True, this ain’t the first Dell Mini tablet hack we’ve laid eyes on — but what we do have here is a pretty sweet mod by MyDellMini forum member “rock99rock” (must be his confirmation name). In addition to replacing his Dell Mini 9 display with a touchscreen kit, our man re-jiggered an ActionXL motion sensing controller to allow the screen to rotate as you rotate the device. Not bad, eh? Hit that read link for some real radical instrucciones — but not before checking out the enthralling video after the break.
Dell may be focusing the bulk of its attention on the white-hot Adamo XPS, but it looks as if its attempting to slide the Zino HD into the wild without anyone noticing. If you’ll recall, we snagged a little hands-on time with the box back in August, and now we’ve reason to believe that an official reveal is just moments away. The Zino HD is now listed on Dell’s main “Desktops” portal (a screen cap is after the break), though the accompanying link leads to nowhere. However, one vigilant tipster managed to find a backdoor URL that allows you to configure and order your own Inspiron 400 (its “other name,” just so you know) right now. We’re seeing the machine available in a slew of colors ($10 to $30 options over black), a 1.5GHz AMD Athlon 3250e or 1.8GHz Athlon 6850e CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 500GB (7200RPM) hard drive, 8x DVD burner, a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4330 GPU, bundled keyboard / mouse and a 20-inch ST2010 LCD thrown in for good measure. The total package described above looks to start at around $807 with a November 27th ship date, though we suspect cheaper models will be available once things get ironed out.
[Thanks, Chuck and Douglas]
Read – Dell’s desktop page Read – Zino HD order page
Dell certainly managed to cram plenty of inventive, even far-fetched touches into its Adamo XPS laptop, but it looks like it went even further out on a limb during the prototype stage, as PC World was able to discover during a brief hands-on time with a few cast off concepts. As you might expect, one of the ideas Dell toyed around with was a full-fledged touchscreen trackpad, which was apparently rejected because Dell couldn’t justify the cost of the panel based how much people would actually use it. Another, possibly even more ambitious concept is one that would have completely replaced the traditional keyboard with a series of capacitive-touch buttons (pictured after the break), which would have allowed for a true zero-profile design, albeit at some potential expense to usability. Hit up the link below for a look at a few more prototypes.
Having already witnessed the case and UI of Dell’s incoming Android invader, we can now pretty much complete the picture with the latest info from the FCC. Reassuringly, WiFi and 3G — the two big modifications from the China-bound Mini 3i — both make it onto US soil, leaving us with only the timeless questions of when and how much. The Chinese version of the phone runs a 360 x 640 resolution on a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, which makes for a nice base to get all that wireless communication (Bluetooth included) flowing. We can expect the Mini 3iX to find its way onto AT&T’s awesome networks some time in 2010, joining a growing army of Android devices vying for your cash, love and understanding.
Dell’s ultralight, portable MacBook Air competitor Adamo is back after a makeover. The new Adamo XPS is thinner, lighter and cheaper than its predecessor.
Adamo XPS will have a 13.4-inch high-definition display, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4 Ghz) processor, 4GB memory and will run the latest Windows 7 operating system. The laptop, which claims the title of the thinnest in the market, is just about 0.4-inches thick and has a full-size keyboard. Compare that to the original Adamo that was 0.65-inches thick.
Dell launched the first Adamo laptop in March. The laptop’s sleek design though came with a stiff price tag. The basic version of the Adamo cost $2,000, while a more expensive model costs $2,700. It also did not have a user-removable battery, which has changed in the Adamo XPS. (See more photos of the Dell Adamo XPS)
With the Adamo XPS, Dell has refined on its earlier product to make it more attractive and less expensive.
Like the MacBook Air, Adamo XPS weighs just over 3 lbs. The Adamo XPS is priced starting at $1800. It still costs more than the cheapest version of the Air, which starts at $1500. But Dell is hoping the Adamo XPS’s sleek aluminum body, and portability factor will make it an attractive buy to those who really want it.
The Adamo XPS is a daring slice of design and engineering. Quite frankly, it’s batshit insane.
I mean that in the best possible way.
It really is impossibly thin. I felt like I was holding a single sheet of aluminum that was contoured into the curved shape of a laptop. I set it down, gingerly, because I didn’t want to break it, since I didn’t know at the moment that it was $1800. My finger slid across the latch to disengage the heat-sensitive capacitive latch.
