14 DAY TRIAL // elementary OS Linux distribution will now come pre-installed on a series of laptops as part of an effort that the parent company has worked on in order to establish a network of retailers and partners.
While elementary says it’s a lot more difficult to build its own devices and ship them with its operating system pre-loaded, the company just decided to go the easy way and sign a collaboration with a couple of companies that will install elementary OS on their devices out of the box.
The two are Laptop With Linux and Star Labs, both of which are now selling elementary OS computers with various configurations and form factors.
“While we would love to design and build our own devices for elementary OS, we’re a small team, comprised largely of volunteers. Hardware is hard, margins are thin, and it takes a ton of capital to start up. At this point, it makes more sense for us to focus on our relationships with existing OEMs, ensuring people can get elementary OS out of the box from a company that is experienced with selling and shipping devices,” elementary explains.
More elementary OS-powered laptops coming soon
Laptop With Linux, which was already selling, well… laptops with Linux, offers various models and configurations with elementary OS. The cheapest model is the Clevo NL41CU 14-inch Metal Design, which comes with elementary OS pre-installed and can be yours from €529,00 (approximately $600 for our American readers).
On the other hand, Star Labs sells Linux laptops that have a £399.00 ($500) starting price, so they are a little bit more affordable, though they also come with smaller screens too. The Star Lite Mk II, for example, features a 11-inch display.
elementary says it’s already working on expanding these partnerships with more companies, so expect more OEMs to begin shipping devices with elementary OS pre-loaded in the coming months.