The Irish may be a few hours ahead of us Yanks, but that's not stopping us from snooping on their web pages. Dell's long-awaited
Inspiron Zino HD has finally popped official over on the outfit's IE portal, and considering that it even made
a brief appearance on the US site over the weekend, we're guessing it's only a matter of hours, minutes and / or nanoseconds before the minuscule desktop shows up everywhere. A total of ten interchangeable colors and designs are being offered on the machine (which gets going at €329), not to mention an integrated HDMI socket and an optional Blu-ray drive. Unlike most of the mini PCs out there today, this one actually has a specs list worth drooling over, and if we can figure out how to get a TV tuner in here, we'd say we just might be looking at our next bedroom
HTPC. C'mon US admins -- it's not
that early in Round Rock.
[Thanks, Andy]
Update: It's
now live in the UK! Another market down, a few hundred to go...
posted Nov 10th 2009 9:36AM
"and if we can figure out how to get a TV tuner in here,"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815327005
It's not an internal tuner, but most would argue this is better. Problem solved. :-)
So nice. So fancy. Unfortunately that's a bit much for my uses. I still want one though. :P
I'm a little lost on the tuner part. I get that I can pickup some of the locals using this, but is it safe to say I can route the HDMI from my Comcast box through this to the PC (for Windows Media Center) ?
Would really like to have Media Center PC, but something with CableCARD seems better. Is there something with CableCARD out there? (I can't find any)...
HELP Engadget!
@ Mikeweezer
hdmi is out.. not in... you cant route video from a cable box to the htpc by hdmi... there would be no way to tune the channels via media center.... cable card tuners are coming.. engadget reported that windows7 has support for cablecards and thus we should see them becoming more accessible to the masses shortly. then i can see this thing being SUH WEET!!!! but even with just an HD usb tuner, this thing rocks!! and besides, just put an objectdock dock bar on the bottom, load up a bunch of shortcuts to netflix, hulu, etc, get yourself a gyration mediacenter remote, and kick back and enjoy!!!!!
Straight out of apples design book..
However the specs and crucially Bluray drive make this the weapon of choice for me!
£20 for a different coloured top!!?
DELL how could you!
way to go Dell! Seems like they got everything right with this product. Great looks and design along with nice specs. What's not to love?
You can use the HDHomeRun for the tuner.
/\ /\ /\ Great minds ;-)
It's on the UK site as well:
http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/home/Desktops/inspiron-zino-hd/pd.aspx?refid=inspiron-zino-hd&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&ref=dthp
Zino? Adamo?
Someone needs to tell Mikey that professionals are available to help avoid these kinds of embarrassments. Dell can afford them, really.
The next new Dell pc should be called Awesomo...
My wish is for something this small designed to run Windows 7 Media Center with usb-connected cablecard tuners and esata connected external storage. Or do people still favor packing everything for their HTPC into a single large box?
Yep - Make it look like a DVD player or Sat STB, 'cos thats what its going to be sitting on top of. The fewer wires I can get away with back there the better.
I have to agree. It'd be even better if they would release this case without the internals and let us build our own. Would make a perfect media center. This and the Mac Mini have the perfect form factor for an HTPC in my opinion.
win7: check
esata storage capability: check
usb external tuner: check (ok, it has got usb ports, you are on your own to find the tuner).
Not really sure what your point was? This definitely doesn't qualify as a true "all-in-one" htpc; you can add all that stuff externally since it has no real internal space to add tuner cards and raid hdd.
@bdav: look at the shuttle m2000. It was a nice HTPC at a reasonable price (at least now) that will blend with your stack of audio/video equipment. You can still buy remanufactured versions.
I know it has esata. As for usb cablecard tuners, we can go with ATI or a future 4 tuner option from Ceton. The only unknown is if this little box good enough to support Windows 7 Media Center with at least four HD shows recording / streaming.
The reason I don't want everything in one box is because I want to keep components that don't change much out of the main box, such as the tuners and storage. I have PCI-based tuners that are now mostly useless in new PCs. I have IDE harddrives that are mostly useless in new PCs. And if the little PC dies or underperforms, it doesn't take major work to swap in a replacement.
I hope this is competitively priced compared to the ion-based $200-$350 net-top boxes.
Why no brown?
