The company stated that it had chosen configurations that had the most stable Linux driver support and that the three chosen configurations have been tested by Ubuntu’s commercial backer, Canonical.
The desktop configurations are the XPS 410n with 19-inch display, Intel Core Duo E4300, 1GB memory and 250GB hard drive starting at $849 and the Dimension E520n with 17-inch display and the same processor, memory and hard drive for $599.
Additionally, the laptop configuration is an Inspiron E1505n with 15.4-inch display, Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080, 512MB memory and 80GB hard drive, which starts at $599.
While Dell noted that there are no software licensing costs associated with Ubuntu, anyone looking for a significant saving will be disappointed. A similarly configured XPS E520 with Windows Vista starts at $899, for example.
The company said that it was working with suppliers to improve the maturity of Linux drivers so that it would be able to offer a broader range of configurations in the future.
Hardware support is available through the normal Dell channels, while the company has set up the Dell Linux Forum for collaborative software support. Canonical also offers support services with 9×5 desktop support costing $250 and $24×7 $900 per year.
