[[blog:review:unboxing-dell-vostro-v130-with-ubuntu-preloaded]]

Posted 28 March 2011 (updated 3 October 2011) by Brendan Kidwell

Unboxing Dell Vostro V130 with Ubuntu Preloaded

A few weeks ago I bought a Toshiba Satellite T235D at MicroCenter, intending to remove Windows and install Ubuntu Linux on it. That didn’t work out and I ended up returning it and paying the restocking fee.

After that debacle, I wanted to buy a computer that just works with Ubuntu, out of the box. My requirements could be described thus: oversized netbook with at least two CPU cores, “virtualization assistance” CPU feature, no CD/DVD drive, at least a 768-line display, and someone’s assurance that it’d work with Linux. I wanted not widescreen (4:3 aspect ratio), but those displays have pretty much disappeared from the market lately.

Ubuntu’s web site states that the Dell Vostro V130 will work with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. I wanted to install a more recent version, but that was good enough assurance for me to start with. I placed my order a couple of weeks ago and I got it in the mail this past Thursday. In this post, I’ll document my unboxing and first impressions running Ubuntu 10.04 on it.

It’s worth noting that the model I bought, certified for Ubuntu 10.04, had a surprising lack of options. Memory was limited to 2GB — no more, no less. The one hard drive available was 250GB, 5400RPM disk. The CPU is a Celeron Processor ULV U3600 (2M Cache, 1.2GHz, 800 MHz FSB). This configuration with Ubuntu 10.04 preloaded sells for $429 plus shipping as of today. More expensive models come with more memory, solid state or spinning disk, and a Core processor instead of a Celeron, and Windows — you can’t buy those models without a Windows license.

The computer came in a basic shipping box that was surprisingly light. Of course that’s because the computer itself is so lightweight.

vostro130_unboxing_1_cropped.jpg

Inside the box were the computer, the power supply with a three-prong mains end (extra adapter required if you want to plug it into common household extension cords), “Resource CD,” warranty, safety brochure, and dummy setup guide.

vostro130_unboxing_2_cropped.jpg

The overall appearance of the computer is exactly what I wanted: thin, non-flashy design. Built-in human interface components include:

  • webcam
  • stereo speakers
  • two-button touchpad — apparently single-touch (see below)
  • compact laptop keyboard with no number pad
  • 13.3 inch 19:9 aspect ratio LCD display (1366×768 pixels)

The keyboard measures 11 inches from edge to edge, with the keys are spaced out 0.75 inches horizontally and 0.69 inches vertically; the keyboard includes a Super key (with a Windows logo on it). There is no pointing stick and no keyboard light.

The display has an anti-glare coating and is not glossy; it’s made for work, not media playback.

vostro130_hardware_1_cropped.jpg vostro130_hardware_2_cropped.jpg

Front edge ports:

  • 1/8″ mic input
  • 1/8″ speaker/headphone output

Back panel ports:

  • HDMI
  • eSATA/USB
  • ethernet
  • VGA
  • two more USB ports
  • DC power input

vostro130_hardware_3_cropped.jpg

Right edge port:

  • SD / MMC / Memory Stick slot

Wireless connectivity:

  • Wifi
  • Bluetooth (Doesn’t work. More on that later.)

Altogether the computer weighs about 4.25 pounds (3.5 pounds if you don’t count the external power adapter). It fits nicely in my bag and doesn’t feel like a burden to carry around with me every day.

The battery is rated at 30Wh, and reportedly provides 2.5 to 3 hours of running time depending on who you ask. The system must be disassembled to change the battery. Warning: if you often need to work without access to AC power, the Vostro v130 is probably not a good match for you!

Since I’d rather be running a more up-to-date version of Ubuntu, I immediately set about making sure I had some method of going back to the off-the-shelf state and then testing all the important hardware features before erasing the hard drive and starting over. Short short version: Everything works except Bluetooth.

