Live from Dell's Adamo press event!
By Nilay Patel 
posted Jan 9th 2009 10:53AM
posted Jan 9th 2009 10:53AM
We're live from Dell's early-morning Adamo press event at the Palms -- we're pretty much expecting them to reveal a slick 13-inch ultraportable, but we'll see what other surprises are in store. We're currently confined to suite across the hall where Dell's plying the media with free omelettes, but we snuck into the event room for the shot above and saw what looked to be the XPS Studio 1340 and 1640 set up. We'll be starting for real in just a few, keep it locked!
12:01PM That was really disappointing, by the way -- we'll see if we can get Dell's reps to share anything else.
12:00PM Last question -- Mini 10 will appeal to everyone, we think. We're off to find the Adamo.
11:59AM Alienware is our top performance brand, Adamo is our top design brand.
11:58AM "If you look at Adamo, it's the top of design, franchise, and materials." Sounds like there'll be more than one model.
11:57AM They're really dodging these questions. "It's precision crafted."
11:57AM We just pushed them really hard for details, and all we got was that it's a "no-compromises notebook" and that's "it's safe to say it doesn't have an Atom."
11:55AM It's pronounced uh-dahm-o, by the way. It's the original code name, the Latin word for "to fall in love with."
11:55AM "There's so much buzz around Adamo, we just wanted to give you a peek. This industry is so much fun with leaks." Sure, when we actually get them.
11:54AM "Adamo is not delayed, we're just using CES to give you a peek."
11:54AM It's early to tell what the effect of the netbook is going to be -- will it cannibalize or grow the entire category.
11:53AM Too bad it's out of the question to see the Adamo!
11:53AM XPS is not one of our core sub-brands, it's a modifier, like Studio XPS. Not out of the question to see Adamo XPS.
11:52AM Okay, he said the photo printer will come out "pretty soon."
11:51AM They won't even tell us when the photo printer will come out, just "the first half of the year." Throw us a bone, guys!
11:51AM Question about touch interfaces -- the PC is moving into more rooms in the house as all-in-ones get more popular. The casual walkup experience is simple and intuitive with touch -- we're not waiting for Win7, we're building the momentum before it launches.
11:50AM This room seriously just deflated -- the letdown is palpable. Even the typing noises have slowed down.
11:49AM No plans to announce about NVIDIA's Ion platform.
11:48AM Talking about international products and customization -- we're glazing over, hunting around for where the Adamo went. It's a small room, after all.
11:47AM "No pricing details on the Mini 10 at this time."
11:46AM "We're not going to say anything else about the Adamo." This is really weak -- that's why we're all here!
11:46AM "No specs, we just wanted to do a quick unveil." It would be nice if they would show us the thing instead of just saying "stunning industrial design" over and over again."
11:45AM QA time -- "Adamo will be out in the first half of the year."
11:44AM But -- that's it! He kicked the model holding if off the stage without even opening it. So lame.
11:44AM It's really thin, kind of looks like the Studio XPS series.
11:43AM Precision craftsmanship, high performance, amazing industrial design.
11:43AM Not a lot more to say about this today, just a sneak peek.
11:43AM Adamo will be the new luxury franchise in the Dell lineup.
11:43AM Adamo time!
11:43AM Quick note -- you're probably not so cool if your video guy has to say "Dell's becoming cool."
11:42AM "We're enabling people to express their personal brands through the products they use."
11:41AM Video recap time!
11:41AM "Great things in small packages." No, no the Adamo, the Wesabe photo printer. Stop teasing us!
11:40AM Personalization will be coming to the desktop as well.
11:40AM We're going to be talking about our touch products -- as Win 7 comes out, we'll be expanding our touch category.
11:39AM Built in GPS, multitouch trackpad.
11:39AM 10-inch screen, edge to edge glass, built in 3G, built in TV tuner.
11:39AM An addition to the netbook family -- the Inspiron Mini 10. "A perfect 10."
11:38AM The 3G Inspiron Mini 9 is now just $99 with a two-year ATT contract.
11:38AM New announcements! First up, the Dell download store now features a software store with preloaded content and software.
