Images of Dell XPS 410n with Ubuntu on Flickr

[pingswept]

I ordered an XPS 410n with Ubuntu on the day that they were announced. I set up the computer yesterday. Overall, it was extremely sweet-- a quiet machine, faster than my old machine, and the best Linux installation experience I've had since Redhat 5.2. (The first time is always special.)

Pictures are here: http://flickr.com/photos/pingswept/sets/72157600304529723/
Blog post is here: http://pingswept.org/2007/06/03/finally-booting-pre-installed-linux-on-an-oem-pc/

I would highly recommend buying an XPS 410n. Even Compiz is working without any advanced monkeying.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/528118691_1e9ea21829_m.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/528029172_28ac363286_m.jpg

And as an extra bonus, I emailed Mr. Shuttleworth to thank him for his efforts; he replied with a friendly note-- he's not just a visionary, but a decent person as well! I sent Ballmer emails throughout my years of compulsory patronage, and he wouldn't even throw a chair at me.

[eXcentra]

heh, that's awesome. hope you enjoy your new computer. :D

isn't nice how some people are so down-to-earth? (instead of throwing chairs at you) :)

[pingswept]

It's hard to know whether Shuttleworth is *really* a decent person and Ballmer is *really* the unpleasant character described by journalists. That said, I can't imagine that someone who would throw a chair during a company meeting could also be a reasonable person.

Anyway, the computer is great, and I'VE GOT THE WOBBLY WINDOWS!

[magicfab]

I ordered an XPS 410n with Ubuntu on the day that they were announced. [...]
I would highly recommend buying an XPS 410n. Even Compiz is working without any advanced monkeying.[...]
And as an extra bonus, I emailed Mr. Shuttleworth to thank him for his efforts; he replied with a friendly note-- he's not just a visionary, but a decent person as well! I sent Ballmer emails throughout my years of compulsory patronage, and he wouldn't even throw a chair at me.

Fantastic blog post and pictures! I think a big part ofthe job is getting the word out that this is available... thanks for helping with that part :) Check http://planet.ubuntu.com where I'll post some reports like your later today.

Cheers,

[Feba]

Magicfab, I have no idea who you are, but your name being in green makes you look even more important than your signature does.

At the dell, nice. That monitor looks pretty sweet, what are the specs on it?

I've actually been considering getting a CRT because the LCD monitor I want (from dell, naturally) is 600$

I figure I could get a similar spec'd CRT for a lot less, and the only downsides are back injuries and cancer :D

[pingswept]

At the dell, nice. That monitor looks pretty sweet, what are the specs on it?

I've actually been considering getting a CRT because the LCD monitor I want (from dell, naturally) is 600$

I figure I could get a similar spec'd CRT for a lot less, and the only downsides are back injuries and cancer :D

The monitor is an HP f2105. It's got a resolution of 1680 x 1050. You can get them new for a little under $800, used for maybe half of that. However, if I were to make the choice again, I think I'd go with either a Dell 2407WFP for $670 new. The speakers on the HP are pretty good, but I think I'd rather save the space and the money and buy real speakers.

There is one other downside to CRTs (other than the back injuries and cancer): power consumption. I live near Boston, USA, where electricity is pretty expensive. A big LCD costs me about $0.01 per hour to run; that's about $0.20 per week, or $10 per year. Electricity for a comparable CRT costs about 10 times as much. Over the lifetime of the monitor, say 4 years, that's a difference of $360.