Dell seeks Linux fans to try cut-price Ubuntu Ultrabook

Dell is tempting Linux developers with the promise of a cut-price XPS 13 Ultrabook running Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

The machine is the outcome of Dell's Project Sputnik, which it kicked off back in May in a bid to create, with the commmunity's help, the best laptop for coders.

The PC giant isn't quite ready to put the machine on sale, so it's testing the water by inviting "a limited number of applicants" to sign up for a shot at buying the Sputnik Beta release and fine-tuning it for broader consumption.

Dell's not saying how many machine it will have on offer, or the extent of the discount, though it should be the cost of a Windows 7 licence at the very least.

Interested developers can head over to Dell's website to put their names down.

Dell currently sells the XPS 13 Ultrabook with Windows pre-installed; Linux fans are invited to head over to the Canonical web site and load up a custom Ubuntu 12.04 build equipped with the necessary drivers.

Dell hasn't offered a mass-market machine with Linux pre-loaded since 2010. ®