The Dell Vostro V13: a cheaper Adamo?
(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)Today, Dell announced the availability of the Vostro V13, a new addition to its small-business Vostro line of laptops. The big news here is that it's the company's first ULV thin-and-light for the business sector, an area that seems to be a big focus factor in a down economy when lots of small business entrepreneurs are looking for affordable portables. We had the chance for a quick up-close hands-on look at one, and it's definitely an attractive little laptop.
It's certainly thin.
(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)With an industrial design that's heavy on anodized aluminum and borrows a lot of what was eye-catching about the original Adamo, the Vostro V13 is .65 inch thick and weighs around 3.5 pounds, comes with a Webcam, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an ExpressCard slot standard, and starts at $449--but, mind you, that's a configuration that includes a single-core Celeron processor and Ubuntu Linux as an operating system.
For Windows 7 and a Core 2 Duo ULV, the price rises in the range of mid-to-high $600, which is still really good compared with its closest competitors, the HP Pavilion dm3 and Asus UL30A-A1.
The Vostro V13 will support up to 4GB of RAM, and can be optionally upgraded with 3G mobile broadband.
Battery life courtesy of the sealed-in six-cell is, according to Dell, slightly less than 5 hours, though we'll have to see for ourselves when we review one. We have to hand it to Dell, though--it seems to have taken a lot of what was so appealing about the Adamo and passed it down into a machine that'll still be sleek enough to show off. The keyboard felt nice and comfortable and the laptop has a sturdy-feeling frame, which isn't always the case with ultrathin budget-range laptops.
Check out the photos below. The Vostro V13 is already available for order on Dell's Web site.
Just barely making it under the line for the holiday season, Dell's eagerly awaited Adamo XPS laptop is now available to configure and pre-order on the Dell Web site. The estimated ship date given to prospective buyers -- December 22.
According to the online configurator, this system starts at $1,799 and despite the presence of a handful of accessory options, is essentially a fixed, non-customizable laptop.
The base specs include a 128GB Solid State Drive, Intel's 1.4GHz Core SU9400 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 13.4-inch LED display, a 20Wh battery, and integrated Intel GS45 graphics.
Beyond the usual warranty and software options, you can choose to add an external Blu-ray drive for $199, a 500GB external hard drive for $175, or an extended 40Wh battery for $100.
We've previously gotten a chance to take the new Adamo for a test drive, and were impressed with its thin 10mm design and intrigued by its tilted keyboard, but concerned that it was overpriced and underpowered in a a very value-conscious market.
Digital City Podcast 57: Hands on with PS3 Netflix; luxury laptops; and Modern Warfare 2 drops early
This week on the Digital City, Joey tests the new Netflix/PS3 BD Live disc, with mixed results; we talk about all the cool new luxury laptops you'll never buy, including Sony's Vaio X, Dell's Adamo XPS, and HP's Envy.
We also show off Nokia's new Booklet 3G Netbook, and debate the relative merits of games sequels, from Bioshock 2 to God of War 3. We also note how everyone in New York seems to have gotten their hands on a copy of Modern Warfare 2 early, giving the holiday season's biggest game an unusually sloppy launch.
Related links:
>>Hands on with Nokia's Booklet 3G
>>Say goodbye to sleep: Modern Warfare 2 arrives
>>Hands on with the new Dell Adamo XPS
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter; and Scott!
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After months of teaser shots and cameo appearances, Dell has officially announced pricing and other details for the revamped Dell Adamo XPS laptop. Without setting a specific date, Dell says it expects to "begin taking orders and shipping the Adamo XPS in time for the holidays." The ultrathin luxury laptop starts at $1,799.
We had a chance to take a quick test drive with an Adamo XPS earlier this week, as well as capture some hands-on footage on a Flip handheld video camera.
Our initial impressions of the Adamo remain largely the same after getting to handle it at greater length. The system is ridiculously thin, especially for a 13-inch laptop. Unlike the 11-inch Sony Vaio X, which weighs next to nothing, the Adamo feels slightly heavier than it looks, even with an solid-state hard drive. Dell says the Adamo starts at 3.2 pounds, which is nearly twice the weight of the Vaio X.
The Adamo opens in an unusual way, with the lid shut tight until you swipe a finger on a heat-sensitive strip centered on the front edge. Then the lid lifts up, tilting the screen back and lifting the keyboard on its unusual inset hinge.
At least on the nonfinal version we played with, the lid opening action wasn't as smooth as we would have liked. When using one hand to lift the lid, at about the halfway point the front of keyboard tray itself started to lift off the table, requiring us to hold it down with our other hand.
Dell's new Adamo XPS has an unusual inset hinge.
(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)When fully opened, the keyboard sits at maybe a 20-degree angle. It's an unusual setup, but one that provides a more ergonomic typing experience than the average flat laptop keyboard. We also liked the keyboard's metal keys and the reasonably large touchpad.
The system's components seem to be located behind the screen, as the ports (two USB, a headphone jack, power connection, and mini DisplayPort) are on the side edges of the lid. The screen itself is a 13.4-inch LED, with a 1,366x768 resolution. The Adamo's lid has a larger footprint than the lower half, and when closed, the keyboard essentially fits inside the inset lid.
With a 128GB solid-state drive and a 1.4GHz Intel ULV processor, we have high hopes for the system's battery life, which Dell claims is up to 2.5 hours with the default battery and a bit more than 5 hours with an optional extended battery (which we haven't seen in person yet.)