Microsoft, luckily, used up all the brown in their Zunes. ;)
I like the Zune interface just not that garish color. What kind of brown were you thinking or were you joking?
It would have been awesome if this had been released with the cable card slot. It would be over for the rest of em'. Sigh... I promised I wouldn't buy another pc unless it had an internal cable card slot, or I could place one in it. Maybe if there was an add-on... but then you might as well just mess up the whole concept of the block design. One block is kewl... a bunch of blocks... not so kewl.... UNLESS! you make it look really cool and seamlessly integrated.
Why would a UK&Ireland unit have cablecard?
I wonder how it feels to be copying Apple so hard.
Amazing. How does Michael Dell look at himself in the mirror every day??
http://www.apple.com/macmini/
So everyone who makes any computer nowadays is copying Apple?
Because that's what you're saying. Idiot.
Design a computer this size that still has an optical drive, doesn't fall over when bumped (like Dell's last mini computer), and doesn't have a vaguely similar shape to a mac mini. Go ahead. Do it.
Just because Mac implemented the most pratical/logical form factor for the mini doesn't mean others are copying them by coming to the same conclusions.
On another note, Tesla copied GM by having four wheels and a driver's seat that faces forward. THOSE SCOUNDRALS!
Zino HD? Sounds like the Zune HD. Apple makes that right?
Obviously they are not copying Apple, this thing can have Blu-Ray, you probably don't need a putty knife to upgrade it, and upgrading it probably isn't expressly forbidden in the users manual. This is everything a Mac Mini wishes it could be.
I'd like to reiterate my previously stated outrage that Dell is ripping off the small, square computer format from Apple after Apple ripped it off from Shuttle fair and square.
before apple fanbois start finding fault, i'm one, and this is a pretty nice product spec-wise. The creative designs are an inexpensive way to liven up something that'll often be on display on a desktop. Apple's almost become the old MS gray-box manufacturer these days, since it gave up on the colorful iMacs. Only the iPods have any differentiation by color. More important, the company's let others get ahead on the fone front (or is it phone phront?) with features like the free navigation app and the desktop- and car-docks with added functionality. Those features DO add to the usefulness of the products. I'd like to see apple get a little more adventurous with its offerings--give us something some people hate and others love, for ex. And push the feature box some, especially with stuff that could be offered at an additional price or offered by third party vendors. Is anyone else feeling this?
Congrats on posting a comment entirely about Apple on a blog post that has nothing to do with Apple.
Well done.
I think we should allow rtdunnham his pro-apple rant without downranking him.
He clearly said that this is not a case of Dell copying Apple.
Instead he recommended that Apple start copying Dell; Apple is losing it's position as the leader of the "artsy computer design" (ie, color cases), which we all know was a key element in Apple's success.
A better graphics card than the Mac Mini? Yes. Drool worthy? No.
It popped up momentarily on teh US site at ~9am east. Then disappeared.
I imagine they broke something when they had to take it down from the premature showing this weekend.
I was waiting for an asshat to comment on this catching up with apple. and yup, looks like it was done.
Nice one, Dell! This actually looks pretty sweet, and it has a spec sheet to match. Plus it starts off as relatively inexpensive compared to some of its competitors, which is always a good thing. Well done, Dell. Now make sure to give your design team a nice bonus this year :P
I really wanna see the US price... You guys leaked it at $800... I hope it was a screw up cuz i would love to get in on this with some XBMC action...
External tuner, Hulu, Netflix, (torrentz cough) i mean amazon video lol... For people like me with no cable TV, this would be an awesome and much welcomed addition to my Home Theater...
trying to find the spam button... wheres the spam button...
Great!
Where's the optical output for audio?
You don't need optical out when you have audio over HDMI.
If people like you can really call the Mac Mini the yardstick of mini PCs, then that yard was beaten ages ago. Apple do not make the best computers in the world. Get used to it.
Hmm... THis could be an interesting consideration for my forthcoming CarPC project. All thats left is to find a small-ish touch screen that doesn't run $$$ and doesn't suck .
looks like the mac mini only fatter.
BUT blu-ray?! nice.
HDMI, awesome.
No FireWire?! Not cool.
eSata, mixed. I've heard less than stellar stuff for eSata.
