Technology giant Dell announced the release of a line of XPS notebooks aimed at mobile entertainment enthusiasts. Available in 14-, 15- and 17-inch screen sizes, the notebooks offer JBL and Waves sound design, HD video featuring graphics from Nvidia and Skype certification with HD video streaming Web cams. Available through Dell's Website, starting prices for the new XPS laptops are $899 for the XPS 14, $849 for the XPS 15 and $949 for the XPS 17.
All are 3D TV ready and include Nvidia's 3DTV Play software, which allows users to connect their Dell XPS notebooks to 3D HDTVs and play PC games in 3D, watch Blu-ray 3D movies, and browse 3D photos and videos in stereoscopic 3D. The XPS brand joins the Inspiron and Alienware families in rounding out Dell's consumer portfolio. The notebooks come standard with silver anodized aluminum display back and palmrest, or can be personalized with one of more than 200 designs from Dell Design Studio.
Included are built-in JBL designed and certified speakers with integrated Waves MaxxAudio technology for enhanced notebook speaker performance, with 12-watt subwoofers on the 15- and 17-inch models. The High Definition LED displays are powered by between 1GB and 3GB Nvidia graphics processor options; a Blu-ray disc drive is optional. The notebooks also feature Intel Core processors and the latest Nvidia GeForce 400 series graphics with Optimus technology.
Dell Design Studio is an immersive online shopping experience where shoppers can interactively view and select from hundreds of designs, artists, colors and patterns to personalize a Dell Mini or Dell laptop PC. Individuals who want to personalize their laptop can choose from categories that include designs representing OPI shades, Major League Baseball team designs, community favorites, Threadless graphic art and a variety of artwork designed for Dell.
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"We're pushing the limits once again--this time with our new line of XPS laptops, which offer pulsing audio from JBL and Waves, new high-definition screens driven by Nvidia technology and the industry's first Skype-certified laptops with the first Web cam allowing HD video streaming," said Sam Burd, vice president of Dell's consumer, small and medium business product group. "The XPS brand has always been the standard-bearer for outstanding performance from Dell, and the new line of laptops is no exception. No laptop PCs have ever sounded or looked so great."
Dell retook the runner-up position for worldwide computer sales in the second quarter of 2010 as rival Acer suffered a sales setback during the period, according to a Sept. report from market research firm iSuppli. Dell in the second quarter shipped 10.5 million units worldwide, down a negligible 1.2 percent from 10.7 million units in the first quarter. This gave Dell a 12.8 percent share of global shipments, down from 13.1 percent in the first quarter.
Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst of compute platforms research for iSuppli, said Dell also appears to be benefiting on a rebound of corporate demand for desktop PCs and entry-level servers. He noted that while shipments declined sequentially for Dell in the second quarter, the company achieved robust growth compared with the same period in 2009: Dell's shipments rose 16.7 percent from a year earlier.
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