
Dell’s Linux Ultrabook gets more pixels, European availability - recoiledsnake
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/02/dells-linux-ultrabook-gets-more-pixels-european-availability/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arstechnica%2Findex+%28Ars+Technica+-+All+content%29
======
simonsarris
I sit here in awe that they are selling a Developer Edition laptop without
providing a single top view of the keyboard.

[https://www.dell.com/us/business/p/xps-13-linux/pd?refid=xps...](https://www.dell.com/us/business/p/xps-13-linux/pd?refid=xps-13-linux&baynote_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch&isredir=true)

Maybe I'm being way too picky, but the layout and feel of the keyboard is,
aside from the screen, the other massively important thing that you don't get
to change on a laptop.

I mean we are typists before we are programmers. Isn't it worth letting me see
how the ins/del/home/end cluster is laid out?!

~~~

edit: It looks to be agreeable. Ctrl occupies the bottom-left and Del occupies
the top right, which I've found very reasonable in the past (easy to find
quickly when hopping onto a new device)

The Home/End/PageUp/PageDown are loacted on the arrow keys, which actually
seems pretty reasonable:

[http://www.cdn2.loopygadgets.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/02/...](http://www.cdn2.loopygadgets.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/02/Dell-XPS-13.jpg)

Note that the Thinkpad X1 does _not_ have Ctrl in the bottom left, instead its
the Fn key. On the plus side, the X1 kept Home and End keys up top, with
dedicated PageUp/PageDown near the arrow keys.

[http://blog.laptopmag.com/wpress/wp-
content/uploads/2012/08/...](http://blog.laptopmag.com/wpress/wp-
content/uploads/2012/08/Lenovo_ThinkPad_X1_Carbon_G16.jpg)

~~~
ineedtosleep
> Note that the Thinkpad X1 does not have Ctrl in the bottom left, instead its
> the Fn key. On the plus side, the X1 kept Home and End keys up top, with
> dedicated PageUp/PageDown near the arrow keys.

For the most part, Lenovo's Thinkpads have a BIOS setting that allows you to
switch the Fn and Ctrl keys. This has been around for a while now and is still
an option on newer Thinkpads (although, I can't confirm that this option
exists in the X1).

~~~
mercurial
> For the most part, Lenovo's Thinkpads have a BIOS setting that allows you to
> switch the Fn and Ctrl keys. This has been around for a while now and is
> still an option on newer Thinkpads (although, I can't confirm that this
> option exists in the X1).

I have both a Dell and a Thinkpad, and it's definitely much more convenient to
have Ctl readily accessible with the left pinky than Fn, which you get on the
Thinkpad.

~~~
bad_user
I also own a Thinkpad and while the Fn/Ctrl position is annoying I haven't
been using the default left Ctrl key in a while anyway, simply because I map
Caps-Lock as a Ctrl key.

The Ctrl key is so often used by developers, especially when one uses Emacs
shortcuts (not only in Emacs itself, but also in Readline-enabled shells or
other software), that you can easily get RSI. Remaping Caps-Lock as a Ctrl is
a necessity and once you use it you'll never want to go back to the default
left Ctrl.

~~~
mercurial
I've adapted my environment to my preferences: most of the stuff I use has vim
shortcuts (+ Windows key modifier for XMonad). Besides, you don't have many
things you need to access in a hurry with Fn anyway (since you have proper
home/end/etc. keys).

------
avar
I have a new Dell E6330 which is certified to run with Ubuntu, and came with
it pre-installed:
<http://www.ubuntu.com/certification//hardware/201202-10559/>

I immediately wiped it to install Debian (I'm not accepting a Dell EULA to run
Linux) and found that the touchpad wasn't detected as such. Some digging
revealed that there was a third party patch to linux reverse engineered from
the Windows driver, not one contributed by Dell.

So it seems that their efforts to upstream code required to run their hardware
on other distros than the OEM image are non-existant. The Ubuntu image that
comes with them also possibly contains binarf blobs (didn't check since I
didn't install it, but the Ubuntu page mentions than only the OEM image is
certified, not stock Ubuntu).

~~~
andrewcooke
from the article: _Code for the Cypress trackpad, one of the most fiddly bits,
has even been made available upstream._

[http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1212.1/00834....](http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1212.1/00834.html)

------
mseebach
I currently have a previous-generation MBP 15" (the last one before the
retina), as far as I can tell pretty max'ed out on the specs. I really don't
like OSX and want to run Linux instead, and running Linux with poor hardware
support on the MBP is not really appealing (This is my primary work machine, I
don't have time or patience to fiddle with things, I particularly don't have
time to deal with something acting up in a meeting -- works out of the box is
a deal breaker, this is why this offering is appealing).

