Dell's Studio Hybrid goes official

Dell releases new small-scale Studio Hybrid PC.

(Credit: CNET)

You can check here for our full review of Dell's long-teased, now-official Studio Hybrid desktop. It starts at $499, but our review model is a tweaked $874 version. This Mac Mini-esque small-scale PC has some creative design touches that give you lots of flexibility in terms of where you put it, but ultimately we found better deals from traditional midtower PCs and budget laptops. We'd only recommend it if you're dead-set on one of these tiny computers.

Dell's Inspiron 518 has a rubberized roof.

(Credit: CNET)

Perhaps less glamorous, Dell's new mainstream tower desktop, the Inspiron 518, comes with an updated chassis design. The highlight is a rubberized top tray with two USB ports mounted on the back edge, to simplify storing and connecting external devices. Simple enough, but we wish Dell would add 64-bit Windows, even at this price range. After all, Gateway does. The baseline model goes for $399. We finished testing a $784 unit (have you noticed Dell really doesn't like submitting low-end desktops?), and our review will go up shortly.

[miniPC_Dude]

Dell's new Stud-Hybrid seems like a "toy PC" - possibly aimed at kids. Perhaps this cute PC will become a cartoon character one day.

YES - the Stud-Hybrid uses less power than a conventional PC, however it manages to pull off this "green feat" in ways that would irk many grown-ups: poor expandability options for USB 2.0, e-SATA, PCI-e, WLAN 802.11 b/g... and its GMA X3100 doesn't offer true 1080p HD for full Blu-ray viewing. Also, I have yet to find any Stud-Hybrid disclaimers about how its tiny cooling system can keep itself cool-to-the-touch or whether the little buddy has noiseless operation (shhh!) and shock absorption to fend off bruises - the Study-Hybrid looks fairly easy to knock over, eh?

[h2pinc]

I bought one for my office in the red color since it will match our creative office space walls. But seriously? Is Dell asleep at the wheel? The box is so loud... you can hear the fan from across the room. I ordered the base model... it took 3 weeks to be delivered. I got it out of box to learn that there is no internal wireless. This is November 2008!!!! Don't you think wireless cards should be standard now...

Don't buy this box, it's not worth it. Nice try Dell.