Ubuntu: Dell Unveils Alienware Laptop Powered By Canonical’s Linux
The Ubuntu love between Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) and Canonical (which has been heating up in recent months after a long lull) continued to grow this week. Indeed, Dell's Alienware gaming laptops gained Ubuntu Linux options. At a time when Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) may loan Dell roughly $2 billion, Dell is aggressively promoting Ubuntu in a way it hasn't done since circa 2008.
For $599, customers can now purchase an X51 laptop from Alienware, a subsidiary of Dell, with Canonical's Linux-based Ubuntu operating system preinstalled. The move follows Dell's release of the "Sputnik" laptop, a high-end XPS 13 designed for cloud developers and powered by Ubuntu that the company introduced late last year in the United States market. The Alienware machine also appears to be the first example of Dell's making good on promises in late March to add new Linux options.
The apparent recommitment by Dell to shipping hardware with Ubuntu preinstalled marks a major change from the OEM's previous Linux offerings. Although Dell introduced Ubuntu-powered laptops and PCs to great fanfare in 2007, its promotion of Ubuntu and its options in this niche shrank during subsequent years. Dell never stopped selling Ubuntu hardware, but it seemed for a while to have put it on the back-burner.
Talking Up Ubuntu
But that was then, this is now. Today, beyond offering Ubuntu preinstalled on new types of laptops tailored to specific audiences, Dell is taking the further step of saying some very nice things about Ubuntu in promotional material for the Alienware laptop.
On the Alienware website, Dell calls Ubuntu "Simple and Stylish" and "Fast and Secure." It also praises the operating system's extensive line-up of free applications and even Canonical's Ubuntu One cloud service for storing data. And most remarkably, it lauds Ubuntu as an excellent platform for gaming via Steam for Linux.
That's a huge deal. Even just a year ago, if I had seen a site connected to Dell that promoted a Linux-based operating system as ideal for gaming, I would have assumed someone had hacked it as an April Fools' joke. Back then, there was no indication that Dell intended to return its Ubuntu offerings to the fore (or that any OEM was going to take Linux seriously as a gaming platform).
Now, of course, it remains to be seen how customers respond to the new horizons Dell is opening in the open source niche. In this regard, the pricing shouldn't hurt: With 6 gigabytes of memory, a high-resolution display and a flashy video card, the base model of the Ubunt Alienware laptop seems like a pretty good buy at $599. But that's not all. It's actually priced a full $100 lower than the comparable Windows model, suggesting that Dell has learned something over the years from complaints that it did not price Ubuntu PCs competitively, especially since it paid no licensing fees for the software on them.
Still, the gamer market is one where Linux has rarely ventured before, and it may represent a tough demographic for Dell and Canonical to conquer.
Either way, this is a remarkable development that could have major ramifications for the rest of the channel. Stay tuned as it unfolds.
The X51 is a desktop not a
The X51 is a desktop not a laptop
Thinks
Thinks
Isn’t the X51 a mini desktop
Isn’t the X51 a mini desktop system, not a laptop?
Awesome. I hope it succeeds.
Awesome. I hope it succeeds. I have been testing some games on Steam for Linux and Linux is proving to be a nice platform for games. However, it may take a while to get its collection of games up there.
With MS about to bail DELL
With MS about to bail DELL out, I wouldnt be surprised if they have their usual ADD problems when it comes to Linux.
You are extremely nice when you claim that since 2007 Dell’s offering of Ubuntu shrank.
I bought a Dell Mini 9 back then and still use it to this day (the wife saw the Gnome desktop and said she wanted a Mac instead… long story short, she loves her KDE now on all her machines.)
After that, I had a few chances over the next year or two to look into buying Dell products (something I should have researched better… the Dell Mini heats up worse than their horrrible XPS13 line) for friends and family for whom Im the tech guy figuring it would save me a step not having to re-install over Win and it was always as bad as when they launched the Dell with Ubuntu 8.04 (yechh!!). That’s if you could even find their Linux offerings.
