Dell Targeting Developers With XPS 13 And Custom Ubuntu

While consumers may want laptops that are thin, light, and powerful, developers need a stable platform to develop from. What about all these new fangled Ultrabooks? Do they make good testbeds? Dell is hoping to sway developers by creating the Sputnik project, a custom Ubuntu build designed for developers that will run smoothly on the XPS 13 Ultrabook. Dell is hoping to offer the stripped down build with standard developer tools, plus custom downloadable profiles.

So let's say you're orientated more towards web development, there will be a specific profile designed for that task, among others (like Android app development). On top of the profiles, Dell say that they're working directly with Canonical, the commercial side of Ubuntu, in order to provide proper drivers for the build.

Will developers be getting some free Ultrabooks as a result? It's not entirely clear, although Dell say they're handing out the XPS 13 to "key influencers." It looks to be a small project right now, with Dell saying they'll target a more "heavyweight" developers laptop if the project is successful. In the meantime, if you want more information on the project, check out the video below and mosey on over to Barton's blog.

[via Ultrabook News]