Just when I was getting nervous about Dell’s Ubuntu Linux strategy, the PC giant delivered some good news at the OpenSource World conference in San Francisco, according to PC World. The Dell statements don’t address all of my concerns but they do restore my faith in Dell’s commitment to Ubuntu.

As Dell continues to adjust its Ubuntu system lineup, niche Ubuntu PC makers are pressing ahead with expanded Ubuntu-driven offerings. A key example: System76 has refreshed its Starling Ubuntu netbook with more memory and the company has introduced two new Ubuntu desktops. This could be the start of a busy August for Ubuntu systems: I’m expecting multiple Ubuntu netbook developments later this month.

I spent June 26 at Dell’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, meeting key members of Dell’s Linux team. We spent an hour discussing the broad Linux market; Dell’s current Ubuntu strategy; and the PC giant’s early reaction to Moblin (Mobile Linux).

Sometimes, you have to respect someone for sticking to an opinion and a vision. Other times, you have to wonder if a consistent vision becomes a fatal flaw. I’m still undecided about whether Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst has the correct — or flawed — long term vision: In a New York Times article, Whitehurst (pictured, right) once again dismisses speculation that Red Hat will pursue the consumer Linux desktop and smart phone markets. Here’s why.

Despite the Linux and Ubuntu netbook craze, I think there is a simple reason why Linux is not a mainstream solution for most users — yet. Let me explain.

As big PC companies like Hewlett-Packard finally push into desktop Linux, WorksWithU will give equal time to the industry pioneers that evangelized desktop Linux before it went mainstream. A case in point: System76 continued its long-term Linux commitment today by launching the Gazelle Ultra (pictured) — an Ubuntu laptop with some pretty slick hardware specs and a biometric fingerprint reader for security.

Xavier is the latest K-12 school to move Ubuntu Linux to the head of the class. In fact, the school has deployed more than 600 Ubuntu desktops, according to Pierre Tagle, Xavier’s consulting IT director. During a recent email exchange with WorksWithU, Tagle described why the San Juan, Phillipines-based school has fallen for Ubuntu.

Neil Patel of Canonical recently posted an outline of the new user interface concepts that Gnome developers envisioned during the “Gnome User Experience” conference in Boston a couple of weeks ago. But are the concepts a good move?

Talk about ironic. Microsoft has launched a new chapter of its Windows Vista advertising campaign, branded around the line “I’m a PC.” I suspect Microsoft is trying to communicate that PCs have open architectures and have a far larger user population than Apple Macintoshes. Still, Microsoft overlooked one important fact in its “I’m a PC” ad campaign: The best part of open hardware involves the rising popularity of open software like Ubuntu Linux.

Barton George, an open source expert whom I met at Ubuntu Live in 2007, has resigned from Sun Microsystems to join a software company in Austin, Texas. I wish George well in his new position. At the same time, I increasingly wonder if Sun can solidify its open source strategy and turn around the company. Barton isn’t the only open source expert to leave Sun in recent days, notes our sister site, The VAR Guy.