First, I had to start it up and go through the Ubuntu pre-installed system setup wizard. The most amusing part of this wizard was a click-through EULA from Dell that I was forced to agree to, even though the text of the EULA isn’t included in the wizard.

vosto130_eula_cropped.jpg

<del>The message seems to indicate that the text is included in the Resource CD.</de> The EULA text is included in the “Warranty” booklet. I had a quick look at the CD on my office PC and it looked like a bunch of DOS-based diagnostic programs. I didn’t bother booting it or attempting to read the EULA.

Later on, the wizard offered to write a “Recovery” package to a fresh thumbdrive which would be made bootable. This package is intended to restore your hard drive to the initial state it had when it left the factory.

vostro130_recovery_media_cropped.jpg

Hint: If you don’t want to sacrifice a thumbdrive to this process and just want an ISO image file, you can skip it here and then find the Dell Recovery utility in your Applications menu once you login. From there, it will allow you to write to an ISO image file as an alternative to a using up a whole thumbdrive. The ISO image is about 1GB. Store it somewhere else offline where you have 1GB to spare, and if you ever need it you can use the Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator (on any Ubuntu system or from an Ubuntu Live CD) to install it on a thumbdrive; or you can write it to a DVD and boot it from an external DVD drive.

In any case, you probably aren’t going to even need this backup image! The only difference I could find between the original configuration and a clean Ubuntu install was a Firefox toolbar. (Yay for minimal bloatware!) Be assured that you can always just download the standard Ubuntu 10.04 LTS installer and rebuild from that if you need to.

After I got to the end of the setup wizard I logged in and downloaded the latest updates for 10.04 and tested a bunch of things. Here are my results:

Backlight control works? Yes
Volume control works? Yes
Can configure display device (internal, external, etc.) Yes
Can change display resolution, rotation? Yes
Record from webcam? Yes
Sleep? Yes
Hibernate? Not configured
Adjust power management options? Yes
Hard drive sleep? Yes
Bluetooth works? No. Shows up in notification area but does not function.
Wifi works? Yes
Drag two fingers to scroll? Not configured, or hardware doesn’t support it.
Pinch to zoom? Not configured, or hardware doesn’t support it.
Drag along touchpad edge to scroll? Yes
Read battery status? Yes
Read temperature sensors? Yes after installing lm-sensors and sensors-applet.
Read fan status? No fan device driver found.
Fans respond appropriately to CPU temperature? Yes
Read CPU speed? Yes. (CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor.)
Automatic CPU speed according to load? Yes
Temporarily lock CPU speed? Yes
Time to arrive at login screen from a cold start 29 seconds

I knew about the Bluetooth failure before I completed my purchase. It’s documented at least once on the Ubuntu forums. Note that as of this writing, the product page for the Vostro v130 with Ubuntu states that the system includes Bluetooth connectivity. Technically this is poor or false advertising if the hardware is there but doesn’t work with the included software! (Update: if you run a newer kernel a year or two after 2011, Bluetooth works without any manual configuration.)

I’m a happy customer and I got what I wanted. Over this past weekend, I was able to install Kubuntu 10.10 on it, and except for the Bluetooth failure, I’ve had no trouble with it at all.

If you’re looking for a cheap, thin, and light laptop to run Ubuntu, the Dell Vostro v130 is a good deal for $429 plus shipping.

Update (23 May 2011) I’m currently running Ubuntu 11.04 with KDE Plasma desktop and pretty much the same performance and compatibility results as shown above.

Update (3 Oct 2011) The Vostro V130 has been discontinued and it seems that its successor is the Vostro V131. I cannot find an option to buy this machine with Linux and not Windows, but the Ubuntu web site asserts that the Vostro V131 is Ubuntu-certified. I suggest that if you want one, call Dell on the phone and keep trying different ways to ask to buy the Linux version until someone is able to help you. If someone knows the correct store URL for this product please let me know!

