  Dell's version is NOT a paid version.  It is also free; they, as a service to their customers, customized it to include drivers for most of their systems.  You can build your own by integrating the drivers into the image manually, but that would be silly given it already exists and is done by someone who knows what they are doing. [URL]  
I have a PowerEdge 2950 III on the way and I'd like to run the free ESXi version from VMWare. I know Dell makes their own (paid) version with integrated drivers... Will the free version be an option for me, or will it never work due to the needed/missing drivers? Or perhaps I just need to build my own ISO and integrate the 2950 drivers into it?
PE 2950 III with ESXi free version?