In association with heise online

12 May 2009, 09:11

Dell reworks sparse Ubuntu offerings

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • submit to slashdot
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit

According to Dell's Ubuntu page in recent months, the number of machines that Dell has offered in the UK with Ubuntu Linux instead of Microsoft Windows has dwindled from three (a netbook, laptop and desktop) to, apparently, none. Meanwhile the news from Dell US is that there is a new version of Ubuntu coming for the Dell Mini 10 netbook.

The new Dell Ubuntu release is still based on Ubuntu 8.04 and has had some user interface changes to make it more "visually appealing" on the Mini 10. According to Dell US, the new Mini 10 comes with 1GB or 2GB of RAM and 32GB and 64GB SSD options.

The larger memory and SSD options are not available for the Windows based Mini 10 due to Micrsoft's licensing restrictions on the hardware capability of netbooks. The US posting says the revised Mini 10 is available in the US and Canada at the moment and talks about a new Mini 10 for Europe "in the near future" with an optional DVB-T tuner.

Dell's Microsoft Ubuntu
Dell suggest Ubuntu is made by Microsoft on it's specification sheet for the new Mini 10v
In the UK though, Dell have started listing the Mini 10v with a starting price of £199, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of SSD and Ubuntu. Dell are still working on figuring out how to present Ubuntu in their specification sheets; the Mini 10v has an entry for "Microsoft Operating System", below which Dell has listed "Ubuntu 8.04". Dell also still offer the Dell Mini 9 and 12 with Ubuntu as an option. The lack of updates to the Dell UK Ubuntu page, despite a new machine being launched, does leave some doubt over Dell's commitment to Linux. If you search for Ubuntu on the Dell site, you are directed back to the Dell UK Ubuntu page. On the Dell UK site there is still no desktop or traditional notebook listed with an option to use Ubuntu.

(djwm)

Print Version | Send by email | Permalink: http://h-online.com/-741517
 


  • July's Community Calendar





The H Open

The H Security

The H Developer

The H Internet Toolkit