Dell to Offer PCs with Ubuntu 7.10

Dell will offer laptop and desktop computers with the Ubuntu version 7.10, which is the latest release of this Linux OS distribution.

The Ubuntu 7.10, introduced this week, replaces the older 7.04 version. The shipping date for Ubuntu 7.10-powered Dell PCs is unknown yet, since the company “needs to take the time to qualify the final code on its systems for optimal interoperability”.

The latest Ubuntu version, codenamed “Gutsy Gibbon”, provides several enhancements over its 7.04 “Feisty Fawn” precursor. These are hardware management improvements, better support for display systems, improved Windows compatibility, enhanced user interface which now includes “simple 3D screen effects”, the new feature called Desktop search, and
automatic installation of popular Firefox browser plug-ins.

The first Linux-based Dell notebooks and dekstops for consumers were introduced this year. These computers ship with Ubuntu 7.04 pre-installed.

Update: According to DellLinuxWiki, users of the company’s Ubuntu 7.04-based computers will be offered an automatic upgrade to 7.10 via Update Manager. These upgrades will be free of charge.

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