The end of the next-generation DVD format battle may not mean a long victory lap for inflated Blu-ray prices after all.
Dell, which has more than a little clout in the PC market, on Friday announced that consumers can now spend less than $1,000 to get a Blu-ray-equipped laptop. More specifically, the Round Rock, Texas, company said that it's offering a Blu-ray disc playback option with its Inspiron 1525 laptops starting at $879.
There's also an option for a Blu-ray burner drive, but Dell doesn't seem to be ready to disclose that price just yet.
The Inspiron 1525 made its debut at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. The laptop features a 15-inch screen and an HDMI port for connecting to high-resolution displays and HDTVs. (Check out CNET's review of the Inspiron 1525.)
Things are heating up in the Blu-ray laptop sector. Last week, Asus unveiled its M50 laptop, which has an integrated Blu-ray player, though it did not offer pricing details at the time.
But even at a relatively low price, is Blu-ray a bargain on a laptop? Maybe not. The HD drive technology seems to put a serious hurt on battery life.