24-Inch 4K Display from Dell Priced at $1399, 28-Inch 4K Model Coming at Under $1000

Following the initial revelation of some details on a new 24-inch 3840 x 2160 "4K" Ultra HD display from Dell yesterday, the company has now officially announced that the display launches today in the Americas with a $1399 price tag. A 32-inch model at the same resolution is also available for $3499, while Dell will be introducing a 28-inch 4K display in early 2014 with breakthrough pricing of under $1000...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Dell's $1,549 Ubuntu-based XPS 13 goes on sale, $50 more than Windows variant

What once was just an internal skunkworks project, Dell's Project Sputnik has taken off with the release of the XPS 13 Developer Edition. The thin and light darling of the Ultrabook crowd is now shipping with a Precise Pangolin Ubuntu build pre-installed, along with feature-complete drivers that ensure maximum peripheral compatibility right out of the box. Also bundled in the XPS 13 are a couple of Project Sputnik's open source tools -- Profile Tool and Cloud Launcher -- that are designed to help developers install and deploy their projects quickly and efficiently. The hardware packs quite a punch, with either an Intel i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256 GB SATA III SSD. All that Linux goodness comes at a cost, however -- the Developer Edition retails for $1,549, which is around $50 more than the Windows equivalent. Still, it might be well worth it for one of the best specced pre-assembled open-source laptops we've seen to date.

[Source: Engadget]

Greenpeace study gives Wipro top marks for eco-friendliness, docks Apple, Dell and Lenovo

Greenpeace often seeks to light a fire under companies it thinks are dragging their heels in clean technology, and that's more apparent than ever in its latest Guide to Greener Electronics. The frontrunner this time is chart newcomer Wipro, an Indian tech giant that scores a high 7.1 in the rankings for both green products and aggressive attempts to cut down on pollution. Most everyone else lags behind, however, and their scores only emphasize how little progress there's been. Apple (4.5) is hurt mostly by a lack of transparency; Dell (4.6) is bruised for not living up to its own promises of the past two years, and Lenovo (3.9) is chastised for the absence of clear policies. Greenpeace once more has an agenda in its report -- in this case, drawing attention to India's environmental situation -- but the high-contrast study does show that planet-friendly gadgets can be more than just dreams.

[Source: Engadget]

Dell releases new S Series monitors with edge-to-edge glass, IPS panels

Dell's built quite a reputation for delivering solid monitors at reasonable prices, and it's now expanded its offerings in a fairly big way with no less than five new S Series models, some of which boast edge-to-edge glass and/or IPS panels. On the top end is the 27-inch S2740L, which has the most connectivity options of the lot (DVI, VGA, HDMI and a pair of USB ports) and, of course, the highest price tag at $400. From there, things drop to $300 with the 24-inch S2440L (the only non-IPS model of the lot), and go all the way down to $200 for the 21.5-inch S2240M -- the three lower-end models ditch the edge-to-edge glass but still retain minimal bezels. Unlike some of the company's higher-end UltraSharp models, though, all five monitors have a 16:9 aspect ratio instead of 16:10, and you'll get a standard 1920 x 1080 resolution regardless of the size you choose. Complete specs for each can be found at the links below.

[Source: Engadget]

Dell's new 27-inch UltraSharp monitor, its first with AH-IPS

Following 2010’s highly-regarded U2711 monitor, Dell is releasing its next iteration on the 27-inch 2560x1440 IPS LCD panel. Announced on Dell’s Japanese site, the UltraSharp branded U2713HM is the company’s first display to use AH-IPS (advanced high-performance IPS), which it claims offers improved color and clarity over other IPS technologies.  While Dell’s offering doesn’t have the Thunderbolt interface of Apple’s similarly-sized display (also a 2560x1440 IPS panel), it does offer four USB 3.0 ports, and its DisplayPort, HDMI, dual-link DVI, and even VGA inputs mean it should be compatible with whatever computer you want to throw at it. The U2713HM hasn’t yet been announced in the US, but the Japanese price of ¥49,980 (about $637) is a drop of ¥20,000 (about $255) from Dell's last generation.

[Source: The Verge]

Dell announces new thin(ish) notebook

Dell today introduced the XPS 15z laptop one of the thinnest 15-inch PCs on the planet[ii], and the first in a series of new thin and powerful products from Dell to come this year. With the XPS 15z, everyone from mobile warriors to students owners now have everything they need to work hard and play hard in one stunning package. 

 

A leading-edge combination of uncompromising power and stunning design, the XPS 15z offers 2nd-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, optional 15.6-inch Full HD (1080p) display for superior entertainment and web-browsing experiences, a backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness and up to eight hours of battery life - all housed in a luxurious, eye-catching and elegantly crafted case that is less than an inch thick. 

