Dell Latitude 2110 A Good Buy For Heavy Users
With the plethora of netbook offerings out there, it’s very hard for a particular model to capture one’s attention. That being said the Dell Latitude 2110 instantly caught the eye because of its ribbed and rubberized lid and underside.
The Latitude 2110 is aimed at organizations that require rugged computers, for users who bang them around a bit, such as schools. The model comes in red, black and blue designs.
Though the rugged design makes it difficult to find a comfortable grip when carrying the laptop from room to room, it does prop up the keyboard at an angle, which enables more comfortable for some.
The battery has a life of four hours and 35 minutes on heavy usage, and lasted exactly 7 hours on a light usage test of a six battery cell.
The models keyboard is both comfortable and responsive, which allows fast and error free typing, though the buttons are stiff, which means not enough feedback is provided.
The model provides and alternative to its touchpad, though this does not support multi-touch, and the screen does not fall back, lying parallel to the keyboard instead. Most Windows applications are not designed to work with a touchscreen in any case.
The screen is relatively bright, considering it is an anti glare screen as opposed to a glossy finish.
The Latitude 2110 comes with a useful integrated 3G modem, which frees up one of the three USB2 ports from having to be used for a dongle. The SIM card slot is accessed by removing the battery.
The Dell Latitude 2110 has yet to be released by Dell Australia
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Dell Regains Global Number Two PC Maker Position
Global computer manufacturing giant Dell, who nine months ago lost its position as the number two computer manufacturer in the market to Acer, has found it has regained the position from its Taiwanese rival, after Acer suffered a sales shortfall.
According to the market research firm Isuppli, the Round Rock Texas based company shipped 10.5 million units globally during the second quarter, down slightly for the 10.7 million units the PC maker shipped during the first quarter.
Dell commanded a 12.8 share of all global shipments during the second quarter down from 13.1 per cent during the first.
A reduction in market share might be a reason for concern, however Dell rival Acer suffered an even bigger decline, falling to 12.4 per cent, from 13.3 per cent of all global shipments during the first quarter.
Globally PC sales during the second quarter rose, with shipments amounting to 82.5 million units, up from 81.6 million in the first quarter.
Isuppli notes however, that Dell’s global share of PC market has steadily been declining since the second quarter of 2008, when the company was responsible for 16 per cent of worldwide shipments and held a 6.5 percentage point lead over Acer.
Dell Australia remains the number two PC maker in the country.
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Dell Streak Receives OS Upgrade
Owners of the Dell Streak, will be able to take advantage of a new and improved tablet experience, when an update to the Android 2.1 operating system is released on Tuesday.
We have already had a look as the Streak, and we have liked what we have seen so far. The only thing we thought it could improve on was the old Android 1.6 OS.
The new operating system for the Streak will allow 720p recording from the rear facing camera, and multi touch support for pinch and zoom gestures. The new OS also eases up on document editing using the Quick Office application, and provides support for multiple mail accounts.
Also improved is the look and feel of the phone dialer for managing calls, application compatibility for apps in the Android Market requiring Android 2.0+, and speed and performance optimisation. The Android 2.1 Eclair upgrade makes the Streak a better proposition that it was before.
It is still yet to be announced when Dell Australia will release The Streak in this country
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Dell Launches Aero Smartphone In The US
Global computer manufacturing giant Dell released its smart phone offering in the US for the first time as it seeks to capture market share in the segment which is predicted to eventually grow even larger than the market for personal computers.
The Round Rock Texas based company launched the Aero smartphone in the US on Tuesday, which is powered by the Android operating system, and the phone will be priced at US$100 on AT&T’s mobile network.
The device features a 3.5 inch screen and comes bundled with a five megapixel camera, weighing in at 104 grams, which makes it one of the lightest smartphones available according to Dell.
Ron Garriques an executive with the company says the Aero is designed “to help people find new ways to connect with friends and express themselves socially” using built in features such as Facebook, You Tube and Twitter apps.
The company first waded into the smartphone market late last year, when it released the mini 3 in China. Earlier this year the company then launched The Streak, a five inch hybrid tablet/smartphone. Both offerings also run on Android.
It is still not yet known when Dell Australia will launch smartphones in the country.
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Dell Experiences Sizzling Growth In India
Global computer manufacturing giant Dell experienced sizzling growth in India during the quarter ending June, capturing the top spot in the branded PC market in that country from Hewlett Packard, which has traditionally been the top selling manufacturer in India for five consecutive years.
Dell’s President for global consumer, small and medium business Steve Felice, said that revenue from India during the quarter rose 77 per cent, whilst unit shipments leapt by 90 per cent compared with the same time period in the previous year.
Mr. Felice said that growth in India was now originating from the consumer and small and medium business segment.
“We have been consistently No. 1 in market share in the large enterprise segment. Now we are beginning to see a similar performance in the other segments,” he said.
Mr. Felice claims that in the consumer segment, the Round Rock Texas based company was only a percentage point behind traditional market leader HP, and that India now delivered $1 billion in revenue for the company.
The momentum in Dell sales has continued to grow ever since it first set up a manufacturing facility in India four years ago. According to Mr. Felice Dell has no need to expand its capacity in the country, since it had more than enough existing capacity from its current facility.
Dell Australia is the second ranked computer manufacturer in Australia.
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Dell Acquires Storage Solution Provider
Computer manufacturing giant Dell has reached an agreement to acquire the virtualised storage solutions company 3PAR for US$1.15 billion, as the Roudn Rock Texas based company seeks to expand its data management solutions offering.
3PAR is a pioneer of solutions for multi tenant cloud computing environments, which help businesses spend only on the storage required.