11:37AM "Wish I was gonna know when Windows 7 was going to be available!"
11:36AM Quick mention of the Studio XPS 13 and 14 -- "bringing our new design sense to the XPS line."
11:35AM Talking about the XPS 625 -- "fire breathing."
11:35AM "In 2008 we really helped to wake up the PC category, and in 2009 we expect to do that again."
11:34AM "We'd like to put a stake in the ground and claim design leadership in our field, especially with products like the new Studio XPS series."
11:33AM Ha -- he said they'd gotten "great acclaim" for their new products this week, and then realized he hadn't announced them yet! "I mean, not yet."
11:33AM Talking about the Studio Hybrid
11:32AM "Design Studio will evolve over the course of this year to become one of the great consumer experiences in personalization and customization -- think of it as Dell.com 3.0"
11:31AM "We believe that mobility will be the biggest trend -- everything mobile, everything connected. We'll be working to bring that to our entire product portfolio."
11:30AM "Ed Boyd in the back of the room has completely reinvigorated our design -- from plain gray computers to sleek personalized designs."
11:30AM "As we go through the year, you should look for new products in each of these categories, some of which we'll announce today." Wonder where the Adamo fits in!
11:29AM "You can see our strategy -- Inspiron is value, but hip and cool and personalized. Studio comes up a bit, for students and home media. And now Studio XPS, which will come up in 2009."
11:28AM "We're launched Design Studio, building on our roots of personalization and individualization."
11:28AM "We've grown the business 30 percent and launched retail -- from zero to 20K location around the world."
11:27AM "What a year it's been, we've continued to reinvigorate our brand."
11:27AM Michael Tatelman, VP of consumer sales and marketing: "We're excited to have you here, we have a number of exciting announcements for 2009."
11:26AM We are "making a statement." We are "all the colors of the world."
11:25AM And we're starting. Opening with a arty Dell Lounge video. Feel the love.
11:23AM It's really small in here, actually -- there aren't even really chairs set up, just some funky-shaped couches and a big table. It is a hotel suite, after all.
11:22AM Looks like the Dell Mini 9 set up on stage, we'd been hoping it was the Adamo when we snuck in earlier but it doesn't seem like things are going to be quite that easy for us this morning.
11:17AM Looks like we're getting ready to go in!
11:13AM Dell's really pushing the design aspect today -- they've got a few displays from the different artists featured in the Design Studio line, and they're making custom-printed T-shirts on demand using a large-format printer. We're not sure we're into the metallic burgandy ink, but it's certainly neat.
11:05AM Still just chilling -- looks like word got around about the free omelettes and smoothies, the media is arriving in force. There are a bunch of the new Design Studio laptops set up, they look quite nice, but mostly everyone is mesmerized by juice drinks.
10:59AM
We're live from Dell's early-morning Adamo press event at the Palms -- we're pretty much expecting them to reveal a slick 13-inch ultraportable, but we'll see what other surprises are in store. We're currently confined to suite across the hall where Dell's plying the media with free omelettes, but we snuck into the event room for the shot above and saw what looked to be the XPS Studio 1340 and 1640 set up. We'll be starting for real in just a few, keep it locked!
Exciting :P
keep on bringing them out. Lay off more people at the same time.
ya b/c its totally dells fault the global economy blows and they couldnt afford to keep people
First to fail!
I hope this puts the MacBook Air to shame.........
I AM PUMPED!!!!!!!
dude don't worry they eventually build a decent notebook that looks nice so you don't have to get jealous when you pass by the next mac store...
The only time I get jealous when I walk by a mac store is thinking they are filming the sequel to Goonies with all those mac idiots.
Aw, you must be really disappointed right now.
and.... you are now unpumped.
Dell really let everyone down.
Adamo!
Apple MacBook Air beware, Dell Adamo is here! Back in Black!
Wow. So, I'm either REALLY excited to see awesome new product that will be 1000x better than the Air, or I'm completely ready to see another COMPLETE failure of a super thin computer and have my dreams crushed
So many choices, I just cant decide
So, which of the two won, considering how we barely even got to *see* the thing here.