There was no visible sign my stroke was the lucky one, so I waited a second before prying the top half upward. It wasn’t entirely seamless—I had to hold the bottom half down as with a single finger as I pulled the display open and the keyboard slid forward, like a notebook out of a Pierce Brosnan-era James Bond era. The metal keys were cold. Which I kind of liked, actually.
When it’s in full bloom, the entire computer is propped up, resting on the front edge of the keyboard and outer edge of the display, so from the side it looks like an L that’s had its foot broken. It’s one reason I think the Adamo XPS is insane—there’s just nothing else like it, and that’s what I love about it, all practical issues aside. Like one I suspected initially, and confirmed when I had to balance it near the window—it’s going to be tricky to actually use in your lap. Do you let the overhang reset against your kneecaps? Or do you perform a balancing act, resting the slim edges on your legs, hoping you don’t lean one way or the other? The design’s not simply to show off your $1800 Ginsu blade by Dell, either—it’s for heat dissipation.
The 1366×768 LED display is sunken, so there’s a rim around it. That’s because the bottom folds up into the top, with a puffy lip, holding the webcam and mic, hanging over it. I worry slightly about the camera lens getting scratched, since it’s exposed whenever the Adamo XPS is closed.
I didn’t get to actually use the computer much, but it’s got essentially the same ultralight guts as the original Adamo, with the important distinction that it’s running Windows 7, so it should be a smoother ride in theory. The 20Whr battery, however, is only rated to deliver 2 hours and 36 minutes of battery life, so it’s going to be a very short ride. There’s a 40Whr battery available that doubles the life, but it murders the whole point of the Adamo XPS. It has 2 USB ports, DisplayPort video out (with an optional HDMI dongle) and a dongle for ethernet.
Really, it’s more a work of art and engineering than a functional computer, but honestly? That’s just fine, though, because it’s a pretty fantastic one.
DELL ANNOUNCES ADAMO XPS, A DAZZLING GIFT IDEA FOR STYLE-MINDED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON · World’s Thinnest Laptop is 0.4-inch thin
· Adamo XPS Reinforces Dell’s Commitment to Craftsmanship and Design
· Advanced Head-Turning Design Offers Full Feature Set for On-The-Go Computing
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Nov 5, 2009 … Last spring Dell set the computing industry abuzz with the introduction of its Adamo brand, and along with it the world’s thinnest laptop PC. Today, the world meets a new champion of thin: The Dell™ Adamo XPS™, measuring 9.99mm or just four-tenths of an inch. Both laptops set new standards for craftsmanship, design and engineering excellence.
Adamo XPS is a stunning laptop whose design provides a unique experience. With the swipe of a finger, the keyboard appears from under the display as the system is open. The feature set challenged engineers to build the latest technology into a compact space, including:
· 4GB* DDR3 800 memory;
· Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4Ghz) ultra-low voltage processor;
· Thin 128GB SSD for faster, cooler, quieter and more durable storage than traditional hard drives;
· A 13.4-inch high-definition display.
The attention to detail is apparent in the black, jewelry box-like packaging that is as striking as the laptop itself. A tug on a cloth loop reveals the Adamo XPS and assorted accessories that accompany the system. The Adamo XPS was recently recognized as the hottest Windows 7 product by leading technology analyst Rob Enderle with Digital Trends.
Adamo, derived from the Latin word meaning “to fall in love,” is a flagship in a line of products created to disrupt the personal computing space with the combination of new design aesthetics, personalization choices and sought-after technologies.
The Adamo by Dell brand was launched last March with the first Adamo laptop, which combined high-performance technologies in a finely-machined aluminum case only .65-inch thick.
The pencil-thin Adamo XPS weighs just over 3 pounds** and measures 13.39 x 10.71 inches. Dell expects to begin taking orders and shipping the Adamo XPS with Microsoft® Windows® 7 pre-installed in time for the holidays. The Adamo XPS is priced starting at $1799. More information is available at www.adamobydell.com
You know what’s ridiculous? Modern smartphones without WiFi (why hello there, Pixi and Tour). Looks like Dell’s getting the message with the supposed Brazil-bound Mini 3iX, which as far as we can tell is the Mini 3i as it should’ve been — same specs, plus WiFi and 3G connectivity. The OPhone-esque user interface also seems to have gone through some changes, at least cosmetically, and Cellular Cafe has the vivid imagery — so might this be the little guy rumored to be coming to AT&T, or will we get the 2G variant instead? How about we just skip this one altogether and get the Streak?
