Look like Dell listing to customer feedback. Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition is the ultimate Linux laptop for developers and Linux enthusiasts/power users. The Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition 2020 now supports 10th Gen Intel CPU and 32GB ram. This system comes pre-installed with Ubuntu Linux 18.04, but you can install any other distro.
One of the most requested features for Dell XPS 13 developer edition was an option for 16GB or more RAM to run VMs or Linux containers workload. Dell listened to our demands, and you can grab device up to 32GB RAM.
Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition 2020 Ubuntu Linux Laptop
Specs are as follows:
- CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core 10nm mobile processors
- OS: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (no more MS tax)
- Fingerprint reader support: Yes (driver initially available via OTA update)
- RAM support : Up to 32GB memory
- Wifi: Up to 3x faster wireless with Killer AX1650 built on Intel WiFi 6 Chipset
- SSD/Storage: 2TB PCIe SSD
- Display: Up to 4K Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) display
The Dell XPS 13 laptop crafted with machined aluminum, carbon fiber, woven glass fiber, and hardened Corning Gorilla Glass that gives you a durable, lightweight system. The XPS 13 comes with 10th Gen Intel Core mobile processors and long battery life. It is a perfect device for travelers, small business owners like me, and developers that need power and performance on the go.
BIOS updates
Ubuntu 18.04 natively will notify you for XPS 13 BIOS updates. The system will regularly check for BIOS updates automatically. When an update is available, a popup will be displayed to flash the update via fwupd service. So you don’t need Windows 10 at all for this laptop. From the blog announcement:
We are proud to announce the latest and greatest Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition. The system, which is based on 10th Gen Intel® Core™ 10nm mobile processors represents the 10th generation of the XPS 13 Developer Edition (see a list of the previous nine generations below).
This 10th generation system features an updated design and comes with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS preloaded. Two areas of note are that the new XPS 13 will be available with up to 32GB of RAM as well fingerprint-reader support.
Pricing and order information
The updated Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition 2020 will be available in February 2020. Initially, the system would be available in the US, Canada, and Europe. As usual, Dell left out Japan, Australia, China, India, and the rest of Asia. I hope they would release the device in all markets.
Price for Dell XPS 13 starts at USD $1,199.99 for i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, a 256 GB PCI SSD with an FHD display, and Ubuntu Linux 18.04 LTS preloaded. More information available here and here.
How can Dell make this device even better for developers?
Dell can add an option for another SSD so that you can run Ubuntu from RAID 1 for data safety. However, Dell has a precision laptop series that offers multiple SSD. It is not clear XPS 13 comes with Intel vPro Management Engine (ME) or not, along with open source coreboot BIOS option such as those offered by System 76.
Conclusion
I think it is a perfect system for sysadmin, DevOps, software development, and IT work. In the last post, I talked about need for Hex core CPU and 32 GB ram and they addressed that issue. Of course, with 32GB ram, you can run Linux containers natively, KVM/VirtualBox/VMware VMs, and build apps using Linux. Would you purchase it?