What am I going to miss if I get the XPS 13 with the 1080p screen?

~~~
nicholassmith
Without seeing the XPS 13 dev edition, Dells in general have significantly
worse trackpads and keyboards than MacBooks. If you don't use them often, not
such a deal breaker.

However, Linus himself uses Linux on a MacBook so the support mustn't be too
awful now. I'd recommend giving it a try inside Bootcamp first.

~~~
rplnt
> Dells in general have significantly worse trackpads and keyboards than
> MacBooks

I would agree with the trackpad, however I don't use it (I prefer trackpoint).
But significantly worse keyboard? No way. I assume we talk about "business"
notebooks when comparing to apple, not some plastic media books with glossy
screen.

~~~
nicholassmith
That's a fair comment, I have used a number of the Dell business level laptops
and found that _for my tastes_ the keyboards have been significantly worse. I
really like the Macbook keyboards, I find they've got just the right amount of
travel to resistance and clickyness for me.

Keyboards are possibly the hardware equal of text editors.

------
nir
Reading the comments in this thread one can only wonder why more manufacturers
aren't targeting the Linux user market. They're missing out on so many
cleverly snarky comments and discerning I-actually-prefer-ctrl-in-light-grey
users that must be such a joy to work with.

~~~
EwanToo
It's quite funny really, the first time round the comments were all about
screen resolution, now it's about "Well I like my keys.."

~~~
slgeorge
Proof that the road to perfection is never-ending ... at least if you're
trying to sell something to developers!

------
winter_blue
Why are these Linux machines that appear on HN always sold at MBP price
ranges? This one has a good reason -- the high-def screen, but OEMs like
system76 stump me with their over-the-top prices.

I actually got an Ubuntu-certified Dell Inspiron N5050 from Dubai for about
$450 (AED 1650 for the laptop + AED 50 for a RAM upgrade to be exact.) Its
specs are; 8GB RAM, 320G HDD, 15" screen, Core i3-2370M 2.4GHz. It's really
not that bad _for the price_. I should have gotten an i5 17-inch (Inspiron
17R), in retrospect, but oh well - this is still great.

Forgot to mention, the Linux support on the Ubuntu-certified Dell _rocks_.
Every little thing from the integrated webcam to the wifi/bluetooth drivers
all work; which is really the main thing I was after in a laptop.

~~~
oscilloscope
The System76 Gazelle is $875 with a 1080p screen and Ivy Bridge 4-core i7.
They offer a screen upgrade with wider color gamut for $50. Upgrade to 8GB RAM
is $45. It's not that over-the-top, especially for a small OEM. But an
ultrabook, it's not.

~~~
winter_blue
You're right, this is quite good!

I might consider buying this... The screen upgrade is $80 b.t.w. (not that big
of a difference.)

A lot of my work involves compiling AOSP code, which takes way too long (and
AOSP's one shot makefile doesn't work for me for some reason); so even a
faster processor would def make a difference in my productivity when building
locally on my laptop...

> But an ultrabook, it's not.

It is indeed quite thick, and not per-se that visually appealing (they could
do with some better design). I do want to check though, if there are any vents
on the underside/bottom of the laptop. Some laptop designers stupidly put
vents on the bottom breaking the very designation of "laptop" :-|

------
acabal
Very nice. My only wish now would be to include a full keyboard (with pgup,
pgdown, home, del in their own row). That's what's stopping me from buying it,
and the X1 Carbon too. I've said it before and I'll say it again, for a laptop
aimed at developers it's really surprising they decided to copy Apple and
ditch those super-important keys.

It's extra surprising when you note that laptops like the Lenovo Yoga 13,
which is aimed at consumers and not developers, managed to fit a full keyboard
in the same (slightly smaller?!) form factor.

I'd pay a fortune for a 14 inch, IPS laptop with a full keyboard. Seriously, a
fortune. I spend so much time at my laptop that I'm more than willing to
invest in quality.

