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Dell's thin, high-res XPS 13 laptop does Linux

The high-resolution XPS 13 now gets Linux Ubuntu. The specs, with the critical exception of the Ubuntu Linux, are identical to the 1080p XPS 13 for Windows 8.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
Dell's XPS 13 with a 1,920x1,080 display is now offered with Ubuntu.
Dell's XPS 13 with a 1,920x1,080 display is now offered with Ubuntu. Dell

Ubuntu just went 1080p on Dell's sleekest laptop.

The 2.99-pound XPS 13 Developer Edition -- started as a project to create an open source developer laptop -- is now available on Dell's site for $1,549.

Those specifications, with the critical exception of the Ubuntu Linux, are identical to the 1080p XPS 13 for Windows 8.

Here are the specs:

  • Operating system: Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS
  • Display: 13.3-inch 1,920x1,080 panel
  • Processor: 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3537U
  • Memory: 8GB2 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
  • Storage: 256GB solid-state drive
  • Graphics: Intel HD 4000
  • Price: $1,549

In addition to the U.S., Dell will also start to roll it out in select countries in Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and Finland.

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The XPS 13 is one of the better ultrabook designs to emerge from a top-tier PC vendor. It squeezes a 13.3-inch screen into a footprint more typical of 12-inch laptops, boasts Gorilla Glass, and is constructed from aluminum and carbon fiber, allowing Dell to keep the weight to just under three pounds.

The upgraded display is also brighter and has wider viewing angles than the original 1,366x768 XPS 13 model.