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Dell Doubles Down On High-End Ubuntu Linux Laptops (zdnet.com)
Dell became the first major OEM to offer a laptop with Linux pre-installed in it in 2007. Ten years later, the company says it is more committed than ever to offering Linux-powered machines to users. From a report on ZDNet: The best known of these is the Dell XPS 13 developer edition, but it's not the only Linux laptop Dell offers. In a blog post, Barton George, senior principal engineer at Dell's Office of the CTO, announced "the next generation of our Ubuntu-based Precision mobile workstation line." All of these systems boast Ubuntu 16.04 long-term support (LTS), 7th generation Intel Core or Intel Xeon processors, and Thunderbolt 3, AKA 40 Gigabit per second (Gbps) USB-C, ports. As the Xeon processor option shows, these are top-of-the-line laptops for professionals. It took longer than expected for Dell to get this new set of five Ubuntu-powered Precision mobile workstations out the door. The Precision 5520 and 3520 are now available. The 3520, the entry-level workstation, starts with an Intel Core 2.5GHz i5-7300HQ Quad Core processor with Intel HD Graphics 630. From there, you can upgrade it all the way to an Intel Core Xeon 3 GHz E3-1505M v6 processor with Nvidia Quadro M62 graphics.
Five years worth of OS support? Really? That's totally impractical or very expensive for any non-Linux professional.
Heck, most of my work is done on 5+ year old hardware, running a 7+ year old OS.
I don't respond to AC's.
I'd rather see some cheaper models. I'm still shopping around for a good basic laptop for my wife. It doesn't need to be ultra thin (it won't travel much) or super stylish, just something basic to run Ubuntu with a browser and LibreOffice. Not having to pay the Redmont tax is an even bigger deal on a cheap laptop. But the selection of low end laptops seems to be rather a lot poorer then when I last bought one around 5 years ago. And so does the selection of laptops with Linux or without Windows, come to think of it.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
This may seem surprising but most of the people I know who use Linux are not techies. Half of them probably have not installed their own OS. They use it because Linux is stable and does not reboot in the middle of their presentations. They would probably be happy to see more Linux pre-installed options on the market.
I, on the other hand, do the exact opposite, run Linux just fine on a Dell Latitude, and for the extremely rare times I need Windows, I run a Windows 7 virtualbox VM, using the OEM product key from said Dell laptop..
THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
Me too, works perfectly on my Acer, all hardware features. Windows in a VM for those locked-in technology moments.