Dell's latest Inspiron PCs include the first 17-inch 2-in-1
It packs Intel 8th-gen chips and discrete graphics.
Dell is launching its latest generation of Inspiron PCs pacing Intel's latest 8th-generation "Kaby Lake" chips, with a bit more fanfare than usual. Exhibit "A" is the Inspiron lineup of laptops and 2-in-1s: Dell says the Inspiron 7000 is the first 17-inch 2-in-1 on the market. That might seem excessive, but the larger screen makes some sense -- foldable devices are increasingly used in "tent" mode for multimedia and graphics, rather than just as glorified tablets.
The 17-inch model, priced starting at $950, is reasonably well-equipped for video and light graphics chores. It has 8th-gen Intel Core i7 or i5 CPUs, entry-level NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics with 2GB of GDDR5 RAM, a 1080P IPS display, up to 16GB of RAM and a variety of SSD and hard disk options.
Battery life goes up to 11 hours, but you won't want to carry the stout 6.6 pound device around for long periods. Other features include two USB Type-C ports (gen 1, with one doing double-duty as a power port), a USB 2.0 slot and SD card reader. Pen and facial recognition for Windows Hello comes standard.
Dell also revealed 13- and 15-inch Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 models with the same 8th-generation Intel CPUs and similar specs. The biggest difference is that the 15-inch model, weighing in at 4.6 pounds, can be purchased with an optional 4K (3,840 x 2,160) screen and NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics (with either 2GB or 4GB GDDR5 RAM).
The 13-inch model, available only with a 1080p screen, integrated graphics and SSD and PCIe drives (no hard disks) weighs 3.2 pounds. The 13- and 15-inch models start at $900 and $850, respectively, and an active pen is available separately.
Dell also launched regular, non-convertible 13- and 15-inch 7000 series laptops. Those devices share specs with their corresponding 2-in-1 siblings; the 13-inch model supports only integrated graphics and a full HD screen, while the 15-incher has optional GeForce 940MX discrete graphics and a 4K screen. Both devices are obviously a bit lighter -- the Inspiron 15 weighs 4.4 pounds, while the Inspiron 13 tips the scale at 3.09 pounds. Both the 13- and 15-inch laptops start at $800.
Rounding out the Inspiron lineup are the 5000 series 15- and 17-inch laptops and 13- or 15-inch 2-in-1s. Those are a step down from the 7000 series models, but still give you 8th-gen Intel Core i5-8250U or Core i7-8550U chips. As you'd expect, graphics are integrated, and screen resolutions top out at 1080p. However, you can still get them with 16GB of RAM and SSD M.2 drive options, and all come with multiple USB 3.1 ports, HDMI and a card reader. Oddly, unlike the 7000 series, the lower-end 5000 series 2-in-1 models come standard with either an active or non-active pen.
The 2-in-1 Inspiron 5000 models run $750 in both sizes with a non-active pen, and $800 with an active model. The 15-inch laptop starts at $700 and the 17-incher runs $550, but again, expect to pay more for better-equipped versions. All of the 5000- and 7000-series Inspirons arrive on October 3rd, 2017.
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