Dell Inspiron Duo – Review
The Dell Inspiron Duo is a convertible, the device for want of a better word can literally convert itself from a small netbook into a tablet, which makes it heavier than most other tablet devices. The Inspiron Duo weighs in at 1.54 kg compared to the 0.68kg that the iPad weighs.
The Inspiron Duo, unlike the iPad comes with 2 USB ports and since it does not just function solely as a tablet device, it is quite reasonable that it weighs a bit more The Duo comes with a 10.1 inch display, 2GB of RAM and 1.5GHz processor.
The main differentiator however is the ability to plug in flash drives and play large video files immediately without having to sync. The inbuilt camera is an added bonus allowing the use of programs like Skype. The camera however does not function when the device is in tablet mode, because it is not attached to the front facing frame of the screen.
The main drawback with the Inspiron Duo is its use of Windows 7 as the operating system for a tablet hybrid. Windows 7 is simply not optimized for hand held devices such as mobiles or tablets in the way iOS is.
When trying to close a window on a Windows 7 powered tablet the user needs to very precise, and that involves usually having to hit the close button a number of times before the user is able to close it.
Dell of course was well aware of that Windows 7 was not the best operating system for a tablet, so the device comes with proprietary software from Dell which is meant to make it easier to use and browse. The software makes the buttons on the screen larger when the device is functioning in tablet mode. However, the software is really slow to load. But this may just be because the unit sent to review was pre-production.
The device looks and feels nice, however occasionally the fan lets out some heat highlighting the fact that it is not merely a dedicated tablet, but rather a netbook as well.
The device also has the ability to dock in a speaker station for an added cost of course, which gives the user a better audio experience and adds extras USB and Ethernet ports.
Overall, the duo, if ever released by Dell Australia, is ideal for those that can’t decide whether they want a tablet or netbook.
Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Dell To Unveil Latitude 2120
Round Rock Texas based Dell is set to have another busy CES and will use the conference to launch its latest business netbook the the Dell Latitude 2120, which is primarily targeted at business and education customers.
The Latitude 2120 has been designed with an antimicrobial cover and boasts the ability to withstand drops and spills better than other netbooks. The model comes with a 10.1-inch screen with an optional touchscreen.
The Latitude 2120 is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor with 2GB of RAM, comes with both a 3 and 6 cell battery option weighing 2.7 pounds with the former and 3.3 pounds with the latter option.
These netbooks are expected to be welcomed by the corporate users.
The device will include USB, Ethernet, and VGA ports and is also expected to stand alone from all other netbooks in the market with its nature and build quality.
Dell Australia is likely to launch the Latitude 2120 much later in the year.
Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Dell Release Of Tablet Netbook Hybrid Imminent
Computer manufacturing giant Dell is expected to launch the first phase of the roll out of its highly anticipated hybrid tablet laptop in the US as early as Thursday as the company seeks to capture a larger share of the market for tablet devices from rival Apple. 
Dell is expected to disclose pre sale information of the 10-inch Inspiron Duo this week according to an unnamed industry source cited by CNET in its report.
According to the report Dell will make announcement early next week, by which point the Duo will be available for order in America from the company’s website.
The device is highly anticipate because of its ability to open up and flip out, and operate either as a tablet or a high end netbook. The Duo runs on the Windows 7 operating system and is powered by a dual core Atom processor.
Dell has embarked on a strategy to aggressively compete with Apple in the tablet segment of the market. In a zinger squarely aimed at the iPad, Dave Zavelson, a Dell marketing executive said: “There are times that you have to do work. Tablets are great for entertainment, but they aren’t exactly conducive to productivity,”
Mr. Zavelson made his comments during an Intel developer conference in September after which he revealed the device’s hidden keyboard.
Dell Australia will most likely release the Inspiron Duo sometime in 2011.
Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Dell Reportedly To Roll Out Netbooks Running Ubuntu Light Operating System
A new report suggests that global computer manufacturing giant Dell will begin shipping netbooks powered by the Linux based operating system Ubuntu Light within the next few months.
Dell is widely considered to be the most likely manufacturer to be the first to launch Ubuntu Light powered netbooks, and already sells more PC’s powered by the OS than any other manufacturer.
The netbook optimized version of Canonical’s Ubuntu 10.10 is able to boot in 7 seconds.
