Sure, ripples touched the Linuxverse earlier today when reports surfaced on the Internets that Dell would likely be pre-installing Ubuntu Linux on consumer desktops and laptops later this year. The idea of desktop Linux is one shared by most Linux fans, and this is exactly the type of movement it’ll need to take hold. In addition to Dell, Motorola is laying the groundwork for a hard-working smartphone version of Linux set to hit later this year, as well.

Not to be left out, Toshiba’s Luigi Cattaneo recently stated that he’d like to see Linux pre-installed on its laptops, as such open-source devices could hit the sub-$700 mark easily. That doesn’t mean that Toshiba’s neccissarily going in that direction, but if the head of Toshiba Italy is thinking about it, Linux is one step ahead of where it was a year ago as far as desktop options go.

But the real question is: do consumers need (or, indeed, want) a third choice? Or is Linux the Ralph Nader of operating systems? OS History 101 is going to get interesting in 2007.

Toshiba Italy Mulls Pre-Loaded Linux Notebooks [Desktop Linux, via Slashgear]