While the new Adamo has a much more radically unique design than the original MacBook-like Adamo, the high starting price means it's still likely to be relegated to coffee shop curio status, along with other luxury laptops such as Sony's Vaio X and HP's Envy 13. Not that there's anything wrong with that; high-end concept-car-like products like these invariably trickle their technology developments to mainstream systems down the road.
We're waiting for a final shipping version of the Adamo XPS to arrive, at which time we'll run it though our standard battery of benchmark tests.
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> Games, laptops, and more every week on the Digital City video podcast.
(Credit:
Dell)
More information has trickled out about the Dell's Adamo XPS, the notebook with an eating disorder we showed you video of Thursday.
The highly abnormal machine sports some decidedly normal specs. Though nothing is official just yet, the XPS will reportedly sport either 1.4 or 1.9GHz dual-core Intel processors, 128 or 180GB SSD, integrated X4500MHD graphics, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, sitting under a 13.4-inch WXGA LED-backlit screen.
Batteries are slated as 20Wh or 40Wh for two and a half or four hours of life respectively, but owners will need to keep an eye on their juice, as the unique heat-sensitive opening mechanism won't work when the Adamo's batteries run out.
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.
(Credit:
Gizmodo)
The Dell Adamo XPS isn't only ridiculously thin, it opens like no laptop ever seen before. Its propped-up keyboard can only be opened by sliding a finger on the lid's heat-sensing strip. See it below to believe it...
Did your mouth drop? Because mine did. All I know is that rubbing that strip illuminates it and unlocks the aluminum lid. I also got to hold the system for a bit and it is really really sturdy. I thought it would be more flimsy, but it has strength.
I can't tell you much more, other than it will be officially announced in November and production is scheduled to ramp up soon. As for what's inside, I can sleep soundly now that I know that there isn't an Intel Atom processor (like the Sony Vaio X), but rather will use an Intel ULV chip of some sort.
Now back to your regularly scheduled Windows 7 programming.
Related story:
Dell teases with new Adamo shots
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.
Episode 53 of the Digital City, where we explore Netbook gaming, thanks to the Nivida Ion and HP's Mini 311; the thin-is-in designs of the new Dell Adamo and Sony X-series; T-Mobile and Microsoft's Sidekick problems; and Scott's Forza 3 obsession.
Plus, a quick sneak-peek of Rock Band for iPhone and -- just in time for Halloween -- tech celebrity jack-lantern carvings.
Related links:
>>Netbook gaming arrives: HP's Mini 311
>>Dell teases with new Adamo shots
>>Sony's pencil-thin X-series laptop
>>Forza 3 hands-on: Never underestimate the power of a British accent
>>Halloween special! Tech guy jack-o-lanterns!
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!
Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)
The new Adamo's offset hinge.
(Credit: Dell)We've mentioned a couple of times how the new, revamped version of Dell's high-end Adamo laptop has a pretty interesting design twist. After offering a few tantalizing teases (including a brief appearance at a press conference last week), the company has now released a couple of shots that show just how the superthin laptop can get away with being only around 10mm thick and still be usable for typing.
Dell says: "Because so many people who have had a sneak peek of Dell's superthin Adamo XPS laptop seem to be falling in love with it, the company today released two more photos of the highly stylized, thin 9.99-mm Adamo by Dell system. The Adamo XPS is as intriguing open as it is closed."
We say, it's an intriguing way to design a laptop, and even though we've only seen it up close very briefly, the idea of an offset hinge which, in effect, props the keyboard up at a more ergonomic angle, is worth further exploration.
Dell has hinted that the new Adamo would be out in time for the holidays, but for now will only say, "Stay tuned for more information on this head-turning product."
(Credit:
Dell)
A quick sneak peek at Dell's new Adamo design.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)At a press conference to show off new licensed laptop lid designs from Major League Baseball and nail polish brand OPI, Dell teased the audience with a brief peek at the new design for its high-end Adamo laptop.
The system, purported to be only 9.99 millimeters thick, was previously hinted at with a single-shot teaser Web site launched by Dell in September. This time around, Dell VP Alex Gruzen pulled one of the new Adamo systems from a laptop sleeve and, keeping the lid closed, held it aloft for a few seconds before handing it off to be spirited away.
Also onhand were two new partnerships for customizable laptop lids on Dell systems. The Dell Design Studio will offer MLB designs for all 30 teams, with "Fan, Classic, and Die-Hard" versions available. Concurrently, OPI, a leading nail lacquer brand, will offer "26 exciting, high-style OPI fashion shades," as laptop lid design options. On top of that, Dell is adding another 80 designs from artists from around the world to the options available when customizing a laptop.
In keeping with Dell's current premiums for custom lids on most of its laptops, these new designs add $85 to the cost. Basic single-color lids are still an extra $40.
We managed to snap a few photos of the elusive new Adamo's brief appearance--check them out in the gallery below.
(Credit:
Dell)
Dell offers a tantalizing sneak peek at a revamped Adamo laptop today, with a photo and brief teaser description of the new system:
9/9/09 comes only once and today Dell is offering a glimpse of its highly stylized, thin 9.99-millimeter Adamo By Dell concept that's as beautiful as today's date is unique.
You'll recall the original Adamo was similarly teased at CES 2009, and we brought you a first-ever hands-on look of it back in March. At the time, we said: "Dell's upscale Adamo is a 13-inch laptop for those who value design and finish as much as performance, but its luxury price will limit the potential audience."
Details on the Adamo 2.0 (our nickname) are scant right now, but if you want a sneak peek at Dell's new "world's thinnest laptop" candidate, head over to www.dell.com/AdamoXPS.