The new streamlined interface known as Unity allows owners the ability access a number of functions quickly, including browse, email, chat, music, multimedia games and productivity applications.
The music application integrates a music store which enables users to purchase music and stream it to Android phones and iPhones.
Dell has yet to announce when it will launch netbooks that run Ubuntu Light 10.10, though it is widely expected that netbooks that run the OS will cost far less than devices that are loaded with Windows 7.
Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Tablet Devices Pose Threat To Netbook Sales
Analysts believe that there will be strong growth in worldwide shipments of netbooks during the first quarter of 2010, however sales are likely to be affected by the launch of tablet devices such as the Apple iPad, and the highly anticipated Slate from Hewlett Packard, which are expected to prove extremely popular.
According to a report authored by research firm DisplaySearch, netbook shipments are estimated to touch 8.7 million units during the first quarter 2010, an increase of 44.9 per cent compared to the same time period a year earlier.
DisplaySearch says that tablet devices, which give users the ability to read e-books, view video, and the surf the internet could hamper sales growth.
Low prices have driven the growth in netbook sales, but computer manufacturers and retailers are concerned by the low margins generated by the sales of such products. As a result analysts are predicting that manufacturers may shift some of their focus to higher margin products such as tablet devices, which generate greater revenue, whilst delivering similar functionality as netbooks.
Tablet devices which include content and its delivery, as well as applications will produce increased revenue and higher margins for manufacturers and retailers according to the report.
Apple’s iPad, which began shipping last weekend is a 9.7 inch touch-screen hand held-device. Unlike netbooks however, the device lacks a built in keyboard which may limit its use for creating documents.
Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Asus and Lenovo are scheduled to come out with competing tablet devices later in the year.
Despite the arrival of the hand held tablet device on the market, and the threat posed by them, DisplaySearch says it expects netbook shipments to continue to grow, and estimates that the shipments of mini laptops including tablet devices this year could amount to 43.8 million units, representing year on year growth of 28.5 per cent.
4G Is the Word
US telecoms giant Sprint made headlines this week when it unveiled a super fast and super slick 4G Wi-Max phone manufactured by HTC at this week’s CTIA wireless show, shocking and awing the coterie of journalists assigned to cover the event.
And so it would seem that 4G is rapidly emerging as the new buzzword in the lexicon of the cognisati.
After much debate over whether the technology would be adopted by consumers, it has become increasingly clear, that a catchy alias for a technology that by its very name suggests technological superiority over the current standard will most certainly capture the public’s imagination.
Though the HTC 4G handset has been the centre of attention this week, the earliest adopters of Wi-Max were and are the laptop manufacturers.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad range in the US will now support both 3G and 4G wireless the company announced this week. Lenovo’s laptops have had 3G capability for quite some time now, but the company now plans on bundling 4G capability in products such as the ThinkPad Edge.
According to Clearwire the Wimax provider whose parent is Sprint, more than 30 computers have 4G capability that can be used on its network.
Muddled 4G
Migration to 4G broadband capability by laptop manufacturers has indeed been slow, due to the fact that a technological standard has yet to emerge and it was not immediately clear what 4G actually meant.
Over the last year a combination of two next generation wireless technologies has been adopted by laptop and phone manufacturers which are known as Wi-Max and LTE and are both dubbed as being 4G, which even Bill Morrow, chief executive of Clearwire admits is too complicated, saying that life would be far simpler with just one global standard.
For example Lenovo’s ThinkPad edge supports Wi-Max which is advocated by Sprint whilst Dell’s 4G enabled laptop supports LTE, which is still very much nascent, but will be rolled out by telecoms giants AT&T and Verizon over the next couple of years. To add to the confusion Dell has not been completely consistent with its adoption either, with some laptops such as the Inspiron Mini 10 netbook being bundled with Wi-Max 4G modems as well.
4G 101
Purchasing a 4G enabled laptop from a wireless provider largely solves the problem of which technology to choose, since the carrier makes the decision for you, selling laptops that are compatible with its service.
However many consumers and businesses prefer to buy their laptops directly from the PC manufacturers or consumer electronics retailers, and the choice of which technology to opt for becomes a problem. For this group of buyers, a crash course in 4G technology is almost certainly going to be necessary if a clear winner does not become apparent.
There is however lots of time for consumers and businesses to cram the finer points that exist between LTE vs Wi-Max.
