Dell's Ubuntu Ultrabook Now On Sale; Costs $50 More Than Windows Version

nk497 writes "Dell's 'Project Sputnik' laptop is now on sale. The XPS 13 Developer Edition comes with Ubuntu 12.04 pre-installed, and costs $1,549 — $50 more than the same model running Windows. The Ubuntu Ultrabook is the result of a skunkworks project to optimise the open-source OS to run on Dell projects, to create better laptops for developers. The idea of the project was to create a laptop for developers, based around 'the idea that developers are the kings of IT and set the agenda for web companies, who in turn, set the agenda for the whole industry,' Dell said." Reader skade88 points out a positive review from Ars Technica.

Read the description, you are missing much more

[SuperKendall]

So, if I buy the Linux version, I'm paying $50 to skip:

No.

You are not paying to skip anything.

From the sound of it, you are paying for a slightly customized Linux build with a lot of really well thought out features, like work "profiles" that load software tailored to certain kinds of work - the example given was Ruby developers.

Between Dell making sure the drivers work well with all of the hardware involved, and doing custom improvements over Linux tailored to developers you are not paying to skip anything - you are paying just $50 more to make sure you have a really good developer laptop.

This is the first non Mac laptop I've been interested in for years. This is a really, really smart move on the part of Dell and I can't help but think we'll see more things like it with PC makers looking to edge away from Microsoft somewhat now that MS is competing on hardware.

Re:Yes, but is a MacBook Air optimized for Ubuntu

[OzPeter]

...and how much is your time worth to reload Ubuntu and make sure that all the drivers for all the Apple stuff works, or rewrite the drivers which don't work.

Why would you even bother. OS X is *nix on the desktop. In a packages that "Just works".

Re:Surprised?

[RobinH]

When I called for support for my XPS desktop (audio problems with Vista), I did get routed to a different 1-800 number I had to call. I got a person who treated me like an adult.

Re:Boatware

[snadrus]

You bring a new, unopened laptop in a box with the manufacturer's untouched tape still on it to the service center to request a Windows refund. It worked for me (with Acer). There's no way I extracted any value from Windows with the tape still on the box.