So what's wrong with desktop linux Discussion, linux

Or that OEMs have some other reason for providing only MS operating systems.

To say that the implication must be they are still including covert agreements is begging the question. We know that this was the reason for MS-only systems a while back, but we don't know (at least I don't) what the reason is today. Certainly, it is plausible that OEMs want to deal with as few systems as possible and do not want to hire Linux people just to satisfy a clearly minority OS. As well, they may be worried that putting Linux on OEM boxes will increase the number of help center calls and complaints.

I'm not saying the current situation is good. I'm just suggesting that corporate inertia is a plausible explanation for the current lack of Linux OEM offerings. As Linux becomes commoner on the desktop (and as its user base grows to include non-geeks1), I expect that the situation will change.

Footnotes: 1 I recently spoke to a non-geek Linux user who has been using Linux for four years (dual-boot with XP). I think he started with SUSE but he's happier now with Gentoo.

-- "I'd step through arguments in such detail that it was like I was teaching basic arithmetic and some poster would come back and act like I hadn't said anything that made sense. For a while I almost started to doubt myself." -- James S. Harris, so close and yet....