So come back to me next year and we’ll debate whether they are doing a better job than last time.
It couldnt have been handled worse last time had they tried.
It’s not a laptop… it’s a
It’s not a laptop… it’s a small form factor PC. About the size of a common gaming console (PS3, XBox, etc).
It’s not a laptop. It’s a
It’s not a laptop. It’s a small desktop.
Another US only offering.
Another US only offering.
The hardware is definitely
The hardware is definitely interesting for anyone who wants to avoid paying the Microsoft tax on a new PC and early Linux adopters (?) who wants to show Dell there is interest in Linux. I am not sure this—at such a high price point—is interesting for anyone else, though.
Too bad that this new configuration is only available in the US. Dell should learn from Apple and try to coordinate launches worldwide. Or at least give us international consumers a release date!
I’ve been looking at the Dell XPS 13 “Developer Edition” ultrabook that also ships with Ubuntu. It recently became available here in Norway (thought Dell’s local blog entirely failed to mention it) and it looks very interesting. The Intel graphic card is, unfortunately, a total turn-off.
x51 is a desktop not a laptop
x51 is a desktop not a laptop
Where is the laptop? X51’s
Where is the laptop? X51’s are desktops…
the X51 is actually a
the X51 is actually a desktop, not a laptop.
it’s not a laptop.
it’s not a laptop.
X51 is not a laptop
X51 is not a laptop
Your about a week late and
Your about a week late and completely inaccurate. It’s not a laptop. The X51 is a desktop machine and no Ubuntu laptops on the ailienware website
the x51 is not a laptop! or i
the x51 is not a laptop! or i would of already ordered one!
but waiting for new intel chips to come out in a few months b4 i buy new hardware
This is definitely an
This is definitely an encouraging development, especially the $100 price advantage.
This amount of money in this price range will make some people think.
Alienware is Dell’s niche
Alienware is Dell’s niche player. High-end gaming PC(s) that not all user(s) can afford buy them. The same is going for Ubuntu, not all user(s) will want one. This off-loads Linux on a Dell subsidiary and apparently as MS would like it, keeps Dell pure.
The x51 mentioned above is a
The x51 mentioned above is a small form factor desktop, not a laptop.
Unless you can see something
Unless you can see something I can’t, the x51 is a DESKTOP, not a LAPTOP. I would buy one if it were a laptop but as that does not seem to be the case it’s just an overpriced desktop.
Um…The X51 isn’t a
Um…The X51 isn’t a laptop…
The X51 is not a laptop, it’a
The X51 is not a laptop, it’a a mimi desktop.
Unfortunately Alienware no
Unfortunately Alienware no longer has the XPS 13 laptop for sale. I asked about it yesterday. Too bad, i probably would have bought one.
Anyone know of one available? I know Dell still makes thew XPS 13 but half the coolness is the Alienware design!
Did you even look at the
Did you even look at the computer you wrote this article about?!
I don’t know how it is possible to confuse a DESKTOP with a LAPTOP.
Not only is it visually blatantly obvious that this is a desktop tower, but when you open Products menu and mouse-over X51 – DESKTOPS section highlights, but all over the site it clearly says and shows DESKTOP.
The X51 is a slim desktop,
The X51 is a slim desktop, not a laptop
I don’t get it. Where is the
I don’t get it. Where is the laptop? All the links point to the Alienware small form factor desktops. There is no X51 laptop, Windows or Ubuntu. All the laptop models start with M.
http://www.alienware.com/ubuntu/
X51 is a desktop, not a
X51 is a desktop, not a laptop please correct this.
Sorry for belated reply to
Sorry for belated reply to this comment trail. Our spam filter got a bit backed up with comments. I chose not to delete all the reader comments who said “hey, this isn’t a laptop” because we wanted to show we’re listening and we eat crow when we make a mistake. Sorry about that folks.
-jp
Editorial Director