I can't even make out what ports it has from those pictures. That room was poorly lit.
either Adamo or that new Sony... so many choices.
I'm betting on the Dell~
Gotta roll with the dell, the Sony is heavily underpowered, might be good if you just need it for looks or to keep with the Jones(s).....
huh, why isn't that monitor 500 feet tall? why is the staging area normal sized? where are the throngs of screaming dellboys... this just seems kinda... small.
Because, Dell isn't Apple or Sony
Uh... maybe because it's in a conference room at THE PALMS and NOT at the convention center?
WE NEED PIX!!!!!!
Where is the photographer at??? On the penny slots... ????
Eating some of those free dell omellets?
COME ON ALREADY.... I CANT TAKE THE WAIT..........
www.yoursishere.com
I find that offensive.
I am about as anti-Sony computer as they come...after seeing their new netbook yesterday, I am about to become the biggest hypocrite to my clients in the world. Very cool product!
Now, I am really pulling for Dell to pull off the biggest coup at CES with this announcement. Let's hope it is everything, and then some of what we have all been waiting for.
So, Dell is launching a new luchador theme now?
inb4 WTH?
Hahah I noticed those weird balloons as well... You know, they are trying to expand more into Central & South America, maybe this is their plan to attract those markets.
the media is coming for the food
ewwww!!! Dell==Windoze==boring. Why do people insist on rooting for boring stuff!
Dell offers Ubuntu on a lot of its lines, and supports Linux and Sun in the enterprise...
It is their fault they are laying off american workers while the keep their india tech support tho....
But its not as if they've only just started using call centres in India.. they've been doing this for years (along with several other companies in many different industries). If they had started moving the service support to India just as the economic downturn started in order to save money, it would be unfair and your comment would be relevant.
You could still be buying entry level notebooks for $2000 with an all US support staff, or get a entry level notebook for $600 with Indian support staff...It' seems our pocketbooks have voted.
Doofus.
I don't know what that computer is, in the picture at 11:22. But, it isn't a Mini 9.
There are no mouse buttons, and the battery isn't taking up the space above the keyboard.
Is it a Mini 12 or something else?
Looks like your mind is still on EST Nilay. It's barely 8:30 AM in reality here on the Pacific Coast. No one is awake until 9 these days, so I doubt the Dell guys are as well.
keep the fun coming Patel.... BRING IT!!!!!
The set up of the AV in that room really makes Dell look like a 2 bit operation... Kind of like Homer's Internet business, just before Bill Gates bought him out....
I can tell you first hand from working on quite a few Dell systems that Dell is by far one of the lowest quality and worst built systems out of all the brands. I'm amazed people support them after all they've done to consumers and their own employees. Their hardware is almost refurbished quality technology and their PSUs tend to break down in the slightest of bad conditions. The worst thing, Dell is the company that started the idea of of charging a huge markup on upgrades and making the initial system almost barebones in what it offers. I've seen way too many consumers end up purchasing a computer barely capable of running the OS it came with even though Dell's website said it was for business or even multimedia play. I'd switch to mac long before I buy a deal, and I hate OSX.
I have a Dell Desktop and an XPS M2010 Portable Desktop which I paid $4600+ and this will be the last Dell I will ever own until Dell improve their customer's relations and support. They suck! I will go and buy Mac instead of Dell or any other latops. At least Mac is realiable than any other computer. I am still using my iMac which I bought 5 years ago without any problems.
Doesn't Dell have its own monitor? Why does it use Zenith? or does it own Zenith?
Is it just me or does everything they showed off including the Model at the end just look like the 80's? And not the cool 80's or the retro Geek 80's but that weird 80's when it was trying to look futuristic. I think the Giz said it best when they said... 11:43AM Quick note -- you're probably not so cool if your video guy has to say "Dell's becoming cool."
odds are dell paid more for the model to show up than the mockup they "unveiled"
Mini 9 for $99!?
With built-in mobile broadband!?
WOW
Dude, you understand that's with like a 2-year contract right? And the data plan will be something like $60/month, with a 5GB cap or something? So it'll really be $99 + 24 * $60 = $1539. Right?
