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OMG! Ubuntu! reports
[January 11,] the company announced the immediate availability of the Dell Precision 3520 mobile workstation (that's "professional laptop" to you and [me]).
Better yet, buyers can save over $100 by choosing Ubuntu 16.04 LTS pre-loaded instead of Windows 10--now that's what you call a deal!
[...] Dell's Barton George says more Ubuntu-powered Precision workstations will go on sale in the coming months, worldwide, including an Ubuntu version of the company's stylish new Precision 5720 All-in-One desktop PC.
Unlike other vendors, Dell [doesn't] ship their Linux option on no-frills reduced-power hardware. All models in the Dell Precision lineup pack powerful 7th generation Intel Core and Intel Xeon processors, support Thunderbolt 3 (ahem, USB-C), and can be kitted out with up to 32GB RAM!
The Dell Precision 3520 is available to buy & configure right now priced from $899 (base specs, with Ubuntu 1604 LTS). It ships worldwide.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by jmorris on Saturday January 14 2017, @02:44AM
As so many others already said, nobody sensible pays MSRP for Dell products so the initial pricetag doesn't mean a lot. They have even done this sort of thing before, but there is always a 'deal' on the Windows version while the Linux version is straight retail. Buy the Windows version and they have a promo to double the ram, free upgrade to an upgraded screen or you can buy it through a third party 'deal' site cheaper, etc. That way they can assure you that you aren't paying the evil Microsoft Tax, Microsoft is smart enough to know they are in fact still being paid for every box that heads to the loading dock that could potentially run Windows, just like they always have and always will and everybody is happy.
Until Microsoft is actually barred from continuing the Microsoft Tax, and the DoJ under multiple administrations has tried and failed, nothing is going to change. Soon you won't even have the option to load Linux on a machine destined for Windows though and hopefully a few vendors will continue to offer Linux preloads... but I suspect that hammer will fall at the exact same moment they impose mandatory secure boot on desktop / laptop form factors.