spokesperson for Dell.

Dell already offers Red Hat Linux as an alternative to Windows on selected workstation and desktop PC configurations. With the availability of Linux on its laptops, Dell is leading the pack in the deployment of Linux, according to Tim Scannell, an analyst at Mobile Insights.

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"Most major laptop manufacturers have a Linux program in place, and I expect that soon after [the Dell release], all those others will follow," Scannell said.

Many laptops come with proprietary hardware that, according to Graves, makes Linux difficult to support. For example, IBM recently experienced problems with the Windows-only modem of its ThinkPad laptops, because the modem is installed on the motherboard

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"That didn't give us a problem [because] we've always used PC card modems, as many of our customers -- mainly corporations who prefer to stick with one software image -- like having a choice," the Dell spokesman said. "Because of this, we could quickly and easily install a Linux-compatible modem."

Scannell said that Dell's build-to-order model has taken much of the risk out of the Linux offering.

"I think Dell has set themselves as the innovator here," Scannell said. "With their basic business model, they don't have to build 10,000 Linux machines and then worry about getting orders."