Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

How about a laptop with a better key board, slim figure, larger special character keys and more feedback for keys?<p>Then shove a great processor, a mouse pad that's not accidentally click able while typing, and a high resolution screen.<p>That's a developer laptop. Ill install my own software, Thank you very much.

This is kind of sad. XPS 13 is not exactly good -- the display resolution is terrible, there's no ethernet port, and for ultrabook it is not very thin, feels real cheap in hands, and the keyboard is not very good. It's almost like someone tool everything bad from the ultrabook trend and nothing good from it.<p>And when people won't care because the hardware is not worth it (especially when it's not that much cheaper than MBA), it will be interpreted as "no one wants linux".

&#62;Project Sputnik, a product of Dell’s new internal incubation fund, features not just full hardware support for Ubuntu on the XPS13, but a notion of “profiles” for developers<p>They could have stopped at "full hardware support for Ubuntu". Nobody cares about their crapware.<p>Just two weeks ago I bought an HP ProBook for a colleague for the sole reason of being Linux certified. It came with a Suse license but he's using it with Ubuntu.<p>The one Dell laptop I could have bought came with an Ubuntu version from 2010.

If its vertical resolution is lower than 900 pixels I can't take it seriously as a laptop designed for developers.

I know there is a lot more to a nice laptop than proper software integration. However, proper software integration goes a long way. I bought an XPS m1330 "N" with Linux pre-installed 4 years ago. I have had zero funky hardware/software dances with it through the many re-installs I have done. I don't relish the idea of replacing it.<p>So this is good news to me. I looked into recent Dell's and found that there is almost always something slightly "wrong" with them when you run Linux on them. Either weirdness in power management or the touchpad or some other random thing. Just being able to buy a computer and not have to worry if it is going to work with my OS is very nice. I have too much to do and don't want to spend a week futzing with drivers and other nonsense (I have done enough of that for a life time).

In the spirit of... well... "thinking differently" we might call it, I'll actually say I'm pretty happy with the Dells I've had. They're solid workhorses with relatively good value for the money I spent on them. Certainly, they are not glamorous or beautiful, but they work well, have good support, and have generally run Ubuntu pretty well.<p>That said, if someone came along and really did good Linux support, I'd probably switch.

I think this thread is a great example of why developers are notoriously tough customers (myself included)

What would you think about a contemporary GRiD Compass?<p>Emphasis on durability and ergonomy before slim-ness, providing :<p><pre><code> - Stronger structural material for laptop frame - Shock and torque absorbing bits around corners, and hinges - Stronger hinges that you can manipulate carelessly - Better ergonomics by balancing weight - More space for internal addition (PCIe, USB3) for modders - Ease of access to internal, repairability. - Easier heat dissipation aiming for 35-50C min-max range with minimal fan speed.</code></pre> Beside, add:<p><pre><code> A true 8bit IPS LCD. A thinkpad class keyboard. </code></pre> A nice vintage black box that handle 25 years of hackery without a glitch.

The worst part for me is that the XPS13 only allows a MAXIMUM of 4GB of RAM. This is ridiculous for a dev box, especially when I want to run a VM or two.

So their target audience is developers that are incapable of installing their own tools and that are cool with the cheap look and flimsy build quality of Dell laptops.<p>Unfortunately, that market actually exists, and nine out of ten times that lack of caring for quality is reflected in their work.

I'm surprised they think developers would be interested in this. Having worked with Dell in IT, you couldn't pay me to use anything they put their name on. Dell have a bad reputation in both hardware and peopleware, and it's well deserved.

The biggest possible upside to this project will be if Shuttleworth &#38; Company get on board to support the XPS13 as a first class Ubuntu platform because of Sputnik.<p>And when I say first class, I don't mean "give it the Supported Platform stamp." I mean "respond to user reports of touchpad bugs" and "fix them."

"Configuration as code". In other words, "configuration as plain text files". Another innovation that's actually been in *nix since forever.<p>As a result of this, I can turn any computer into a me-friendly machine in about an hour. Install my favorite Openbox-based distro (Crunchbang), copy over dotfiles I've already customized, and install every package from a list that's been exported from my main laptop.

This is kind of interesting for me. I'm trying to find for myself a proper Linux machine. Right now on Dell e6410, a bit regret that I bought it. In my opinion nearest to the ideal developer machine on Linux is Lenovo X1 or X220.<p>Screen 13": is enough, even 12" is enough. If you are kind of developer who moves his behind from meeting to meeting or spends some time on plains or conferences. 13" (max) is your choice. You can buy really cheap big monitors and plug you machine, in every place where you work.<p>Processor and Memory: this is out of discussion i7 and 8GB ram. Memory is so cheep those days that giving developers less than 8GB is a sin.<p>HDD: SSD 128. This works for me. I have external drives, as a developer I don't keep movies, games, photos on my computer.<p>Graphic Card. I had a rule that if I'm using Linux I'm using Nvidia cards. This probably not true any more. I've heard from people that Intel Cards work well. But still, switching screens is done decently in NVIDIA drives.<p>Screen: for me Glare.<p>Battery: should follow at least MacBook Pro 13". which is 3-4h.<p>Price if this will be more than 1400 $ people will buy MacBookPro.<p>Ubuntu: I'm using Xubuntu. Unity still keeps me angry, and as smallest as possible number of installed programs. Because I'm developer it doesn't mean that I'm using Eclipse.

