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Windows 10 Haters: Try Linux On Kaby Lake Chips With Dell's New XPS 13 (pcworld.com)

Attention Linux enthusiasts. Your OS of your choice can finally work on laptops with Intel's Kaby Lake chips. Dell is releasing three new models of slick XPS 13 Developer Edition that will be available with Ubuntu OS and 7th Generation Core processors in the U.S. and Canada starting on Oct. 10, reports PCWorld. From the article:Prices for XPS 13 DE will start at $949. Dell also announced the XPS 13 model with Kaby Lake and Windows 10, which will ship on Oct. 4 starting at $799. Dell didn't share details on what version of Ubuntu desktop OS will be preloaded. It officially supports Ubuntu 14.04 in existing laptops, but could pre-load version 16.04 on the new XPS 13 DE. Dell has remained committed to Linux while major PC vendors shift to Windows 10 on PCs. Intel made a major commitment to supporting Windows 10 with its new Kaby Lake chips but hasn't talked much about Linux support. XPS 13 DE is perhaps the sexiest and thinnest Linux laptop available, with an edge-to-edge screen being a stand-out feature. It is the latest in Dell's Project Sputnik line of laptops, and it is targeted at computer enthusiasts who want a Windows or Mac alternative. A knock against Linux is that the OS has lagged behind Windows on driver development and on supporting the latest technologies like USB-C ports, 4K screens, and Thunderbolt. Project Sputnik started four years ago as an effort between Dell and the open-source community to bridge that gap, and since then, the resulting laptops have achieved cult status among Linux enthusiasts. A Dell XPS 13 with a Core i5 chip will have a full HD screen, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Another configuration will have a 3200 x 1800-pixel screen, Core i5, and a 256GB SSD. A fully loaded model will have a Core i7 chip, a 512GB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and a 3200 x 1800-pixel screen.

26 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by jfdavis668 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can't I get one with Fedora?

    1. Re:What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, obviously:

      Ubuntu Haters: Try Windows 10 On Kaby Lake Chips With Dell's New XPS 13
      Yours truely,
      Microsoft

    2. Re:What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Shane_Optima · · Score: 2

      I hear they're tossing in a ballgag if you're into that sort of thing. Seriously though, what exactly is the appeal of Fedora? Familiarity via using RH Enterprise at work? I'm not saying I'm in love with Ubuntu in particular, but Fedora has long puzzled me in this regard. Beyond the (perhaps familiar to many) rpm ecosystem, what does it offer? It's not topping the list on life cycle, stability, user-friendliness, tweak-ability, respect for users or pragmatism (see their "not our problem; go yell at Adobe " response to breaking 64 bit flash a few years back), etc.

      There has to be some niche I'm overlooking here. I just couldn't ever find a compelling reason to join this massive all-volunteer Red Hat beta testing team. Maybe it's just an easy way to get more up-to-date apps if you're too impatient for something like Gentoo or Arch? (Even then, I'm not certain it has much over the non-stable and non-LTS Debian-based options.)

    3. Re:What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by armanox · · Score: 2

      Fedora is a very upstream distribution, and also does very little modification to the bundled software. They also contribute more back upstream then any other distribution does. Finally, The changes that happen in Fedora set the stage for Linux in general - the Fedora team does things first (PulseAudio, Network Manager, GNOME, systemd) and every one else follows.

      --
      I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
    4. Re: What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Shane_Optima · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I can't quite square hating Ubuntu for being "dumbed-down" and promoting Red Hat. Their antics at the helm of GNOME alone plainly show the utter contempt in which they hold their users (which, to be fair, must be deserved to some degree--I mean, for whatever reason, people kept using GNOME.)

      Ubuntu has a very handy five year LTS snapshot release style that RH has refused to match for their desktop product, which is only support for something like 18 months. They also have extended the dpkg system with PPAs which (last time I checked) Debian did not support out of the box.

      Appreciating all of that and being a fan of Mir or the Unity desktop are two entirely different things. Just use a derivative like Xubuntu or Kubuntu instead. Problem solved. All of the advantages of Ubuntu (and by extension Debian) with few of the disadvantages.

    5. Re:What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Shane_Optima · · Score: 2

      Fedora is a very upstream distribution, and also does very little modification to the bundled software.

      Like Debian, Gentoo or Arch? Maybe I'm misinformed but I thought Ubuntu was the only one well known for that sort of thing.

