Mandriva announces the availability of a Dell Laptop pre-loaded With Mandriva Linux for students in France
Monday September 19 2005
September, 26th. Mandriva, the number one European Linux publisher, today announces the availability of a Dell Laptop pre-loaded With Mandriva Linux.
Dell is leveraging its Custom Factory Integration capabilities to offer French students from Universities an “n-series” Latitude 110L notebook with a Linux-based OS called Mandriva.
The Latitude 110Ln with the Linux-based operating system is limited to a French Ministry of Education program available only to students in universities.
This is a France-only offering and the direct model allows Dell to customize localized solutions based on customer needs.
The association - a first for the two companies - represents a milestone in Mandriva's effort to make Linux even more accessible to customers, thanks to large OEM deals. Mandriva also counts HP in its portfolio of leading manufacturers.
Mandriva worked with Dell to certify this professional laptop, which is now being sold direct to students by Dell in France. The company ensured the optimum integration of its Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005 - a major hit in recent Linux downloads and reviews - with Dell's Latitude 110Ln. The certified computer is a WIFI 1,4 to 1,7 GHZ mobile Celeron or Pentium M, with 256 to 1280 MB of ram, and a DVD burner drive.
"This product shows the world that Mandriva is today ready for the consumer market. We've been developing products for the corporate and enthusiast markets for years. Addressing the needs of the consumer market is a different challenge, because it is all the more difficult, as you don't have a system admin or professional technician at home", said François Bancilhon, Mandriva CEO. "Consumer products leave less room for imperfection. This laptop and its distribution direct by such a leading manufacturer as Dell, demonstrate how easy Mandriva Linux is to use. We're looking forward to further collaboration with Dell."
The availability of Linux on pre-loaded computers is the simplest way for users to start with this operating system (exactly as it is for Windows). People don't have to go through a complex installation, their basic hardware is already configured, and what's more, Mandriva Linux has an all-inclusive collection of quality applications and professional
tools.
With this new offer, students don't have to buy or install supplementary applications, and actually save money and time. At only 759 euros (~$940), the combination of Mandriva Linux and the Dell Latitude 110Ln is currently one of the most affordable notebooks available in developed countries.
About Mandriva
Mandriva, formerly known as Mandrakesoft, is the publisher of the popular Mandriva Linux operating system, one of the most full-featured and easy to use Linux systems. The company offers its enterprise, government educational customers a complete range of GNU/Linux and Open Source software and related services. Mandriva products are available in more than 140 countries through dedicated channels and also from Mandrivastore.com, the company's online store. Number 1 in several countries, Mandriva has won many awards for quality and technical innovation. "Born on the Internet" in late 1998, Mandriva has offices in the United States, France and Brazil. Mandriva is traded on Paris Euronext Marché Libre (ISIN Code: FR0004159382/MLMAN; Reuters code: MAKE.PA) and the US OTC market (stock symbol MDKFF).