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Dell gives its Inspiron 2-in-1 laptops a meaningful refresh
Dell is refreshing its Inspiron line of notebooks for the holiday season, and instead of simply updating them with the latest eighth-generation Intel processors, the company is adding functional features. The new Inspirons come with narrower bezels, redesigned heat dissipation with vents carved into their hinges, USB-C DisplayPort compatibility and Alexa. It might not seem like the most riveting set of updates, but overall, they make the Inspiron lineup feel more modern and sophisticated.
Dell's nearly bezel-less XPS 13 is about as small as an 11-inch laptop
Nope, sorry, Dell: You do not have the lightest 13-inch laptop. That distinction belongs to Lenovo. But could you have the smallest 13-inch notebook? Maybe. The company just announced a redesigned version of its XPS 13 Ultrabook, and thanks to a nearly bezel-less display, it's about as compact as an 11- or 12-inch laptop. So how small is that, exactly? Let's put it this way: If you were to set it down on top of a MacBook Air, you'd have lots of room left over, both length-wise and width-wise. That's because the Air, and other machines like it, have relatively thick bezels surrounding the display; on the XPS 13, that buffer space measures just 5mm wide.
Dell aims for the mainstream with its two new Windows convertibles
Here's the thing about Computex, the big computer show going on in Taiwan this week: Though lots of PC makers are announcing products here, they're almost all focusing on the low end. It's almost as if computer companies realize PC sales are on the decline, and have to slash prices! Take Dell, for instance: The company is here in Taipei showing off two Windows convertibles, which run the gamut from budget-friendly to solidly mid-range. Both devices -- the Inspiron 11 3000 series and the Inspiron 13 7000 series -- have a Lenovo Yoga-like design, with a screen that flips back 360 degrees into tablet mode (and Tent mode, and Stand mode -- you know the drill).
Dell intros the Inspiron 7000 series, a line of mid-range, thin-and-light laptops starting at $699
Head over to Dell's shopping site and you'll find the laptop section is a bit confusing. In addition to the premium XPS line and the gaming-centric Alienware brand, there's a vast selection of Inspirons. Some are just called "Inspiron." Some are "Inspiron R." Heck, there even used to be an Inspiron Z (RIP). Fortunately, Dell's trying to clear things up. The company is moving to a "good, better, best" setup, with three lines called the Inspiron 3000, 5000 and 7000 (Dell's enterprise notebooks already have a similar naming scheme). Though the company isn't unveiling all of its new consumer laptops today, it is taking the wraps off the 7000s, along with one of the 3000-series models. Given that these start at $699 and are way less expensive than Dell's top-of-the-line XPS offerings, it's best if you think of these as mid-range machines; specifically, the best mid-range machines Dell has to offer. Available in 14-, 15- and 17-inch screen sizes, they feature a nicer design than you might expect, with all-aluminum surfaces, backlit keyboards and Gorilla Glass touchscreens (1,366 x 768 is the native resolution, but 1080p is also an option). On the inside, they run Haswell processors, with optional discrete graphics on the 15- and 17-inch models. Battery life, meanwhile, is said to range from eight to 12 hours depending on the configuration and screen size. All three will be available September 26th, with the 15-inch model priced from $699, while the 14 and 17 start at $849.
Dell refreshes its mainstream Inspiron R laptops with optional touchscreens
So far at CES, Dell has announced that its XPS 13 Ultrabook will finally get a higher-res screen. Now it's shifting its attention to the lower end: the company just refreshed its mainstream Inspiron R line with optional touchscreens and a slimmed-down form factor. All told, the line includes three screen sizes: 14, 15 and 17 inches. Now that they've all gotten a bit of a makeover, the smaller two measure about an inch thick and weigh in at less than five pounds. Still, they're all just thick enough to accommodate a tray-loading optical drive, and the 15R and 17R also have enough room for a numpad on the keyboard. Spec-wise, you can trick them out with Core i7 processors, up to 8GB of RAM, Intel Wireless Display and discrete graphics (either a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT640M or a 2GB AMD Radeon HD 8730M). Still, there's a considerable gulf between the top-end options and the base specs. Though you can choose a Core i3, i5 or i7 CPU, for instance, they actually start with Celeron. Ditto for storage: you could get 1TB, but you'll get just 320 gigs at the entry level. The 14R and 15R top out at 1,366 x 768, while the 17-incher comes standard with 1,600 x 900 resolution. 1080p displays are also available for the 15- and 17-inch models. Sounds reasonable to us: these systems are mid-range at best. Speaking of the sort, prices start at $430 for the Inspiron 15R and $500 for the 17R. However, if you want that touchscreen, the prices start at $650 for both the 14R and 15R.
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.
