Dell's delayed 13-inch finally shipping
Pity poor Dell (but not too much). The company finally got its act together on the design side, crafting the critically acclaimed XPS m1330 laptop--a superthin high-end 13-incher that we reviewed quite favorably--but actually getting it into consumers' hands was another matter entirely.
Unfortunately, when people went to order the XPS m1330, they found estimated delivery dates four or more weeks out, a ridiculous number in today's build-to-order world. In fact, while I was in L.A. for the E3 video game trade show earlier in the month, a random guy came up to me and complained that he had ordered an XPS m1330 from Dell after checking out my video and review on CNET, only to get an estimated ship date of late August.
On Dell's official Direct2Dell blog, the company previously blamed component shortages, especially for the system's LED backlit displays. According to a new blog update, Dell is finally ramping up the production line to get this popular system into the hands of consumers in a more timely manner. Alex Gruzen, a senior vice president at Dell, writes, "While we have begun shipping on a limited basis, we expect to begin large-scale production and to ship systems in all regions beginning this week."
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
- Not just delays at Dell
- by twyg--2008 August 1, 2007 2:11 PM PDT
- I appreciate your frustration with delays, especially when you're hot to get that new notebook in your hands, but this is not just a Dell problem. All PC manufacturers are reporting delays. We get a lot of commercial (Latitude) notebook PCs from Dell and have received the same notice of longer lead times. It is not Dell's execution, it's worldwide competition for the screens. Dell's better off than most because they are big enough to have more leverage with the screen suppliers.
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