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Ars Reviewer is Happily Bored With Dell's Linux Ultrabook

Posted by timothy on from the best-way-to-be-bored dept.

Ars Technica reviewer Lee Hutchinson says that Dell's Ubuntu-loaded 13" Ultrabook (the product of "Project Sputnik") is "functional," "polished," and (for a Linux laptop) remarkably unremarkable. "It just works," he says. Hutchinson points out that this is a sadly low bar, but nonetheless gives Dell great credit for surpassing it. He finds the Ultrabook's keyboard to be spongy, but has praise for most elements of the hardware itself, right down to (not everyone's favorite) the glossy screen.

10 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. glossy screen by blackjackshellac · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is why I will (sadly) never buy one of these.

    --
    Salut,

    Jacques

  2. Too Expensive by Luthair · · Score: 4, Informative

    Nearly 1600 before tax and no user upgradable components? You'd think it was a macbook

    1. Re:Too Expensive by BobCollins · · Score: 4, Informative

      Nearly 1600 before tax and no user upgradable components? You'd think it was a macbook

      Actually 50% more than the new MacBook Pro I bought last summer. The MBP has upgradable RAM, disk (SSD or spinning), and even the ability to swap out the optical drive for a second disk. And believe me, if Apple gets one thing right, it's that "it just works."

  3. Re:Still fiddly if you RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Then try KDE, where you can adjust the thickness of the window edge for grabbing. About six thicknesses to fatten up or slim down.
    Yes, they buried the setting, but it's under "Workspace Appearance".

  4. MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory by Internal+Modem · · Score: 4, Informative

    The current generation MBP has user replaceable RAM and storage. You're confusing the current generation MBP with Macbook Airs and Retina Macbook Pro. Apple even has a support document on the site "MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory" that covers the current generation MBP introduced in June 2012 (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1270).

    1. Re:MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 3, Informative

      The current generation MBP has user replaceable RAM and storage. You're confusing the current generation MBP with Macbook Airs and Retina Macbook Pro. Apple even has a support document on the site "MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory" that covers the current generation MBP introduced in June 2012 (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1270).

      I just replaced the SSD of my 2 month old Retina MBP with a 480GB Aurora unit. To do that I had to disconnect the (very removable) battery so both are upgradable on the Retina MBP. You are kind of stuck with the 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM. The later model MBAs also have upgradable SSDs.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7mzTB5KoAw
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_hZdE0AKVY

      --
      Only to idiots, are orders laws.
      -- Henning von Tresckow
  5. WTF is wrong with Dell ? by dargaud · · Score: 4, Informative

    Last week I was looking for a Linux ultrabook after my 8 year old one died (wasn't called that back then but I digress). I spent 2 evenings shopping on various sites and I was sure there were some at Dell because we buy Linux laptops from them at work. After failing to find them on their site, I called them up. The answer: no, we don't make Linux laptops. Well, fuck your lousy customer service, you just lost a sale.

    --
    Non-Linux Penguins ?
  6. Re:Still fiddly if you RTFA by kwark · · Score: 5, Informative

    What do you need window edges for? Setup you window manager to use a modifier (alt in my case) key to interact with the window itself, eg:
    alt-button1: move
    alt-button2: resize
    alt-button3: lower/raise window
    Beats trying to grab edges, especially with "focus follows mouse" and a high anti focus stealing setting for the wm.

  7. Interesting description of "Carbon Fiber" by Hadlock · · Score: 4, Informative

    and the laptop's bottom surface is coated in soft checkerboard patterned plastic

    Probably one of the more interesting parts of the chassis as a whole is described as plastic, rather than factory made carbon fiber parts. This piece adds a lot of rigidity, strength and shock absorption (if/when dropped on the corner) without adding much weight, and yet he glosses right over it. Resin infused woven carbon fiber is a wonderful piece of modern material science and it's completely ignored. Dell should be praised for pushing materials like this in to consumer products that cost less than $2000.

    --
    moox. for a new generation.
  8. Re:Still fiddly if you RTFA by CadentOrange · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's not an ultrabook. You pay a premium for small and lightweight, and a 17" is going to be cheaper and better spec'ed at the expense of portability.