Dell to offer its XPS 27 and Inspiron One 23 all-in-ones with optional touchscreens
Dell gave us a heads up back at IFA that it was planning on offering its high-end XPS 27 all-in-one with an optional touchscreen. Well, that day has come: the company just announced that it will begin accepting pre-orders today, with the touch-enabled models starting at $1,600. As a quick refresher, that 27-inch screen tops out a whopping 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, while the stand tilts to a near-flat angle of 60 degrees. If sixteen hundred bucks is more money than you were planning on spending, Dell will also offer the Inspiron One 23 with an optional touchscreen. At a fraction of the cost ($780 and up) it makes do with lesser specs (a 1080p, not quad HD, display, for instance), but it has been refreshed with Ivy Bridge, so you should at least be future-proofed on the CPU front. Again, you can order these starting today, but don't expect them to ship until after October 26th.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: mainstream laptops
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today we're getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops, and you can always head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Freshman year of college may no longer be the gateway to the magical world of laptop ownership, but even if you already have a notebook, who can resist a new machine in the spirit of starting fresh when September rolls around? Whether you're looking for a Core i5 companion to get you through semesters of paper-writing, Facebooking and WoWing, or a super-sleek centerpiece to your bare-bones dorm, there's a vast playing field of machines to choose from. While sifting through the countless options would surely get you back in the academic research frame of mind, it's a daunting task. We're here to take some of the work off your plate with nine solid mainstream laptops that should satisfy every budget.
Dell unveils Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, multimedia-friendly Inspiron 15R and 17R
It's the season of the student-friendly Ultrabook, and Dell is no exception to the rule. The company may have released an Inspiron 14z last year, but it's now repurposing that name for its first Inspiron Ultrabook. The new Inspiron 14z starts at $700 and comes standard with a second-gen Core i3 processor, though Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge options are available. It weighs a sturdy 4.1 pounds, which is far from light for an Ultrabook, but optical media fans will be happy to know that the design includes a disc drive. Storage options range from a 320GB drive up to 500GB with a 32GB SSD. In addition to the new 14z, Dell is offering 13-inch version. The 3.8-pound Inspiron 13z will go for $600, and like the 14z it includes both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPU options, along with the same storage configurations. Dell also has four new Inspiron R models to introduce. The R, to jog your memory, stands for performance, and these are clearly multimedia-centric machines. Starting at $550, the Inspiron 15R comes standard with an Intel second-gen processor (Ivy Bridge configurations are available), Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology and up to 1TB of storage. The $600 Inspiron 17R offers the same CPU options, plus a gigantic 17.3-inch display with a 1600 x 900 resolution. Dell is complementing those two systems with higher-end Special Edition versions. The Inspiron 15R Special Edition features an anodized aluminum lid, a Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and an optical drive for the higher price of $900. And then there's the whopping Inspiron 17R Special Edition ($1,100), which features discrete graphics, boasts a backlit keyboard and is available with a 3D display. All the new Inspiron notebooks will be available starting June 19th. For now, you can check out our hands-on shots below the break.
Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video)
In addition to the XPS One 27, Dell just unveiled a pair of Inspiron all-in-ones that will launch in the US in the coming weeks. First up, there's the One 23, the larger version of the two with more robust internals, and then there's the One 20, which has a 20-inch display and a more budget-friendly price. Starting at $749, the Inspiron One 23 is available with either second- or third-generation Intel CPUs, ranging from a 3.3GHz Core i3-2120 processor at the entry level to a Core i7-3770s in top-of-the-line models. It comes standard with 500GB of storage, though that can be upped to 2TB. You can also add an AMD Radeon HD 7650A graphics card with 1GB of video memory, if the standard Intel HD 4000 graphics aren't going to cut it. The port selection is similar to what you'll find on the new XPS One 27: four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 with power charge, audio out, VGA, mic and headphone jacks and a card reader (HDMI-in is optional). Other features include Waves MaxxAudio 3 and an optional Blu-ray drive. While the XPS One 27 and One 23 both offer Ivy Bridge processors, the more competitively priced Inspiron One 20 has only Sandy Bridge options: a 2.2GHz dual-core G620T processor on up to a 2.6GHz Core i3-2120T CPU. Starting at $549, it leaves out discrete graphics, with Intel's HD 2000 solution being the only option. Its 20-inch screen has a pixel count of 1600 x 900, and optical media fans can add a Blu-ray reader. Storage-wise, you're looking at 500GB up to a 1TB 7,200RPM drive. Ports include five USB 2.0 connections, mic and headphone jacks and an 8-in-1 media card reader. Check out the galleries past the break for a closer look.%Gallery-156334%%Gallery-156284%%Gallery-156282%
