Posted 10/19/09 at 08:48:50 AM by Paul Lilly

Perhaps in the future, all notebooks will measure a mere 9.99 mm thick, rendering today's laptops laughably obese by comparison. And if we're to take Dell's upcoming Adamo XPS as a representative of things to come, you can kiss the "open" button goodbye.

According to a report in BusinessWeek, Dell's super-slim notebook will feature a "heat-sensing strip on the lip that, when swiped with a finger, glows white and automatically opens the aluminum lid."

The article wasn't focused on the Adamo, however, and unfortunately no other details were given, so we still don't know what kind of hardware Dell plans to cram inside the skinny frame.

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Posted 02/25/09 at 02:11:30 PM by Andy Salisbury

It looks like Dell, keeping with their latest trend of sneaking machines onto their website, has added a graceful new addition to their line of Studio XPS desktops; the Studio XPS 435.

Under the hood of the 435 you’ll find a 3.2GHz Core i7 running on an X58 chipset, room for up to 24GB of DDR3 RAM, and 4.5TB of storage across three hard drive bays. To make it all show up on your monitor, they’ll include a Radeon HD4870. And, of course, to help sweeten the deal they’re tossing in a Blu-ray drive, a 15-in-1 card reader, and a whopping eight USB ports.

Currently there’s no word on pricing or availability, but we’re guessing that a machine packing stats like those will give one’s checking account plenty to worry about.

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Posted 01/07/09 at 02:58:42 PM by Andy Salisbury

Dell, playing to the beat of their own drummer, has oh-so-secretly snuck some new Studio XPS laptops onto their online store.

The new machines, the Studio XPS 1340 and Studio XPS 1640 are upgraded versions of the previous Studio XPS 13. Both of the machines bear the exact same $1,199 price tag (seriously), pack Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and Vista Home Premium. The main discernable difference is that the smaller, 13-inch version is packing Nvidia GeForce 9400M G graphic while the slightly bigger, 16-inch version is rocking an ATI Mobility Radeon M86XT chip.

While both of these notebooks look like pretty solid additions to Dell’s lineup, the lack of a price difference is a bit confusing.

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Posted 11/18/08 at 11:19:42 AM by Paul Lilly

Dell, Intel's BFF in the OEM systems sector, has outfitted a couple of its desktops with the chip maker's new Core i7 processor, one of which represents a brand new product line in the Studio XPS.

A baseline configured Studio XPS desktop starts out at $950 and comes equipped with Intel's Core i7 920 clocked at 2.66GHz. The sub-$1000 configuration also includes a 3GB triple-channel DDR3-1066 memory kit and a 500GB hard drive. A 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450 provides casual gaming chores, with the option to upgrade to a 512MB HD 4850 for $200 more.A 16X DVD burner and the standard assortment of ports complete the feature-set. For those with a little more jingle in their pocket, up to 1.28TB of storage can be configured in a RAID 0 array, along with a speedier CPU in the Core i7 940 clocked at 2.93GHz.

The other series getting a Core i7 infusion is Dell's XPS 730x Gaming Desktop. Starting out at $2000, the 730x comes standard with Intel's Core i7 940 and, like the Studio XPS, 3GB of tri-channel RAM. Pixel pushing power is provided by Nvidia's 512MB GeForce 9800GT. For $4850, Dell upgrades the processor to an Intel Core i7 965 Extreme factory overclocked to 3.73GHz, doubles up on the RAM to 6GB, tosses in an Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 videocard, and beefs up storage duties with a 750GB hard drive. If spending the entire holiday bonus, the XPS 730x offers options for Western Digital's Velociraptor drive and/or up to 2TB in a RAID 1+0 array, along with an option for dual GTX 280 videocards in an SLI configuration.

Studio XPS systems are available now, with most XPS 730x systems expected to start shipping by early or mid-December, according to Electronista.

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Posted 10/31/08 at 05:57:56 PM by Andy Salisbury

So, you’re in the market for an all-in-one computer with a 24-inch screen, but you’re not looking to splurge on one of those yucky iMacs, huh? Well Dell has got your back, and it comes in the form of the XPS One 24.

The 24-inch beast packs plenty of powerful features, too. Including a gigantic 1920x1080 native resolution on a 16:9 display, 4GB RAM (standard), Intel GMA X4500HD graphics (or an upgraded Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT) and an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor. Should you feel the need to donate money to some worthwhile causes without actually doing so yourself, there’s a (PRODUCT) RED version available too.

While admittedly the name isn’t the best we’ve ever seen (seriously, say it out loud), it is shaping up to be a very worthwhile media machine. Some upgraded speakers and a built in TV tuner are looking to drive that point home. It’s shipping now, and will run you $1,700 for a base model.

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Posted 06/24/08 at 09:14:14 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

From the Air to the Pro, Apple’s MacBooks are winning the hearts and minds of consumers everywhere—including PC enthusiasts. Maximum PC investigates whether the hoopla is warranted.

What do you really get for the money when you throw down for a MacBook, and how do these Apple computers compare to their PC counterparts in terms of performance, features, overall usability, and price? Maximum PC tests and reviews the MacBook Air, the standard MacBook, and the MacBook Pro against five PC models sporting similar price points and formfactors. It’s time we set the record straight.

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Posted 05/14/08 at 05:08:08 PM by Paul Lilly

OCZ to offer barebones gaming laptop, ClubIT shuts its doors, news of XPS's death greatly exaggerated, and much more!

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Posted 02/26/08 at 01:25:52 PM by Gordon Mah Ung

What's worse than the F-word? The P-word. Dell decides to join the crowd by just saying no to proprietary parts.

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