~~~
T-R
> _My only wish now would be to include a full keyboard (with pgup, pgdown,
> home, del in their own row)_

Curious, why do you prefer them in their own row? I look explicitly for
keyboards with them overlaid onto the arrow keys, so I don't need to move my
hands (just use the fn key) to navigate text.

~~~
acabal
I do a lot of navigation and reading via keyboard, and being able to drift my
right hand over and press pgup, pgdown, home, end to navigate documents is
much more convenient than trying to contort my already-achy left pinky to find
the fn key (and maybe miss it for ctrl or super), or worse, having to move my
left hand away from home to press fn with my index finger.

In general I think a lot of programmers including myself map their keyboards
in unique and complicated ways. There's no reason to have fewer keys when you
can have more, especially considering how others like the Lenovo Yoga have
managed to fit more keys in the same space and still maintain the island
layout.

------
ajasmin
1080p still isn't all that impressive though. It's a decent density for a
display of that size but right now it seems only Apple is pushing laptops
beyond the HDTV standard.

Desktop monitors over 1080p are really overpriced as well. I don't understand
why a TV standard should set the norm for computers but if that's what it
takes I'm hopping that 4K TV gets some traction.

~~~
drivebyacct2
Well, the size of the screen matters as well. The Nexus 10 would be a better
example in my opinion.

~~~
ajasmin
A common argument is that it's easier to manufacture High-DPI displays for
tablets and smart phones because you get fewer defects over a small surface.

But we're talking about a 13″ 1920×1080 laptop display here. The screen is not
that big compared to the 10″ Nexus at 2560x1600.

Laptops really have to catch on.

~~~
EwanToo
Before laptops will catch on, Windows will have to - Windows on a small screen
at a very high resolution really doesn't work well.

It might be ok if you got up to a multiple of 1366 x 768 pixels, so you could
scale icons up to 2x size, but lots of Windows applications simply don't cope
with very high resolution screens, so icons, buttons, etc, are rendered far
too small.

~~~
mariusmg
That's why we have keyboard shortcuts..... Harrrr.

------
mrb
Buying tip: instead of buying the "Developer Edition" for $1550, you can get
the "Windows version" with a slightly slower processor for $1400: see the 3rd
configuration from the left here:
<http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-l321x-mlk/pd?~ck=mn>

The only diff between the 2 processors is that the i7-3537U runs at 2GHz and
has 4MB cache, whereas the i5-3337U runs at 1.8GHz and has 3MB cache.

If Dell offered the "Developer Edition" with the i5-3337U, they would be able
to shave off another $50 from the Windows licensing fees and sell it at $1350.

~~~
noahl
The only thing I don't like about that is that I wish there was a box I could
check that says "I'm buying a Windows laptop, but I'm really planning to run
Linux on it. Please keep investing in Linux hardware support for this line of
laptops."

Actually, the world might be better if all manufacturers had that checkbox.

~~~
tga
The manufacturers can't hear what you're saying over the sound of the ringing
cash register. You've already bought the Windows laptop, proving that Linux
support from their part wasn't _that_ important after all.

The only way I'd see this working is if you could use the magical checkbox to
say "I'm preordering this laptop only after you get _all hardware_ properly
working in Linux". Get enough Linux preorders like that and they might even
task someone with prodding the component manufacturers to come up with proper
drivers.

------
memset
I have one of the current Dell Ubuntu laptops, the XPS 13. I really like it!
Except.

Except the thing literally freezes - completely locks up - several times a
day. I've upgraded the BIOS and I've updated the kernel from the Sputnik
repositories. No luck. (Has anyone else had this experience? Or suggestions?)

It is very frustrating, for what is otherwise a pretty decent, durable, nice
to use laptop where the hardware Just Works. But my current experience leaves
me very wary of wanting to purchase another one of these!

~~~
fdr
I have been using the current-generation XPS-13 (bought with Ubuntu pre-
installed) and have not had hard lockups. I did have one kind of bug that
seemed to make X completely lose its mind, but the virtual terminals still
worked.

I have upgraded to Quantal.

I'd ask Dell for a swap.

~~~
ramate
More likely it's a software issue.

------
thechut
Wow, I am really close on getting this one. I have been looking for a new
laptop to run Mint on for a while. The display is a huge plus on this, but the
lackluster i7-3537U, the second slowest of the i7's, makes it hard to justify
the price.

The price is the biggest sticking point for me, it's basically the same cost
as a 13" MBP Retina. It is very clear that Dell is purposefully positioning it
in that exact market. For me, one advantage of using Linux is usually I get to
spend less on my computers. This laptop seems overpriced to me, I think I will
wait for something better.

------
windexh8er
Very tempting... I've been considering a Lenovo Carbon X1 for a while, but the
1080P panel is proving hard to resist. Anyone have any honest feedback
regarding the older version? Price seems a bit steep for the hardware
included.