And the first thing you say is that it looks like a Mac Mini.
Here's an idea: try designing a computer in this category that doesn't look like a Mac Mini.
Non-Apple-Fanboys: Next time they release a new Mac Mini, we all say that it looks like a Zino HD.
dell HAS, it's called the dell studio hybrid, heard of it?
but i do understand your sentiment, i also hate mac goonies
btw, i think this zino looks very ugly. the mac mini is pinnacle of design in this segment but even the studio hybrid looks quite good compared to this
LOL,that's so copying the Mac Mini
Blu-Ray with Integrated 2.1 Channel High Definition Audio haha
That just means the onboard audio chip can only DECODE 2 channels; it doesn't mean it couldn't bitstream multi-channel. Many laptops include digital multi-channel outs for DVDs and Blu-ray but lack analog outs (and therefore can't play games in surround sound) because that would involve decoding the signal rather than just piping it out.
I think it's virtually certain that the HDMI port will be able to pass digital audio (though possibly not Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA), but I still think omitting digital optical or digital coax was a mistake, especially considering it's available on the Studio Hybrid. Although who knows, they may have pulled an Apple and included a mini-digital optical out inside that line out jack. I'm not holding my breath, though.
I would still love an integrated tv tuner. This would be great in my living room..
I have a Dell Studio Hybrid - how much different is this thing? Got it refurbed from Dell for under $300 about a year back with Core Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 160HD, DVD RW, HDMI, WiFi, etc. What extra would this give?
I was thinking the same thing. Apparently the key differences are faster processors, higher max amount of RAM, desktop 7200 RPM HDDs, more connectivity options, and optional dedicated graphics. I think that's about it.
Looks nice and you can get the ATI Radeon™ HD 4330 512MB graphics upgrade for free at the moment.
However I'm a bit wary of 64-bit Windows 7, would rather the 32-bit version as I know then that everything I throw at it will work...
I stuck 64-bit home premium win7 on my desktop, and it has run every program that I have thrown at it (including alot of 6-7 year old video games that I put on there for my kids). Feels significantly faster then the 32 bit XP that I had on there before.
I wouldn't worry so much. XP 64-bit was a disaster because it came too far after the original release of XP and yet still before most people needed 64-bit because 4 GB of RAM was unheard of in desktops then, and therefore it never got driver support or even many applications to take advantage of 64-bit (definitely not mainstream apps). Microsoft got 64-bit right with Vista in the sense that it was released simultaneously with 32-bit, and the fact that 4 GB of RAM reached critical mass of becoming nearly the norm (or at least not considered super-high-end) in PCs during its lifecycle. Even though driver support was a bit of an issue when Vista was first released, now 3 years later the hardware vendors have finally come around with reliable 64-bit drivers. Which means that now with Windows 7, you should be fine on 64-bit. I'm running it on 3 PCs and don't have an issue, and I also think it speaks volumes that Dell is selling Windows 7 64-bit with their Inspiron laptops; you can't even choose 32-bit unless you head over to the Latitude line. The fact that they're selling 64-bit to consumers rather than blocking it or burying the option in an obscure, tiny link somewhere is telling.
Unless you have an ancient printer or scanner, I don't think you'll have an issue at all. Drivers are the biggest barrier, but as long as you have reasonably modern hardware you'll be golden. 64-bit has much better memory management as well (no 4GB max, 2GB per process limits), plus it has a few security enhancements that 32-bit doesn't, so I'd take the plunge.
2.1 audio? Deal-buster for me.
It has a Blu-Ray Drive then they put in an Integrated 2.1 Channel High Definition Audio card??
You know you can aways use an external sound card.
Loads of people are asking about the Audio - I cant for the life of me find anywhere on dell/google suggesting that the HDMI carries digital audio, but I can't believe they would omit some kind of digital audio output if they put a BD in.
Would this be able to play 1080p files?
athlon low voltage dual core. I hope they release a version with intel clarkdale processor. That should give it bit more oomph.
How much!!!!
Sorry, but once again, when you look at the Mac offering, considering the quality, sexiness, re-sale value and included software (iLife suite) etc, the Dells a bit of a looser! They even charge more for a different colour lid ... laughable! In fact, with extra cost for all components, anyone who chooses this over an iMac is crazy - thats a whole computer in the screen, better specced, better priced ... sorry Dell ... FAIL!!!!
you do know that if you want to change the color on your imac (why are we comparing this to an imac again??!?!) that you'd have to pay extra to a third party vendor, right?
