AT&T on Wednesday struck a deal to provide 3G for a full-size notebook. Its version of the business-oriented 15.4-inch Dell Vostro 1520 notebook ships with an embedded 3G connection to AT&T's HSPA network for data access. Other than the link, buyers will also get around-the-clock hardware tech support.
Dell this morning added a new mid-range tower to its home and small business line. The Vostro 430 is Dell's first system in the range to use Intel's Core i5 and, even in the base model, starts off as a quad-core desktop. Dell claims that its least expensive system is as much as five times faster than a 3.6GHz Pentium D in some tasks.
Dell recently announced the upcoming release of three more Vostro-series notebook PCs, with the 14.1-inch 1014 and 1088, as well as the 15.6-inch 1015. All are meant for small business users and will be priced as entry-level models. While specific features for each model are not known, Dell does reveal that all sport Intel Core 2 CPUs, optical drives and Wi-Fi connections, along with integrated modems and energy-efficient WLED LCD screens.
Dell today provided a brief (now unavailable) teaser on Flickr of an impending but unannounced Vostro portable. Labeled only as a "Vostro 10-inch notebook," the computer borrows stylistically from newer Inspirons but, despite being small and thin, doesn't appear to be a netbook; it has an internal tray-loading optical drive and a relatively large amount of expansion. It would come in both a conservative black as well as cherry red and blue.
As promised, Dell is now shipping its Vostro All In One desktop in North America. The 19-inch system was already available in Japan and China, and sports VESA mounting compatibility for a wall-mount or an accessory arm stand. Like in the other markets, the base versions have a 2.6GHz Pentium dual-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive preloaded with Windows Vista Home Basic and an integrated DVD player.
Turning its attention to the work side of its PCs, Dell today launched its first integrated desktop in the Vostro line. The simply named Vostro All In One is the company's first for business and is meant to get back space on the desk. Aside from having a more serious all-black design, the 19-inch system has features sometimes needed at work, such as parallel and serial ports, as well as options for a built-in webcam, backup software and VESA mounting for a display arm (shown) or a wall.
Dell today formalized the launch of the Vostro 1220, its smallest full-fledged notebook to bear the name. The 12-inch system isn't Dell's thinnest at up to 1.5 inches thick but is light, at under 3.4 pounds, and has room for high-end components. A fully-loaded 1220 can take up to a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo, 8GB of RAM and a Blu-ray combo drive; in a rarity for Dell, it also has the option of Clearwire- and Sprint-friendly internal WiMAX.
Dell is planning to introduce a fourth, smaller Vostro notebook for the near future, a leak shows. The Vostro 1220 as seen by Engadget would have a thick but small profile with a 12-inch screen and, like larger models, get the option of a red shell. This bulk will also afford room for ExpressCard and SD card slots as well as a fingerprint reader.
Dell has released the Vostro A90 in the U.S. market, following previous availability limited to Japan. The device is geared for business users, with features similar to the consumer-oriented Inspiron Mini 9. The base-model offers an 8.9-inch display, 512MB of memory and an 8GB SSD, with options for 1GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD. Customers are limited to Windows XP Home Edition as the pre-installed operating system.
Dell on Thursday announced it has updated its Vostro notebook line-up with three new models, including the 13.3-inch Vostro 1320, the 15.4-inch Vostro 1520 and 17-inch Vostro 1720, which are available now. Dell has outfitted the range with added security measures, including optional shock-proof solid state drives, fingerprint readers, and encrypted hard drives with Wave Systems software. All share standard 80GB hard drives and six-cell batteries, as well as integrated Wi-Fi capabilities. Processing power comes via Intel's 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo chips.
Fulfilling an earlier promise, Dell has quietly made the Vostro A860 available for the US. The system is one of Dell's only 16:9 aspect ratio notebooks but, unlike other extra-wide notebooks, is targeted at the entry level that might otherwise consider a netbook; its 15.6-inch, 1366x768 screen is its stand-out feature, while most components skew towards the low end.
Apple's recent MacBook lineup and the iPhone may make it one of the better-positioned companies to survive a likely steep drop in spending during the holidays, according to new data from ChangeWave. The analyst firm says that a full third of all studied US notebook buyers, or 33 percent, plan to buy some form of Apple notebook during the season or within the next 90 days from the start of November. The number represents a slight boost from 29 percent in September and puts Apple's demand on par with Dell; HP continues to significantly trail behind at just 22 percent.
