• On MovieTome: See the villain of IRON MAN 2!
June 26, 2008 4:00 AM PDT

Dell finally reveals heavily leaked Studio laptop line

by Dan Ackerman

It sure is hard to keep a secret in this industry. After leaks, leaks, and more leaks, Dell has officially announced the new Studio line of laptops, sitting somewhere between the budget Inspiron line and high-end XPS line.

The Studio and XPS hinges compared.

The two new models are the Studio 15 and Studio 17, which as you might expect, are 15- and 17-inch laptops. They have a tapered design and big side hinge that is similar to the XPS M1530, although the Studio models curve the screen down at a sharper angle, while the XPS has a more rounded look.

You do give up the brushed metal look of the XPS M1530 for plastic, but, according to Dell, personalization is a big part of the Studio experience, and these systems are available with a variety of colors and lid imprint patterns, including trim colors for the sides of the lid. Also available are a series of optional color-coordinated accessories and peripherals, including backpacks, slipcovers, mice, and ear buds.

The different color and spine options.

(Credit: Dell)

Dell's vice president of consumer sales and marketing, Michael Tatelman, said in a news release, "These products are built for today's digital nomad based on the millions of conversations we have every year on dell.com, Ideastorm and community forums. With Dell Studio we're answering the call for personalization, connectivity and simplicity." Part of that simplicity includes a software application, the Dell Dock, which, much like Apple's software dock, places commonly used application on a bar right on the desktop.

The Dell Studio 15 and 17 are available starting today from $799 and $999 respectively, and available upgrades include Blu-ray drives and mobile broadband from Verizon and Sprint.

Check out our review and video of the Dell Studio 15 here.

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.
Recent posts from Crave
Poll: Why don't you have an iPod or MP3 player?
Oppo's affordabe high-end Blu-ray player is here
iPhone 3GS jailbreak, 'purplera1n,' hits Web
Apple patents point to haptics, fingerprints, RFID
Friday Poll: We the ppl--imagining a digital 1776
Gadgettes 144: The Childhood Nostalgia Episode
Duet D8 is no iPhone clone
Rocking out with stereo Bluetooth
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (9 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by Sramnath01 June 26, 2008 10:11 AM PDT
instead of pissing away money on making gamours crap that has no functionality try inproving you damn tech support
Reply to this comment
by BriancLong June 26, 2008 10:30 AM PDT
@Sramnath01 - I think dell has really improved their tech support - and the referenced ideastorm site works pretty well.

Regarding the actual model design this article is about - I think its a smart move for dell to offer a model between the XPS and the Inspiron.
Reply to this comment
by SovietMenace June 26, 2008 11:16 AM PDT
I don't understand why computer manufacturers always trying to add some "improved usability" crap-ware on their machines. Dell is in no way Apple in terms of software development, and probably just contracts somebody to write crappy apps. So why bother? Leave usability to the operating system, if I need something, I will find it. Concentrate on inside and user support, don?t waste time on this. IMHO the majority if not all extra soft (excluding of course drivers and productivity soft) added by the manufacturers just slows everything down.
Reply to this comment
by SovietMenace June 26, 2008 11:18 AM PDT
I don't understand why computer manufacturers always trying to add some "improved usability" crap-ware on their machines. Dell is in no way Apple in terms of software development, and probably just contracts somebody to write crappy apps. So why bother? Leave usability to the operating system, if I need something, I will find it. Concentrate on the inside and the user support, don?t waste time on this. IMHO the majority if not all extra soft (excluding of course drivers and productivity soft) added by the manufacturers just slows everything down.
Reply to this comment
by Composer_1777 June 27, 2008 2:00 PM PDT
Too bad dells always **** up, their hardware components r just too cheapy
Reply to this comment
by Composer_1777 June 27, 2008 2:01 PM PDT
Too bad dells always f^k up, their hardware components r just too cheapy
Reply to this comment
by solitare_pax June 27, 2008 5:24 PM PDT
Nice to see Dell is making stylish hardware to beat the pants off of Apple. Perhaps now CNET's illustrious writers will tone down the "Macs are overpriced status symbols" attitude. But - I doubt it.
Reply to this comment
by HlLLARY CLITON June 27, 2008 8:23 PM PDT
First thing to do with your new DELL is to wipe the hard drive and install your own OS, the hardware is decent enough, the problem is all the crapware DELL installs on them
Reply to this comment
by jay_elias November 15, 2008 10:44 AM PST
Dell studio laptop comes with Vista and it sucks. Dell phone system also sucks. I will not spend another dime with Dell.
Reply to this comment
(9 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

Making sense of Windows 7 upgrades

faq The basics and the fine print on Microsoft's options for those eyeing the next operating system from Redmond.
• Full Windows 7 coverage

Road Trip 2009: Big Sky Country

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman takes his car full of gadgets to the Rockies and the Great Plains in search of tech, science, nature, and more.
• America's Fortress: Cheyenne Mountain

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right