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The Dell Vostro V13 laptop, which the company officially rolled out on Dec. 8, is the latest addition to Dell’s line of desktops and notebooks designed for small businesses and those companies with tight IT budgets.
Light, thin, ruggedized and treated to attractive details-“You won’t be embarrassed to take this out of your purse at the airport,” Alison Gardner, Vostro product manager, told eWEEK-pricing for the 13-inch laptop begins at $449.
The Vostro V13 measures 13 by 9.1 by 0.65 inches and weighs 3.5 pounds, but this is no netbook. It offers a choice of ultra-low-voltage Intel processors and a choice of operating systems. The $449 model pairs Ubuntu with a 1.2GHz Celeron 743 processor, while for $699 users can get Windows 7 Professional with a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor and up to 4GB of memory.
There’s a full-size, spill-resistant keyboard with a trackpad with multitouch, a 13.3-inch (diagonal) WLED display and a brushed-aluminum casing with reinforced-and some might say attractively designed-thick zinc hinges.
Perks such as the 1.3-megapixel Webcam and Bluetooth connectivity come standard, while others, such as broadband and a Blu-ray drive, are optional. The Vostro line, which Dell launched in 2007, is geared toward cost-conscious small-business users, and allowing them to mix and match features to their needs and budgets is central to the offering.
The three major areas of interest for small businesses, Gardner said, are data protection, getting value for one’s money and IT support. The vast majority of small businesses don’t have dedicated sales or support services, Gardner said, and with the Vostro V13 Dell offers the option of DellConnect, for on-call support from a Dell tech-support agent. Also available is ProSupport, which enables businesses to choose the level of potentially 24/7 IT support that they’d like.
Now also available with all Vostro products, including the V13, is Dell’s “set and forget” DataSafe backup protection service. For an annual fee (which starts down around $10), business-critical data is automatically backed up and protected.
“Not long ago, business travelers like me had to choose mobility and affordability at the expense of performance. That’s no longer the case with the V13,” said Sam Burd, Dell’s global vice president of small and medium business, in a statement. “This 13-inch small business laptop is in a category all its own, as entrepreneurs now have quality performance, battery life and security combined with a thin and lightweight design sturdy enough for today’s business.”
Dell also grew its Vostro laptop lineup in August, with the addition of 14.1-inch and 15.6-inch models. Like the V13, these come with power-efficient WLED screens and are Energy Star 5.0 compliant. Uniquely, though, they’re also available in glossy back, blue and cherry red.