Dell Vostro 1220 Ultraportable Laptop Debuts

It is a summer of new devices, and Dell is adding to the pile with the Vostro 1220, a 12.1-inch, business-focused addition to its Vostro laptop line.  

The 1220 is an ultraportable, beginning at 3.36 pounds, and in press materials Dell writes that it was "designed exclusively for business travelers." Toward this end, Dell has kept it thin and light, offers a 6-cell battery that provides enough juice for nine hours of use and has fitted it with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

Dell Video Chat video-conferencing software comes preinstalled, for use with the microphone and optional integrated Webcam. There's support for 802.11 draft-n wireless LAN or Mobile Broadband. And - now like the other Vostro laptops, which received a freshening up - there are security options such as a fingerprint reader, multifactor authentication and an encrypted hard drive with Wave Systems encryption software.
 
"Today's globe-trotting entrepreneurs need a laptop that is powerful and long-lasting," said Sam Burd, global vice president of Dell Small and Medium Business, in a statement.
 
"That used to mean carrying around an ungainly device," Burd added, "[but] the Vostro 1220 combines performance, built-in security and long battery life."
 
Burd also pointed to data from IDC, which expects shipments of 12-inch laptops to grow almost 35 percent from 2008 to 2009. Intel, too, has newly emphasized more powerful laptops, over the popular and lower-priced netbooks.
 
"Ultra-thin laptops are the new phenomenon," Intel's Uday Marty insisted to media and analysts at the June 2 introduction of new Intel processors.
 
The Vostro 1220 offers a choice of Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista, Ubuntu Linux or FreeDOS operating systems, memory is up to 8GB of dual-channel 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM and there's an Intel GM45 Express chipset. An 8X DVD+RW drive and a Blu-ray BD Combo are available, as are Bluetooth 2.1 and WiMax connectivity. And, among other features, a 34mm ExpressCard slot, three USB 2.0 ports, a 3-in-1 card reader and headphone and microphone jacks are included.
 
It's now available worldwide for a starting retail price of $799. And because even business users sometimes like a little color, in addition to Obsidian Black, the 1220, like other Vostros, can also be had in Deep Cherry Red.