The Kubuntu Council, in collaboration with MindShareManagement, Inc and Tuxedo Computers, recently officially announced the release of the Kubuntu Focus Laptop.
Kubuntu is a free and open-source Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that uses KDE install of the GNOME desktop.
The Kubuntu Focus will be available in mid-January 2020.
According to the Kubuntu team,
“This laptop is the result of months of focused industrial design. We took one hardware configuration meticulously tuned to ensure everything works out of the box. Dozens of configurations are tuned to make the hardware work at its best. The Kubuntu Focus handles the platform so you can focus on work and play.”
The high-end Kubuntu Focus will be available in mid-January 2020. The specifications for the laptop are impressive:
- Core i7-9750H 6c/12t 4.5GHz Turbo CPU
- 6GB GTX-2060 GPU
- 32GB Dual Channel DDR4 2666 RAM
- 1TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe SSD
- 16.1” matte 1080p IPS display
- LED-backlit, 3-4mm travel keyboard
However, also ambitious is the retail price of the Kubuntu Focus. It’s speculated that the asking price will start at $2,399 minimum. The laptop comes with a limited two-year warranty along with a superior cooling experience for users. Users will be able to upgrade easily and remove RAM, NVMe, and SDD. No specifications are known yet concerning BIOS/firmware.
The Kubuntu Focus might look familiar to some since it is a rebranded Clevo P960RD laptop with minor modifications and pre-loaded customized software. Open-source software includes apps for web development, deep-learning, Steam game support, deep learning, and many other open-source software applications.
Kubuntu running on the Kubuntu Focus
Many Linux enthusiasts expressed surprise at the choice of NVIDIA graphics for the Kubuntu Focus, wondering why they did not instead choose Radeon graphics.
The target audience for the high-end laptop appears to be systems administrators and other IT professionals, software/web developers, Linux gaming enthusiasts, video and image editors/creators, and Linux power users.
Two percent of all sales of the Kubuntu Focus will go to the Kubuntu Council to help in funding the development of Kubuntu.
