I have had 0 problems with XPS Dell running Ubuntu. I've run it both as a dual boot with Windows and a standalone. Loved it so much I bought a second. The 13 in "Dell XPS 13" refers to the screen size. You can have a bigger screen. 15 & 17. My laptops are Dell XPS 17. I have heard good things about the Dell Precision as well.
I have an older XPS, the 9560, and compatibility with Linux has been pretty good, but the build quality has left a lot to be desired.
I had to replace the Killer wifi card with an Intel card, as the OEM one was flaky and this seemed to be a known issue that wasn't acknowledged by Dell.
The battery failed on me 3 times, and I eventually gave up on the warranty and bought a third party battery which I installed myself.
The power connector got loose, which required replacing the motherboard.
The case itself is not very stiff, so putting it over the edge of a knee or table means the touch pad won't click due to the flex.
Perhaps newer models have addressed these sorts of issues, but I'd be wary of buying another considering the Thinkpad I got for work has been very solid.
I also had to replace the Killer wifi card. After that there was nothing to complain about regarding Linux compatibility.
BUT I also had to replace the battery after a year or two (it was swollen to the point that I couldn't close the laptop anymore).
And finally the rubbery coating of the case degraded badly and turned into a gooey, sticky mess (apparently a known issue with this kind of material, for those living in tropical weather).
> BUT I also had to replace the battery after a year or two (it was swollen to the point that I couldn't close the laptop anymore
That happened to me too with the first one, but they actually on their own initiative sent me a new battery. I've had no problems with the second laptop.
I have a similar model and I can't stand the case flex issues. If you set the laptop on an uneven surface or try to work while holding it in your other hand, it'll flex and click the touchpad. I use this laptop while working on industrial equipment, so setting it on uneven surfaces or holding it while working is something I do pretty often. It's very annoying.
Dell only support the XPS 13 for Linux. I like mine, it's not perfect but seems pretty acceptable. Everything works out of the box including bluetooth, battery life isn't great though.
If you want a larger screened Dell for Linux you should definitely go with the Precision line that you mentioned as you can order them with Linux out of the box.
You might be OK with an XPS 15 or 17 but I've heard of issues with the GPU on the XPS 15 so might be a bit of a crap shoot. So personally I would avoid them.
My advice for buying any Linux laptop would be always get one that comes with Linux out of the box even if you're going to replace it.
They won't refuse to repair it. It's identical in all ways except for the screen size, so. If something really weird happens, they might kick it back to you, but nothing really weird is going to happen.
> My advice for buying any Linux laptop would be always get one that comes with Linux out of the box even if you're going to replace it.
All the parts of the XPS 13 are expected to work well with Linux. They've been selected specifically for that and they’ll receive firmware updates to improve that situation.
That’s not the same on the XPS17. On an XPS 17 the parts just have to work with Windows. They might work or they might not.
If something doesn’t work with Linux on the XPS 13 or Precision model it’s someone at Dell’s paid job to fix it. On an XPS 15 or XPS 17 it’s your job.
Get an XPS 17 if you want one obviously but you're not buying the same experience.
Does it sleep? I was really happy with an earlier Dell XPS (which my daughter still uses), but my newer one is horrible. I always have to do a full shutdown, otherwise if I don't use it for a few days, the BIOS resets and once I even had to remove the CMOS battery.
Between the sleep, the bad mic, fan noise, I think my next one will be a ThinkPad (my 10 year old ThinkPad is still rocking, gave it to other family who just needed a browser).
XPS 13 has a windows sleep issue but not with Ubuntu. But windows sleep issue is with any laptop. Hybernating works perfectly with windows or ubuntu but sleep is difficult.