~~~
clauretano
I've used the XPS 13 (the Windows 8 version, with a 1440x900 screen) as well
as the X1 Carbon (touch and non-touch). The X1 is a better machine overall,
though most users find the XPS to be better looking.

My biggest complaints with the XPS 13 are the screen (terrible viewing angles)
which won't be the same in this developer edition, and the trackpad, which has
abysmal palm rejection and multi-touch gestures.

In a never-ending quest to find the MacBook Air equivalent for users who
refuse to use a Mac, the X1 Carbon is the closest I've found.

~~~
gknoy
Can you elaborate on why you refuse the MacBook Air?

~~~
sergiotapia
Personally I HATE using the operating system. Mac OSX seems so backwards to
me.

~~~
Audiophilip
What stops you from installing [your favorite OS here] on it?

~~~
majormajor
There are a few reasons I prefer my T430s to my MBP, and would probably also
prefer an X1 Carbon to a MBA:

* Trackpoint!

* Keyboard feel. Even the chiclet ThinkPad keypads still have "IT" for me.

* No more fn-key chording needed for Home, End, Delete, Page Up, Page Down.

Plus a non-technical, possibly silly, reason of "it's not what everyone else
and their mum has." I also like the looks more (black is the new black!),
though on that I realize I'm in a minority (I did love the rounded original
MBAs, however).

On the other hand, my MBP's screen has much better colors than the T430s's. :(

~~~
old-gregg
BTW I have moved from t420 to x220 (smaller display, but IPS) and, having
quickly adapted to a bit less real estate, could not be happier. x220 IPS
screen blows away everything save for retina.

And yes, no proper laptop should ever be sold without a trackpoint and a
proper keyboard! :)

------
rbanffy
So, for the price of a MacBook Air you get a Dell...

Not to say I don't like them - I have a couple Dell boxes around - but they
are not really on the same level here. And, with the Mac, I still have the
option to run Linux. A Dell can't run OSX.

unless there is a compelling price difference, this doesn't look like a great
deal.

~~~
infinii
Actually, it costs more than a MBP 13 w/ Retina

------
mtgx
Buy now before Microsoft kills the project.

------
Zak
Great. Now, when can I get one with a screen taller/squarer than 16:9? I
really dislike TV aspect ratios for code.

~~~
rplnt
Everyone does. But due to users being told to love wide displays (and they are
good for movies) these are the only one in production. If they were to put 4:3
in it, it would probably get really expensive.

PS: wide is not a problem on big screens, but for 13", 14" or even 15" it just
doesn't make much sense (except for watching movies).

~~~
Zak
I'm inclined to think that this is more a matter of commodity PC manufacturers
lacking the courage to do anything different. I'm sure if Dell wanted a large
number of good-quality high-resolution 4:3 IPS panels, they could get a
reasonable price. Yes, they'd be more expensive than 16:9. Even if the
quantity was high, 4:3 is inherently a little more because it's more area for
the same diagonal measurement. Everyone's strategy for the past few years
seems to be "watch what Apple does and try to make a cheaper version of it".

There actually are two current production laptops I know of with 4:3 screens:
the OLPC XO, and the Panasonic Toughbook 31.

------
tmsh
System76 and you're there.

(Very impressed with a new system76 laptop so far.)

~~~
kunai
I've looked into them, and they make pretty good products, but I'm just too
hooked onto Thinkpads' timeless design, and of course, the TrackPoint, to
switch.

~~~
mercurial
Yes, the TrackPoint is a serious problem. Once you're addicted, there is no
going back to a lesser solution.

~~~
kunai
Agreed. I tried the Retina MBP at the Apple Store when I was getting my iPhone
fixed and kept hitting the G and H keys out of habit. I tried to get used to
the multi-touch trackpad; after all Apple does make the best in the business,
but it just didn't suit me. I just don't see how repeatedly swiping your
finger several times to move across the screen is more efficient than a simple
shift of weight across a red dot.

It's like the convenience of a mouse and the versatility of a trackball, just
better. I got so addicted to it that I had to buy one of these
([http://shop.lenovo.com/us/itemdetails/55Y9003/460/60AC6A0372...](http://shop.lenovo.com/us/itemdetails/55Y9003/460/60AC6A0372B14F5BA7B12F1FF88E33C7))
for my desktop.

~~~
mercurial
Why, this looks like the very same keyboard I'm typing on :) Except I bought
it before the laptop out of curiosity.