 

The XPS 15z is the first in a series of upcoming thin Inspiron- and XPS-branded products that deliver the ultimate blend of style and performance so you can pursue your personal passions. 
"The XPS 15z delivers uncompromising performance in our most beautifully designed laptop yet," said Sam Burd, vice president of Dell's Consumer and Small/Medium Business product group. "It delivers all the must-have features -- from next-generation Intel Core i processors for incredible performance to optional full HD screens that are up to 50 percent brighter than standard displays - all in a stunning form factor that makes it one of the thinnest 15-inch PC on the planet." 

 

"The XPS 15z provides a glimpse into a series of visually stunning and powerful systems coming soon to our consumer and small-to-medium-business product portfolio," said Steve Felice, president of Dell's Consumer and Small/Medium Business group. "We're committed to introducing next-generation products that help people pursue their personal and professional passions." 

 

Less Mass, More Appeal 
A technology package perfect for pumping out spectacular, media-rich office presentations or watching the latest award-winning movies, the XPS 15z includes 2nd generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, a brilliant 15.6-inch WLED display with a Full HD option that has almost two times the HD resolution of standard HD displays, NVIDIA graphics with 3DTV play capabilities[iii], built-in WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 3.0 and a backlit keyboard. 

 

Despite its incredibly slim exterior, the XPS 15z delivers uncompromising performance, including NVIDIA discrete graphics with Optimus technology that automatically switches to power-saving integrated graphics under reduced workloads, helping the battery last longer on coast-to-coast flights and for movie marathons. In addition, it offers ample hard drive storage and a slot-loading DVD +/- RW drive for watching the latest movies or burning music to a disc. And the optional Full HD (1080p) display brings HDTV-type quality to the laptop screen. 

 

Advanced wireless features make XPS 15z your go-to device from the road or the living room. Built-in Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity ensure it's fast and easy to connect with e-mail, websites, Skype and Facebook from almost anywhere[iv]. For at-home entertainment, the optional Intel Wireless Display[v] feature enables videos and photos to be streamed wirelessly from your XPS 15z to an HDMI-equipped TV. And with the exclusive Dell Stage user interface, it's easy to access personal content such as music, photos and videos. 

 

At first glance, the XPS 15z design, with its clean aluminium exterior, appears to float above the surface, and the polished, brushed finishes with sophisticated accents add to a luxurious appearance. 
Priced from £899 including VAT and shipping, the XPS 15z, like all XPS computers, is designed and built from the ground up to provide a premium computing experience with the best materials, technology, performance and reliability Dell offers. 

 

Availability: 
The XPS 15z is available today from Dell's global online stores, including www.dell.co.uk in the United Kingdom, with retail availability to follow shortly. 
Detailed Information: 
- Thin (0.97"/24.68mm) laptop PC with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium; aluminium and mag-alloy enclosure 
- 2nd-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 Dual Core processor choices 
- Standard HD or optional Full HD (1920x1080) WLED display 
- Fast NVIDIA graphics options[vi]: 
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M with 1GB graphics memory 
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M with 2GB graphics memory 
- Includes NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology; NVIDIA 3DTV Play technology 
- 4GB up to 8GB DDR3[vii] 1333Mhz memory[viii] options 
- Fast 7200RPM hard disk storage, up to 750GB 
- Built-in Slot load DVD +/- RW (reads & writes to CD/DVD) 
- Backlit, Chiclet-style keyboard with adjustable brightness 
- Optimized touchpad 
- Built-in Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 802.11 A/G/N and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity 
- Intel Wireless Display-ready 
- Up to 8 hours of battery life with 8-cell battery 
- USB 3.0 (2), USB/eSATA with PowerShare, HDMI 1.4, Mini Display-Port, Gigabit Ethernet and audio connectors 
- Built-in 9-in-1 media card reader 
- Built-in 1.3MP HD Webcam with dual array digital microphones and stereo speakers 
- Dell Stage software for fast access to content like music, videos and photos 
- Dimensions: Height: 0.97" (24.68mm) / Width: 15.15" (384.85mm) / Depth 10.25" (260.37mm); Weight: starting at 5.54lbs (2.51 kg) 

 

EeePC (or MacBook Air) Contender from Dell Mini Inspiron

It seems like every Joe is trying to get into the mini-PC market these days. Ever since the EeePC from Asus came onto the marker, there have been new announcements from HP (with the MiniNote), MSI (ahem, with the Wind) and now Dell sneak us a peak of their mini Inspiron (pictured here). A lot of websites are saying that it competes with the EeePC, but if you look at how things are developing, these new miniature PC's are getting a little larger with each incarnation. They also seem to be making sure that they have more ports than the MacBook Air.
Now, I am not saying that any PC, let alone the rather nice looking offering from Dell, would ever be better than a MacBook Air, but it does make me take notice. Wouldn't it be fantastic is Steve Jobs took notice and released the MacBook Air 2 at WWDC 2008 with two or three extra USB ports, a removable battery, and maybe an extra option or two on the hard drive front.