The new Inspiron Hybrid is a tablet, a laptop, and now it’s a new way to experience Dell’s popular Ubuntu OS. Rumor became news last Monday when the PC manufacturer announced the Inspiron 11 3000 and Inspiron 13 7000 at the Computex trade show in Taipei, China. Built as a competitor to Lenovo’s very successful Yoga device, the two Inspiron models will offer the Linux-based Ubuntu OS as an option alongside 11.6-inch and 13-inch screens respectively.

How Ubuntu will be able to compete as a tablet OS when compared with the Apple iOS and other rivals remains to be seen. Especially when you consider the fact that Apple has always been seen as the user-friendly computing option for non-techies. A tablet is basically designed as the ultimate user-friendly device. You see something you want and you simply touch it. Therefore, it would seem that Apple has a strong advantage in this marketplace. Both, Google Android and Microsoft Windows 8 have also made serious in-roads into the tablet OS market, making it a steep hill to climb for Ubuntu to gain serious market share.

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS is the first version of the OS that will provide the user with the option to select either a desktop version or the tablet version, which will supply a touch screen user interface called Unity 8.

The new Dell Inspiron hybrids are expected to be offered at competitive prices, strong battery life, and a lightweight design. They are designed to be very functional and give users a little more bang for their buck than their Apple counterparts. Time will tell if adding Ubuntu as an OS option will help Dell to make these devices successful.

The GIP Networks Plano data center provides SSAE 16 Type II colocation and data center space in Dallas Texas. Please contact us today for more information on how our server hosting, business continuity, and other services can help your businesses. We would love the opportunity to speak with you!