It has only been a week since Dell took the dive. Already, Dell does not neglect to toss its own share of wood into the fire.

http://virtualization.sys-con.com/read/374799_p.htm Dell VP, solutions Rick Becker called Dell's embrace of the Microsoft-Novell agreement "a huge success for the industry and more specifically for customers who haven't purchased Linux through Dell and who want to migrate to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for the IP assurance and interoperability benefits."

Dell says patent infringement protection is important to customers.

This confirms some people's suspicions and justifies their worries.

Dell will probably be getting a pat on the back for that statement (courtesy of Microsoft and Novell). The company may have officially joined the fear-spreading club. It opines that customers require protection from Microsoft patents. So does Novell.