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Dell unveils Inspiron 15z Ultrabook with optional touchscreen, prices start at $750
In case Dell's convertible XPS 12 is too expensive (or weird-looking) for your tastes, the company's got a more traditional sort of Ultrabook on tap. The company just announced the Inspiron 15z, a 15-inch notebook with an optional touchscreen. As you can see in our hands-on shots below, it's essentially the same plastic-and-metal design as earlier Inspiron Ultrabooks, though that touchscreen is of course new. At "less than an inch thick" it's still chunkier than your typical ultraportable, but if you insist on having a DVD burner, this could be a tempting choice. Plus, at 4.12 pounds, it's reasonably light for a machine with this large a footprint. It's already up for sale on Dell's site, starting at $750 with a Core i3 processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive paired with a 32GB SSD. Touch-enabled versions start at $900. So far as we can tell, the memory and hard drive stay pretty consistent as you move up in configurations, though you can opt for a Core i5 or i7 CPU. The highest-end confg also steps up from integrated graphics to a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT630M GPU. Curious? We've got hands-on pics below, with more details at the source link.
How would you change Dell's XPS 15z?
It's the slickest mainstream machine to emerge from Round Rock in years, and outside of the short-lived Adamo XPS, it might just be the most beautiful Dell laptop from the past decade. It's the XPS 15z, and it's winning the hearts of folks who were previously dead-set on HP's Envy line. We obviously found favor with our review unit, and we're pretty sure the company has managed to move quite a few of these things. If one (or more) ended up on your doorstep, here's your chance to speak out. Are you satisfied with the keyboard design? How's the panel treating your retinas? That hardware configuration living up to your needs? Would you offer the next one in a multitude of hues? Go ahead and get crafty in comments below -- maybe that whole "Design Studio" thing will bleed over to here.
Dell's XPS 15z goes on sale in the US, shiny aluminum is yours from $999
The Dell XPS 15z may not be the gamechanger we'd hoped for, but it's one heck of a Windows PC, and today the aluminum and magnesium alloy machine is on sale in the United States starting at $999. You'll find a total of five different configs available online, with the base model providing a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M processor, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT525M graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and a slot-loading DVD burner, plus loads of connectivity inside and out -- including dual-band 802.11a/g/n and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. (Whew.) $1,500 ups the ante to a 2.7GHz Core i7 rig with 8GB of RAM, 2GB of VRAM and 750GB of rotating storage, not to mention a nice bright 1080p display. Strangely, there's no solid state option on tap, but you can nab that 300-nit, 1920 x 1080 LCD screen for an additional Benjamin no matter which config you choose. Find all your options at our source link, and while you're at it, why not read our full review? Update: Aaron wrote in to let us know it's available in the UK too -- starting at £899.
Dell XPS 15z available in Australia and Asia, fits Sandy Bridge in under an inch of thickness
The XPS 15z, true to Michael Dell's word, is now with us. Provided "now" is May the 24th in whatever part of the world you happen to live in. Laptop shoppers in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan -- a group of nations already enjoying the glories of Tuesday -- can now buy the 0.97 inches-thick 15z for prices starting at just under A$1,400. That buys you a Core i5-2410M from Intel (2.3GHz default speed, 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost), a generous 6GB of DDR3 RAM, backlit keyboard, GeForce GT 525M graphics with 2GB of dedicated memory, a 750GB hard drive, and a 64WHr battery. The screen spans 15.6 inches diagonally and offers 1920 x 1080 resolution. Stepping up to A$1,700 gets you a Core i7-2620M (2.7GHz default, 3.4GHz TB) and 8GB of RAM. Juicy specs, we must admit. Now when's midnight coming? [Thanks, John]
Dell XPS 15z coming tomorrow for $999? (updated)
The thinnest 15-inch laptop "on the planet" is coming tomorrow, costing a measly $999, according to the Wall Street Journal. In a profile of Dell's recent history and forthcoming plans in the consumer electronics market, the financial paper twice makes reference to an ultrathin, $999 laptop that is set to launch on Tuesday of this week. Pairing that intel with the abundance of leaks surrounding the slinky 15.6-inch XPS 15z -- including a Michael Dell tweet promising it's "coming soon" -- leads us to the conclusion that we've finally gotten ahold of the price and date for Dell's next big thing. Interestingly enough, the WSJ article goes on to say that Dell had canned a similar set of slim laptops earlier in the year, which might give us greater hope for the quality of the 15z -- it survived where others didn't. Other disclosures in the piece include a quote from Michael Dell, saying that he "didn't completely see" the tablet boom coming, which might explain why sales of his company's Streak tablets have been low enough to be described as "immaterial." There's also a discussion of the abortive Zing music service and related MP3 players that never were, but you'll have to hit the source link to learn more about them. Update: As further evidence of the 15z's imminent release, the tease has turned into a show with a video that fully reveals its slimline chassis and declares that the new Dell packs the Streak's Stage UI as well. [Thanks, Ishai and Ming Han] Update 2: And now we have the answer to our headline question: yes.
NVIDIA driver page outs 3D Vision support for Dell XPS 15z, surprises no one
Michael Dell may aim to tease, but NVIDIA is just giving it away: a recent driver update lists Dell's upcoming XPS 15z laptop as one of several snagging 3D Vision 3DTV Play, scoring prospective buyers 3D gaming via NVIDIA-supported 3DTVs. Little surprise here, considering the 15z's predecessor rocked a GeForce GT 540M (also 3DTV Play supported), which we'll note, falls under this driver update. Although we're still short on official hardware specs, we won't be shocked if the 15z has the graphical chops to handle Duke Nukem Forever, Portal 2, or any of the other 3D Vision games whose profiles were added in the update. Now, the real question: would the Dell dude approve? [Thanks, Tigrux]
Dell's ULV-powered Inspiron 14z and 15z now on sale
If you're looking for some ultra-light laptop love in your life, Dell today debuted its 14-inch and 15.6-inch Insprion Z series portables. Both models have more or less the same specs, meaning up to a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 with GMA X4500HD graphics, 1366 x 768 resolution, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 802.11a/b/g/draft-N, Bluetooth, a 7-in-1 card reader, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a 6-cell battery. Starting prices for the pair go as low as $599, but if you're looking to load up on as much as possible from the get-go, expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $1,034. Read - Inspiron 14z Read - Inspiron 15z
