Dell to ship XPS 13 with Ubuntu Linux in some areas, Precise Pangolin goes ultraportable

Dell XPS 13 review side profile

Dell's Project Sputnik is successful enough that the company is launching another satellite, so to speak. After a strong reception for its developer-installable distribution of Ubuntu, the PC builder is now planning an edition of the XPS 13 with the Linux variant already installed. The hardware will be identical to its Windows parallel and ship with the same Precise Pangolin Ubuntu build that previously required a download. Dell incubator lead Nnamdi Orakwue is shy with The Inquirer about how much the Microsoft-free system will cost when it ships to some corners of the world in the fall, although the $999 price of a base Windows version might serve as a ballpark figure. All that's for certain is that the Ultrabook should represent one of the fastest pre-assembled, open source PCs to date.

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Dell to ship XPS 13 with Ubuntu Linux in some areas, Precise Pangolin goes ultraportable originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review

With roughly 98 percent of the desktop and laptop market spoken for, you'd be forgiven for thinking your only choices for powering your computer were Windows or Mac OS X. There is another way, though. Linux may only run on a tiny sliver of consumer PCs, but the number is growing and one of the biggest players propelling its popularity is Ubuntu. Since bursting on the scene eight years ago, the distro has grown to dominate the desktop Linux market and made plenty of fans (and a few detractors) along the way. Truth is, Ubuntu is completely unique and, at least compared to other distros out there, very user-friendly. It also happens to have a very active community of developers and users willing to lend help to those in need, which makes it appealing to Linux vets, enterprise users and *nix n00bs alike.

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin is part of the company's LTS or Long Term Support series, and is guaranteed for five years of support through Canonical. That means the company is focusing less on cramming new features into this release and more on making it as stable as possible. So, if you're familiar with Ubuntu, you won't find much here that will blow your mind. Of course, the real question is whether or not the aubergine-loving open-source OS is for you, not whether there's enough new tweaks to fill a book. So, without further ado, we present Ubuntu 12.04: the review. Join us after the break, won't you?

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Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow

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It's here! Precise Pangolin or, as it's officially known, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Canonical's latest is now available in its final(ish) form and ready for you to download, burn and install. While LTS (Long Term Support) releases are generally more conservative in their application of new features, Pangolin does include some rather notable tweaks. The most immediately noticeable will be the new log in screen which, while largely the same, does have the slick new trick of changing wall papers to match the selected user. A more subtle change is revealed once you've logged on and press alt -- HUD. The new search-based menu system is quite a departure from traditional interaction models, and one that will come as a relief to those who constantly forget where a particular option is buried. Perhaps the most welcome change, though, is the vastly improved performance and power management. Ubuntu, for all of its finer points, has never been particularly battery friendly. But Canonical is promising that is going to change. We'll have to wait to find out once we get this bad boy installed on some machines of our own. You know the drill, hit up the source link to download it for yourself, for free.

Update: Well, looks like all you Ubuntu fanatics have taken out the site temporarily. We're sure it'll be back soon but, in the meantime, you can still download the latest version of the OS here (magnet link).

Update 2: And they're back! Also, we've now got PR after the break.

Continue reading Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canonical’s AWSOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both

Canonical's AWESOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both
New features and services that improve Canonical's latest version of Ubuntu seem to keep rolling in. The latest addition being the announcement of its AWSOME proxy service. No, that's not us getting over excited about it, that stands for Any Web Service Over Me, and it includes APIs that smooth the transition to OpenStack for those currently using Amazon's cloud services. Although not open source, Amazon's Web Service has such a large market share, that Canonical clearly wants to make integrating with it as smooth as possible. The AWSOME proxy will only provide basic functionality for the AWS side of things, with users still encouraged to adopt the OpenStack infrastructure for deeper capabilities. Still, if you're currently working with Bezos' platform, and this was the last barrier to hopping aboard the Precise Pangolin ship, you're in luck.

Canonical's AWSOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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