Linux developers by and large don't care what distro or software comes preloaded. They intend to replace it with their favorite setup the moment they take the machine out of the box. What they want is a keyboard designed for productivity and hardware that is fully compatible with the Linux kernel. Some will only use free (libre) drivers. Some want a large touchpad, others just want a pointing stick, and others don't use a pointing device at all. Many want easy access to the inside of their computer. Then there are always the regular consumer issues like how pretty the machine is, does it have bluetooth, an optical drive, etc. All laptops have a tradeoff among portability (size and battery), performance (CPU, GPU, RAM, and display), and price (low is good). Most great laptops only excel in two of those categories. Different developers choose a different two.

I'd like the ability to have 16GB of RAM in a machine that's the size of an Air or Ultrabook. It seems at the moment, that is impossible to find.

A nice move. Too bad the XPS13 has a (reportedly) terrible display: <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/6/2848346/dell-xps-13-review#section_4" rel="nofollow">http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/6/2848346/dell-xps-13-review#...</a>

It is only softwares for the XPS13?

I fully expect it to be $140 cheaper than a comparable machine running Windows 7 Pro.

Hmmm .. "devops" angle .. "developer profiles" .. these things don't seem necessary.

I don't know, I think matching hardware to software is a stupid idea. Just focus on building the hardware as a platform, don't lock it down with custom BS solutions and let the software developers handle the software.<p>What kind of developer doesn't have their own workflow and customize their own workstation to their needs? You just can't mass produce a one-model-fits-all laptop for developers...<p>Of all Dell laptops, the Precision line is the only one I'd buy - the M6600 looks especially good now that HP abandoned the near-perfect design of the Elitebook 8740/8540w (just for the sake of a new design it seems)...

the negative and aggressive attitude in this thread is depressing.<p>:-(

On every single Dell I've used I've hated the keyboard within 10 key presses at most, and I've tried a good 2 dozen over the past 15 years.<p>And there in lies the problem, every other spec is fucking useless compared to 'does this keyboard suck'. If it sucks you can have 32GB of RAM, a draw that spits out toast and Knuth built into it and I still won't buy it.

Why would a laptop running Ubuntu be for "developers"? Not to get into a distro flamewar, but (for example) many large organizations use RHEL on their servers, and developers on the back-end would want to develop there so it will run on their customer's systems. They should be clearer that it's for "web developers".

Standard size function keys. No media keys, only volume/mute control.<p>Trackpoint is a must. I can even live without a track/touch pad.

If I'm allowed to design my dream laptop, I'd make it have<p>- a 13 inch 1080x1920 screen<p>- two video outputs (for when its docked)<p>- an SSD for the OS and my tools<p>- an average hard disk for my data<p>- a good keyboard<p>- enough memory<p>- a camera and audio<p>- 3G data (or better)<p>- Bluetooth for the keyboard and trackpad when it's docked.<p>And the rest of it would be a humongous battery. And power it with an Atom-class processor so that the battery lasts a day. Leave the software alone.<p>Make it pretty.

The XPS13 doesn't really seem equipped to appeal to professional developers, but Dell might be specifically targeting the entry-level and enthusiast markets. I would have enjoyed having something along these lines in high school, for instance.

They can start by unfucking the internal/external display mode key. <a href="http://www.osnews.com/story/23202/The_win_p_Mess_Will_Microsoft_Ever_Learn_" rel="nofollow">http://www.osnews.com/story/23202/The_win_p_Mess_Will_Micros...</a>

Running SUSE 9.1 on a Dell Precision M70. Huge screen works fine in Suse, and as I use an external PS2 keyboard, no chance of accidentally tapping the mouse pad. Wifi works fine on M70's internal wifi card. Great cheap Linux laptop.

Great, now offer Fedora on it and you might have a shot at selling me one. I'm in the market for a new laptop Real Soon Now, and I will definitely be looking for something to run Fedora on.

I like the pop-under ad for gambling when you visit this site. Classy.

With Linux slowly growing in popularity among developers this is good news to me. Now if IT shops at large companies will start supporting Linux for developers more that would be cooler.

A developers laptop without a trackpoint, crappy keyboard and a screen that does not provide much vertical space? Other than this, I welcome Laptops designed for developers with Linux.

So I immediately went to the Dell website to check the XPS13. The only OS choices were Windows or Windows. Apparently they didn't announce Linux internally.

I would buy a Ubuntu laptop. I feel like a fool that I spent money on a MacBook Pro. I was too lazy to get a Linux laptop working.

And there I am, wishing the headline was "Dell Announces a Linux Laptop Developed for Designers" instead.

People can develop on 13" screens?

Someone must be able to make a viable business model out of selling Ubuntu on Ultrabooks.

Big time developers have always said that OS X is a better Unix development environment than Linux. Dell is smart to come out with a power Linux development station. My friends have been replacing their unix workstations with Macintoshes. Mac OS X is basically plain Unix -BSD flavor. Now Dell is going there. Smart by Dell<p>@furrier

It would be nice if you could get them to ship it preinstalled.

Just get a Macbook Pro 17 inch. Best machine ever. The only serious laptop for developers ;-)<p>Bought it last week, and did almost go for a Macbook Air after the Linus endorsement. I am so happy I didnt!

what's new here, because xps13 is a fancy ultrabook? i installed ubuntu on my laptops and they always worked fine, why is this big news. i might be missing something...

The most obvious thing about Dell's ignorance-promoting product page for the XPS13 (the differences are only defined in marketspeak) is that there is still no SSD available:<p><a href="http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-l321x/pd" rel="nofollow">http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-l321x/pd</a><p>However, I'll keep the low-end version in mind the next time I'm shopping for "America's Best Protection." Oh wait, they all come with that. Hrm.<p>Are they really hoping to get a piece of the Macbook Air pie with this?