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Dell XPS M1730 slips, now launching September 21st
We can't ever guarantee launch dates on an unannounced product, but it looks like Dell's internal shipment date for the new XPS M1730 just slipped, and has been pushed back to September 21st for the US, Europe, and Asia. Here's the latest specs list (sorry, not much there has changed since before): Intel Core 2 Duo up to 2.6GHz (X7800, 4MB cache) Up to 4GB DDR2 667 RAM, Intel PM965 chipset 17-inch WUXGA TrueLife (1920x1200) Single or SLI 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8700M GT Regular and SSD drive options Blu-ray drive (6) USB 2.0, 1394, DVI out, S-Video, gigabit Ethernet, IR 54mm ExpressCard (with travel remote) 802.11a/b/g/n, 3G WWAN, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR 10.6 pound starting weight, 2-inch thick chassis
Dell's XPS M1730 gets more specs, more pics
For those of you out there who are actually interested in this thing (and we know there's a few), we've got some additional details and a slew of photos on the new Dell XPS M1730 that should make you very happy. The first juicy tidbit concerns the graphics chipset, which now looks like it will be two NVIDIA GeForce GO 8700M GTs coupled using SLI, which should make the performance somewhat blazing (and the temperature downright fiery), additionally, the system can / will utilize high capacity SSDs (a feature which we've seen in other gamer-targeted laptops lately). If you really wanna get to know the guts of this monstrosity, however, you should hit the photo gallery.%Gallery-6354%
Man's XPS M1330 arrives sans OS, quality
We're not sure who or what is putting these XPS M1330 laptops together for Dell, but not only are they having a horrible time of it even getting the laptops out the door, but this particular man's shipment was just a little lacking in the quality department when it arrived two weeks ahead of the estimated ship date. The $2k+ laptop looked fine at first glance, but when Pradeep popped it open and hit the power button, it immediately booted to a blank, white, flickering screen. After 10 minutes, nothing had changed, no Dell logo, Vista boot screen or anything -- not only had Dell forgotten an OS, they didn't even manage to squeeze in a system BIOS before they shipped this one. That wasn't all that Dell screwed up on this M1330, the power button is defective, the Microsoft seal underneath the machine is partially ripped and burned, there's a problem with a grill cover protruding, and the WiFi radio switch is so loose it almost falls off when pushed back and forth. Sure, this is just one guy's experience with one M1330, and his mom got a similar computer -- after a much longer shipment wait -- that worked just fine, but we're still thinking Dell might try and shore up quality control just a little bit before somebody manages to get something shoddier than this out the door. Dell's giving Pradeep a new laptop, labeled "priority" in the build queue, and offered him a $50 gift certificate for his trouble.Update: After spotting this article, Dell contacted us for help getting a hold of Pradeep, and is currently helping expedite his new system. Pradeep did say his replacement was already "priority" before this article went up, but we're sure the PR people are going to speed things up considerably for him. Of course, this is just one person's experience, and we hope Dell will show the same courtesy to everyone involved in the M1330 fiasco -- or better yet, start shipping these things intact and on time!Update 2: Dell hit us up, apparently after doing some diags on Pradeep's machine, they claim to have discovered that while the M1330 in question did have Windows installed on its drive, just so happens that whomever assembled the system didn't connect the LCD's LVDS to the motherboard. Not that that's much better or anything. Anyway, it seems like all's well that ends well for Pradeep, but we aren't sure we can say the same for the rest of Dell's M1330 customers.%Gallery-6306%
Dell XPS M1730 gets confirmed specs and release date
We've just gotten our mitts on some specs for the forthcoming Dell XPS M1730; a nasty looking, gamer-targeted laptop that's due out soon -- and we'd thought we'd share. The new 17-inch, 10.6 pound entry will rock the much-loved Intel PM965 Santa Rosa chipset, a Core 2 Duo T7300, T7500, T7700, or X7800 CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce Go 8700M GT, up to 4GB of RAM, an optional Blu-ray drive, 802.11 (in varying configurations), plus an ExpressCard 54 slot, Bluetooth 2.0, and a slew of ins and outs (USB, DVI, Firewire, S-Video, etc. Additionally, Dell is going to a lot of trouble to "trick out" the laptop, offering customizable external LED lighting, adjustable keyboard lighting, and "flashy industrial design with color customization options." The laptop also curiously features a small "gaming LCD" display above the keyboard, for providing "additional information about the system or applications." Also of note is the fact that an Ageia PhysX Controller will be available as an add-on, as well as 2-megapixel, built-in webcam, and a variety of SATA hard drive options. The system will be available on August 27th worldwide, so stay tuned.
CableCARD-equipped Dell XPS 410 desktops now available
Yeah, so it's been a tick since we first got wind of Dell's master plan to equip the XPS 410 with CableCARD support, but it's good to see the wares finally available for purchase. Starting now, users interested in picking up a mid-range XPS desktop with single or dual ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuners can select either option when configuring their machine. The cost? $236 per tuner, which ain't too bad in the grand scheme of things.[Via MSMVPS]
Dell's XPS Motherboard Exchange Program goes live
Those who have stuck with Dell through the ups and (mostly) downs that have revolved around the XPS 700 are finally in luck, as the XPS Motherboard Exchange Program has officially launched. Notably, all XPS 700 and 710 purchases made through June 30th, 2007 are eligible for this program, and while XPS 700 customers will receive the 720 hardware kit gratis, those with a 710 can snag the same package for $250 (plus shipping). The kit itself includes a XPS 720 motherboard, red or black front panel I/O assembly, all applicable cabling, a mouse pad (huzzah?), and an installation sheet for those who decide to pass on the on-site installation -- which, by the way, is free for XPS 700 owners and up to $150 for 710'ers. Furthermore, current 700 clients can snap up the Intel QX6700 CPU "at 25-percent off the then-current price," but you better get a move on, as the program expires promptly at midnight (CST for those cutting it close) on October 13th.[Via Direct2Dell, thanks David]
New Dell XPS M1730 pics pop-up
Notebook Italia has turned up even more shots of Dell's new XPS M1730 laptop, from a variety of different angles. What's very clear from the new pictures is that this model has size "issues," so if you don't like chunky lappies, stay away. Still, those specifications -- 17-inch screen, Core 2 Extreme X7800 chip, GeForce 8700M -- do look mighty tasty. Ahh, decisions, decisions.[Thanks, dellfan24]
Dude, you're not getting a Dell: shipping delays hound PC maker
For those of you who've recently placed a Dell laptop order only to find yourself high and dry on shipment, rest assured you're not alone -- not by a long shot. Of course, there have been problems with shipment on the XPS M1330 for some time -- problems so severe that a thread on NotebookReview's forum concerning delays for the laptop has had over 9,000 replies to date (a record for the site), but apparently that's not the only system affected. It would seem that customers who've placed orders for the Inspiron 1420, 1520, and 1720 are also feeling the burn of Dell's little stop-up. Some of the disgruntled purchasers have even gone to the trouble of breaking down Inspiron delays based on lid color, which, for the 1520 (for instance) runs the gamut from no delays for a black lid, to a whopping 11-day delay if you want to go red, green, or pink. This phenomena has even led to buyers forgoing their desired color choices just to get a laptop in a timely fashion. With the continued slowdown in production and increasing heat from the competition, Dell and its customers may find that this minor bump in the road is turning into a major headache.[Thanks, Paul]
Dell XPS M1730 spotted in the wild?
It looks like Dell is finally readying a followup to its M1710 speedster with the XPS M1730. The 17-inch laptop will of course be packing some Santa Rosa muscle, but according to rumors Dell's also going to provide that new Core 2 Extreme X7800 chip for the real speed demons / big spenders out there. For graphics the base models will be getting an NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GS card with 256MB of memory, with a 512MB GeForce 8700M GT waiting in the wings. Other rumored specs include 4GB max of RAM and a 512MB or 1GB Intel Turbo Memory option, Bluetooth 2.0, Blu-ray and that welcome numeric keypad addition. The word is this one will go on sale August 27th, and while the paint job is bordering on "crime against humanity," hopefully Dell will have a few more acceptable options to decorate this gaming beast whenever it does hit the market.[Thanks, Matthias]
Dell explains XPS m1330 delays, discontinues Pearl White models
Dell looked to have a sure winner on its hands with the sexy XPS m1330 laptop, but customers have been complaining of shipping delays ever since the machines were made available to order. A new post on the official Direct2Dell blog tries to explain some of the issues causing the delays and provide some insight into why some orders have shipped and others have been severely postponed -- although no time frame was given for clearing out the queue and getting back on track. While supply of those oh-so-hot LED backlit displays is definitely affecting production, the major problem appears to be the m1330's colors -- Dell says that painting these lids is much more difficult than anticipated, and that only Tuxedo Black units are coming off the line with acceptable results. As a result of these difficulties, the company is discontinuing Pearl White as an available choice -- customers who've already ordered Pearl White units will still receive them, but that'll be it. While we're not certain how an issue like that slipped through during development, we're definitely wondering why no one at Dell has just called up Colorware and asked them how they do it.
Dell's XPS M1330 finally ships to all regions this week
There's good news this morning for those of you stuck in the Dell XPS M1330 build queue. After weeks of delay, Dell has finally kicked it into large-scale production and expect M1330 systems to ship in all regions "beginning this week." Unfortunately, this update comes a tad late for those of you who felt jerked around by Dell's uninformed customer service reps. For the rest, your 13.3-inch LED-backlit fix should be on the way.
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Dell's XPS 720 gaming machine reviewed
The folks at Extremetech got a chance to put the Dell's newest gaming rig, the XPS 720, through its paces recently, and although the price is still stratospheric at $7K, the test results came back mostly favorable. The crew tested a unit with a 2.93GHZ Core 2 Quad QX6800, 4GB of RAM, two SLI NVIDIA 8800 Ultra graphics cards, and an Ageia PhysX physics card, and found that the 720 consistently pumped out solid framerates even when the various test games were set to 1920x1200 with all details turned up, 4X anti-aliasing, and max anistropic filtering. Interestingly, turning on SLI resulted in a noticeable performance gain for DirectX 9 games, but DirectX 10 games received only a small boost -- something Extremetech chalks up to driver issues. Other than that, Dell seems to have built quite a monster with the 720 -- now if it only it could do something about that price tag.[Thanks, mikemuch]
Dell Canada prices the XPS m1330 at CDN$1499
The hottest Dell laptop we've seen in a while just got an equally hot price -- a reader at the NotebookReview forums posted a scanned-in Dell Canada ad that lists the 4-pound XPS m1330 at CDN$1499 (that's about $1399 USD). It doesn't look like you'll be getting an LED backlight for that price, but you will score a T7100 Core 2 Duo, Vista Home Premium, 2GB of RAM, a 120GB disk, and a dual-layer DVD±RW drive, in your choice of three colors: Candy Red, Tuxedo Black, or Pearl White. No word on when these might start shipping, but it's obvious we're getting close.Update: The m1330 just popped online for Canadian retail.Update 2: US site now updated. Giddy up![Thanks, Charlie]
Dell's XPS m1330 up for retail July 10?
Think Dell can't design a laptop? Well, best check that brickbat boy while getting up close and personal with their m1330 hotness. Not only do we have these big, beautiful pics for you, we've also received further confirmation of the glorious specs while landing the ready to ship (RTS) date from a trusted insider: July 10, 2007, globally. So giddy up and get to clicking on those pics... time's a-wastin'.%Gallery-4166%
Dell's XPS 720 upgrade kit revealed
When Dell's gaming powerhouse XPS 700 was delayed last year, the company attempted to make things right by promising a free Core 2 Duo upgrade when those boards became availabile -- and now the Direct2Dell blog has some shots of the kit 700 owners can expect to receive when the program goes live. It's pretty much what you'd expect: the new mobo from the XPS 720, and the mounting hardware and front I/O panel to match. Somewhat more interesting is the option to upgrade to an Intel QX6700 Core 2 Quad for 25% off Dell's usual price, and the fact that XPS 710 owners will also be able to get in on the upgrade action -- although they'll have to pay for the privilege. We gotta hand it to Dell -- lately they've been pretty good at the whole lemons / lemonade thing. Let's hope a few more companies take the hint.
Shiny new Dell XPS M1330 pics
You've seen a little of it before, and you know it's coming, but here's a few more photos to hold you over. Finally, a Dell you can take out in public.[Thanks, Chris]
More pics of the Dell XPS m1330
We still don't have the magic numbers (launch date and price) on that most impressive new Dell XPS m1330, but we did at least secure some more eye candy for you. A couple more shots after the break.
Dell XPS m1330 performance ultraportable revealed
We've got the scoop on some early marketing materials / renders for Dell XPS m1330, and we have to say, this is as impressed as we've ever been with a Dell laptop. Check it out: 13.3-inch screen, configurable with LED backlight! (300cd/m2, or 220 with CCFL backlight) Core 2 Duo processor (up to 2.4GHz), Santa Rosa chipset (965PM/GM) Up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM 32GB SSD drive or spinning-platter drive options up to 250GB Slot-loading dual-layer DVD±RW drive! Optional NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS / 128MB WWAN option for Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T Ethernet, 802.11a, a/g, or n options, Bluetooth option Integrated 2 megapixel webcam (VGA only on LED-backlit display) HDMI, VGA, 1394, (2) USB 2.0, integrated media reader (MS, SD, xD), dual mini-PCI slots, fingerprint reader Dimensions with LED 12.5 x 9.4 x 0.87 - 1.33-inches (318 x 238 x 22.1 - 33.8mm) / with CCFL 12.5 x 9.4 x 0.97 - 1.43-inches (318 x 238 x 24.6 - 36.3mm) Weight starts at 4 pounds More shots after the break!
Dell's Ubuntu-equipped XPS 410n desktop reviewed
Just about a week after Dell officially started offering up Linux-equipped machines for sale, an anxious user over at UbuntuForums managed to get his hands around a XPS 410n desktop and put it through a few paces. Notably, the unboxing experience was far from enthralling, as the documentation still reeked of Windows and an Ubuntu install disc was (mistakenly) not included. Those quirks aside, the "remarkably silent" startup led to a fair amount of tinkering to get things up and running as he wanted, but the general vibe was a positive one. While it did take "some skill" to make the machine play nice with his non-Dell monitor, there didn't seem to be any issues that Dell's technical support (or his internal knowledge) couldn't solve. After cracking open the case, he was "delighted" at the quiet cooling system that was included and the ease of snapping in / out hardware components. All in all, it seems like Dell's first shot at a Linux-based machine was a commendable effort, but considering that it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, we'd recommend tapping the read link and giving the thread a good perusal before diving in head first.[Via Digg]
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Dell XPS 720 H2C gets official
We already knew it was coming and knew what it'd look like, but we've now got the official word from Dell on its new high-end XPS 720 H2C Edition, which is sure to delight those with big pocketbooks and a penchant for slanted boxes. Boasting a starting price in the neighborhood of $6,000, this mammoth rig comes equipped with your choice of factory overclocked QX6700 or QX6800 Core 2 Extreme processors, dual GeForce 8800 GTX or GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics cards, a pair of 160GB SATA hard drives, some overclocked Corsair Dominator DDR2 memory, a Blu-ray drive, and, of course, Dell's trademark H2C thermo-electric/liquid cooling system. As of yet, there's no word on a non-H2C model. Those in the U.S. can get their orders in now, while those in Europe will have to wait a few more weeks.
