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Dell's AMD offerings go mainstream with Inspiron M501R, M5030
We had a pretty clear indication that Dell would soon be rolling out an AMD-based Inspiron M501R, and it looks like it's now finally available along with a new AMD-based M5030 model. Both are 15.6-inch systems, with the M501R packing a Phenom N930 processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD550 graphics, while the M5030 boasts an AMD Athlon II P320 processor and Mobility Radeon HD425 graphics. Otherwise, you can expect 4GB of RAM and either a 320GB or 500GB hard drive on each (in the standard configs), along a six-cell battery, a DVD burner, among other standard fare -- the M501R also boasts a slightly thinner and lighter design. As you can see above, prices range from $529.99 to $799.99, and both models are available right now.
Dell Inspiron M501R seen packing quad-core AMD Phenom II X4 CPU, ATI 550v GPU
Well, would you look at this? Dell's not-at-all-boisterous launch of numerous R-rated Inspirons left us with far more questions than answers (you know what we mean, J.J. Abrams?), but now things are starting to come together somewhat. We're guessing some of the mystique surrounding the M501R has to do with the power plant within, because so far as we can tell, AMD has never shipped a Phenom II X4 within a laptop. Sure enough, this here machine can be ordered up with a quad-core X4, and while prices and the like aren't yet available (the order process seems to be borked for now), we do know that this particular model will ship with a 720p 15.6-inch display, Windows 7, an optional 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 550v (another new one to us), WiFi, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, four color options and a total weight of 5.83 pounds. C'mon Dell / AMD -- why not just spill the beans already? Our trigger finger can only itch for so long.
Dell Inspiron 13R, 14R, 15R, 17R and M501R quietly surface
It's hard to say at this point if this new spate of Inspiron machines are just region-specific lappies or totally new breeds of a tried-and-true original, but either way, they're alive and well on Dell's own website. So far as we can tell, the Dell Inspiron 13R, 14R, 15R, 17R and M501R are exactly like their non-R contemporaries save for a few choice options: the GPU assortment is far more robust on the new flavors, while there's a larger quantity of choices in the operating system, RAM and wireless departments. There's also word that a Dell Dock feature is built right into these, making it easier to access media for those who aren't exactly technically inclined. To quote Walt Mayo, vice president Dell Consumer Asia: "This is a laptop that moms will love and youths will desire." We can't say we fit that demographic in any way, shape, or form, but we can appreciate the "smudge-resistant palm rests, full-size, ergonomically-designed keyboard and stiffer frame" when compared to the other Inspirons. These seem to be available now over in Australia and New Zealand, which means that order pages could go live at any moment for the rest of planet Earth. [Thanks, Mitch]