I think it is interesting that DELL is entering the Cell Phone market with a netbook. I can see people jumping on that to get a laptop for $99.
"We're not going to say anything else about the Adamo."
Well that was pretty lame.
So that adamo, is revolutionary huh? It's so... ugly. "Precision craftsmanship, high performance, amazing industrial design", and really low grade plastic, hey you forgot to mention low grade plastic! I'll go with the new MSI.
Some talks about Win7, but nothing about any new lines with an Ubuntu option.
That's the only reason I went straight for Dell without considering HP and all those other vendors in the first place.
It's not a 'no compromises' notebook if you can't buy it with a decent OS.
It will be exciting to see the industry enter the multitouch age with MultiPointer X.. (and Win7)
Ask them where the LatitudeON feature is? They never released it....
Absolutely LAME.
MBA >>>>>>> Adamo...
We have no info so it might as well not exist.
Really? No Adamo? This is pretty much pathetic.
Wow, this is ridiculous. Why even bother bringing it up if that's all you are going to show about Adamo?
This was an Adamo press event, and the Adamo was there for a few minutes only, then disappeared? What a bunch of BS!! I bet the Adamo is delayed, and this thing they had this model play with wasn't even a working prototype!!
What we need are MORE pictures of those two mob guys, engadget.
What a waste of my time....
It's sad where the images being posted are more of old men in power suites then then actual products. Serious let down... maybe they need to watch some of Apple's presentation styles *although this year's MacWorld was nothing to brag about though...
These guys look like 'Made Men'
That sucks! I wanted to hear more about it... damn, first time I'm actually excited about a notebook and all we get is this... argh!
Man, that was even more lame than Sony's "Riiiiiiddddgggeeee Racer!"
Some of these Dell Press Conf photos are perfect for 'Shop and Caption contests!
Going by the complete lack of information that Dell have presented, they could have held this in a toilet cubicle.
Compare this event with Palm's (where introduced the pre)
Ces is supposed to introduce new exciting products. Dissapointing event
Of course, you all know Adamo is also Belgian singer. He does not fold this flat though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-DKXuWuoYM
"Adamo is not delayed, we're just using CES to give you a peek."
....way to not bring the SEXY. Why did I expect anything from you Dell?
enjoy the bottom of the pile. you FAIL.
So the Adamo is a range of laptops?
lameness.
Wait, what are you guys doing at the jewelry trade show? You're meant to be at CES!
Ok, so this is REALLY LAME!
I've got a LOT of Dell gear, and this just pissed me off all to hell.
Like others have said, for all I know that Adamo is a piece of styrofoam. And with no release date or pricing for the Mini 10 they might as well not have announced it.
Great, so no prices or dates on the interesting stuff, and nothing of substance on the adamo. Wonderful little presentation Dell.
Wow... with all the Apple bashing over the years, I guess design and engineering really DO matter (most OEMs, not just with Dell, also see the recent MSI X320 MacBook Air knockoff).
I won't hold my breath waiting for all the hypocrites to now bash the "PC" OEMs for using design to push their products.
No doubt many of the same people in denial who try to claim the iPhone has had no affect on the cell phone market :-)
They said:
"11:59AM Alienware is our top performance brand, Adamo is our top design brand."
So I get the idea that if you want a performance model go for an Alienware. If you want a basic computer, get a basic DELL. If you want your computer to stand out in the crowd and look nice, get an ADAMO.
Did this not look and feel like an epic fail? What kind of presentation was that? Hot chick holding turd doesn't make turd UNTURDY. Steve Jobs, a complete geek (by any Mac hater's judgment) stands on stage in a black turtleneck and BLOWS THIS SAD NAP away with a single smile.
Innovation doesn't equal imitation. Innovation is a new idea, and nothing new happen today for DELL.
DELL's best plan is to strike a deal with Apple to load OS X. Save that, they're completely dead in the water. Microsoft has lost all its rational thought when they forced Bill Gates out for hating Vista.
DELL, make fast cheap hardware until your dying day.
...if i am supposed to fall in love with d..uh..adamo...i hope they price it right!..does anyone know how much its gonna cost?