Dell is one of the few major PC makers that offers high-end laptops with GNU/Linux software as an alternative to Windows. 5 years after the company launched Project Sputnik to gauge interest in a version of the Dell XPS 13 with Ubuntu software, Dell now sells 7 different laptop models with Canonical’s popular Linux distribution.

There’s also a 27 inch all-in-one desktop option.

Dell’s Barton George says that AiO desktop launched in April, but his blog post also reminded me to check and see if the other laptop models Dell promised in January were available yet. They are.

The Dell XP 13 Developer Edition continues to be the smallest, lightest model in Dell’s line of premium Linux laptops. The 6th-gen model features an Intel Kaby Lake processor, support for 1080p or 3200 x 1800 pixel display options, up to 16GBof RAM, and Thunderbolt 3 ports, among other things.

The rest of Dell’s Ubuntu machines include:

  • Precision 5520 mobile workstation with up to a Xeon processor, up to a 15.6 inch 4K display, up to 32GB of storage, and NVIDIA Quadro graphics
  • Precision 3520 mobile workstation with up 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel display, up to 32GB of RAM, optional NVIDIA graphics, and up to a Xeon processor
  • Precision 7520  15.6 inch mobile workstation with up to 64GB of RAm, up to a 4K display, NVIDIA Quadro and Radeon Pro graphics options, and up to a Xeon processor
  • Precision 7720 17.3 inch mobile workstation with similar specs to the 7520, but support for up to 4TB of storage instead of 3TB
  • Precision 7510 15.6″ model with Intel Skylake chips, up to 64GB of RAQM, 3K display
  • Precision 7710 model with similar specs, but a 17.3 inch screen and 4TB of storage

All of the Kaby Lake models ship with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, while the Skylake models are currently shipping with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

While you can certainly buy your own Windows laptop and just replace the operating system with Ubuntu (or Fedora, Debian, OpenSUSE, Arch, or another distro of your choice), it’s nice to not have to worry about configuring your hardware and software to work together.

There are a few other niche computer vendors that sell computers that come with Linux pre-loaded, including ZaReason, System76, and ThinkPenguin. But Dell is one of the only major PC companies to offer Ubuntu versions of high-end laptops that it also sells with Windows.

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7 replies on “Dell now sells 7 different Ubuntu-powered premium laptops (and an all-in-one desktop)”

  1. I didn’t want to pay $1000 for a Linux laptop. Instead I picked up a $350 laptop at Walmart with a quad core A8 processor, installed a 128gb SSD, 16gb of RAM and Linux Mint, all for under $500. Works great for half the price of those other Linux laptops. Then, I sold the leftover HDD and RAM on Ebay for some extra cash.

  2. Dell’s still forcing college students to drop out because their laptops don’t have Windows 😛

    Seriously though, it’s great that they support Linux, and hopefully it means that Nvidia will keep their graphics drivers up to date.

  3. I am extremely happy with my Dell XPS 9360 running Ubuntu mate. I do wish that mate supported HiDPI but that’s not dells fault.

  4. Every single device… a 16:9 aspect ratio. I was working on a friend’s laptop today, also 16:9, and the amount of extra vertical scrolling was frustrating. Would love an Ubuntu-flavored XPS, Dell! But 16:9 is a deal-breaker.

    1. A serious question — how many non-16:9 laptops are there in the world today? The machines that aren’t tend to be 2-in-1s or ultra thin machines (the Lenovo X1 tablet or the Surface laptop), or Panasonc Toughbooks. I don’t know of any workstation class machines (or mainstream office machines) with anything but a 16:9 screen.

      1. The Macbook Pro is the obvious answer to my question. Not really workstation class, but it gets a lot of the same use.

  5. The 5520 has the right keyboard but no buttons on the touchpad. The 7520 has the buttons but the wrong keyboard, with a number pad that puts touchpad and the main keyboard out of axis with the center of the screen. I had to buy a notepad like that and I touched the number pad maybe ten times in three years. Can I have a 7520 with the keyboard or the 5520? 🙂

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