Dells been tweaking the Dell-designed user interface on the Linux version of the Mini 10. For those of you who have never seen the UI, the best way to explain it is that it is activity-based. The goal all along with the Ubuntu interface is to take the application out of the equation. Instead they are paving the way for people to interact with the Mini based on what they want to do – e.g. I want to browse the Internet, I want to look at pictures, I want to chat with my family, I want to play a game of Solitaire, etc.
With this new version Dell has gone through some real efforts to make Ubuntu 8.04 look all 2009ish and the all round experience more visually appealing.
For a more visual explanation, here's a short video from Doug Anson:
According to an article in Laptop Magazine on-line, one-third of Dell Inspiron Mini 9s netbooks are sold with the Ubuntu Linux operating system. Dell senior product manager John New attributed the sales volume to the lower price point of the Ubuntu Linux machines. And the return rate of the Ubuntu Linux machines is approximately equal to that of comparable netbooks sold with Microsoft Windows XP. Dell spokesperson Jay Pinkert attriutes the low return rate to Dell's good communications with its customers, saying 'We have done a very good job explaining to folks what Linux is.'