      They also contribute more back upstream then any other distribution does. Finally, The changes that happen in Fedora set the stage for Linux in general - the Fedora team does things first (PulseAudio, Network Manager, GNOME, systemd) and every one else follows.

      And that's a positive, is it?

      I don't mean to start a religious war here... at least, not on Poettering. I mean with systemd, whatever, there are some valid arguments on both sides there. But GNOME is some kind of bizarre BSDM experiment or something. They've managed to show less respect for their users than Microsoft. Removing as many user choices as possible has long been an explicit goal of theirs. And they've waged a unilateral war against screensavers, inexplicably and for no benefit that I can discern, for something like a decade now. For all their supposed streamlining they still aren't a lightweight or easy to configure DE, and since Gnome 3 they certainly haven't been the 'easy' option or the one you'd install on grandma's computer.

      If Red Hat is responsible for that little list of yours, I think the wisest option would be to NOT support them, to be vocal about using XFCE or KDE or OpenRC or whatever, so that they are (eventually) forced to listen to their users and modify the priorities of some of those projects that they contribute so heavily to. And it's not like easy to use alternatives are especially hard to come by. Debian derivatives are a breeze to use and are available in LTS, rapid release or rolling release, with every major (and most minor) desktop environment not only supported but configured right of the box.

      As an end user, the only really interesting thing I've seen out of RH in recent years is Docker (but I'm afraid it's nowhere near as interesting as Qubes.)

    6. Re: What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Grishnakh · · Score: 2

      Appreciating all of that and being a fan of Mir or the Unity desktop are two entirely different things. Just use a derivative like Xubuntu or Kubuntu instead.

      Or one of the many flavors of Mint.

    7. Re: What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

      I hate the dumbed down ubuntu. Let's get these kids today to have to set up CLI before they can configure their GUI.

      I'm pissed off they took hand cranks from car engines.

      It's silly to demand that people return to 1985 to do basic computing. There are altogether too many uses of computers to demand that everyone start there.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re: What if I am an Ubuntu hater, too? by Blaskowicz · · Score: 2

      Like those Unix-like environments where the prompt isn't set are so much more useful!
      And when you use up arrow / down arrow to get the command line history, it should display garbage characters instead of actually working, so that users are forced to learn how to set their terminal character map or whatever it is.
      And when you run graphical emacs (because the notepad clones are for dummies and none should be installed out of the box), it should be set so that home/end keys bring you to the beginning or end of the whole file, not the current line. That will teach how to set it up.
      Mouse scroll wheel support is a waste of bytes, real mice have three buttons and that's it. Users should be required to recompile their apps with --enable-scrollwheel on a case by case basis.

  2. Ubuntu is a poor choice to demo. by Hylandr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Try Korora Linux instead.

    Debian/Ubuntu slow, Fedora/Centos Fast.

    --
    ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  3. Stupid 16:9 by Stormwatch · · Score: 2, Insightful

    3200 x 1800 is still 16:9, which is shortscreen bullshit. Fuck that. Why can't they give us a good 4:3 screen, the way good screens are supposed to be?

    It's depressing, the only laptops with decent screens now seem to be Microsoft's Surface line and some Panasonic Toughbook models.

    1. Re:Stupid 16:9 by Shinobi · · Score: 2

      For 4:3 there were 1600x1200 screens. What I want is something in the 5:4 ratio, like 2500x2000

    2. Re:Stupid 16:9 by ytene · · Score: 2

      Love it. Currently sat in front of a triple set of Dell 2415s... Narrow bezels, good connectivity, low power, excellent dynamic range, low latency. What's not to like?

    3. Re:Stupid 16:9 by lgw · · Score: 2

      How do you feel about 16:10?

      16:10 is the one true aspect ratio! To me, it's the ideal tradeoff for everything I want to use a monitor for. 4:3 is too narrow for IDEs, 16:9 not tall enough, both 4:3 and 16:9 videos (and games!) look fine on a 16:10 monitor. Can't be beat!

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  4. wrong buzz word slashdot by nimbius · · Score: 3, Informative

    A hater is a person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. I as well as many other slashdotters have legitimate substantiated grievances with the business practices and technical decisions made by Microsoft. Quit trying to marginalize dissent in the ranks of your advertising audience.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  5. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by courteaudotbiz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The problem here is that the Linux version is 150$ more expensive. So basically, you pay more to have a free OS. Sound logical.