In Australia Perth became the first city in the country with a 4G network, when vividwireless (a subsidiary of the Seven Network) switched its service on last week. The debate in this country rages over whether Wi-Max is even suitable for Australia .
In America both 4G networks are still in the early stages of their roll out. Sprint has so far launched its service in 27 US cities, with plans to add an additional 15 during the course of 2010, whilst AT&T and Verizon subscribers won’t have 4G access until 2011.
Dell Inadvertently Reveals Existence Of 4G Or WiMax Capable Netbook
Computer manufacturing giant Dell has inadvertently let slip through an FCC filing that it intends to launch a new Mini 10 with WiMax capability.
The netbook will include both 802.11n Wi-Fi as well as 4G capability through a single chip-set. The chip-set represents an upgrade from the current 802.11g and 3G capability offered by the current version of the Mini 10.
It is impossible to tell merely through an FCC filing when Dell intends to launch the netbook on the market, however an early opportunity would be in late march at the US CTIA show.
It is unlikely Dell Australia will release the product in Australia in the immediate future, with the initial roll out probably targeted at US based Clear or Sprint 4G customers. There is even speculation that the product may be made available through telecoms carriers directly, rather than Dell itself.
> > Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Dell Mini 1011 Netbook – Review
- 10.1 Inch Screen
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio
- Intel Atom Processor
- 2GB RAM
- 160 GB Hard Drive (up to 250 GB)
- 4 USB Ports
- HDMI Port
- 802.11b/g internal Wi-Fi
This new netbook which will be made available by Dell Australia comes with a 10.1 inch screen that has a 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen is designed so that websites display without having to scroll left or right.
The netbook allows the user to connect to an external monitor or television through an HDMI port.
The Dell Mini 10 comes with multiple hard drive options and a basic 160 GB storage capacity, and 2GB of RAM. So you have plenty of room to store music and multimedia files. The laptop comes with an Intel Atom Processor.
The keyboard on the netbook is very easy to use and is approximately 92 per cent the size of traditional laptops. The netbook comes with a media card reader and 802.11b/g internal Wi-Fi connection so that you can remain in contact with your family or friends through video chat or instant messenger and email.
The Dell Mini 1011 comes in six different colour options with Ethernet and 4 USB Ports and features and in-built 1.3 Webcam and most impressive an 8 hour battery life and weighs on 3.2 pounds.
> > Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Dell Mini Inspiron Powered By Intel N450 Has Up To Nine Hours Battery Life
If battery life is really important to you when it comes to choosing a laptop or netbook, then the Dell Mini Inspiron powered by the N450 is definitely worth taking a look at.
The netbook is powered by Intel’s new Pine Trail Family range 1.66 GHz chip. The processor does not give the user increased performance per say, but it does increase the battery life compared to previous Intel incarnations.
With the N450, Dell Australia claims that the laptop can run for up to 9 hours on a standard six battery cell. Normally when looking at laptops one needs to take the battery life claims of the manufacturer with a pinch of salt, since most vendors tend to make their claims based on running the computer in standby mode.
The new processor however is far more about extending battery life then it is about increasing computing power, so we take the 9 hour battery life claim a little seriously and will be testing the machine shortly.
The new Inspiron comes with 1GB of RAM in which Windows 7 Starter edition will run fine, and a 250GB hard disk. The 10 inch screen has 1024×600 resolution and Wi-Fi can do 802.11 b/g and is available for roughly $499.
> > Click here to order online with Dell Australia
Lenovo Unveils Really Unique Tablet At CES
Not to be outdone by rivals, Lenovo unveiled perhaps its most unique offering at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week.
The model dubbed the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid looks very much like a Lenovo IdeaPad netbook upon first glance. However when you look at the model closely, a screen pops out of the keyboard section of the device, and the device can then be used as a tablet.
The Hybrid uses a CULV Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and runs Windows 7 as the operating system which is installed on a hard drive in the keyboard section of the device. However when the screen is detached from the keyboard, it runs on Lenovo Skylight Linux.
The screen itself is 11.6 inches and both sections of the U1 have their own battery.
This has really interesting ramifications, because it means that whilst you are using the tablet to do one thing, the base itself can be connected to another external display, and you can continue using it as a standard Windows based PC.
The model is set to ship on June 1 in America for $US999 ($1081) and Lenovo Australia will probably release it sometime after that.
> > Click here to order online with Lenovo Australia
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