Dell believes that the acquisition will enable it to provide solutions to its customers, that contain at least a 50 per cent cost reduction in data management, which Dell says could be as high as 90 per cent in savings of storage administration costs.
“3PAR brings the same values of performance, agility and ease-of-use to higher end, virtualised storage deployments as EqualLogic does for the entry-level and mid-range, rounding out our industry-leading solutions portfolio,” said Brad Anderson, Dell senior vice president for the Enterprise Product Group.
“With Dell we combine a powerful, virtualised storage platform with an outstanding distribution network to deliver this value to an even broader set of customers,” added David Scott, president and chief executive of 3PAR.
3PAR was formed in 1999, and it is expected that Dell’s acquisition of the company will be completed by the end of the year with Dell paying $18 a share.
Dell Emerging As Top Provider For Educational Hardware
Universities and schools more than ever have begun to deploy education specific technology solutions offered by global computer manufacturing giant Dell Australia, which has emerged as the top provider of laptops and desktops in schools in several countries around the world.
Last year the Round Rock Texas based company launched the Dell Connected Classroom, which included technologies such as the Latitude 2110 netbook for students. The model enables students to learn, share and collaborate using a device that was durable, whilst specialized enough to serve up content such as digital textbooks.
Dell’s Virtual Lab solution which has been designed for universities, means it is now easier for students and staff to easily connect to a standards based university IT networks, meaning it is extremely easy for students or staff to remotely connect to a university engineering or computer labs anywhere, any time.
John Mullen, Vice President, Dell Global Education said:”We listen to our education customers, then develop solutions – from classrooms to data centres – that meet their specific needs. I don’t believe there’s another technology company providing that level of service or integration for schools, and it’s why we’re number one in this space.”
Latest Dell Inspiron To Offer Bluetooth 3.0
Last week computer manufacturing giant Dell announced the Inspiron M101z laptop. The new model promises new technologies including Bluetooth 3.0 capability and is powered by a low voltage processor from AMD.
Bluetooth 3.0 which is optional is a wireless feature which promises to allow faster data transfer of images or movies from PC’s to mobile devices.
Currently most laptops are equipped with Bluetooth 2.1, however the latest version of the technology transfers wireless data at speeds as high as 25 Mbps. Bluetooth 3.0 piggybacks Wi-Fi connections to transfer short bursts of data between devices while drawing less power. The laptop comes with an 11.6-inch screen.
The new laptop, which Dell Australia will release later in the year comes with syncables desktop software, which gives the user the ability to synchronize their multimedia files with their mobile devices.
The new Inspiron weighs about 3.44 pounds (1.56 kilograms). Based on tests, Dell estimates the laptop’s battery life to be about six hours and 30 minutes with a six-cell battery.The laptop is priced starting at US$449 and is available through the company’s website in America.
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Dell Regains Number Two Computer Manufacturer Spot
Global shipments of personal computers leapt 22.4 per cent during the second quarter as businesses began to return to the market and replace their aging machine. A trend which helped Dell regain its position as second largest computer manufacturer according to new data released by research firm IDC.
IDC said however that the trend was mainly confined to desktops and that laptop and netbook sales have fallen largely due to weak economies in the US and other countries.
The new figures were made available a day after Intel, the world’s largest silicon chip manufacturer posted a 34 per cent vault in second quarter sales figures, which the chip maker attributed to strong demand from corporations particularly in the server system and laptop segments.
PC makers shipped 81.5 million computers in the second quarter, IDC said.
“Commercial replacements continue to grow,” IDC analyst Bob O’Donnell said. However, Mr. O’Donnell said consumer activity has started to slow.
Dell regained its position as the second largest computer manufacturer, edging out Acer with more than 19 per cent growth as a result of increased business demand and on the back of strong growth in both the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Dell Australia sales figures are unknown.
Lenovo also performed well, and grew its sales by an eye popping 47 per cent on the back of increased demand from both Europe and emerging market sales.
Hewlett-Packard Co. held on to the No. 1 spot with world-wide growth of 12% from a year earlier.
Half Of All Windows 7 Operating Systems Being Installed On 64 Bit PC’s
Software giant Microsoft says that the arrival of its latest operating system Windows 7 has dramatically increased the uptake of 64 bit computing, with nearly half of all installations of the OS using the 64 bit version.
Most Dell Computer Australia come preconfigured with Windows 7 which enable the buyer choose the correct version to suit their needs.
According to data provided by Microsoft, 46 per cent of PC which run Windows 7 are powered by the 64 bit version of the OS, a much larger increase than the uptake seen with Vista or XP in the past.
“Compared to Windows Vista at three and a half years after launch, only 11 per cent of PCs running Windows Vista worldwide are running 64-bit,” revealed Brandon LeBlanc of the Windows client communications team.
“The price of memory has dropped over the last several years making it easier for OEMs to up the amount of memory in the PCs they ship. And most major processors in PCs today are capable of running a 64-bit OS,” he said.
“There are also more and more compatible devices and applications for PCs running 64-bit Windows 7,” he wrote in a Windows Team blog post.
Previously Microsoft has offered 64 bit versions of its operating systems, with a 64 bit version of XP made available in 2001.
Despite the multi-tasking benefits provided by a PC which has the ability to support more than the 4GB maximum memory of 32 bit systems, compatible hardware costs and limited software availability has kept the 64 bit version on the sidelines.
To this day, just one per cent of Windows XP installations are 64-bit, while 89 per cent of Vista users are using a 32-bit version of the operating system.
“With Windows 7, running a 64-bit OS is becoming the norm,” Mr. LeBlanc claimed.
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