This is a good idea in theory but potentially bad in execution.<p>What I'd like (and I suspect many other developers would too) is a nice laptop that <i>I</i> can install Linux on, and have it Just Work.<p>What it looks like Dell is providing is a nice laptop, but with a custom build of Ubuntu installed. If Dell's Windows installs are any indication, that means it's going to be loaded with crapware or custom non-OSS drivers. This is just speculation, but the fact that you can't dual-boot Windows on it is a big hint. Who knows what crapware they're going to load up on it, and then you'll be tied to their special brand of Ubuntu if you want upgrades or support.<p>What Dell should do instead is work with hardware manufacturers to iron out Linux driver bugs for just <i>one</i> nice laptop. Then sell that laptop with a stock Ubuntu build and let developers go to town. I'd pay a <i>lot</i> of money for something like that. Instead, today I have to buy a cheap Dell laptop, install Ubuntu, and deal with the driver headaches that exist to this day. (And don't tell me Linux is a magical fairy land because it Works For You, because it <i>doesn't</i> Just Work for me. It hasn't for years and it still doesn't today.)
Why can't I just get any computer with no operating system installed whatsoever. This isn't rocket science here, just format the hard drive and give me the computer. Then subtract the money you pay Microsoft for the windows license. If there is some contractual obligation Dell has with Microsoft to not do this then we need to start considering another round of antitrust proceedings.
When Dell sold Linux laptops before, the problem was always that they treated the Linux version and the Windows version as a separate SKU. So you were buying the Dell Latitude 4100 Linux version or the Dell Latitude 4100 Windows version. You couldn't just go to the Dell Latitude 4100 web page and select Windows or Linux from the Operating System drop-down menu.<p>The regular price of the Windows version would be $1000 and the Linux version would be $930. The thing is, nobody buys Dell products at full price. They wait for the sale. The Windows versions would be on sale all the time and the Linux ones never were, so the Windows version was often actually cheaper than the Linux version.
There seems to be a lot of confusion in the comments about what Dell is doing with this Laptop. Here are some observations that I've made:<p>* The image is custom, but it is maintained by Canonical, and one <i>can</i> download Ubuntu independently and then enable a bunch of Dell PPAs for hardware support (see <a href="http://hwe.ubuntu.com/uds-q/dellxps/" rel="nofollow">http://hwe.ubuntu.com/uds-q/dellxps/</a>).<p>* Dell <i>is</i> contributing to OSS with this project. They have, with Canonical and the manifacturer, already built open source touch-pad drivers that seem to be working very well (a rarity on Linux).<p>* Selling an OS-free website is actually doing the Linux community a disservice. The reason is that it takes time and fidgeting in order to make everything work on Linux (and you can, in fact, screw up your computer if you don't set up fans correctly, for example), and the average developer (and, of course, any other user) doesn't want to waste time making suspend function when they can be working. For this reason, desktop Linux will <i>not</i> gain any significant market share if it is not pre-installed. This project will raise the Linux desktop market share, and thus encourage others to do something similar.<p>* This project started as a pilot in order for Dell to gauge interest, and they deemed it having enough potential to actually launch. The buzz from Dell (really, the "Project Sputnik" blog) is that if it is successful, there <i>might</i> be a follow-up.<p>With all that said, I will still <i>not</i> be buying this computer. The high-end version that they're selling is too expensive because of a large SSD (still too expensive), while only having 4GB of RAM. In the age of streaming and Dropboxes, I'd rather keep $200 and have 128GB SSD with 8GB RAM. Plus the screen is mediocre (although the keyboard feels amazing, I tried it at Best Buy).<p>Edit: Added newlines.
I'm posting from one of their old ones right now, and I hope they do a better job this time. Bug city last time, and took a lot of work and a lot of time to pass (and a switch to Debian unstable) to make it completely workable.<p>I don't know how you ship laptops where the headphone jacks don't work and every update borks the sound completely unless you want them to fail. Did they not have anybody actually turn one on before selling them on their website?
Good luck with that Dell. 1366x768 resolution and Sandy Bridge chipset (Intel HD3000), launching soon? It doesn't become a developer laptop just because you've decided to call it that. You need a high DPI screen, and today it also needs Ivy Bridge with Intel HD4000 (or better).
I just got my system76 laptop today with Ubuntu pre-loaded. Nothing like opening the box, turning on your new laptop, and just having it all work. Can't beat the prices either.
Okay, how exactly is it not able to dual boot Windows? What is keeping it from being Windows compatible? It seems like an extreme situation where an x86 would be Linux-compatible but not be able to run Windows as well.
That's an odd to say. I bought my v131 in March and it came preinstalled with Linux. Dell web store shows a couple machines being sold with Linux.<p>Of course, the pages show "Dell recommends Windows® 7" because by doing this their OEM licenses cost a little bit less.<p>The laptops are at <a href="http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/laptops.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&~ck=mn#!facets=80770~0~1791343&p=1" rel="nofollow">http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/laptops.aspx?c=us&l=en...</a>
What is the battery life going to be like? I grudgingly installed Windows 7 on my (Lenovo) laptop after using Unix exclusively for 15 years simply because the battery lasts twice as long on Windows.<p>For what it's worth, I bought a Dell Inspiron Mini 10v with Ubuntu Hardy preinstalled 2.5 years ago. It didn't suspend/resume properly and video out was flaky. It died after two years of use (with strange electrical problems). I don't think I'll buy a Dell in the future.
I wonder if this actions is a result of a need to diversify just in case Windows declines much more rapidly than expected? Hedging their bets if you will.
At first I thought this sort of thing would be perfect for a student market, but then I looked at the price. The price point is just too high. I'd love to see something cheaper targeting Engineering students. At this price, if I were a student, I may as well wait for a decent internship and buy an MBP.
Welcome back Dell, now if HP and Lennovo join in people will start to remember the power and elegance of a laptop over a table and a laptop running Ubuntu is unreal.<p>Except...Unity sucks (the UI). Gnome 2 rocked.
I hope they test the laptops more thoroughly this time. The Dellbuntu laptop i bought last time was returned because there was a bug with the graphics drivers that prevented X from working.