Dell to Release Inspiron e1505n Notebook Today with Linux Ubuntu 7.04 Installed

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After months of rumors and promises Dell is set to deliver on making available a Linux pre-loaded laptop. The Dell Inspiron e1505n notebook will go on sale later today.

According to a video log posting on the Direct2Dell website, the Inspiron e1505n will come pre-installed with Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn. Dell will also offer the desktop PCs XPS 410n and Dimension E520n with Ubuntu installed. The Inspiron e1505n will retail at a starting price of $599 and the order page url will be www.dell.com/open

Dell has a video on their site explaining the process of getting Linux on to Dell machines

The e1505n will not be as configurable as the regular Windows Inspiron e1505 machines, but that's only because Dell has had to work to make sure each component works with the necessary Linux drivers. As more components are certified for Linux the configuration options on the e1505n will grow.

Dell should gain some street credibility with wanting to answer to and help their customers as this whole process of offering Linux on PCs started when people voted this as being the number one request for something they'd like to see from Dell on the Dell Idea Storm site. Details about the Linux systems and a Wiki can be found at http://linux.dell.com.

 

Looking forward to them becoming available worldwide.

 

This should really help linux out. At least Dell listens to its customers.
Tim

 

Im extremely suprised at the way Dell has been listening to its customers lately. Dell has already tried Linux before and failed so this is a real braveheart move for its customers.

 

What people really what is both XP and Linux. They want the best of both worlds. Maybe they could have an option to leave an empty partition on the drive.

 

I'm interested to see which GPU they use. Hopefully it's the Intel x3100 and not the GMA950.

Greg.

 

"yes, our Linux Engineering team has people who develop and contribute to the drivers. And yes, Dell has given hardware to a number of developers who are working on specific issues and features on our behalf."

Maybe this will mean better Linux hardware support in the future. This could be a serious advance for those users with Broadcom-based wireless cards, since Dell's own wireless cards are Broadcom chips.

I was really hoping they would have a new design for the Inspirons by the time Santa Rosa and Linux came around. I'm really tired of looking at the blocky shape of my M90.

 

I wouldn't count on it too much. The x3100 is only available with the Santa Rosa platform via the 965GM chipset, and it's unlikely that Dell will switch for their Linux machines while keeping the current Windows-based machines on the Napa Platform. Besides, I don't think Intel has released their drivers for the x3100 or the 4965N wireless card yet. I just hope that when they do, they will be good and open source.

 

The lack of customisability is disappointing.

Yeah, Dell had to work. Wow...j/k.

 

The general options are still there except for graphics and bluetooth. I didn't see much else besides software that was missing.

 

Yeah, all the processors, screens, memory and hard drive options remain the same. Not bad.

 

30 days starter support costs $65 and one year support $125. So one year Ubuntu support costs the same as Windows Vista home premium with one your support. Is the Ubuntu support any better then the basic windows support help that Dell gives?

 

Dell is reacting to being number 2 for the first time in awhile.

 

Its disappointing that it has only Intel GMA. Doesn't nVidia have good Linux support? They could have given the option of having the Go7300....

 

nVidia does have pretty good Linux support (much better than ATi), and you'll notice that the two desktops both come with a 7300LE. However, Dell promised to give the Linux community easier support by using as many components with open source drivers as possible, and the nVidia graphics drivers are not open source. Intel's graphics drivers are open source (mostly, anyhow).

 

Oh, I did not look at the desktops. If they did it on the desktops, why couldn't they have made it an option on the E1505?

 

It is an option on the e1505n. $79 over the GMA950.

 

No bluetooth on the e1505n? No integrated camera?

Looks like a significant step in the right direction but I don't think Dell is quite there yet.

 

Well, their existing models dont have a built in camera, so you'll have to wait for their new design for that.

 

They didn't have that on Thursday when I looked. I don't like the fact that it is more expensive than the regular version when similarly configured.