The KDE international community has collaborated with the Spain-based laptop retailer Slimbook to launch a 13.3-inch Skylake laptop called the KDE Slimbook. Built for the KDE users worldwide, the KDE Slimbook runs on the Ubuntu-based KDE Neon operating system with the Plasma Desktop interface.

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KDE stands for K Desktop Environment, which was founded on 1996 by Matthias Ettrich. The company aims to develop free software like Plasma Desktop and many other cross-platform applications which are designed to run on modern Unix-like and Microsoft Windows operating systems.

"Spanish laptop retailer Slimbook approached KDE with the idea to offer KDE-branded laptops that come pre-installed with Plasma and KDE Applications,"  A statement from KDE's Thomas Pfeiffer.

The KDE Slimbook will be open to other distributors that can be pre-installed with Plasma which will offer users a choice of several operating systems. According to Pfeiffer, the KDE Slimbook was built for the fans who appreciate the KDE software and not only for active contributors in the KDE community.

The KDE Slimbook comes in two versions; one with dual-core 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5-6200U and a dual-core 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7-6500U which are both sixth-generation Skylake chipsets. The base specifications of both versions include 4GB of RAM, 120GB mSATA SSD, two USB 3.0 ports, and a 13.3-inch 1080p resolution display. The system memory can be upgraded to 8GB and up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, storage at 250GB or 500GB mSATA SSD. The KDE Slimbook has an LED-backlit keyboard, a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution, and is powered by a 6,800mAh battery.

Pre-production, the KDE Slimbook was tested by the KDE developers in an attempt to minimize possible hardware difficulties to be encountered in the future.

The KDE Slimbook is available for purchase, starting at $779 for the Intel Core i5 and $908 for the Intel Core i7. Consumers can configure the specifications according to their needs.