------
thomasmeeks
This is on my list next time I do a laptop refresh, though that's a little
ways away. Traded in a 13" MBP for an Alienware m14xr2 about 9 months ago,
still very happy with the Alienware. Bit gaudy, but it is a solid case, two
hard drives, and very snappy.

------
AlexeyBrin
Has anyone tried the touchpad ? I have two Dells with a plastic touchpad -
almost unusable when I need to scroll. I hate to carry a mouse with me when I
have a portable laptop.

------
reirob
I support the idea of a laptop for developers and congratulate Dell for this
bold step in the right direction. However I personally would not consider
buying this machine because it lacks a Trackpoint.

Waiting for the successor of Thinkpad X1 Carbon in the hope that it will have
higher screen resolution and maybe more vertical screen space.

------
hayksaakian
I'd really rather something in the 11 inch range.

Still trucking on an eee PC 1000h, but I'm leaning towards the MBA 11 inch
over this.

~~~
rorrr
How can you do any real work on a 11" screen? I'd get a tablet if I need
something that small.

~~~
chrismorgan
For myself, I find I can do almost all my work on my ASUS Eee Pad Transformer,
a 10" Android tablet with keyboard dock; so much so that it's become my
primary machine for most things (which I certainly didn't expect when I got
it—I picked it up second hand at around a third of the regular retail price; I
never would have paid full for it with my expectations of it at the time).
It's got a decent keyboard and marvellous battery life.

Most of my work is done in Ubuntu, installed inside Android via Debian Kit
(<http://sven-ola.dyndns.org/repo/debian-kit-en.html>). From a terminal
emulator, I can then run proper versions of Vim, Python, Mercurial, etc. as
required, and have it all just work marvellously. (Before going with Debian
Kit, I'd had clumsy parboiled editions of Vim, Python and Mercurial.) It's
great for web development. Not a particularly speedy machine (the TF700 or
even the TF300 would be considerably better than the TF101), but quite
sufficient for most things.

------
akandiah
One of the benefits of the Lenovo X1 over the Dell is the inclusion of a WWAN
card on the higher end machines. With an embedded SIM card, you never have to
worry about tethering again! It's rather surreal to have access to the
Internet as soon as you boot-up in a remote location.

------
icebraining
As usual, they're selling in Europe, for small values of the term. Does anyone
know if it can be bought in non-listed European countries?

~~~
slgeorge
Hi,

Dell will be enabling online purchases for European countries in the next
couple of weeks. There's a blog post from them here:
[http://bartongeorge.net/2013/02/18/spuntik-2-is-here-
xps-13-...](http://bartongeorge.net/2013/02/18/spuntik-2-is-here-
xps-13-developer-edition-goes-1080p-and-launches-in-emea/)

Short version is that the following countries will be added:

France, Germany, UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy,
Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

You'll be able to buy through a sales person for these countries:

Israel, Luxembourg, Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, UAE

~~~
icebraining
Hi, thanks for the reply, but my problem is that I live in Portugal, which
isn't listed. Despite the news, some of us can still afford the odd laptop :)

------
batgaijin
Damn it, couldn't they have waited for Haswell?

~~~
MichaelGG
Wouldn't that mean a 3+ month wait?

~~~
dhruvmittal
Maybe they'll pop out another version in a couple months?

------
TwoBit
If it uses a Synaptics touchpad, I'm not interested.

~~~
sp332
It's Cypress. It says this in the article.

------
q3k
Yet it still looks like it has a glossy screen...

------
drivebyacct2
I was so ready to snap one of these up, but it turns out Ubuntu 13.04 runs so
well on my MBA that I have no need to switch hardware to stick with my Linux
setup. That having been said, the Dell now represents a step-up for screen
resolution.

Now if only this Dell or the X1 Carbon would rip off MagSafe, my decisions
would be easier.

~~~
mogrim
When you say "runs so well" do you mean a straight Ubuntu install, or did you
need to start playing around in the terminal and generally faffing about to
get it going? (Nothing against the terminal, but a straight install is likely
to be more reliable, long term...)

~~~
drivebyacct2
The only thing I ran in the terminal after install was my script that apt-gets
all the software I like. No drivers, no macfanctl, just a straight install.
Media keys work, etc.

~~~
matb33
Is it retina? I'm worried about how tiny everything will be... I haven't found
anything concrete about how Unity handles high dpi

Edit: you said MBA, I read MBP... Nevermind, no retina :)

