Dell to preload Linux on XPS 13 ultrabook
updated 08:20 am EDT, Fri July 20, 2012
Dell Project Sputnik leads to release of XPS 13 with Ubuntu
Dell will release a version of its popular XPS 13 ultrabook with Linux preinstalled. The company has issued a statement on the release indicating that the Linux-based ultrabook is part of its Project Sputnik initiative with the aim of bringing an Ubuntu developer notebook to market. When it is released this fall, the XP3 with Linux will ship with the Ubuntu 12.04LTS distro onboard.
"Since we announced project Sputnik a little over two months ago, we have continued to be amazed by the amount and quality of interest and input we have received," said Barton George, project Sputnik lead and director Dell’s web vertical marketing. "By listening to developers, Dell can provide them with solutions and products to help make them more productive and allow for greater innovation."
The release of the XPS 13 with Linux will be limited to "select geographies," although the company hasn't detailed which countries this will include. Ubuntu 12.04LTS is one of the easiest to use Linux distros, and with a wide range of open source productivity applications and an increasing range of decent gaming apps, it is likely to have wider appeal than just developers. It is also likely to lead to result in lower entry pricing for the carbon fiber and aluminum XPS 13, which normally starts from $999.
