Thank you for your order for the system XPS 1340. Unfortunately we’ve exhausted the supply for this item and can no longer fulfill your order. This message is to advise you that your order has been cancelled.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We truly value our relationship and reputation with our customers. Please be assured that we are working hard to avoid similar issues.

As you may have noticed, Dell specifically indicates on our web pages, catalogs, advertising and order-confirmation that offers are subject to change and that Dell reserves the right to cancel orders arising from pricing or other errors.

Evidently it takes Dell nearly two months to discover they actually don’t have an item that is still listed for sale on their website!

Unbelievable.

Update:

I’ve checked and the Studio XPS 13′s with Ubuntu which Dell are selling now are different. Among the differences between the laptop I ordered and the choices available today are the following:

• Slower processors available and fewer to choose from.
• No Bluetooth option

There are probably others. Ok, so I can’t re-order the laptop I had ordered originally even if I wanted to. Fine. It is interesting to note, however, that these limitations are only for the Ubuntu version of the XPS 13. the Windows versions enjoy more processor choices including faster processors, the bluetooth module, more RAM, more colors and finishes, and so on…. In other words, Dell is pawning their junk off on customers who want to order a laptop with Linux.

This is not only unbelievable, it is also unacceptable.

Here’s a screenshot:

The Software Sources dialog.

1. I just finished looking at a cool piece of hardware (more on that later).
2. I just started looking at another cool piece of hardware (more on that later).
3. I just ordered two new cool pieces of hardware (definitely more on that later).
4. Bacula has been giving me grief this week (I really don’t want to talk about it, maybe later).
5. At work we just received 70-ish new servers for a new project. (more on that right now)

One of the fun things about my current job is the chance to administer a lot of Linux Servers. We’ve got over a hundred now (not counting all of the virtual machines we also run), and we’re set to double that number in the next couple of weeks.

As many of these servers as possible will run my current favorite server distribution: Ubuntu Server 8.04.1. I say “as many as possible” because it’s not always possible. In the case of a good number of these new servers it won’t be possible because they will be running VMware ESX server. It’s still Linux, but heavily modified.

Anyway, the servers won’t wire themselves so I’d better get back there.

See ya.