Dell unveils Ubuntu-loaded computers

After confirming earlier this month that it will start offering “select” consumer desktop and notebook computers in a pre-installed Ubuntu Linux configuration, Dell on Thursday unveiled its first three models, two desktops and an Inspiron notebook PC, preloaded with Ubuntu 7.04 Linux operating system.

Dell said its three consumer systems, the XPSTM 410n and DimensionTM E520n desktops and the InspironTM E1505n notebook, will come pre-installed with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux distribution.

Dell’s move came after the company’s IdeaStorm site, where users post their suggestions and vote for the best ones, was flooded with calls for the installation of Linux on desktops and notebooks.

More than 100,000 people participated in surveys about the systems and what kind of Linux to install in the machines, the Round Rock, Texas-based Dell said in a statement.

To comply with customers’ demands, Dell on May 1, 2007 announced a partnership with Ubuntu Linux developer Canonical, in order to offer the recently released Ubuntu 7.04, also known as "Feisty Fawn," on select consumer desktop and notebook products.

“The interest and enthusiasm from customers who challenged us to deliver a consumer Linux solution have been matched within Dell and Canonical, the sponsor of Ubuntu, by a team of dedicated professionals who made this happen in a phenomenally short period of time,” said Neil Hand, vice president, Dell Consumer Product Group. “It’s fantastic to be able to offer what many Linux enthusiasts want, great Dell products with popular open-source software for work and play.”

With the launch of new models, PC buyers now have got three options to choose from: a machine with Windows installed, a machine with no OS, on which they can install one of their choice, and now a machine with Ubuntu Linux already installed.

Available at Dell's Web site for purchase, the Insprion E1505n, a 15-inch notebook, starts at US$599, while the two desktops, the Dimension E520, and XPS 410n, a middle of the line desktop, start from $599 and $849 each, respectively.

The three PCs use Intel Corp. Core 2 Duo microprocessors. The two desktops include 1G byte of RAM and 250G bytes of hard disk space, while the laptop contains 512M bytes of RAM and an 80G byte hard disk drive.

The Inspiron E1505n features a 15.4 inch WXGA display, an Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080, while the Dimension E520n comes with a 17 inch flat panel, Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 and 256MB nVidia GeForce 7300LE. The XPS 410n has a 19 inch flat panel display, Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 and 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE.

The Ubuntu-based computers come with hardware support through Dell's normal support channels, while the software support will come from a variety of dedicated Web sites and Linux forums, Dell announced.

Late last month, Dell, which is currently the second-largest PC seller in the world and has a 15.2% share of the overall PC market, decided to bring Windows XP Operating System back to home PCs, apparently reversing a policy begun in January that meant Windows Vista was the only operating system available on almost all new home machines. On its IdeaStorm Web site, Dell had announced that due to overwhelming demand, Windows XP Home and Professional will be available once again on at least some consumer machines.

Perfect for laptops, desktops and servers, Ubuntu is a community developed, linux-based operating system that contains all the desired applications, including a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more.

Ubuntu, which will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates, comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world. It promises the best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer.