Think of It as More of a “Zune-Killer”

Likely, he wrote this while raising a rich eyebrow to the heavens. [AllThingsD]

This seems like the future of traditional consumer desktops that aren't gaming/performance beasts or servers (since the desktop is otherwise being supplanted by laptops in the consumer space). Definitely a winner from Dell's design department—but let's see how well these sell.

New Studio Hybrid PC: Ultra-Small, Colorfully Stylish, “Green”
· Puts the PC back on the desktop, or the countertop, or the bookshelf, or the entertainment center
· New Inspiron PCs include sub-$800 13-inch laptop

ROUND ROCK, Texas, July 29, 2008 — Dell’s smallest, most personalized and most environmentally responsible consumer PC, the Studio Hybrid, launches today. Available immediately at www.dell.com/hybrid, the PC’s new unique shape and size, personalized with six external jewel-toned color or bamboo finish options, unleashes stylistic expression, inspiration and fun and looks great in any room.

Dell also unveiled two new Inspiron PCs, including the Inspiron 13, a sleek and stylish sub‑$800 13-inch laptop perfect for students heading back to school, available starting next week at Wal-Mart. The Inspiron 518 desktop, available immediately at www.dell.com, is designed for everyday family multi-media activities, be it catching up on favorite TV shows via the Internet, playing online games, and storing and accessing music playlists and digital images.

“The design and craftsmanship of the Studio Hybrid alone are enough to cause you to do a double take,” Michael Tatelman, vice president, global consumer sales and marketing. “Combine that with the performance of this little beauty and its environmentally smart DNA, and you’ve got something truly unique – something that you can make your own.”

Studio Style, Energy Efficient

As with Dell’s recently announced Studio laptops, the Studio Hybrid was designed to enhance personal expression and creative living. Dell’s smallest desktop PC, about the size of a collegiate dictionary, can fit just about anywhere. Depending on the location or decor, the Studio Hybrid can be set up in a vertical or horizontal orientation, and be personalized with a choice of seven optional, interchangeable external finishes or color sleeves: Bamboo, Emerald, Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Slate, and Topaz.

With a starting price of $499, the petite PC has the performance to take on the digitally enlightened user’s everyday activities like creating mash-ups, content for personal web pages, editing and uploading videos and digital photo albums. The Studio Hybrid is at home in the living room, fitting easily into entertainment centers, and connecting to HDTVs via a standard HDMI port. When paired with an optional wireless keyboard, people can easily flip back and forth from watching a favorite broadcast TV show or sporting event to checking online stats, sending email, looking at digital pictures, etc. on the TV. Customers can configure a Studio Hybrid with variety of optional technologies and peripherals to make it truly unique, like:

· Optional Wi-Fi networking – allows people to place the PC anywhere that’s convenient for them.

· Optional wireless keyboard and mouse help ensure a clean desktop, counter top or coffee table.

· Optional Blu-Ray Disc drive for watching high-definition DVDs.

· Optional TV tuner that enables users to watch, pause and record live TV.[i]

“Our goal was to design a desktop that fits in the office or in the living room, or anywhere space is at a premium,” said Michael Scheschuk, desktop product marketing. “We’ve created a desktop PC category that combines style, performance and a high degree of energy efficiency.”

The Dell Studio Hybrid is about 80 percent smaller than the typical desktop minitower, and uses up to 70 percent less energy. In addition to being extremely energy efficient and Energy Star 4.0 compliant, the Studio Hybrid’s unique packaging was designed to be environmentally responsible:

· Reduced packing materials 30 percent by weight.

· Packing materials are also 95 percent recyclable.

· Reduced printed documentation 75 percent by weight.

· System recycling kit is included.

The Studio Hybrid is available today on www.dell.com/hybrid and will be featured in select retailers later this fall.

[Dell]

Inspiron: Simple, Yet Smart PCs for the Family

Dell also expanded its Inspiron family with the addition of the Inspiron 518 desktop and Inspiron 13 laptop. Both systems deliver solid performance and smart style at a great value.

The Inspiron 13 laptop is a great choice for back to school shoppers looking for a smaller, lighter, more efficient mobile PC. With a starting weight of just under 5 pounds, the Inspiron 13 combines a simple and clean design encased in glossy Pacific blue with black trim. Smart features include a 13-inch high definition display, capacitive touch media buttons, 8-in-1 media card reader and slot-load DVD drive. Optional features include built-in wireless networking, built-in webcam and Bluetooth connectivity. A special $699 configuration of the Inspiron 13 will be available at Wal-Mart in the U.S. starting Aug. 3. Fully configurable systems will be available on www.dell.com on a global basis later in the month.

The Inspiron 518 desktop features a gloss-black exterior with chrome accents. Families will appreciate the top media tray with two easy-access USB ports for quick MP3 player syncing and cell-phone charging. It provides performance to meet the most typical family PC activities, like faster networking connections with Gigabit Ethernet, DX10 integrated graphics for casual gaming, optional 500GB hard drive for storing digital images and music libraries, and optional quad core processors. The Inspiron 518 starts at $349, and is available immediately on www.dell.com.

Finishing Touches:

Dell offers a variety of service application and software programs that help ensure consumers’ PCs stay up and running and easy to use, including:

· Dell Support Center: Centrally located, easy-to-use application providing personalized support resources with quick links to service, support and system information resources www.dell.com/dellsupportcenter.

· PC TuneUp: An easy-to-set-up smart tool that helps manage regular maintenance of a consumer’s PC. Automatically finds and fixes issue that slow down system performance. Available for $39.95 at www.dell.com/pctuneup.

· Dell Dock: Automatically sorts pre-installed software into user friendly categories placing the most frequently used programs front & center.

· Dell Video Chat: A one-click easy to setup and use video and voice communication program that can be shared with friends and family, www.sightspeed.com/dellvideochat.

[Dell]

Granted, it's not hard for Dell to roll out a BIOS update that bumps cooling fan RPMs, so it makes sense that they would cover their ass in this way. Although more fan means more noise and less battery life, so the update is not without its costs. Either way, Dell is taking the issue seriously, which makes it seem like the the problem is a little more serious than what Nvidia is saying.

The update is for the following systems: Inspiron 1420, Latitude D630, Latitude D630c, Vostro Notebook 1310, Vostro Notebook 1400, Vostro Notebook 1510, Vostro Notebook 1710, XPS M1330, and XPS M1530

[Direct2Dell via Laptoping]

Zumo says it's got a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, Intel's 945 Express Graphics chipset, an 8GB SSD, Wi-Fi and a memory card reader, with a 1240x600 resolution screen (that looks a bit off—1024x600 seems more likely). Reportedly, mass production of a Linux model with extra Dell productivity apps starts next month (in time for back to school). It all seems reasonable enough (and a steal for $299 if true), though I wouldn't consider this dipped-in-blood solid, yet. [Zumo]

Mac's marketshare is up two percent from last year, claiming 8.5 percent of the overall market (Dell comfortably holds 31.9 percent to HP's 25.3 percent). To take home the bronze, Apple slipped past Acer by 65,000 units. While it won't move out of third anytime soon, you definitely can't deny Mac's got the mojo right now. [AppleInsider]

Wal-Mart and Dell are testing the Solution Station by Dell in 15 Dallas stores, and they'll do things like repair PCs and set up home entertainment and wireless networking stuff sold by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart and tech support just don't compute in my brain. On the bright side, I'm sure this'll mean lots of fun posts for the Consumerist crew. [WSJ]

Still, it's usable, and it beats waiting for Windows 7's native support. [Dell]

After posting this information on ripten, a Dell representative chimed in to say that the lack of a sound card Stereo Mix option was most likely due to an issue with laptops running XP, and that a driver existed to correct the problem. However, it is still not clear whether the driver works for all Dell computers or why the option was disabled in the first place. Nor does it address the possibility that the problem may not be confined to Dell products alone. Naturally, random forum threads do not confirm RIAA involvement with Stereo Mix as a fact—but it does have that slimy, fishy vibe we have come to expect from them. With that having been said, have you experienced similar problems? [ripten]

According to a study by the Ponemon Institute and Dell, only 30 percent or so lost laptops are ever recovered. Los Angeles' LAX airport reported having the most lost laptops out of any other airport, with 1,200 going missing every week. The most likely place for you to lose your computer is at security checkpoints and departure gates—so no matter how many beers you downed this weekend, try to be a little more alert while going through those areas, yeah? [Newlaunches]

picture credit: Mike Reger

"I mean, given Dell's constant focus on cutting costs, it was a matter of time before they focused on packaging to save some dollars here and there" added the Piper Jaffray's analyst, "and let's face it, Apple's solution is the most efficient, light, and cost-effective in the industry. Like everything else they do. I predict they will hit the $500 [price per share] mark before 2009. Even $510."

Reportedly, Dell will have to pay Apple $20 per manila envelope, but they will save "a lot of money" in postage stamps, according to Mr. Munster. Dell representatives were not available for comment, but Mr. Munster told this reporter that Steve Jobs called Michael Dell late last night to say "who's my bitch now, huh? Who's my bitch?" [Thanks Hawkskater0]

Our review unit is an XPS M1330—Dell shipped us a fresh hard drive with Vista Ultimate and the latest Dell software. (The Dock will arrive on new Studio laptops, and eventually ship on some legacy systems, like the XPS M1330 and 1530.) Problem one is right when you boot it up. Windows started, and I thought they had accidentally given me a drive without the dock. The dock appeared a full minute after I started wondering WTF it was. Not a great start to the dock experience! A less savvy user might think the dock is just slow balls and turn it off. I did what I usually do when I get a notebook: Yank out the crapware, plus, in this case, the fingerprint reader and other Dell-specific software. Then reboot.

Dock comes up instantly. Yay. Okay, so while I don't find the default options useful, they were easy enough to swap out, move around, whatever. My desktop is spotless, the dock itself is beautiful. I'm happy—until I start using the computer. That's when I realize the dock's fatal flaw.

It's not a real "dock" but just a dumb, pretty shortcut bar. It can make your desktop tidy, but you still have to use the regular Windows taskbar to interact with applications and see what they're up to. When I minimize Firefox, it goes to the taskbar, and I can't pop the window back open from the dock. The AIM icon doesn't bounce when I have a new message. It just sits there, lifeless, looking high-res and pretty. And what I want, what I expect, what I'm subtly promised is something like OS X's dock. (Even if they won't let you stick it on the bottom.) If it was, and I could ditch the Windows taskbar, I would be in love with it. It would change the way a hefty chunk of the masses use their Vista computers, and maybe, just maybe, even keep them from making The Switch.

But it's not that. So instead of being in love with it, I'm just in like with it. [Dell]

Nvidia doesn't say which cards are affected, but it seems to be ones in the 8M series (which are now previous gen). The fix—a new driver that kicks in the cooling fans sooner, rather than later—is being distributed direct to notebook makers. So, if you've got a new Nvidia driver waiting for you from Dell or whoever made your laptop, congrats, you win! [WSJ, PC World]

Here's the standard Vista desktop:

And here it is when it's been all Dockified:

Dell talks about customizing it in various ways by adding and deleting icons, changing colors and adding text:

There's no mention of whether you can move it to the bottom or sides, though. Wouldn't that be, uh, Mac friendly? All joking aside, I would like to say kudos to Dell for the cool execution. I, for one, can't wait to test it out.

[Dell]

[Dell]

Vista Business and Vista Ultimate—the two more expensive versions of Vista—are the only two available for downgrade, and only to XP Pro. So in order to get XP on a Vostro 1000, you'd have to install Vista Business first, which costs $99 over the default. Then, you're down another $50 for the downgrade for a total of $149. That's quite a kick in the nards, Microsoft. Then again, Vista is fine and should work fairly OK on pre-built machines if you want to save $149. [Computerworld]

Dell's further segmenting the notebook with E Classic, E Video and E Video+, which has more RAM, flash storage, webcam and Bluetooth. E Slim will get WiMax shortly after its original release date as well. The smaller Dell E looks to start at $299 in August, whereas the E Slim still has no price, but is supposed to hit August-September. [Engadget]

Dell, teasingly, says "You'll see some great stuff from us this year, and 60% more notebook models.
He tends to think they lost focus on the consumer, and consumer products, as we all know, are sexy and business people like 'em, too. He says it's working. Today's business at Dell is half derived from desktops and laptops, but the other half is from servers, storage and peripherals.

