Dell Launches Studio Hybrid Desktop

Adding to its colorful Studio collection, Dell today launches its Studio Hybrid, a mini-PC the company bills as the "most environmentally responsible consumer" computer on the market. It could also rank as one of the most affordable PCs, checking in at only $499 without monitor or as low as $699 with a 19-inch widescreen LCD.

In addition to 6 interchangeable color sleeves (or bamboo), the new Studio Hybrid also sports a sideways oriented slot-load DVD burner and several ports, including HDMI, three USB 2.0, DVI, Ethernet, and audio.

Underneath the hood customers can choose between a range of Intel Mobile processors from the T2390 (1.86GHz/533MHz) on up to the T9500 (2.6GHz/800MHz). In addition to the widescreen monitor, the $699 configuration buys you a T2390, 2GB of DDR2-667, a 250GB 5400RPM hard drive, 8x DVD burner, integrated graphics and audio, and Vista Home Premium with SP1.

Dell claims its Studio Hybrid line is about 80 percent smaller than the typical desktop minitower, and uses up to 70 percent less energy. Further appealing to the environmentalists, Dell claims its tiny green PC uses 30 percent less packing materials than a typical desktop, almost all of which is recyclable.

Between the recent push towards low power computing and Apple continuing to sell a generation on hip gadgets, Dell thinks it has a winner in its colorful PC with green roots. What do you think?

Image Credit: Dell