Canonical has announced that the new Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition has been officially certified to run Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. The Developer Edition laptop will be available from August with Ubuntu pre-installed, and owners of the current XPS 13 Plus can also install Ubuntu 22.04 LTS today and receive the same experience as the Developer Edition will get.
Ubuntu certification means that all the components in the computer will work well with Ubuntu out of the box. As a certified device, the Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition will receive specific software and drivers that don’t typically come with Ubuntu – as long as they are required. These devices may also run a different Linux kernel to ensure the best performance.
In terms of specifications, the laptop includes:
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS pre-installed
- 12th Gen Intel Core 28 W processor
- Bigger fans for a 55% better airflow without increasing noise or temperature
- Express Charge 2.0 for quick charging
- An improved quad speaker design
- Up to 4K+ resolution or vivid true-to-life colour on an OLED display with Eyesafe that reduce blue light
- M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Solid State Drive
- Up to 32 GB, LPDDR5, 5200 MHz, integrated, dual-channel memory
- Packaging made from 100% sustainably source or renewable materials
Commenting on the news, Jaewook Woo, Product Manager of Linux Operating System at Dell Technologies, said:
“XPS is an innovation portal for Dell – from its application of cutting-edge technology to experimentation of new user interfaces and experiential design. By bringing the enhanced performance and power management features of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS to our most advanced premium laptop, Dell and Canonical reinforce our joint commitment to continue delivering the best computing experience for developers using Ubuntu.”
This year marks ten years of collaboration on Developer Edition laptops between Canonical and Dell. Ten years ago, the two began Project Sputnik in an effort to create a high-end Dell computer with Ubuntu pre-installed, aimed at developers. Ubuntu is a popular choice for software developers because of the wide array of development tools that are available on the platform.
The device will be available from August in the U.S., Canada, and select European countries. No pricing details were provided, but the XPS 13 Plus costs $1,389, so expect a similar price for the Developer Edition.