Mossberg: There was a sense that you got not much in industrial design from old Dells. Is that changing?
Dell: We've tripled our staff for design focusing on usability and design.
Mossberg: People have always wanted that. Why now?
Dell explains that it's less about MHz and GHz now. In the consumer world, fashion is playing a bigger role, people just say they want a red laptop.
Mossberg: Are you trying to broaden the way you sell by going into retail, which is different from the past history. Are you going to open stores?
Dell: Right now, it's more important for us to pick the best retailers in the world. It's more important to be in 13,000 stores than open them.

Mossberg: Can you take products from market to market, say, from India to the US? For example the Asus Eee PC is something you'd sell in emerging markets but now you've got them doing very well.
Dell: Yes, but we may put them in China first because of the size of the market.

Mossberg: Are you working more closely with Microsoft with Vista 7?
Dell: Yes, it's unprecedented. That early engagement is how you create an early ecosystem, create something new.
Mossberg: You'd talked about software as a differentiator between models of Dell and HP. But those craplets, the additional programs can be a problem.
Dell: We have craplet-free options on our machines, actually.
Mossberg: How do you feel about Vista?
Dell: Early we had driver support problems but SP1 really changed that a lot. The ecosystem has come around. With the level of engagement at an early level (Windows 7), so we can work on things like multitouch, to make sure we have a stable driver base, etc...
Mossberg: Multitouch is going to be a core of Windows 7. Do you believe it'll be the new user interface for PCs? Do you believe it'll replace the mouse?
Dell: It'll complement what we have today, and it won't replace them in all instances, either.
Mossberg: What about phones? Are you going to make one?
Dell: We've got SIM slots in our laptops with 3G. You've got 3.8 billion cellphones going to 5 billion phones in 4-5 years and 1.4 billion internet users going to 2b in 4-5 years. There's an opportunity there, for devices that sit between the PC and the phone.

[All Things D]

[DigiTimes via Engadget]

Our initial post was more or less on the money—XPS will stick around as a premium (but not gaming) line, and the Alienware brand will lose its remaining luster by becoming the bona fide game face for Dell (with low-enders to boot). [Direct2Dell via Cnet]

While the cross-competition issue is obvious, our suspicions became more solid because of the bit buried in the announcement of Alienware's mondo 17-inch gaming notebook that Alienware was going to move into budget gaming PCs for more mainstream gamers. Why cannibalize themselves on both the upper and lower ends? Course, this just means the Alienware name is going to be tied even more closely to Dell, so whatever cachet left in the name is probably toast, like your wallet after buying one. [WSJ]

This monster of a tower weighs nearly 50 pounds, stuffed as it is with goodies. It's based on Nvidia's nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset, and you can choose to load it with chips ranging from the Intel Core 2 Duo up to the 45nm Core 2 Extreme. You can also put in up to four 1TB hard drives for some ridiculous reason, a whopping 8GB of RAM and Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music.

To keep all this crap running without burning down your house you can either choose two-stage ceramic H2C air cooling or just go nuts and get water cooling.

Obviously, all this stuff is going to set you back something serious. In fact, the air-cooled model starts at $3,999 while the liquid-cooled model will allow you to start adding components at the low, low price of $4,999. Start saving your pennies, gaming nerds. [Dell]

Dell will take advantage of a licensing option in Vista Business and Vista Ultimate that lets PC makers provide XP under the Vista license, which Microsoft calls a "downgrade" license. (Enterprises with site licenses have these same rights with any version of Vista.) In essence, the user is buying a Vista license that it can apply to XP, and Microsoft can still claim a Vista sale.

But hey, it'll keep XP available for people who want it, so I guess it's a good thing no matter what kind of maneuvering it entails. But it just goes to show that you can never trust sales figures tossed out by marketing departments. [PC World]