configuring a Dell Precision 7520 notebook to be shipped with Ubuntu
Dell has a sequence of specials for the next few (7?) days. I'm kind of interested in a notebook with an UltraHD display, so I thought I'd look. This is what I discovered. This is likely uninteresting to most people -- feel free to stop reading now, before I waste your time! <http://www.dell.com/en-ca/work/shop/deals/laptop-deals> Most of the laptop pages come with preconfigured display, and none is UHD. But the Precision 7520 Mobile Workstation lets you configure a lot of things, including selecting Ubuntu and selecting a UHD screen. Interesting things about selecting Ubuntu (replacing Win 10 pro): - clicking on Ubuntu saves $200 - it's still Ubuntu 16.04 + why not 18.04? I assume that would work. + but the heading is "Ubuntu 12.04 Long term Support" (surely a typo) - it won't work with the default wireless card, so you have to change from Dell to Intel. There's no charge so I guess that they think that the Dell is better in some way (not obvious to me). The Intel is marked "vPro" so it is potentially vulnerable to Outside Agents. - it warns me that Ubuntu isn't compatible with Productivity Software. Just select "none" instead of "free 30-day trial of Microsoft Office". That sounds like a good idea even for Windows users. Interesting things about selecting the UltraHD display - adds $220 over the IPS FullHD display, which itself adds $280 or $260 over TN FullHD display options. Ouch on both those numbers. - requires a $50 more expensive battery option. So I guess that it consumes more power. - requires a RAM upgrade to two DIMMs, not one. That's fine except that Dell charges a lot for RAM and I'd prefer to add it from another source. A second DDR4 8GB DIMM adds $280! More if you wish faster RAM. - the default GPU is Radeon Pro WX 4130 w/2GB GDDR5. It is claimed that that isn't compatible with the "Touch LCD" (the IPS FHD, not the UHD one). This forces an to update to an NVIDIA Quadro M2200 w/4GB GDDR5 for $480. Ouch! Luckily I'm not selecting this. Other interesting things: - you can choose amongst Xeon processors too. - you cannot choose an 8th gen Core processor -- only 6th or 7th - you can order it with Win 7 pro. I didn't think that Microsoft allowed that these days. Not that I care. - I can downgrade from i5-7440HQ (Quad Core2.80GHz, 3.80GHz Turbo, 6MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630) to i5-7300HQ (Quad Core 2.50GHz, 3.50GHz Turbo, 6MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630) losing about 10% nominal processing power and saving $130, about 15% of the system price. That seems like a good deal. Summary: - Expensive! $1839 on sale ($879 off list) But I did somehow get the configutator in a broken state where it offered something like this for $1100. I wonder if I could actually order such a configuration. - heavy: Weight: (starts at) 6.16lbs (2.8kg) - Lots of configuring choices - page warns you about configurations that won't work. I don't know if it prevents you from ordering them.
On Wed, Jun 06, 2018 at 12:27:53PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
Dell has a sequence of specials for the next few (7?) days. I'm kind of interested in a notebook with an UltraHD display, so I thought I'd look.
This is what I discovered. This is likely uninteresting to most people -- feel free to stop reading now, before I waste your time!
<http://www.dell.com/en-ca/work/shop/deals/laptop-deals>
Most of the laptop pages come with preconfigured display, and none is UHD. But the Precision 7520 Mobile Workstation lets you configure a lot of things, including selecting Ubuntu and selecting a UHD screen.
Interesting things about selecting Ubuntu (replacing Win 10 pro):
- clicking on Ubuntu saves $200
- it's still Ubuntu 16.04
+ why not 18.04? I assume that would work.
+ but the heading is "Ubuntu 12.04 Long term Support" (surely a typo)
- it won't work with the default wireless card, so you have to change from Dell to Intel. There's no charge so I guess that they think that the Dell is better in some way (not obvious to me). The Intel is marked "vPro" so it is potentially vulnerable to Outside Agents.
