[ubuntu-in] Dell with ubuntu

[Onkar Shinde]

On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 10:41 PM, Sanjay Bhangar
<sanjaybhangar at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM, Aanjhan R <aanjhan at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 10:14 PM, mallikarjun arjun
>> <mallik.v.arjun at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Actually i am thinking of buying dell with ubuntu laptop. The 2 options
>> > i am
>> > looking for are XPSM1330 and XPSM1530
>> > Is anybody using those laptops if so please suggest me.
>
> I am using the Inspiron 1525 - I'm really happy with it, although its
> overheated a few times and ACPI has shutdown on me - but that is also
> because  I was over-stressing the poor baby a bit ..
>>
>>
>> XPS M1330 is a very good buy. Do you get those pre-loaded with Ubuntu in
>> India?
>
> Unfortunately, I dont believe you get them pre-loaded with Ubuntu in India.
> I assumed that since they sold the model with Ubuntu abroad, everything
> would work flawlessly out of the box with ubuntu. While this was true for
> most things, I remember there being some problems with sound, etc.
> Basically, Dell has its own release of Ubuntu with some of its proprietary
> drivers packaged in and it was available only as a DVD which meant a 2-week
> download, etc... it is nicer if you can get it from abroad with ubuntu
> pre-loaded, should save some bucks  as well.. (although you wont get the
> pleasure that I did of formatting the Vista drive and ripping off the
> sticker... :) )

If I remember correctly, the sound problems were on Intel HDA cards
due to old alsa. Hence Dell backported new alsa drivers.

The only proprietary part in Dell OEM installation of Ubuntu is the
DVD player. Rest it is stock Ubuntu Hardy now.

By the way, in case you are getting it from US, you may also want to
take a look at system76 [1]. They have been providing machines with
Ubuntu preloaded for long, even before Dell started doing it.

[1] http://system76.com/


Onkar
-- 
Passion - Some people climb mountains - others write Free software.
Don't ask why - the reason is the same.