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.
(Credit:
Dell )
For an entry-level 12.1-inch ultraportable, the Vostro 1220 sure is pretty. An upgrade from the Vostro 1200, this series targets the SMB user who might want to save a few bucks and doesn't need the high-end features like the Centrino vPro platform in the Latitude lineup.
Sporting a glossy red or black chassis, this laptop comes with Core 2 Duo performance and an impressive battery life of up to nine hours with the extended cell. Weighing about 3.4 pounds with the standard six-cell battery and integrated optical drive, this machine is surprisingly affordable, starting at $799.
Optional extras include a fingerprint sensor, solid-state drive, integrated Webcam, hard-disk encryption, and mobile broadband radio. The machine is available globally starting Tuesday.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Update on July 27 at 10:00 a.m. with additional information
Dell has issued a system update for a well-publicized problem with Nvidia chips.
The company said Friday it has posted BIOS updates for an Nvidia graphics chip glitch affecting laptop computers. Citing Nvidia information, Dell said the "affected GPUs (graphics processing units) are experiencing higher than expected failure rates causing video problems."
"The issue is a weak die/packaging material set, which may fail with GPU temperature fluctuations. If your GPU fails, you may see intermittent symptoms," the Dell blog said.
Dell said the symptoms include "multiple images, random characters on the screen, lines on the screen, no video." But added this caveat: "if you are already experiencing video-related issues like the...points above, updating the BIOS will not correct them. Dell will provide support for customers who have experienced GPU failure according to the terms of the system warranty."
Dell laptop systems potentially affected by Nvidia glitch with update file name
(Credit: Dell)Dell is recommending that users flash their system BIOS. "Each of these BIOS updates...modifies the fan profile to help regulate GPU temperature fluctuations," Dell said.
New systems are shipping with the BIOS update, according to Dell.
On July 2, Nvidia said it would take a one-time charge of between $150 million and $200 million to cover "anticipated warranty, repair, return, replacement, and other costs and expenses, arising from a weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of its previous generation GPU and MCP (multi-chip package) products used in notebook systems."
(Credit:
Jake Gordon/Flickr )
We're not much for touch-typing, preferring instead to use a highly advanced version of the two-finger method we call the, uh, three-finger method (left and right index fingers, plus the right thumb). Still, anything even slightly out of the ordinary on a keyboard can throw a major roadblock in the way of our productivity.
Dell turned a few heads earlier this month with the European keyboard layouts for the latest Vostro laptops. While the U.S. model we reviewed seemed normal enough, our friends across the Atlantic found that some Vostro 1310 and 1510 models had a bizarre bottom row of letter keys, all shifted one key to the right. For example, the "z" key (or "zed" over there) sits not between the "a" and "s" keys, but between the "s" and "d" keys on the affected models.
After one Vostro user noticed the weird layout on his new laptop and posted photos to Flickr, Dell jumped in and now says:
"There is no way to say it...we made a mistake and want to apologize to affected customers...All affected customers will receive an updated keyboard. They will have two options: we can send the keyboard and required BIOS update directly to them, or they can choose to have a field technician replace the keyboard onsite."
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
Blame it on the tax man, but it was a relatively quiet week in the laptop-osphere. That was good news for Dell, which refreshed its Vostro small-business laptops. We got a look at the 13.3-inch Vostro 1310, which makes a pretty decent value proposition for companies with fewer than 25 employees.
We also had a look at the Enpower ENP780, a desktop-replacement laptop with the heart of a thin-and-light. Elsewhere in reviews, NotebookReview.com posted its impressions of the new Toshiba Satellite L355D; we have a review unit in our Labs and will post our buying advice soon.
As you might expect from such a slow week, there's quite a lot on the horizon. For starters, we've got the new Asus Lamborghini VX3 on hand and are running it around the track. We found more details on the 9-inch Asus Eee PC 900, which has a set release date of May 1 for the U.K. market but no timeline for release in the U.S. Two notebooks were scheduled for a June release in Japan: the Intel Atom-based Willcom D4 UMPC and the Toshiba Dynabook SS RX1, notable for its promised 128GB solid-state drive. And finally, specs and pricing for the Best of CES Award-winning Lenovo IdeaPad U110 briefly appeared on the site of retailer J&R, implying an imminent release date.
In news, Apple acknowledged video problems with the latest shipment of MacBooks and MacBook Pros, while IDC reported that growth of the U.S. PC market slowed in the first quarter of 2008, even as PC shipments worldwide exceeded expectations.
Also worth reading: Engadget spotted some early benchmarks comparing Intel Atom with VIA Isaiah; the ThinkPad X300's solid-state drive won a speed test against a traditional 7,200rpm disc; a 500GB laptop hard drive actually turned our heads; and we profiled laptop-carrying methods both deluxe and ridiculously basic.
Finally, if you're looking to adopt a laptop with a built-in cellular radio, check out Dan Ackerman's walk-through of mobile broadband options for popular laptops.
Have a great weekend!
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
Dell announced Tuesday that it would introduce three new laptops in its Vostro line for small businesses. The 13.3-inch Vostro 1310, with a starting price of $749, brings a new form factor to the lineup. Meanwhile the 15.4-inch Vostro 1510 (starting at $599) and 17-inch Vostro 1710 (pricing not yet available) are refreshes of existing models.
The low starting prices are part of the plan to appeal to companies with one to 25 employees who need business-level systems, but don't have a full-time information technology staff. Hardwarewise, the laptops aren't very different from Dell's existing lineup; the key differentiator lies in security and support options. The Vostro line offers such niceties as a Trusted Platform Module, Webcam, and fingerprint reader, as well as a generous 30-day return policy that lets you take the laptop for a test drive without paying any restocking fees.
Vostro owners also have access to a dedicated support line (with "small business trained" technicians), plus one year of free access to 10GB of online backup space and to the company's Automated PC Tune-up, which regularly performs basic system maintenance. More details can be found on Dell's site.
Though Tuesday marks the global announcement of the new Vostro laptops, they won't be available in North America until May 1 (and the Vostro 1710 isn't expected until mid-May). We have a Vostro 1310 review unit in our offices, and so far, we're pleased with its upscale looks and sturdy construction. We're still putting it through the paces, though, so keep an eye out for a full review of the Vostro 1310 within the next few days.
Dell's new Vostro line
(Credit: Dell)It seems like a long time since Dell introduced a brand new line to its menu of laptops and desktops, instead of adding onto the current lineup of Inspiron, Latitude, and XPS systems (the long-lived Dimension line was finally retired in June).
Dell on Tuesday revealed an entirely new family of systems, called Vostro (Latin for "yours"), aimed at small businesses with 1-25 employees who need business-level systems that don't require full-time IT people to manage.
"For too long, entrepreneurs have been forced to fit either consumer or large corporate solutions into their unique environments," Dell Chairman and CEO Michael Dell said in a statement. In real-world terms, that means Vostro desktops and laptops won't include any of what Dell calls "trialware" (we call it "bloatware"), but will include simplified proprietary networking software and versions of the Dell PC Tune-Up and DataSafe Online programs found in the newest Inspiron systems. Vostro systems will also have a dedicated sales and support team, trained to work with small businesses.
Vostro systems available today include:
Hardware-wise, these new systems don't differ much from the current Dell lineup (but Dell expects to introduce a high-end Vostro desktop in August), and the online support and backup services are apparently only free for the first year, but in principle, we like the idea of a line that falls somewhere between consumer systems and systems aimed at larger businesses, which are expected to have at least some basic IT infrastructure.
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