If you liked the Inspiron Mini 10v that Dell launched in May, but didn’t have the $299 to pay out up front, you may be in luck: Sprint is offering essentially the same notebook for $199, after a mail-in rebate. Well, at selected Bay Area stores, anyway. Take that, Big Apple!
The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 features embedded EV-DO Rev. A wireless service from Sprint, something Dell’s own Mini 10v does not.
Of course, the only way you’ll be able to take advantage of the offer is by signing up for a two-year service plan worth $59.99 per month for a 5-Gbyte data cap, or an additional $1,439.76 over the life of the contract. But what happens if the Wi-Fi at the coffee place goes down?
Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? Or better yet, when a leaked roadmap doesn’t get delayed in the slightest? After months upon months of waiting, broadband-lovin’ citizens in the North Carolina Triangle and Triad will be celebrating alongside DFW residents and Chicago natives as Sprint’s 4G WiMAX service rolls into town. As of right now (that’s today, junior), consumers in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and Charlotte, NC; Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas and Chicago, Illinois can roll into a Sprint store and snag a U300 3G / 4G WWAN modem on a $69.99 monthly data plan. We’re told that San Antonio and Austin will get lit up later this month, while Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii; Salem, Oregon and Seattle, Washington will join the fray before 2010. Oh, and did we mention that Palm’s favorite carrier finally snagged itself a WWAN-equipped netbook? ‘Cause the Dell Mini 10 is available starting today for $199.99 at select Sprint stores in the metropolitan Baltimore area.
Update: Looks like Sprint changed “Baltimore” to “Bay Area.” Odd.
Read – Sprint WiMAX in the Triangle Read – Sprint WiMAX in the Triad Read – Sprint WiMAX in Charlotte, NC Read – Sprint WiMAX in Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX Read – Sprint WiMAX in Chicago, IL Read – Sprint’s first netbook is Dell Mini 10
This article was written on April 15, 2008 by CyberNet.
June 30th is quickly approaching and you know what that means, don’t you? It means there are going to be a lot of unhappy people because that’s the day that Microsoft is going to stop selling OEM and shrink-wrapped copies of Windows XP. People will be forced to purchase Windows Vista, an operating system that many aren’t too eager to switch to. With this in mind, for those of you who don’t intend to upgrade to Vista and instead plan to wait until Windows 7, you may want to get your hands on a copy of XP before June 30th approaches.
Ever since Vista launched, users who purchased certain copies of Windows Vista have been able to downgrade to Windows XP for free. For example, someone who purchased Vista Business or Vista Ultimate could call up Microsoft and ask to be downgraded, and they’d then receive a new activation code that they could use with an older disc from a previous machine with the option to go back to their copy of Vista at any point. The key thing here is that Microsoft wasn’t supplying the media, the user had to. With the option to downgrade in mind, Dell has decided to make it super simple for their customers to downgrade.
Now when you purchase certain computers from Dell, there’s the option to have them install Windows XP for you and then they’ll provide you with a copy of Vista so that you can upgrade at any point. The Inquirer quotes Dell explaining how it works:
With Windows Vista Downgrade Service from Dell, you get a simple way to migrate to Windows Vista on your schedule.
Dell will factory-install Windows XP Professional and give you the DVD to install Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate when you’re ready (you will also receive the DVD for Windows XP Professional).
Dell will also support both operating systems on your PC throughout the limited warranty period.”
The screenshot above shows what we’re talking about. Notice how you can select “Genuine Windows Vista Business Bonus” in which case Genuine Windows XP Professional is factory-installed and the media is included?
The big deal with Dell is that users are getting OEM copies of Vista and XP, and XP will already be installed for them. This is a pretty big thing for Dell to offer, and certainly gives them a few reputation points from XP fans not ready or wanting to upgrade to Vista quite yet.
We do want to mention that this is all a bit confusing and we’re still not sure if this offer will be something that Dell can offer once June 30th comes rolling around. From our point of view, Vista isn’t as bad as many people make it out to be. After using it for over a year, the advantages make up for the disadvantages. Does it have flaws? You betchya! But there are plenty of reasons that it’s a great operating system so before you rule it out, try it out for yourself and come up with your own opinion regarding it. If you really don’t like it, well then at least you know you’ll be able to go back to XP.
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