Dell announces its first USB 3.0 laptop

Dell has announced exciting upgrades to its flagship ‘Precision M6500′ line – the Intel dual core i5 or i7 processors and the option of a USB 3.0 port. The choice of processors is less interesting since this workstation-class model already offers an Intel Core i7-920XM Quad Core Extreme Edition, so their introduction actually slows it down/saves money. Not often you can say that about i5 and i7 CPUs.

Instead, what is far more interesting is the option of fitting a single USB 3.0 to replace one of the four USB 2.0 ports already available. The M6500 is the first from the Dell laptops range to offer this and, given its power user audience combined with the potential 10x performance boost of USB 3.0 over its predecessor, and you’d have to say it should prove a popular option. Dell has yet to reveal just how much the upgrade will set us back.

Elsewhere a higher res 3.2MP integrated webcam can also now be chosen, while a 64GB SSD ‘mini card’ will be available too. If the latter is based on the new ultra portable solid state drive universal format that would also be an industry first. Other niceties include a 17in RGB LED display and thorough choice of Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Red Hat Linux OSes.

Touchdown for the revised Precision M6500 is claimed to be late February  -  imagine other brands won’t be far behind.

Multi-touch laptop unveiled by Dell

Dell has announced the desktop ‘Inspiron One 19′ and ‘Studio 17′ laptops each with integrated multi-touch and recognition of up to four fingers. Consequently owners will be able to navigate, draw onscreen, edit photos, swipe through playlists and much more all while your mouse/trackpad sits by feeling unloved.

As for the hardware itself, the One 19 is an affordable all-in-one PC with 18.5in 16:9 display and slightly disappointing 1366 x 768 native res backed up by a choice of Intel Celeron 450 or Core 2 Duo E5300 CPUs, up to 3GB of DDR2 RAM and a 640GB HDD. Measuring just 386 x 477 x 103mm and weighing in at 7.3Kg, the One 19 starts from £479 and could make an ideal second computer.

Prices start from £499, though it can be configured north of £1,000 with no trouble at all.

Dell Vostro 13 no longer a secret

At last – Dell’s softly, softly secret  approach with their new Dell Vostro is over.

Although the company is teasing an “unnamed $450 Vostro” to US media, Dell Singapore has just gone ahead and launched the thing officially as the Vostro V13, complete with specs. Oops.

While Dell laptops PR tries to put out that fire, we can tell you that Dell’s putting everything it learned building the Adamo XPS to some more practical use in the .65-inch thick, sub-3.5-pound V13, which packs either a 1.2GHz Celeron, 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo or 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo with integrated X4500MHD graphics under that 13.3-inch screen.

The design isn’t as wild as the Adamo XPS, but the extra thickness means that it can accommodate an Ethernet port, along with eSATA, USB, an SD card slot and even a freaking ExpressCard slot. All this for just a confirmed US$450.

Owners of Dell and HP Laptops unhappy with Windows 7 delays

A large number of Dell and HP customers are up in arms about delays to the Windows 7 upgrades promised to punters who purchased laptops earlier this year.

Many manufacturers promised customers an upgrade to the Vista successor once it landed on 22 October but weeks on from that launch, tech support forums for Dell and HP laptops are inundated with narked customers complaining that the upgrade hasn’t been delivered.

“I honestly think that this whole Windows 7 “FREE!!!” upgrade is total rubbish,” said a user identified as “mdr322″ in a message posted to a thread dedicated to upgrade complaints. “It took me 1 month to register my service tag and now my delivery date has been delayed by 2 weeks!”

“Dell is behaving very unprofessionally!” said someone labeled “Vlad G” on the same thread. “I am sure this will cost them customers.”

Another claim for the world’s thinnest laptop

Dell laptops have finally launched its wafer-slim Dell Adamo XPS in time for the Christmas market, to give arch-rival Apple’s MacBook Air a run for its money. And the launch follows in the wake of super-thin machines such as the Sony Vaio X range.  

