Studio17
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Dell introduces Inspiron 580 / 580s, Studio XPS 8100, upgraded Studio laptops
Hey, guys -- check it out! Dell's got the upgrade bug! In the latest round of hot-of-the-press releases, the vivacious range of Inspiron 580 and 580s (starts at $269) desktops are seeing a boost from new processor options, while the Studio 14, 15 and 17 can be ordered up with Intel's newfangled Mobile Core i5 and I7 CPUs; the Studio 14 will be available in North America later in the month starting at $699, while the Studio 15 gets going at $849 and the 17.3-inch daddy of the group begins at $949. Finally, the bold Studio XPS 8100 replaces the Studio XPS 8000 with a Core i5 under the hood, THX TruStudio PC sound at a starting tag of $749.
Dell lets loose Studio 17 laptop with multitouch display
Dell sure is adding multitouch to quite a few products these days, but it isn't exactly doing it with much fanfare on every occasion. The latest to slip into availability is an updated version of the company's generously-sized Studio 17 laptop, which is now available with a 1,600 x 900 display that boasts full multitouch and arm-tiring abilities. Otherwise, you can expect to get the usual wide range of configuration options, including your choice of Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 Duo processors, a maximum 8GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, integrated Intel or discrete ATI graphics, and an optional Blu-ray drive, among other standard fare. Some of those options will obviously bump the price up considerably, but things start at just $899 -- look for it to start shipping on December 4th.
Dell opens doors on Design Studio for jazzing up Studio 15 / 17 laptops
It was HP who made the PC "personal again," but don't think Dell isn't doing its darnedest to make it ultra-personal... again. After seeing a number of Dell laptops get unorthodox paint jobs and hearing that it would make Art House machines CTO in 2009, we've now learned that Dell has swung open the doors to its all new Design Studio. Naturally, said studio was built to customize the outfit's Studio 15 and Studio 17 lappies, and it features an interactive gallery of original artwork commissioned exclusively for this initiative. Available for browsing right now, each unique image costs $75 to have "permanently tattooed into the laptop lid," meaning that you better heart that design a whole lot before pulling the final trigger.
Dell's Studio 15 and 17 get art-housed for (PRODUCT) RED
Dell is set to expand upon its Art House series of Studio laptops with three new special edition designs for (PRODUCT) RED. That's right: now you can have an arty Dell and do some good at the same time, with the choice of three different artists: Joseph Amedokpo, Siobhan Gunning and Bruce Mau. The custom designs will be available on Dell's Studio 15 and 17 models for $649 and $799 respectively, and a $20 contribution will be made to The Global Fund for AIDS programs in Africa for each one sold. Dell claims that the art is "permanently infused" on the casing and totally durable, so, just like when deciding on a tattoo, be sure you're really committed before the purchase. And if you're too cool for these designs, well, maybe your slightly hip, gaudy great aunt will be interested. Regardless, they're available now online.
Dell Studio 17 quickly hacked to run OSx86
Usually it's "only a matter of time" before some new-fangled laptop destined for a Windows kind of life up and gets OSx86 installed on it, but for the Dell Studio, that matter of time was extremely short. Witness a Studio 17 running Leopard out of the box, save for a few minor problems like lack of full video support, sound, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet. Still, it's pretty encouraging to see the system working at all with such little time and effort put into it. Kind of makes you wish we lived in a super-magical fantasy world where you could run whatever OS you wanted on your laptop, doesn't it?Update: We had to pull the read link here due to the "Engadget Effect" -- sorry Ken!
Dell Studio 17 and Studio 15 review roundup
It's not every day we get to glimpse a brand new experience from Dell, and while Studio might just be near-XPS laptops in everyman clothing, that certainly seems to be a good thing. The laptops appear to combine the power of XPS and the prices of Inspiron, with some new perks like HDMI out and slot-loading drives to keep things fresh. The laptops tend a little thicker than their XPS counterparts, and the fact that these are hitting just before Centrino 2 might be cause to hesitate, but otherwise we're getting the feel from these reviews that the Studio line just might be the consumer lineup to beat if you can dig the design quirks and a little bit of bulk. Read - NotebookReview, Studio 17 ("Hard pressed to find a better 17-inch notebook in the same price range") Read - CNET Reviews, Studio 15 (7.3 / 10, "We'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.") Read - PC Mag, Studio 15 (4.5 / 5, Editor's Choice, "Retaining many of the XPS's qualities while selling it for Inspiron prices.") Read - Laptop Mag, Studio 17 (3.5 / 5, "For $1,599, you'll get plenty of multimedia muscle.")
Dell's new Studio laptops in the wild
We got a look at some engineering prototype versions of Dell's new Studio 17 and Studio 15 laptops, so while they might be lacking a minor bit of polish here or there compared to the real versions, Dell certainly had these up and running a good couple months ago. We're not totally blown away by the design, but it's certainly a step in the right direction for Dell, and a few elements (like the hinge) even seem to be taking some cues from Lenovo's ultra-designed IdeaPad line. There's no denying that the Studio 15, with its flush-to-the-edges keyboard strikes a more stunning figure than the slightly bleh Studio 17 version, but neither one is quite as thin as we'd like, and the material doesn't quite shake off the cheap plastic feel of Dell's Inspiron series. But hey, color (and graphic) lid customization is fun, and you're still going to be hard pressed to beat Dell's prices. Pics are below, and we apologize for the blurring: a few unannounced products snuck into the shots, but hopefully we'll be hearing more about those shortly.%Gallery-26244%
Dell's new Studio laptops official, along with new Dell Dock and Dell Video software
Alright, this one is no surprise, but Dell is finally officially official about its leaked and re-leaked "Studio" laptop line. The specs are as previously stated, with a 15-inch Studio 15 model starting at $799, and a 17-inch Studio 17 model that starts at $999. What is perhaps more interesting than rehashing those laptop specs for old times sake is the new software Dell is pushing to these laptops and eventually the rest of its computers. Dell Dock is just like what it sounds, a program launcher along the lines of the OS X dock, but with some app-categorization magic and fairly extensive customization. Dell is also doing up Dell Video Chat, in partnership with SightSpeed, which integrates some rather easy-to-use video chat (powered by those integrated webcams on the Studio Laptops) with VoIP and IM for a pretty compelling alternative to Apple's iChat. In all it seems Dell's continued fascination with Apple is starting to really pay off for the end user, and those pricepoints are just as loveable as ever. Both laptops should be hitting retail in the next few days.%Gallery-26190%
Dell gets "official" with colorful Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptop lines
Not like Dell's done an exceptional job keeping this one a secret, but yes, the Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptops do seem to be more than a figment of someone's imagination -- at least, according to a believable release posted up at BetaNews, which has since been pulled. Predictably, the former line features a 15-inch panel while the latter steps up to 17-inches, and both crews will be offered in a smattering of hues including black, grey, blue, green, pink, orange, purple and red. Prices on these units are set to start at $799, while you'll find Intel's Core 2 Duo alongside up to 4GB of RAM, upwards of 320GB of HDD space, an 8-in-1 multicard reader, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, an optional Blu-ray drive and the usual assortment of ports. Folks looking to stay connected around the clock can opt for a Sprint / Verizon WWAN card, and there's also an optional 9-cell battery if the standard 6-cell just isn't longevous enough. Check out two more shots after the break, and the original page (in three parts) in the gallery below.[Via Electronista] %Gallery-26134%
