Dell gives its Inspiron 2-in-1 laptops a meaningful refresh

Dell is refreshing its Inspiron line of notebooks for the holiday season, and instead of simply updating them with the latest eighth-generation Intel processors, the company is adding functional features. The new Inspirons come with narrower bezels,...

Dell intros the Inspiron 7000 series, a line of mid-range, thin-and-light laptops starting at $699

Dell intros the Inspiron 7000 series, a line of midrange, thinandlight laptops starting at $699

Head over to Dell's shopping site and you'll find the laptop section is a bit confusing. In addition to the premium XPS line and the gaming-centric Alienware brand, there's a vast selection of Inspirons. Some are just called "Inspiron." Some are "Inspiron R." Heck, there even used to be an Inspiron Z (RIP). Fortunately, Dell's trying to clear things up. The company is moving to a "good, better, best" setup, with three lines called the Inspiron 3000, 5000 and 7000 (Dell's enterprise notebooks already have a similar naming scheme). Though the company isn't unveiling all of its new consumer laptops today, it is taking the wraps off the 7000s, along with one of the 3000-series models.

Given that these start at $699 and are way less expensive than Dell's top-of-the-line XPS offerings, it's best if you think of these as mid-range machines; specifically, the best mid-range machines Dell has to offer. Available in 14-, 15- and 17-inch screen sizes, they feature a nicer design than you might expect, with all-aluminum surfaces, backlit keyboards and Gorilla Glass touchscreens (1,366 x 768 is the native resolution, but 1080p is also an option). On the inside, they run Haswell processors, with optional discrete graphics on the 15- and 17-inch models. Battery life, meanwhile, is said to range from eight to 12 hours depending on the configuration and screen size. All three will be available September 26th, with the 15-inch model priced from $699, while the 14 and 17 start at $849.%Gallery-slideshow73367%

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Dell refreshes its mainstream Inspiron R laptops with optional touchscreens

Dell refreshes its mainstream Inspiron R laptops with optional touchscreens

So far at CES, Dell has announced that its XPS 13 Ultrabook will finally get a higher-res screen. Now it's shifting its attention to the lower end: the company just refreshed its mainstream Inspiron R line with optional touchscreens and a slimmed-down form factor. All told, the line includes three screen sizes: 14, 15 and 17 inches. Now that they've all gotten a bit of a makeover, the smaller two measure about an inch thick and weigh in at less than five pounds. Still, they're all just thick enough to accommodate a tray-loading optical drive, and the 15R and 17R also have enough room for a numpad on the keyboard.

Spec-wise, you can trick them out with Core i7 processors, up to 8GB of RAM, Intel Wireless Display and discrete graphics (either a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT640M or a 2GB AMD Radeon HD 8730M). Still, there's a considerable gulf between the top-end options and the base specs. Though you can choose a Core i3, i5 or i7 CPU, for instance, they actually start with Celeron. Ditto for storage: you could get 1TB, but you'll get just 320 gigs at the entry level. The 14R and 15R top out at 1,366 x 768, while the 17-incher comes standard with 1,600 x 900 resolution. 1080p displays are also available for the 15- and 17-inch models. Sounds reasonable to us: these systems are mid-range at best. Speaking of the sort, prices start at $430 for the Inspiron 15R and $500 for the 17R. However, if you want that touchscreen, the prices start at $650 for both the 14R and 15R.

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Dell unveils Inspiron 15z Ultrabook with optional touchscreen, prices start at $750

Dell unveils Inspiron 15z Ultrabook with optional touchscreen, prices start at $750

In case Dell's convertible XPS 12 is too expensive (or weird-looking) for your tastes, the company's got a more traditional sort of Ultrabook on tap. The company just announced the Inspiron 15z, a 15-inch notebook with an optional touchscreen. As you can see in our hands-on shots below, it's essentially the same plastic-and-metal design as earlier Inspiron Ultrabooks, though that touchscreen is of course new. At "less than an inch thick" it's still chunkier than your typical ultraportable, but if you insist on having a DVD burner, this could be a tempting choice. Plus, at 4.12 pounds, it's reasonably light for a machine with this large a footprint.

It's already up for sale on Dell's site, starting at $750 with a Core i3 processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive paired with a 32GB SSD. Touch-enabled versions start at $900. So far as we can tell, the memory and hard drive stay pretty consistent as you move up in configurations, though you can opt for a Core i5 or i7 CPU. The highest-end confg also steps up from integrated graphics to a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT630M GPU. Curious? We've got hands-on pics below, with more details at the source link.

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Dell unveils Inspiron 15z Ultrabook with optional touchscreen, prices start at $750 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell to offer its XPS 27 and Inspiron One 23 all-in-ones with optional touchscreens

Dell gave us a heads up back at IFA that it was planning on offering its high-end XPS 27 all-in-one with an optional touchscreen. Well, that day has come: the company just announced that it will begin accepting pre-orders today, with the touch-enabled models starting at $1,600. As a quick refresher, that 27-inch screen tops out a whopping 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, while the stand tilts to a near-flat angle of 60 degrees. If sixteen hundred bucks is more money than you were planning on spending, Dell will also offer the Inspiron One 23 with an optional touchscreen. At a fraction of the cost ($780 and up) it makes do with lesser specs (a 1080p, not quad HD, display, for instance), but it has been refreshed with Ivy Bridge, so you should at least be future-proofed on the CPU front. Again, you can order these starting today, but don't expect them to ship until after October 26th.

