Canonical and Dell announce today that Dell laptops pre-loaded with Ubuntu will be sold in 850 retail outlets in India.

Dell launch with Ubuntu at retail in India

Canonical and Dell announce today that Dell laptops pre-loaded with Ubuntu will be sold in 850 retail outlets in India.

The choice of form factor reflects the demand for mobile computing in India, where Dell, already the number one manufacturer, is growing fast. Ubuntu provides a legal, full-featured and flexible alternative to proprietary software, with a range of popular applications included by default. And thanks to the Ubuntu Software Centre, it offers easy access to hundreds more, from business productivity and scientific research to games and social media.

“A founding principle of Ubuntu is to make computing more accessible,” said Canonical's CEO, Jane Silber at the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network' event in New Delhi. “By working with Dell to bring these machines to market, we're providing millions of people with the opportunity of an affordable, high-quality computing experience – in some cases, for the first time.”

Sameer Garde, President, Dell India said: “With Ubuntu, these machines offer our customers a compelling mobile or in-home computing proposition, with the benefit of Dell quality and security. I am confident that they will prove attractive to both home and business users.”

The retail outlets will display Ubuntu-branded marketing collateral in-store, with trained staff explaining the advantages of Ubuntu to consumers.

With its intuitive user interface, Ubuntu has become a natural choice for millions of consumers, the world over. And thanks to services such as the Ubuntu Music Store and built-in Ubuntu One cloud storage, it continues to lead the development of desktop computing.

Availability

The machines – including the new Inspiron 14R and new Inspiron 15R – will be available with Ubuntu pre-installed from June 21^st 2012. More models are slated for release later in the year.