inspiron

23-inch Dell all-in-one hits the right notes

Similar to the Toshiba LX835 I reviewed last week, the Dell's Inspiron One 2330 offers a mainstream entry point for PC buyers interested in Windows 8. Unlike the Toshiba system and its higher-end silicon, this Dell is almost entirely pedestrian in terms of its core features.

A handsome design and a collection of less common audio-video ports give this otherwise unremarkable PC some identity. A comparatively low $1,199 price tag puts the Inspiron One 2330 on the most accessible tier of 23-inch touch-screen all-in-ones. For those with light-duty performance needs interested in a basic Windows 8 desktop, the … Read more

Dell’s latest Inspiron laptops get slimmer and touchified

LAS VEGAS--Sensing a trend at this year’s CES? While touchscreens may have been an option for rarified Windows 8 products back in October, it looks like there will hardly be a Windows PC product around in mid-2012 without touch in some configuration or another.

The Dell Inspiron laptops of 2012 were largely forgettable: big, ridiculously thick and pre-Windows 8, they felt like a downturn from the previous year. The 2013 Inspiron and Inspiron Rs, codenamed “Oak,” seem like a return to form: slimmed-down bodies, improved specs all around, and--of course--optional touch.

The new 14, 15 and 17-inch Inspiron and … Read more

Dell joins the parade of Windows 8 systems

Dell is joining the ranks of PC companies making system announcements before the official October 26 release of Windows 8.

The following products are available for preorder today, according to Dell:

XPS 12 convertible -- starting at $1,199.99 XPS One 27 with touch -- starting at $1,599.99 Inspiron One 23 AIO with touch -- starting at $779.99 XPS 13 ultrabook -- starting at $999.99

Dell is also offering Windows 8 as an option on its current XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision brands -- which covers virtually all the company's major product brands. … Read more

This week in awesome: Twelve 4-star gadgets and apps

I'd call this week the calm before the brewing Motorola/iPhone/rumored smaller iPad/Kindle update/Surface storm, but in truth, fall gadget winds are already whipping up. This week's Microsoft Release to Manufacturing of Windows 8 signals the company's final few weeks before a hurricane of Windows 8 machines blow into the market.

Storm metaphor too heavy-handed? I'll just cut to the chase: Seth Rosenblatt took a very close look at this final version of Windows (it's the code that ships to partners installing the OS on new computers) and made a call: It'… Read more

New 27-inch Dell all-in-one matches iMac pixel for pixel

HP and Asus released the first 27-inch Windows-based all-in-ones this year, but with 1,920x,1,080-pixel resolution screens, they failed to match Apple's high-density, 2,560x1,440 iMacs. Dell's new XPS One 27 does.

Dell says the starting price for the new XPS One 27 is $1,399. That puts it ahead of the $1,249 HP Omni 27, but on par with the Asus ET2700I. All are also at least $300 below the most affordable 27-inch iMac.

At least for now, those other 27-inch all-in-ones also all use second-generation Intel Core CPUs, aka Sandy Bridge. The XPS One 27 has third-generation Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs, aka Ivy Bridge.… Read more

Dell says goodbye to Netbooks

Dell is longer interested in selling Netbooks--that category of 10-inch class laptops that saw mild success for a couple of years but is now facing a serious existential crisis.

Rather, Dell is now concentrating on laptops that deliver real performance--a major failing of the Netbook.

"We sold through the Dell Mini some time ago. We're committed to the highly portable space and have focused on delivering thin + powerful solutions, for which we've seen strong success, particularly in our XPS line," Matthew Hutchison, director of Dell Global Consumer PR, said in a statement sent to CNET. … Read more

Best Buy, Verizon, Dell launch Cyber Monday deals

Best Buy, Amazon, Verizon, and Dell launched Cyber Monday deals featuring discounted laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Best Buy is calling its sale "Cyber Week" and puts Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, and Toshiba laptops at the top of the list on its launch page. All three come with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Best Buy laptops listed on Cyber Week page:

Lenovo, $299.99: Model: 1450ABU. 15.6-inch LED-backlit display, AMD dual-core E-450 accelerated processor, 4GB memory, 320GB hard disk drive, and optical drive. HP Pavilion, $349.99: Model: g4-1229dx. 14-inch LED-backlit display, Intel dual-core "Sandy Bridge" Pentium B950 processor, 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and optical drive. Toshiba - Satellite Laptop, $379.99: Model: C655-S5305. 15.6" LED-backlit display, Intel Sandy Bridge Core i3-2330M processor (2.2GHz), 4GB memory, 320GB hard drive, and optical drive.

Dell refreshes Inspiron all-in-one desktops

HP has offered up brand-new all-in-ones for the holidays, and newcomers Samsung and Toshiba have given the category fresh competition, but Dell has opted for a more conservative approach with its updated Inspiron One 2320 all-in-one announced this morning. Rather than revamping its Inspiron One 2305 with a whole new look, Dell has focused instead on updating the Inspiron One's internal components (sound familiar?)

Dell built is previous Inspiron One, the 2305, around AMD's serviceable AMD Phenom II X4 CPUs. The new Inspiron One 2320 comes with second-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs, bringing its performance … Read more

Dell Inspiron 14z review: Back-to-school special

When it comes to laptops in 2011, "thinner is better" seems to be a consistent trend. The MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 head the pack in that regard, but laptops such as the Sony Vaio SE and Dell XPS 15z have followed suit. It's no surprise, then, that the mainstream Dell Inspiron line has gotten its own thinned-out model in the Inspiron 14z. If the name rings a bell, that's because there was a previous Inspiron 14z released in 2009, with a Core 2 Duo processor, but that "thin" laptop was inferior to … Read more

Post-HP: Dell or Apple?

If Hewlett-Packard exits the PC business as planned, the U.S. is down to two major laptop makers, Dell and Apple. And the two couldn't be more different.

Apple: Apple is more about the iPhone and iPad these days and less about the Mac. And the core of its Mac lineup now is arguably the MacBook Air, which doesn't look or act like a traditional laptop.

The Air is getting smaller (11.6 inches), lighter (2.3 pounds)--and, matched with OS X Lion, offers an iPad-like interface. The iPad, on the other hand, will evolve into a … Read more