Dell Japan today provided a look at one of the few netbooks explicitly with business in mind. The Vostro A90 is stylistically very similar to the home-oriented Inspiron Mini 9 but comes in a more somber all-black trim and with more features in its base model than the earlier computer, including 1GB of minimum memory, an 8GB flash drive and previously option-only items like Bluetooth and a VGA camera. Windows XP is also its only operating system choice.
Dell on Thursday marked the low-key launch of a new round of tower desktops all aimed at SoHo or just desktop buyers hoping to get better support. The Vostro 420 mid-tower is the company's performance option and comes with many of the better options normally reserved for faster Inspiron systems, including the choice of up to a 2.83GHz Core 2 Quad for the processor, a 512MB GeForce 8800 GT for video and Blu-ray burners for movies and storage. Extra space in the chassis also allows for dual optical drives and up to four hard drives.
In a surprise move just after a flyer confirmed the introduction, Dell today quickly but quietly rolled out the Vostro 2510. The 15.4-inch system marks a few key changes from the outgoing 1510 and comes in a two-tone black and red body instead of the more conservative exterior of the old system. It also switches to a slot-load drive like that of the Studio 15 and uses a new cooling system that vents heat away from the bottom of the notebook to make it more comfortable on its owner's lap.
The second generation of Dell's Vostro small business notebooks has already been revealed and will likely appear very soon, according to a flyer discovered by a member of the Notebook Review forums. The Vostro 2510 appears to be a slimmer replacement for the 15.4-inch Vostro 1510 that also crosses into the home user field: customers will have the option of buying the notebook with different-colored rear lids and side panels rather than the all-black design of the existing models.
Dell this afternoon provided a list of its notebooks affected by a chronic graphics chip flaw as well as a firmware fix that should reduce the risk of the problem. The company is the first known PC vendor to do so and says that its new updates modify the fan behavior on each of the notebooks to make sure they remain cooler than normal and thus prevent the heat problems that trigger the failures.
Dell is charging some customers as much as $50 to switch from Windows Vista to XP on their systems, according to the company. Buyers picking a system from the company's Vostro business line can choose to install XP Professional instead of Vista Business but must pay an additional $50 beyond the price it takes to upgrade to Vista Business itself. Users face a reduced fee for the downgrade if moving from Vista Ultimate but still pay more than for the upgrade to a higher Vista edition than what comes preloaded on the system.
Dell today announced it will soon be updating its Vostro 400 desktop PCs with the 410 model, adding to its line of PCs made for small businesses. The PC's tower has also been enlarged to allow it to hold twice as many drives as in the Vostro 400, as well as more expansion slots and bays. Newly introduced is a Gigabit Ethernet card for faster network access. Due to customer feedback from its site, Dell claims it brought out the new PC six months earlier than originally planned and with different specs that include a choice of Intel Core 2 Quad processors, 512MB graphics cards and 800MHz memory.
Dell has caused a stir in recent hours by pulling some of its AMD-based systems from its online store, creating a concern that the PC builder would switch to Intel-only systems. With the exception of three systems -- the Inspiron 531 desktop as well as the Vostro 1000 and Latitude D531 notebooks -- all non-business AMD systems have been removed from the company's store. The company has since been directing customers to offline stores to buy the systems.
Continuing with a series of releases, Dell on Tuesday released the Vostro 1200 first to a Japanese audience. Bucking the trend created by the AMD-based Vostro 1000, the 1200 switches to Intel-based processors and uses Intel's GMA X3100 integrated video in place of the Radeon X1250 dictated by the AMD platform in the original. The new 12.1-inch Vostro also packs an unusually large 160GB hard drive as standard and comes with full-size ExpressCard and 3-in-1 memory card readers.
Dell is about to update its budget notebook lines to capitalize on end-of-year sales, a pair of leaks from Les Delliens. The Intel-based Inspiron 1525 and its AMD equivalent, the 1526, are expected to provide minor speed upgrades to the current 1520 and 1521 models. Both 15.4-inch systems will be close in spirit to the existing design but are likely to reflect the introduction of new processors and storage options since the original release. HDMI output will still be an option for at least dedicated video chipsets.
