you can now run ubuntu 8.10 on dell xps 1330 without having to install it completely.what i am talking about is using pen drive/flash drive as startup disk and using the startup disk to boot into ubuntu.
using pen drive as startup disk has its own set of advantages
retain your old file system
you need not make [...]
8 easy steps for installing ubuntu 8.10 on dell xps 1330 (pen drive)