- it warns me that Ubuntu isn't compatible with Productivity Software. Just select "none" instead of "free 30-day trial of Microsoft Office". That sounds like a good idea even for Windows users.
Interesting things about selecting the UltraHD display
- adds $220 over the IPS FullHD display, which itself adds $280 or $260 over TN FullHD display options. Ouch on both those numbers.
- requires a $50 more expensive battery option. So I guess that it consumes more power.
- requires a RAM upgrade to two DIMMs, not one. That's fine except that Dell charges a lot for RAM and I'd prefer to add it from another source. A second DDR4 8GB DIMM adds $280! More if you wish faster RAM.
- the default GPU is Radeon Pro WX 4130 w/2GB GDDR5. It is claimed that that isn't compatible with the "Touch LCD" (the IPS FHD, not the UHD one). This forces an to update to an NVIDIA Quadro M2200 w/4GB GDDR5 for $480. Ouch! Luckily I'm not selecting this.
Well my past experience with AMD (ATI) graphics and linux were extremely unpleasant.
Other interesting things:
- you can choose amongst Xeon processors too.
- you cannot choose an 8th gen Core processor -- only 6th or 7th
- you can order it with Win 7 pro. I didn't think that Microsoft allowed that these days. Not that I care.
- I can downgrade from i5-7440HQ (Quad Core2.80GHz, 3.80GHz Turbo, 6MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630) to i5-7300HQ (Quad Core 2.50GHz, 3.50GHz Turbo, 6MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630) losing about 10% nominal processing power and saving $130, about 15% of the system price. That seems like a good deal.
Summary:
- Expensive! $1839 on sale ($879 off list)
But I did somehow get the configutator in a broken state where it offered something like this for $1100. I wonder if I could actually order such a configuration.
- heavy: Weight: (starts at) 6.16lbs (2.8kg)
- Lots of configuring choices
- page warns you about configurations that won't work. I don't know if it prevents you from ordering them.
I wonder if the keyboard is still as bad on the Dells as they were 4 years ago. Not to mention the pointy stick and touchpad horror. I think I will stick with my 5 year old thinkpad, although the higher res screen could be nice (it can also be quite a hassle as a lot of software still doesn't grasp the idea of that level of DPI). -- Len Sorensen
On Wed, Jun 06, 2018 at 12:27:53PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
Dell has a sequence of specials for the next few (7?) days. I'm kind of interested in a notebook with an UltraHD display, so I thought I'd look.
This is what I discovered. This is likely uninteresting to most people -- feel free to stop reading now, before I waste your time!
<http://www.dell.com/en-ca/work/shop/deals/laptop-deals>
Most of the laptop pages come with preconfigured display, and none is UHD. But the Precision 7520 Mobile Workstation lets you configure a lot of things, including selecting Ubuntu and selecting a UHD screen.
Interesting things about selecting Ubuntu (replacing Win 10 pro):
- clicking on Ubuntu saves $200
- it's still Ubuntu 16.04
+ why not 18.04? I assume that would work.
+ but the heading is "Ubuntu 12.04 Long term Support" (surely a typo)
- it won't work with the default wireless card, so you have to change from Dell to Intel. There's no charge so I guess that they think that the Dell is better in some way (not obvious to me). The Intel is marked "vPro" so it is potentially vulnerable to Outside Agents.
- it warns me that Ubuntu isn't compatible with Productivity Software. Just select "none" instead of "free 30-day trial of Microsoft Office". That sounds like a good idea even for Windows users.
Interesting things about selecting the UltraHD display
- adds $220 over the IPS FullHD display, which itself adds $280 or $260 over TN FullHD display options. Ouch on both those numbers.
Well a Thinkpad T580 with an 8th gen i5 and the IPS UHD display appears to be cheaper and they don't demand buying their expensive ram. Intel graphics unless you go to a higher CPU and get nvidia graphics. -- Len Sorensen
participants (2)
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D. Hugh Redelmeier -
lsorense＠csclub.uwaterloo.ca