It's no secret that many here in the Linux blogosphere greeted Windows 8 with jubilation -- not because they had any intention of using it, but because of the opportunity they think it represents for Linux to capture a greater proportion of mainstream users.

That, indeed, was the hot topic du jour last week, but this week -- now that the Win 8 dust has begun to settle -- the conversation has shifted slightly. Specifically, bloggers are pondering the growing assortment of PCs that are coming with Linux already preloaded.

"System76 debuts a sleek, all-in-one desktop PC featuring Ubuntu Linux" was the recent headline that sparked the conversation over at PCWorld, but it has a long line of predecessors, including stories focusing on Linux-preloaded devices from Asus, from Dell and others.

There's no denying Linux-preloaded options are more numerous today than they have been. What does it all mean for our favorite operating system? That's what Linux Girl has been trying to figure out.

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