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Monday 21st July 2008

Dell refreshes and expands Ubuntu range 8:44AM, Monday 21st July 2008

Dell has refreshed its Ubuntu Linux line-up with version 8.04 of the operating system - and is expanding the range of PCs that come pre-loaded with the OS.

Ubuntu 8.04 - otherwise known as Hardy Heron - can now be found on the company's Inspiron 1525 and XPS M1330 laptops, as well as the Inspiron 530 desktop.

Hardy Heron was released back in April on Ubuntu's six-monthly release schedule, but Dell claims it's been hard at work increasing support for the Linux distro.

"Dell spent months in development and testing to deliver more peripheral support - like ATI video graphics, Dell wireless, fingerprint



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readers, HDMI, Bluetooth and MP3/WMA/WMV - which coincidentally were some of the more popular suggestions on Dell's IdeaStorm [website]," claims Anne Camden, from Dell's consumer PR team.

What's more, Dell claims it will extend the range of Ubuntu machines to include the XPS M1530 and its new Studio 15 by early August.

"This is just in time for LinuxWorld where we will participate in a number of the conference sessions," claims Dell's product group strategist, Daniel Judd. "That will be your chance to hear directly about what's been accomplished over the last year and where we see it going in 2009."

Whilst the Ubuntu range continues to expand, Dell is yet to introduce dual-boot machines that offer both Windows and Ubuntu. Dell product manager Adam Griffin told PC Pro to "watch this space" for dual-boot machines in an interview last August.

We're still watching, Adam. So, we presume, is Microsoft.

Barry Collins

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