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Dell to offer its XPS 27 and Inspiron One 23 all-in-ones with optional touchscreens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: mainstream laptops

Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today we're getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops, and you can always head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here!

DNP Engadget's back to school guide 2012 mainstream laptops

Freshman year of college may no longer be the gateway to the magical world of laptop ownership, but even if you already have a notebook, who can resist a new machine in the spirit of starting fresh when September rolls around? Whether you're looking for a Core i5 companion to get you through semesters of paper-writing, Facebooking and WoWing, or a super-sleek centerpiece to your bare-bones dorm, there's a vast playing field of machines to choose from. While sifting through the countless options would surely get you back in the academic research frame of mind, it's a daunting task. We're here to take some of the work off your plate with nine solid mainstream laptops that should satisfy every budget.

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Engadget's back to school guide 2012: mainstream laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell unveils Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, multimedia-friendly Inspiron 15R and 17R

Dell unveils Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, multimedia-friendly Inspiron 15R and 17R

It's the season of the student-friendly Ultrabook, and Dell is no exception to the rule. The company may have released an Inspiron 14z last year, but it's now repurposing that name for its first Inspiron Ultrabook.

The new Inspiron 14z starts at $700 and comes standard with a second-gen Core i3 processor, though Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge options are available. It weighs a sturdy 4.1 pounds, which is far from light for an Ultrabook, but optical media fans will be happy to know that the design includes a disc drive. Storage options range from a 320GB drive up to 500GB with a 32GB SSD. In addition to the new 14z, Dell is offering 13-inch version. The 3.8-pound Inspiron 13z will go for $600, and like the 14z it includes both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPU options, along with the same storage configurations.

Dell also has four new Inspiron R models to introduce. The R, to jog your memory, stands for performance, and these are clearly multimedia-centric machines. Starting at $550, the Inspiron 15R comes standard with an Intel second-gen processor (Ivy Bridge configurations are available), Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology and up to 1TB of storage. The $600 Inspiron 17R offers the same CPU options, plus a gigantic 17.3-inch display with a 1600 x 900 resolution.

Dell is complementing those two systems with higher-end Special Edition versions. The Inspiron 15R Special Edition features an anodized aluminum lid, a Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and an optical drive for the higher price of $900. And then there's the whopping Inspiron 17R Special Edition ($1,100), which features discrete graphics, boasts a backlit keyboard and is available with a 3D display. All the new Inspiron notebooks will be available starting June 19th. For now, you can check out our hands-on shots below the break.

Continue reading Dell unveils Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, multimedia-friendly Inspiron 15R and 17R

Dell unveils Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, multimedia-friendly Inspiron 15R and 17R originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video)

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In addition to the XPS One 27, Dell just unveiled a pair of Inspiron all-in-ones that will launch in the US in the coming weeks. First up, there's the One 23, the larger version of the two with more robust internals, and then there's the One 20, which has a 20-inch display and a more budget-friendly price.

Starting at $749, the Inspiron One 23 is available with either second- or third-generation Intel CPUs, ranging from a 3.3GHz Core i3-2120 processor at the entry level to a Core i7-3770s in top-of-the-line models. It comes standard with 500GB of storage, though that can be upped to 2TB. You can also add an AMD Radeon HD 7650A graphics card with 1GB of video memory, if the standard Intel HD 4000 graphics aren't going to cut it. The port selection is similar to what you'll find on the new XPS One 27: four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 with power charge, audio out, VGA, mic and headphone jacks and a card reader (HDMI-in is optional). Other features include Waves MaxxAudio 3 and an optional Blu-ray drive.

While the XPS One 27 and One 23 both offer Ivy Bridge processors, the more competitively priced Inspiron One 20 has only Sandy Bridge options: a 2.2GHz dual-core G620T processor on up to a 2.6GHz Core i3-2120T CPU. Starting at $549, it leaves out discrete graphics, with Intel's HD 2000 solution being the only option. Its 20-inch screen has a pixel count of 1600 x 900, and optical media fans can add a Blu-ray reader. Storage-wise, you're looking at 500GB up to a 1TB 7,200RPM drive. Ports include five USB 2.0 connections, mic and headphone jacks and an 8-in-1 media card reader. Check out the galleries past the break for a closer look.

Continue reading Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video)

Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ivy Bridge-packing Inspiron 15R hiding in plain sight on Dell’s Singapore site

It may not be as wavy as the alloyed 15R from a couple of years back, but this new "special edition" Inspiron is packing a few goodies that are far more interesting than a set of sinuous patterns. Thanks to a product page on Dell's Singapore website, we were able to spot one of the company's first Ivy Bridge machines, the Inspiron 15R. Per the listing, Dell's 15.6-inch laptop is sporting a hot-off-the-press Core i7-3612QM CPU, 6GB or 8GB of RAM (depending on configuration), AMD Radeon HD 7730M graphics and a 1TB, 5400RPM hard drive. Additionally, you'll be able to choose between two different displays: an HD WLED, 1366 x 768 or a 1920 x 1080, FHD True-Life. As of right now, the better-specced of the two models is carrying a hefty S$1,749 price tag (around $1,410 in American dollars), while the lower-end 15R is S$1,599. Those living in Singapore can hit up the source link below if you'd like to grab a piece of that fresh Ivy Bridge pie.

[Thanks, Jason]

Ivy Bridge-packing Inspiron 15R hiding in plain sight on Dell's Singapore site originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 04:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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