Dell today made it official, unveiling three consumer systems -- the XPSTM 410n and DimensionTM E520n desktops and the InspironTM E1505n laptop -- with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux distribution factory installed.
Available in the U.S. after 4:00 p.m. CDT today at www.dell.com/open, the systems target the Linux enthusiast community and are a direct result of extensive customer feedback received since February via www.ideastorm.com, the company’s Web site for fielding customers’ suggestions to improve products, services and operations. About 30,000 IdeaStorm community members advocated that Dell offer systems with Linux pre-installed, and more than 100,000 participated in a follow-up survey to help determine customer preferences, including which Linux distribution to offer initially.
“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 no software licensing costs associated with Ubuntu, the base price for each system is competitively priced and fully configured. Hardware support is available through normal Dell support channels, along with the Basic software support on a variety of dedicated Web sites and Linux forums. Customers can also choose service upgrades from Canonical, including: 30-day Get Started, One-year Basic and One-Year Standard. More information on Canonical services is available at www.ubuntu.com.
Dell is offering hardware options on each system that have the most mature and stable Linux driver support. These hardware options have been thoroughly tested and certified by Canonical. For hardware options not offered with this release, Dell is working with the vendors of those devices to improve the maturity and stability of their associated Linux drivers, and expects to have a broader range of hardware support with Linux over time.
In response to customer feedback, Dell created a robust Dell Linux Forum, www.dellcommunity.com. The forum provides an easily accessible resource and collaborative environment that enables customers to interact with other Linux enthusiasts, ask questions, share experiences and learn. Customers can customize and purchase Dell’s Ubuntu systems at www.dell.com/open.
Recommended Configurations and Pricing
| Inspiron E1505n | Dimension E520n | XPS 410n |
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| 15.4-inch TrueLife WXGA display | 17-inch flat panel display | 19-inch flat panel display |
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| Intel Pentium® Dual Core T2080
| Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 | Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 |
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| 512MB shared* memory
| 1GB shared* memory
| 1GB shared* memory
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| 80GB hard drive* | 250GB hard drive* | 250GB hard drive* |
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| CDRW/DVD ROM | CDRW/DVD ROM | DVD+/- RW* |
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| Intel® Media Accelerator 950 Graphics
| 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache* | 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache* |
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| Intel PRO Wireless 3945 | 10/100 Ethernet | 10/100 Ethernet |
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| Starting at $599 | Starting at $599 | Starting at $849 |
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About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS.