Billed as the world’s thinnest laptop, the Dell Adamo XPS is just 9.9mm thick, and weighs in at less than 1.5kg. And this latest product shaves nearly 5mm off the size of last year’s Adamo. It also features a slight stand at the back of the machine which slants the keyboard at an angle towards the user and rests on top of the battery – good to prevent overheating but not totally conducive to being placed comfortably on your lap.

Some of the other grumbles already being heard about this product centre on the life of the battery – at around two and a half hours it won’t keep you working for long without mains power. Some have described the Adamo XPS is a triumph of style over substance.

Don’t expect it to fall in the cheap laptops category, with an RRP of £1,099.

Dell rival HP with laptop and music offer

Dell has seen HP’s hand and raised it by offering access to free music with the purchase of a new laptop. Unlike the download-only tracks available with new HP laptops, Dell has decided to go down the subscription route and is teaming up with Napster for the promotion.

With selected Dell laptops customers will be given a complimentary subscription to the Napster Unlimited service, which includes access to 8 million music tracks, the ability to play them online from any PC, unlimited downloads on up to 3 PCs, and 60 DRM-free tracks to download and keep forever.

At the end of the year-long subscription, if you don’t continue with the paid subscription you don’t get to continue listening to any of the music you downloaded other than the 60 tracks.

Dell laptops to feature UK Arm chips

Dell have unveiled plans for a high-end line of laptops that include microprocessors designed by the UK’s Arm Holdings.

The Dell laptops will run Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system on an Intel chip most of the time.

But the Arm chip and a version of the free operating system Linux will be used for instant access to some functions as soon as the laptop is turned on.

Dell’s inclusion of Arm and Linux follows longstanding user frustration with the slow Windows boot-up process.

Dell are said to be targetting sales executives, creative professionals and small businesses. While they are not Dell’s core customers, they are the company’s focus as they try to compete with Apple and HP laptops.

Dell wireless charging is on its way

Dell’s svelte Latitude Z laptop will be their first to experience the wonder of wireless charging.

At £1,000 RRP, the Latitude Z is already in the upper price echelons but for another £100 outlay, you can grab yourself  a laptop stand that charges the Latitude Z laptop wirelessly — just like the Palm Pre’s TouchStone dock. There’s also an optional wireless HDMI adapter for use with a compatible monitor to cut down the cables still further.

The Dell Latitude Z is already a pretty impressive piece of technology without the stand. It uses an Intel CULV Core 2 Duo processor — either the 1.4GHz SU9400 or 1.6GHz SU9600 — and comes either 2Gb or 4Gb of RAM. That 16in screen has a 1600 x 900 resolution and it’s backed by the Intel GMA4500MHD graphic chipset.

The Latitude Z will be joining all the other Dell laptops on Dell’s UK site shortly.

Refurbished laptops can be the pocket friendly way to laptop happiness

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, have you considered refurbished laptops? Essentially, refurbished laptops are built with components from other, older machines. They are of high quality as they are checked for optimium standards of performance at each level of technical testing – meaning you can get a branded, quality laptop of a latest model at a heavily reduced price compared to the retail price.

From time-to-time, Dell laptops or Sony laptops and other big name manufacturers are available as refurbished, with discounts as high as fifty percent. These laptops tend to be from a new range, and sometimes they are bran new models which for one reason or another were returned to the supplier.

Refurbished laptops come with a one-year warranty for peace of mind, and that warranty can also be extended. If you’re after an expensive, trendy laptop but simply cannot afford to buy one at retail price, refurbished laptops could be just the answer you’re looking for.

New Dell laptop could be charged wirelessly

Dell are readying the new Latitude Z laptop for launch in late 2009 but rather than go for the touch-screen option like many of the other Windows 7 systems, they’ve come up with something a bit remarkable.

After losing a large chunk of the PC market share to the likes of HP laptops, Dell returned to the drawing board and have come up with the Dell Latitude Z business laptop featuring ‘advanced wireless capabilities’ and, potentially, ‘wireless charging’.

So you could soon be powering laptops without the need for a bulky plug, similar to the Touchstone accessory sold for the Palm Pre smartphone in the US.

No word on an official release date yet, but it’s expected in the next few weeks.