Jared, 2011-05-05 00:12

Thanks for the post. I ordered a v130 too, and I was wondering about upgrading Ubuntu to a more recent version. I'm glad to hear that it shouldn't be a problem.

- J

Ed, 2011-05-23 14:01

Good, thorough review. Thanks.
I've ordered the v130 also with the Celeron u3600 processor and should get it sometime this week. However, I ordered the one with the 7200RPM drive and ordered a 4GB stick from Crucial, so, hopefully, it will be a little bit faster. Since mine came with Windows 7 Home, I plan on installing Linux Mint 10 also as a dual boot. From what I understand, everything is supposed to work in Linux Mint 10, even bluetooth. We'll see.
I plan on posting a blog post also (maybe video blog) once I receive it.
I'm excited.

Brendan Kidwell, 2011-05-23 20:32

Thanks for commenting. I'm intrigued by your suggestion that Bluetooth will work in Linux Mint.

Victor Jansson, 2011-05-26 10:42

I have read about fixes for the bluetooth. Apparently they work.

Great review.. planning on buing one myself because the vaio y I bought some months ago doesn't really support Linux that well.

Ed, 2011-06-15 15:41

I finally got my Vostro and installed Linux Mint. Here is my recent blog post on the subject and video commentary on the laptop and Mint 11.
http://www.edwardcrosby.com/2011/06/12/my-new-dell-vostro-v130-with-linux-mint-11/
Never was able to get bluetooth working, though, in Mint 11.

Ed, 2011-06-17 13:19

Found a bluetooth fix for my Mint 11 that should work for your Ubuntu 11.04.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/714862
The fix is posted at comment #10:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/714862/comments/10

Catherine, 2011-06-18 00:44

Thank you, Brendan, for this write up. It's answered my sole lingering question about upgrading Ubuntu.

I'm on the verge of ordering one, too. I want a ~13" specifically, but System76 (widely recommended at Ubuntu forums) wants so much more money for what I need. That's not to say I wouldn't want a System76--I would--but just can't.

Thanks!

Brendan Kidwell, 2011-06-18 12:50

@Ed that's great! I'll keep it in mind if I ever want to use Bluetooth. (I have vague plans to write up a T-Mobile/Bluetooth connection script since the GUI tools do such a bad job of making/resuming a Bluetooth pairing and dialing into T-Mobile as a single action. At least that's my experience so far with Blackberry smartphones and T-Mobile and Bluetooth.)

@Catherine I also went to System 76 first but unfortunately their notebooks were way out of my price range with capacity and features beyond what I needed.

Ashraf Sarhan, 2011-07-30 09:56

I have been bought this laptop. It's a great laptop but i have a question , after i got it, while i was trying to configure the system, i made a mistake in the step number 5, when i did want to delete the password which i wrote it using the BackSpace button, i pressed three or four time on the enter button instead then i saw that the system finished the configuration, i could not see the recovery step and the steps after it. Could you help me to know that if the steps which i accept by pressing the enter key, Are those steps important and can affect my system,please ?
Finally, thanks so much for your post, it is very informative :)

Brendan Kidwell, 2011-07-30 15:40

Sorry I don't understand exactly what you're asking, and this isn't a support forum. (Try askubuntu.com and superuser.com for general Ubuntu and desktop PC support.) If you feel that you've done something wrong in setting up your computer and you want to start over, I suggest downloading the latest version of Ubuntu directly from the source and installing from a USB thumbdrive. The Ubuntu that comes with the Vostro V130 is now outdated.

To comment on this page, please copy and paste the following into an email and send it to me. Useful and informative comments will be published within a day or two.

To: brendan@glump.net
Subject: Glump.net comment - Unboxing Dell Vostro V130 with Ubuntu Preloaded

Regarding: https://www.glump.net/blog/review/unboxing-dell-vostro-v130-with-ubuntu-preloaded
My name: [your name here]
My social media or web site: [optional URL here]
Publish this comment: yes

[your comment here]