Dell today unveiled two consumer PCs in Europe – the Inspiron 6400n and the Inspiron 530n – with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux operating system factory installed.
Available now in the United Kingdom, Germany and France, the systems are Dell's first steps to meet the needs of the Linux enthusiast community outside of the United States. The announcement is a direct result of extensive customer feedback received via www.ideastorm.com, Dell's web site for fielding and acting upon customers' suggestions to improve products, services and operations. About 30,000 IdeaStorm community members advocated that Dell offer systems with Linux pre-installed, and more than 100,000 participated in a follow-up survey to help determine customer preferences, including which Linux system to offer initially.
"Dell is continuing to deliver on our commitment to give customers what they're asking for – the option of choosing Linux as their operating system," said Charlie Tebbs, Marketing Director, Consumer, Dell EMEA. "As we hear from customers throughout Europe and around the world, we will continue to explore the opportunities to expand our offerings globally, so stay tuned."
Ubuntu is a Linux-based open source operating system that is community developed and updated regularly. Designed to be user friendly, Ubuntu comes with built-in software for a high level of office productivity, including word processor, spreadsheets and presentation applications, as well as e-mail, calendar, chat, web browsing and photo capabilities.
With no software licensing costs associated with Ubuntu, Dell offers a competitive base price for each fully configured system of £329/€526(Germany)/€582 (France) including VAT and delivery for the Inspiron 6400n and £399/€627(Germany)/€559 (France) including VAT and delivery for the Inspiron 530n.
Hardware and basic software support, including installation, network connectivity and configuration is available through Dell support channels, along with additional software support on a variety of dedicated, easily accessible Linux forums and web sites. In response to customer feedback, Dell created the widely used Dell Linux Forum on www.dellcommunity.com, which provides a collaborative environment that enables customers to interact with other Linux enthusiasts by asking questions, sharing experiences and learning. Customers can also visit linux.dell.com for more information on using their Linux systems.
Additional service upgrades are available from the company behind Ubuntu, Canonical Ltd., including: 30-day Get Started, One-year Basic and One-Year Standard. More information on Canonical services is available at www.ubuntu.com, and online Ubuntu support is available in English, French and German at www.ubuntu.com/support/local.
Dell is offering hardware options on each system that have the most mature and stable Linux driver support. These hardware options have been thoroughly tested and certified by Canonical. Dell is continuing to work with device vendors to improve the maturity and stability of their Linux drivers, and over time will continue to expand the range of hardware support for Linux.
Customers can customise and purchase Dell’s Ubuntu systems from the 8th of August at www.dell.co.uk/ubuntu (UK)/ www.dell.de/ubuntu (Germany)/ www.dell.fr/ubuntu (France).
About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS.
