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Quad-core Core i7 720QM slips into Dell Studio 15 / 17 and Studio XPS 16
Ready for some fireworks? Good. Intel's just-announced Clarksfield processor -- which was accurately rumored for a September launch way back in July -- is landing in Dell's lineup in a big way. The refreshed Studio 15 and Studio 17 will both be sold with an available Core i7 720QM or Core i7 820QM, as will the gamer-centric Studio XPS 16. As a reminder, the former checks in at 1.6GHz with a 1,333MHz FSB and 6MB of L3 cache, while the latter hums along at 1.73GHz. The Studio 17 is also seeing a few non-CPU related updates, with a JBL-sourced 2.1 audio system, optional 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 and support for dual HDDs. Outside of that, most everything else on these rigs is just as it was yesterday, though consumers interested in snagging one with a shiny new chip should take note of the price points. The Core i7'd Studio 15 gets going at $999, while the 17.3-inch sibling starts at $1,099 and the Studio XPS 16 (available today, or so says Dell) at $1,249.Read - Dell Studio 15Read - Dell Studio 17Read - Dell Studio XPS 16
Dell teases new ultrathin Adamo XPS
We've seen some thin laptops in our day, but 9.99mm is pretty dang thin (thinner than an iPhone, in fact). There's no other info on this new Adamo, and Dell is calling it the "9.99mm Design Concept," which doesn't really help us know how far along it is. Let's just hope Dell didn't have to succumb to Atom to get the size down this far.
Dell packs Intel's Lynnfield CPUs into Studio XPS 8000 and 9000 desktops
With the introduction of new Intel CPUs comes the introduction of new rigs, and you can bet that Dell has been champing at the bit to unveil these two beauties. The new Studio XPS 8000 and 9000 machines are amongst the first from the Round Rock powerhouse to include Intel's minty fresh Core i5 and Core i7 processors, with the 8000 aimed squarely at mid-range users who'd prefer a smaller case. Both rigs can be equipped with some pretty decent innards, with up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, room for dual internal hard drives, eight USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA socket, 350W power supply and an optional TV tuner available. Graphics cards from ATI and NVIDIA are also available (ATI's HD 3450; NVIDIA's GT220, GTS240 and GTX260), and if you're really feeling crazy, a Blu-ray drive can also be slotted in. Both rigs can be ordered up today, with the 8000 starting at $799 and the 9000 requiring at least $1,999 to bring home.
Dell's Studio XPS 13 and 16 laptops with a kiss of Merlot Red
Hey, it's just a color change but red is undeniably sexy especially when wrapped around Dell's design-heavy Studio XPS 13 and 16 laptops. Already rumored and spied, a post over at Dell's Direct2Dell blog makes the Merlot Red laptops official. Man, high-gloss finish with red leather accents... it's like kissing Betty Page. Er, was that out loud?
Dell now offering Studio XPS 13 with Ubuntu
Dell's been showing Ubuntu lots of love over the past few months, so it's no real shock to see the Linux-based operating system slide on over to Dell's hottest (literally and figuratively) 13-incher. The Studio XPS 13 can now be ordered with Ubuntu 8.10 or 7.04 right from the factory, though it seems you'll be forced to upgrade to Jaunty Jackalope once the rig hits your doorstep. Ah well, you won't find us kvetching over added options, so we'll just pencil on a smile and raise a glass to diversity at Round Rock.[Thanks, Landon]
Crimson Red Dell XPS 16 in the wild?
So about that apparently canned crimson red Dell XPS 16 laptop. We received a handful of pics from a tipster who claims to have gotten one about a month ago when he returned his other, decided un-red model for a screen replacement. We don't want to say this is 100 percent legit without holding it in our hands, but if this is the beauty we once had the option to purchase, Dell, please, bring crimson back. [Thanks, P]
Dell XPS 16 gets extra glossy Crimson Red option
Dell took a slightly different tact with its new XPS 13 and XPS 16 laptops by offering them only in basic black (or Obsidian Black, to be exact), but it looks like the company is slowly returning to its more accommodating ways by adding a new "high gloss" Crimson Red option to the XPS 16. As you can see above, however, you'll have to shell out an extra fifty bucks for that added bit of eye candy, and it doesn't look like it's available on the smaller XPS 13 quite just yet, though it seems safe to bet that it will be sooner or later.[Via NotebookReview.com]
Dell injects WiMAX into trio of laptops
While making a point to assert it's looking into LTE as well, Dell has for now jumped on the WiMAX bandwagon by announcing it'll offer the technology as an option on its Studio 15, Studio 17, and Studio XPS 16 laptops. US customers can pick the Intel 5150 WiMAX / Wireless-N combo card for $60 under the wireless card tab when customizing. Right now, we'd wager a few people living in Portland, Atlanta, or pockets of Baltimore just got mighty happy.
How would you change Dell's Studio XPS 13 / 16?
Make no mistake -- Dell's Studio XPS 13 and Studio XPS 16 are drastic departures for it in terms of laptop design. Highly stylized, a touch of leather and a bombastic keyboard -- things that were never really associated with Dell prior to its Studio family coming to light. Now that both of these portables have been out for a tick, we're interested to see how your experience has been. Are you feeling the new designs? Is the hardware up to snuff? Tinkered with any alternative OS choices? We know it'll be hard to get honest with a machine you've relied on so heavily for the past few weeks, but trust us, it's good for the soul.
Sonic shoves Qflix DVD burners into more Dell desktops
We know you're struggling to believe your eyes, but those Qflix burners actually are still hanging around. For those who missed all the action last year, these devices enable users to download a DRM-laced film onto their PC and burn it onto a specially-keyed DVD for playback. In other words, you can forget about toasting flicks to that dusty stack of DVD-Rs you've got laying around from late '05. For whatever reason, Dell has seen fit to extend its partnership with Sonic Solutions by offering internal Qflix drives on the Studio XPS Desktop, Studio XPS 435, Studio Desktop and Studio Slim Desktop. The wild part? Its actually charging more for having you clean out its inventory.
Dell's Studio XPS laptop might be going red
The so far black-only Studio XPS laptop might soon be getting an injection of color. A "Bordeaux" (red) version of the portable was spotted at Dell's design labs, and the company told CNET an official release is currently under consideration. It isn't related to (Product) Red, however, so if you're eyeing this beaut, be sure to do it for style and not charity. Also on display at the labs were some test designs for next-generation server racks, for the fashion-minded out there needing a proper storage solution. Hit up the read link for more pics from the lab.
Dell's Phenom II-equipped XPS 625 benchmarked to the hilt
Yeah, we already heard that Dell's Phenom II-equipped XPS 625 was a solid value, but what does that really mean? The testing fiends over at HotHardware sought to find out, and after putting this gaming beast through more tests than it ever wanted to endure, they mirrored most of the earlier (positive) sentiments. In fact, it was found to boast one of the best price-to-performance ratios out there, and the "minimalist" software installation definitely earned brownie points in our book. One thing that bothered critics, however, was the excessive amount of noise. We too have noticed that Dell's ginormous XPS towers -- which, by the way, reviewers also found to be unnecessarily heavy and unwieldy -- can emit some serious decibels under heavy loads, but you'd think the engineers in Round Rock would've figured out a solution by now. Still, those quirks are probably small hassles to deal with given the savings compared to similar rigs, but we'd highly recommend digging into the read link just to be sure.
Skyhook XPS integrates with TI's NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions
It's not that hybrid GPS systems are all that new, it's just that most are working totally under the radar. Skyhook's hoping to get its rendition out in the open a tad more via a new partnership with Texas Instruments. The company's XPS hybrid positioning system is now cleared for integration within TI's NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions, though there's no mention made of who all is drooling to get this into their phones. In short, Skyhook's XPS works by detecting WiFi hotspots, raw GPS readings and cellular IDs, and then comparing that information against a known database of geo-located points. In theory, this stuff could totally amp up the location abilities of most any handset, but in reality, we wouldn't be surprised to see it get swept away and forgotten just like the eerily similar announcement between Skyhook and Broadcom. Full release is after the break.