Ivy Bridge-packing Inspiron 15R hiding in plain sight on Dell's Singapore site
It may not be as wavy as the alloyed 15R from a couple of years back, but this new "special edition" Inspiron is packing a few goodies that are far more interesting than a set of sinuous patterns. Thanks to a product page on Dell's Singapore website, we were able to spot one of the company's first Ivy Bridge machines, the Inspiron 15R. Per the listing, Dell's 15.6-inch laptop is sporting a hot-off-the-press Core i7-3612QM CPU, 6GB or 8GB of RAM (depending on configuration), AMD Radeon HD 7730M graphics and a 1TB, 5400RPM hard drive. Additionally, you'll be able to choose between two different displays: an HD WLED, 1366 x 768 or a 1920 x 1080, FHD True-Life. As of right now, the better-specced of the two models is carrying a hefty S$1,749 price tag (around $1,410 in American dollars), while the lower-end 15R is S$1,599. Those living in Singapore can hit up the source link below if you'd like to grab a piece of that fresh Ivy Bridge pie. [Thanks, Jason]
Dell Inspiron 14z review
It's called rebranding, and by golly, Dell needs to do it. Once the world's top PC maker, it's ceded market share to the likes of HP and Acer and earned a reputation for bland designs and subpar customer service. So, we can see where the outfit would want to give its laptops a makeover as a way of distancing itself from its tarnished rap. That's precisely what seems to be going on with the Inspiron 14z, a 14-incher with a slimmed-down aluminum body, available in a surprisingly staid color palette (sorry, guys, bubblegum pink isn't an option this time around). With a low starting price of $600, it's ideal for college kids and pretty much anyone looking for a good-enough laptop for the home. Then again, so are lots of reasonably priced 14- and 15-inch laptops. Is this one extraordinary enough to make your short list? Let's see. %Gallery-136373%
Dell announces Inspiron One 2320 touchscreen all-in-one
Over the past few weeks, we've seen HP and Toshiba freshen up their all-in-ones, while Samsung made a belated jump into the market just last week. Today, it's Dell's turn -- the company just announced an addition to its all-in-one lineup, the 23-inch Inspiron One 2320. Funnily enough, the new design reminds us somewhat of the PCs HP trotted out last month in that it has an easel-like display with enough space underneath to stow the keyboard, although this one doesn't have a tilting screen. Spec-wise, it's well-matched against the competition, with a 1080p touchscreen, Intel Wireless Display capability, optional NVIDIA GeForce GT525M graphics, six USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-in, a Blu-ray option and up to 2TB in storage. (For whatever reason, USB 3.0 didn't make the cut.) That starting price of $950 will get you a Core i5-2400S CPU and 6GB of RAM, but if you have an extra $450 lying around you can step up to a Core i7-2600S processor with 8GB of memory. Wrapping it all up, the 2320 runs Dell's touch-friendly Stage UI, the latest version of which lets you sync photos and other media across different devices. We've rounded up a few glossy press shots below, but hit the source link if you're curious enough for the full spill. %Gallery-135808%
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: laptops
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today we're getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops, and you can always head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Ah, laptops. Some of us received our first notebooks the summer before college if not later. But times have changed and we're sure for many of the kids reading this freshman year is just an excuse to upgrade from the clunkers that carried them through high school. Either way, this one's pretty much mandatory -- unless you're a serious gamer who insists on a desktop GPU for marathon sessions of CoD: Black Ops, you're going to need a laptop for pounding out last-minute term papers in the library, taking notes in class and posting incriminating photos on Facebook. The problem is, the market's overrun with laptops that purport to be just perfect for the back to school set. They can't all be worth your money, though, so we whittled the list down to a handful of choices for each budget -- and if you're lucky you'll get your very own HP Pavilion dm1z for the pretty price of, well, nothing. Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and check out our giveaway page for more details. So wipe off the glasses, grab your clicker, and get ready to jump past the break for a top-level overview of this year's picks for back to school.
Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0
Can you blame Dell for deciding its laptops needed a makeover? After suffering some serious market share losses and earning a reputation for bland designs and questionable customer service, we can see why the company would be keen on revamping its lineup as a way of distancing itself from its not-so-sunny rap. That seems to be precisely what the outfit's doing with the Inspiron 13z and 14z, which Dell unveiled today. Both laptops move to aluminum lids and palm rests, available in a small (and fairly toned-down) color selection, with black and red being your only choices. The two have also whittled to under an inch thick, with the beefier 14z leaving enough room for an optical drive. Not surprisingly, the resolution's 1366 x 768 -- precisely what you'd expect in a $600 laptop. Also predictable: this generation of Inspirons offers USB 3.0 and Sandy Bridge, with a choice of Core i3 and Core i5 processors. Both models start at $599.99, with the 14z available in the states today, and the 13z launching in "select" Asian countries. Curious? We've got a handful of hands-on shots below and the full PR after the break. %Gallery-130429%
Dell freshens up Inspiron M5030 with Spanish-language keyboard, claims it's first of its kind in US
The Athlon-powered M5030 from Dell hardly looked like a machine that would be bearing an "industry first" label when it launched in September of last year, but now it's doing exactly that thanks to an intriguing new mod from its maker. The 15.6-incher is being released with its keyboard and Windows 7 installation customized in Spanish, neither of which would be unusual were it not for the fact that it's going to be on sale in the US. It's not exactly a vast overhaul, as only a couple of physical keys are swapped out and switching Win 7 into and out of Spanish mode can be done in the time it takes to click a mouse, but still, it's significant in that it services the speakers of the States' second most commonly used language. Pricing for the M5030 en español is set at $499 and includes a 320GB HDD and 4GB of RAM. For an entirely free video of an excitable Dell employee telling you about it, jump past the break.
Dell Inspiron Duo review
When Dell first demoed the Inspiron Duo and its vertically rotating screen on stage at IDF in September, our mouths nearly hit the floor. It looked like a plain old netbook until its 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen did a magical backflip and folded down over its keyboard to morph into a tablet. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. And we actually figured it would be the sort of system that would stay locked up in Dell's labs, but when its specs were revealed -- a dual-core Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, and Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator -- it became evident that the netbook / tablet hybrid was the real deal. Running Windows 7 Home Premium and Dell's new Stage interface, the $550 netvertible has the potential to successfully straddle both the netbook and tablet world. It also has a real shot at being the perfect device for those wavering between buying a netbook and a tablet. Indeed, the Duo is filled to the brim with potential, but what's the thing really like to use? We've spent the last few days with the Duo (and its Duo Audio Station) to find out, so hit the break for the official Engadget review! Editor's note: The review unit Dell sent us was a hardware production unit, but we were told the software was about 95 percent done. We will update this review with our impressions of the final unit when we receive it. This review was updated / edited on 12.8.2010 to include impressions of the final production level Inspiron Duo. %Gallery-108438%
Dell Inspiron Duo flips its lid on official video
Blink really slowly and you might miss it. Seriously, though, Dell's 35-second Inspiron Duo teaser plays up the tablet angle for quite a bit -- even prominently showing off a JBL speaker dock -- before getting to the really awesome part. Oh, you know, where it totally flips its screen over and becomes a netbook. Coming soon, and last we heard it was by the end of the year, so that gives them around 57 days to make it happen. Video after the break.
Dell marketing makeover simplifies brands, kills off Adamo altogether
We knew something was going on with Dell's branding with the resurrection of the XPS laptop line, and this morning we caught up with a few of the company's executives to learn all about the entire restructuring. As you can see above, there will now be three core brands -- Inspiron, XPS and Alienware -- all focusing on different "performance seekers." However, you'll notice that Adamo is nowhere to be found on that flow chart. Turns out, the sneaky disappearance of the Adamo XPS from Dell's site hasn't exactly been a coincidence -- it's completely killing off the premium brand and has actually tamped down volumes of the super thin machines. Now, that doesn't mean systems like the original Adamo and the Adamo XPS won't exist ever again as Dell VP Ed Boyd tells us similar products will be coming to the XPS line early next year. Simplifying the brands sure does make a lot of sense to us -- all the Adamo XPS, Studio XPS, Studio laptops have seriously confused us over the last couple of years -- but it's all part of a larger marketing campaign that will attempt to move Dell away from being a low cost brand and instead portray the company as providing choice -- a campaign Dell CMO Paul-Henri Ferrand told Reuters will ultimately cost hundreds of millions of dollars. We look forward to seeing what you've got Dell, but all we know is that we're finally going to say the following words with affirmation: "rest in peace, Adamo."
Dell Inspiron M101z review
We've been having a hard time figuring out what to call the recent influx of 11.6-inch laptops -- you know, the ones which are slightly larger and more expensive than netbooks, yet pack more than double the graphics and performance power. But regardless of what we call them – we're thinking notbooks -- the new category certainly has been building steam by the day, and we can't help but think Dell's new Inspiron M101z could be our favorite yet. Yes, unfortunately, our review unit was adorned in that bright pink color above that's most likely causing your eyes to tear, but don't let its sissy exterior fool you -- it's powered by AMD's new dual-core Athlon Neo II processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB 7,200rpm hard drive. Yep, she's a heartbreaker on paper, but hit the break to find out if the $579 M101z is in fact a worthy companion. %Gallery-98872%
