Posted 11/04/09 at 08:08:32 AM by Paul Lilly

Dell on Tuesday announced the completion of its tender offer for Perot Systems. Under terms of the deal, Dell will accept Perot's stock at $30 per share, and in return own more than 90 percent of the company.

Completion of the acquisition forms a new business unit called Dell Services, which will provide IT services and business solutions to customers. Integrating Perot Systems also extends Dell's reach into hosting, consulting, applications and business-process outsourcing, and expands Dell's exiting managed and modular services.

"Dell Services will be a powerful organization with the extensive capabilities and global reach to address the needs of organizations of all types. The Dell and Perot Systems integration teams have been extremely productive in their planning, and we are ready to work on behalf of all our customers," Peter Altabel, the former CEO of Perot who will become president of Dell Services, said in a statement.

Read More

Posted 10/29/09 at 08:25:41 PM by Ryan Whitwam

PC vender Acer is on quite the roll as of late. They’ve finally become number two in worldwide notebook sales, beating out Dell. Now they expect to be able to ship 40 million notebooks in 2010, and take the number one spot from market leader HP.

Earlier this year Acer was predicting only 33 to 37 million units shipped, but better than expected performance in the second half of the year caused them to raise expectations. One of Acer’s major problems is the ongoing shortage of hardware, including optical drives, LCD panels, hard drives, and graphics chips. Acer Chairman, JT Wang, indicated that even with possible shortages the company would likely reach its goal.

Acer has become a major player in the last few years. Their notebook shipments have more than doubled, mostly due to the success of netbooks marketed heavily to consumers. They plan to continue on this path into next year.

Read More

Posted 10/27/09 at 05:13:02 PM by Jason Barry

Dell unveiled a new ruggedized convertible tablet called the Latitude XT2 XFR today. It measures in at 1.5 inches thick making it the thinnest rugged convertible laptop on the market.

It is a “work in the field” type laptop weighing 5.4 pounds using a 4-cell battery. It features a 12.1-inch LED backlit display with multi-touch and gesture controls, Core 2 Duo processor (SU9600), and can support up to 5GB of RAM. The Dell engineers weren’t just hoping this thing could handle a coffee spill or a three centimeter drop, it has been designed to meet MIL-810G standards and is expected to be certified soon.

What does that mean? Well, for one, it can operate in temperatures ranging from minus 10 up 140 degrees Fahrenheit. It also features a thermal management system designed to keep things cool but also eliminate dust and water from entering the device.

The new laptop starts at $3,599 and will be sold in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

Read More

Posted 10/22/09 at 10:38:48 AM by Pulkit Chandna

The Wall Street Journal reported in June that Dell was developing an Android-powered mobile internet device (MID) or mini-tablet. A Vietnamese site, Tinhte.com, has leaked a video of what it claims is an engineering sample of the rumored mini-tablet.

The MID, which reportedly runs Android 2.0 and features a 5-inch touchscreen, likes to be addressed as the Dell Streak. All that is known at this moment is that the Streak features a 5MP camera with dual LED flash, WiFi/Bluetooth/3G connectivity, a microSD slot, and a 1,300mAh battery.

Read More

Posted 10/21/09 at 05:34:19 PM by Bart Salisbury

With friends like Dell: “When you consider that Vista was a bust,” said Dell's president for large enterprise Stephen Schuckenbrock, “Windows 7 is a capability upgrade on a scale that has really never been seen before."

Vista a bust? Yeah, well, I suppose so. But why wait until the day before it’s upgrade appears to say so? Some of those very Vista users are where they are because of a recommendation they received from Dell. Besides a knife in the back of its customers, it sort of undermines Dell’s future sales pitches, doesn’t it?

And Schuckenbrock’s comment seems faint praise for Windows 7. Windows 7: it looks great when you compare it to Vista--which sucked! On that basis so to does XP, or Linux, or OS 9.

Interesting comment from a company that sees Microsoft’s new operating system as a pick-me up for their stagnant computer sales.

Read More

Posted 10/20/09 at 10:15:40 AM by Paul Lilly

Pretty soon, all the attention will be focused on Dell's upcoming Adamo XPS, the super-slim laptop whose specs have yet to be revealed. But in the meantime, Dell's Adamo Desire deserves a bit of attention too, thanks to an internal overhaul.

Just a few months ago, the Adamo Desire came configured with a 1.4GHz processor and 128GB SSD, a combo that would set you back $2,300. Now three months later, Dell has replaced the Desire's guts with Intel Core 2 Duo SL9600 processor clocked at 2.1GHz, a 256GB SSD, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Rounding out the package is Windows Home Premium in 64-bit form.

Already a pricey notebook, you would think the hardware upgrades would put the Desire out of reach. But if it is, that's only because it was out of reach to begin with. Despite the beefier hardware, the MSRP hasn't budged an inch! Well played, Dell. Now how about sharing a bit more about the Adamo XPS?

Read More

Posted 10/19/09 at 08:09:01 PM by Ryan Whitwam

So you just bought a new PC, but you don’t buy into the closed-source software hegemony of Microsoft? You’re in luck. With only a few months of your time, and some technical expertise, you too can get a refund on Windows. That’s just what Graeme Cobbett did recently. Knowing that he intended to run Linux Mint on his new Dell Studio 1555, he informed Dell that he did not agree to the Windows EULA.

Cobbett blogged about his reasons for turning down the EULA saying, “Have you ever actually read the Microsoft Windows End User License Agreement? It's pretty scary what you commit yourself to.” By not starting Windows, Cobbett was legally entitled to a refund on the software.

The pertinent section of the EULA reads, “By using the software, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the software. Instead, return it to the retailer for a refund or credit.” After two months and 14 emails, Cobbett had his $115 refund. Would it be worth it to you?

Read More

Posted 10/19/09 at 04:54:02 PM by Bart Salisbury

For individual users the decision to upgrade to Windows 7 is straightforward--there’s only a PC or two to deal with, and our time is our time. For businesses, however, the decision is a bit more complex. It’s not just having to update multiple machines, it’s having to update the entire information technology infrastructure as well--which can be a costly proposition. And as their time is money it is not a decision to be lightly made.

Dell is working to make the process of business migration to Windows 7. Dell has launched a service that walks businesses through the decision of whether to upgrade, and to make the upgrade process “worry-free.” One part of Dell’s support is a FAQ that walks business owners through the big questions about Windows 7: What hardware is required? Will my software still work under Windows 7? Are there drivers for my peripherals? Dell also helps business owners decide which of the three Windows 7 editions: Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate, will be suit their needs. There’s also advice on the hardware needed to upgrade from XP or Vista.

Windows 7 won’t be officially released until October 22, but Dell is currently taking pre-orders for businesses on its Latitude laptops, OptiPlex desktops, and Precision workstations with Windows 7 installed.

Read More