Dell adds 256GB SSD option to XPS M1330 and M1730 laptops
Oh, how the times change! In August of last year we were talking up a 128GB SSD drive for Dell's XPS laptops like it was some kind of hotness -- and only $450! Now that same drive is a mere $200 upgrade, while a new 256GB SSD has been introduced to Dell's XPS M1330 and M1730 laptops for "only" $400. Sure, six months from now we're gonna be chatting up a slightly cheaper 512GB SSD and laughing at our January selves, but we just can't help ourselves and this pesky linear of progression of time we're so beholden to. Dell's also now offering a 7200RPM 500GB HDD as well, and plans to introduce both of these upgrades to additional laptops in the next few weeks.Read - Dell XPS M1330Read - Dell XPS M1730
Dell introduces XPS 625 gaming rig
Dell has been pretty laptop-heavy at CES so far, but it looks to be balancing things out a bit today, with it introducing its new gamer-minded XPS 625 desktop. This one is AMD through and through, and includes your choice of AMD Phenom or Phenom II Black Edition processors, ATI Radeon HD4670 or HD4850 graphics cards (in single or CrossFireX configurations), and some other suitably high-end specs all around, including up 8GB of RAM, a whole host of hard drive options and, of course, an AlienFX custom lighting system to remind you just why you bought it. Best of all, prices start at a reasonable $999 for a decently-equipped system, and you can get your order in right now.
Dell's XPS 1340 and 1640 get official, latter gets reviewed
The new XPS 1340 and 1640 laptops just appeared yesterday, and now (a mere day late) have been given the blessing of officialdom from Dell. Of course, we already knew all there was to know about them when it comes to specs, so rather more interesting is the first review of the bigger of the two, also called the XPS 16. The 2.4GHz machine scored high marks both when it comes to aesthetics and overall performance, but the thing got a little too hot for comfort, costs a good bit more than the competition, and those glossy screens are always controversial. Overall it sounds like a nice machine if you have the dough -- and don't mind a little glare. Read - New Dell XPS laptops confirmedRead - Dell XPS 1640 reviewed
Dell's XPS 730x H2C Core i7 gaming PC benchmarked and tested exhaustively
If you thought the original XPS 730 H2C was boss, get a load of this. The incredibly diligent benchmarkers over at HotHardware have taken the Core i7-powered XPS 730x H2C under their wings for a fortnight of testing, and they've got a baker's dozen worth of review pages to display their findings. We can't even begin to cover the array of graphs, bar charts and triple-digit FPS numbers here, but we can tell you that critics were duly impressed with how well the Core i7 performance compared to older Core 2-based offerings. Gaming performance was predictably "fantastic," and even the single GeForce GTX 280 that it was packin' held its own under pressure. All in all, this fanciful machine was deemed "a worthy update to what [reviewers] thought was the best XPS 700 series system to date," and if you've got the coin, you'll probably be incredibly pleased with what it delivers. Dive deep (and we mean deep) in the read link below.
Studio XPS 13 materializes on Dell website
Earlier this week we showed you photos of the slick Dell Studio XPS 13, and now it's popped up on the company's website -- sort of. It's currently showing among its laptop lineup, but trying to get to the individual product page gives us an error screen. Starting price is $1,406, sandwiched just between the XPS M1330 and M1730. We think it's safe to say we'll be seeing the official launch soon.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Dell Studio XPS 13 leather-wrapped laptop revealed, Adamo info leaked!
Thanks to a totally amazing Engadget source, we've gotten our hands on photos of the absolutely sick Dell Studio XPS 13, and some new info about the company's forthcoming Adamo. First off, the photos in the gallery are of that Studio XPS we caught wind of way back in August. The pics we saw back then don't really do the laptop justice, as you can tell by these snaps. Meanwhile, that rumored Adamo is very much real, and very much like what we've been hearing. Apparently the device -- which the company plans to market as the "world's thinnest laptop" -- was slated to be released this month, but has been pushed back till at least February. The Adamo will sport a black and silver color scheme similar to the system you see here, but is "different," and we're told that it's most definitely Dell's play to nab some of that MacBook Air marketshare. We're working on some photos of that, but until those come through, enjoy the gallery below!%Gallery-39722%
XPS 1340 appears on Dell's website in name only
It's just been a few short days since Dell's still unofficial Inspiron 1425 made an impromptu appearance on the company's website, but it doesn't look like the leaks are showing any signs of stopping just yet, with the also unannounced XPS 1340 now making its debut in an equally roundabout manner. Unfortunately, apart from the fact that it'll apparently have a 64GB SSD option, there aren't exactly many details to be found on the system, although it seems pretty safe to bet that it'll be an update of some sort to the popular XPS m1330. Unless, of course, Dell intends to make its line-up even more unnecessarily confusing, which is also a possibility.[Thanks, Omer]
