The more Ultrabooks that got unveiled at CES, the more convinced I became that it’s silly to discuss them as if they were a coherent new class of portable computer. No two manufacturers seem to agree on what an Ultrabook should be. That’s neat, since it means they’re experimenting. And last Tuesday, Dell introduced my favorite answer so far to the question “What is an Ultrabook?” in the form of its new XPS 13.
Once upon a time, the PC had no rivals. Back in the era before smart phones, tablets, Internet-savvy HDTVs and other gadgets-come-lately, it was the most important technology product in the world, and therefore inherently exciting.
This could be a big, busy year for Intel. While the processor giant has reportedly earmarked more advertising dollars for its ultrabook initiative than it’s spent promoting any other project since 2003 – remember Centrino? – the company also just unveiled that it’s jumping whole-hog into the lucrative smartphone market.
The Macbook Air rivals are coming.
In the game of Android tablets, Dell has two strikes against it.
13 too small? 15 too big? Why not settle for 14-inches of portable powerhouse gaming? Or don’t settle at all with the “most powerful 18-inch gaming laptop in the universe.” Or how about just going the ultraportable route with “the most-powerful sub-14-inch notebook in the universe”?
Just when you thought it was safe to pick up an iPad, Dell claims Apple’s days as the tablet industry’s big kahuna are numbered–and I’m sure you’re totally surprised.
Dell’s 7-inch “Streak 7″ Android tablet is due this week from T-Mobile at $200 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract starting at $25 per month. That’s $50 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Tab offered through T-Mobile, which is now priced at $250 after being discounted from $400.
Dell’s flippy-faced Inspiron Duo will be here in early December, with pricing starting at $549 depending upon the configuration.
Starting next week, 25,000 Dell employees will be able to trade in their BlackBerrys for Dell-branded "Venue Pro" smartphones running Windows Phone 7. The company will offer a similar option for switching to Android phones in the future, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Dell will be launching a 7-inch Android tablet "very, very soon—within the next few weeks," according to Dell Greater China President Amit Midha. The company will follow the 7-inch version up with a 10-inch version, but we won’t see that one for at least six months according to the Wall Street Journal.
