New Dell desktops, too

The new, slim Inspiron 'S' case.

(Credit: Dell)

It isn't just laptops at Macy's this morning. Dell also has a handful of desktops to unveil. But before you let the hype wash over you like the afterglow of a Steve Jobs keynote, today is also a little bittersweet for us PC enthusiasts, since it marks the demise of Dell's Dimension home desktops. In Dimension's place, we get four new Inspiron desktops, which, along with the Inspiron laptops, will represent the mainstream half of Dell's product lineup. XPS will take up the high-end space.

And so will Alienware (ahem).

The new Inspiron desktops come in AMD and Intel variants, each with an option for either a midtower or a slim, small chassis. We have a review of the Athlon 64 X2 5000-equipped Inspiron 531 here. We liked that one quite a bit, not least because it's fast and will have an integrated Bluetooth option a week or so following the launch. We're expecting an Inspiron 531s to arrive later this week. We also have previews of the Intel models, the Inspiron 530 and the 530s.

Dell's new Inspiron midtower.

(Credit: CNET)

Unlike the new laptops, these new desktops don't have significant technology changes. We mentioned the Bluetooth option. We're also happy to see that, finally, Dell will offer PCI 802.11 a/b/g cards. Sure, it's not Draft N, but until today, your only wireless networking option for a Dell was either aftermarket, or by adding a full-blown Wi-Fi router to your Dell shopping cart along with your desktop.