If you’re in the market for a Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition notebook, you can now order it with Ubuntu 18.04 pre-installed. The option is currently only available in the U.S. but Europeans will be able to get it pre-installed in early August. It’s notable for Canonical, the firm that makes Ubuntu, because it signals the first availability of the new release on a major OEM’s hardware since the April launch.
While you may wonder what the big deal is, seeing as Ubuntu can be freely installed on any computer; what"s different is that Dell and Canonical have worked together to certify the XPS 13 for Ubuntu, ensuring a seamless experience from day one so there should be no quirky issues like those you might encounter on other hardware.
Commenting on the news, Will Cooke, Desktop Engineering Manager at Canonical, said:
“We are delighted to have worked in close partnership with Dell for the launch of their latest XPS 13 Developer Edition pre-installed with our newest LTS release. Dell’s superior hardware combined with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS provides an excellent, reliable experience straight out of the box. Building on our longstanding relationship with Dell over the last six years, we look forward to seeing 18.04 LTS roll out on further models in the coming months.”
While Barton George, Linux Lead at Dell, noted:
“When Project Sputnik debuted over five years ago we launched with one config of our XPS 13 developer edition on Ubuntu 12.04. Fast forward to today and thanks to the interest and support of the community, we are able to announce that our seventh generation XPS 13 developer edition now comes with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. 18.04 represents Project Sputnik’s fourth preloaded LTS. We’re already looking forward to Sputnik’s fifth LTS in 2020.”
The new Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition has ten configurations featuring up to 1TB SSD, up to 16GB RAM, and the latest 8th generation Intel Quad Core CPUs. All configurations come with the InfinityEdge 13.3” near borderless display which can be configured to be Full HD or Ultra HD. Prices start at $1,049.99, and you can read more and buy the device here.
Source and image: Ubuntu