Dell hearts Linux and I heart Dell

The lowdown

They added a new high performance notebook to their Linux offerings very recently. The Dell XPS M1330 packs a punch and has the price tag to prove it. At just under $1,000 for the baseline, its not cheep. Configured the way I like it (with a 2.2GHz processor, 200GB 7,200RPM hard drive, and the 9-cell batt.) I’d be paying $1,439! Well worth it, but I want other colors than “Tuxedo Black”.

The specs

• Price range: $954 - $1,779*
• Color choice: Tuxedo black
• Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 1.66GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB Cache, 1.83GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB Cache, 2.00GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB Cache, or 2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB/4MB Cache
• Operating system: Ubuntu Linux version 7.10 with DVD Playback
• Memory: 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB Shared Duel Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
• Hard drive: 120GB SATA (5400RPM), 160GB SATA (5400RPM), 160GB SATA (7200RPM), 200GB SATA (7200RPM)
• *I did not include support options in price range. Dell offers support options ranging in price from $65 - $275.

Final thoughts

Pre-installed flash and DVD playback make this machine usable right out of the box for the average home user. Ubuntu is one of the most widely used and loved Linux operating systems. I applauded Dell a while back for taking the initiative and offering the worlds greatest OS pre-installed on new pc’s. I now give them a standing ovation for offering such a nice machine with Ubuntu. My only request is that they eventually try marketing the machine to a wider audience. Not many people know that there is a better alternative to XP and VIsta, better in fact than OS-X.

Thank you dell

Here is a link to the machine in question: Dell XPS M1330