  6. Advertising? by Chmarr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Aren't articles like this supposed to have a brown title bar, or something? I'm confoozed.

  7. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by donaldm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    the better for linux. So, lets all hate win 10 a bit.

    That's not difficult, after all why would I want to run malware

    From the first sentence of the Wiki for those who are in denial or can't be bothered clicking on the link.

    "Malware, short for malicious software, is any software used to disrupt computer operations, gather sensitive information, gain access to private computer systems, or display unwanted advertising."

    Sound familiar? Of course, most people will say "But I don't have anything to hide" - Sad really, they have been in the water too long and now it's started to get hot. I hope they enjoy their gold plated chains.

    Oh I almost forgot Linux also works on Skylake systems as well.

    --
    There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
  8. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by chuckugly · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Executive summary: It makes total sense if you have any inkling of how the PC business works. ISVs pay hardware makers to pre-install their software on consumer PCs, thus partially subsidizing the PC for the consumer. They consider it a marketing expense. Yes, you actually do get PAID to have that shovelware put in front of your face. Couple that with the larger unit volumes for Win10 equipped devices and there's your answer.

  9. Re:You can always roll your own with the motherboa by PRMan · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can't you just but the Windows 10 model and put whatever Linux you want on it? Or do they lock that down now?

    --
    Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
  10. so if you have to hate windows 10... by dejitaru · · Score: 2

    ...to like linux, and windows 10 now includes linux bash shell in windows 10... does that mean windows 10 hates windows 10? If so, then I think Cortana might have become self-aware and reached AI levels of humans to learning the gift of self-hatred...

  11. Shame it appears to be US only by ukoda · · Score: 2

    The XPS13 is a fine PC, I installed Mint 18 on it with zero hassle and everything worked first time. I am very happy with now I have it but buying it was a major mission as from what I can see it is a US only product. I live in New Zealand where you can not order it from the NZ version of the Dell website. I had to get access to a USA issue credit card to pay for it and ship it to a USA based address. I real hassle. The funny thing is Dell know who pays for their products and who they ship it to but never bother to ask who is buying it or who the owner will be.

    Bottom line is Dell are a PIA to deal with but have a first class product, way nicer that the Apple MBA it replaced.

  12. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

    The problem here is that the Linux version is 150$ more expensive. So basically, you pay more to have a free OS. Sound logical.

    You make the mistake of assuming that linux users are linux users because they are cheap. At least for mysself and the others I know that use Linux, we use it because it works better, is more secure, and we like it. I just like Unix and it's linux flavor. That's why my computers are either OSX or Linux. 150 is well worth it to me.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  13. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by ukoda · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Linux version has different parts. From memory the WiFi chipset is different as the one in the Windows version has poor Linux support whereas the XPS DE has changed to a chipset with good driver support. Not sure what your time is worth but $150 was worth it from a machine where everything worked first time on Linux. Compared to the Apple MBA that my XPS DE replaced it is a dream. It took many hours to get the Mac working on Linux and I never did get the camera working on it. So yea I spent $150 on a free OS, then promptly replaced Ubuntu with Mint 18 anyway. It worked first time too, no drivers needed.
    If the $150 really worries you then XPS is probably the wrong range of machines to look at, there are plenty of cheaper options out there.

  14. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

    If their shovelware was better written, it would work in WINE, and then they could still have it preinstalled. Maybe even easier to preinstall it, since a WINE prefix can be straight up copied between machines without having to use disk imaging software.

    Who the hell wants that shit on their computer? For me, not having it on the computer is just icing on the cake. Saves me the trouble of uninstalling it.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  15. Re:The more hated windows 10 is by jetkust · · Score: 5, Informative

    The problem here is that the Linux version is 150$ more expensive. So basically, you pay more to have a free OS. Sound logical.

    You make the mistake of assuming that linux users are linux users because they are cheap. At least for mysself and the others I know that use Linux, we use it because it works better, is more secure, and we like it. I just like Unix and it's linux flavor. That's why my computers are either OSX or Linux. 150 is well worth it to me.

    While I agree with you. The parent post is wrong. The $799 laptop with Windows has an i3, 4GB memory, 128 GB SSD. The Ubuntu version has an i5, 8GB memory, 256 GB SSD. Looking on Dell's website, the Windows version is $100 more with the same specs.