Do macs come with a Blu Ray player?
@kaslings
because it looks like a mac product.
Oh look, it's a Mac Mini... oh wait. Hey, actually this isn't bad. Not at all. Want.
Mac Mini with Windows 7 native. That's already a plus in my book.
So, can I not just get this, plug in the HDHomeRun TV tuner, install MythTV and hit the ground running with a new, internet browsing, media streaming, DVR and Blueray player?
As for the comment about the 2.1 audio out, I was considering just using the audio throughput on the HDMI. Will this not work?
So how does Dell justify an "Apple Tax" on this? Its more expensive than a Mac Mini.
The blu-ray is nice. But don't get at "oh, the mini doesn't have HDMI" because it does with a $10 dongle.
This machine comes at a base of ~$500 USD, if you convert the British Pound price.
Lets compare for what you get at around $600 USD, the mac mini base price:
In this scenerio, the Zino is around $650 usd
CPU - Zino AMD X2 3250E 1.5ghz | Mini Intel Core2 Duo 2.26ghz
RAM - 2GB
HDD - Zino 320GB | Mini 160 GB
Graphics - Zino ATI Radeon™ HD 4330 (its $100 usd cheaper with an integrated card) | Mini NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Optical - Both equal (8x dvd/rw combo), though Blu-Ray for Zino (+$217 usd)
So for almost the same price, you don't even get a graphics card? If you add one, its more expensive than the Mac Mini.
What you do get is more HDD (2x as much), and a free wired keyboard and mouse, as if we all need another one of those.
Though the option of Blu-ray is a huge plus, even at the premium price.
My point is simple though: PC fanboys should stop talking about "Apple Tax" when this Dell is similarly priced, if not even more expensive.
@MRod305
You're forgetting the 17% tax for selling anything in the UK. You can't just convert the British Pound to dollars and expect that to be what it will sell for in the US. I'd suggest you wait for the price to come out in the US before getting too worked up over this. Though, I do appreciate your comparison. You did a nice job on this. Just thought I'd point out your oversight.
Example:
Xbox 360 Elite: $299 USD 230 pounds = $383 28% increase in price
The Apple tax exists. It just seems to be an exponential curve, where the price of their product is reflected on the x-axis with the curve skyrocketing as you head to their more expensive products.
The base Mac Pro is a virtual pair of fists up the ass. A Quad Core Xeon, 3 gigs of ram and a embarrassing GT 120 for $2499? There is a near $1000 Apple Tax on that guy.
...the pic makes me think of Maribelle Chocolates...sad but true...http://www.mariebelle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.705/.f?sc=8&category=1237
Don't understand why putting on Radeon 4330 when there is a MXM module...
Waiting for some other explanations on HDMI version (1.2 or 1.3)...
I clearly wait for a test before saying it will be mine !
@thebolster
I *would* like to see someone design a computer in this category that doesn't look like the mac mini, as it happens.
Doesn't mean this thing won't sell, though. Good specs, runs windows AND looks kinda like a mac? Yeah, big seller for the people who invented their own OS. Fair play.
@Mrod, Check out the mac mini prices on the UK store: http://www.apple.com/uk/macmini/, we pay about $1000 for one over here if you do a straight pound to dollar conversion.
You can't just convert £ to $... stuff costs more in the UK than it does in the US, always has. You pay 99 cents for itunes tracks, we pay 99 pence (about 50% more). It's like that with everything, when I went on holiday over there I was stunned at how cheap everything is - especially food!
At £299, this thing is a lot cheaper than the £499 mac mini, and so are it's upgrade options.
Want!
So if they made a spherical PC would it be called Kino?
Pop a Clarkdale chip in there come January, and make it fanless - and you've got yourself a customer, Mr. Dell.
I guarantee this thing will be as much $$ (or more) as a Mac Mini...
These look cool, plus the orange and black one matches Ubuntu. Would make a nice little nix box, AFTER I DUMP ON IT! GRRR!
Way cool but utterly useless to me as long as it's running Windows.
Only interested in if it can be hackintoshed.