Windows Experience Blog : Dell

Behold the Dell Inspiron Zino HD

Brandon LeBlanc — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:38:42 GMT

Yesterday, Dell officially announced availability of the Dell Inspiron Zino HD.

The Inspiron Zino HD is a small PC that packs quite a punch in an 8” by 8” square. Hip to be square, right? Ok – enough Huey Lewis, let’s talk about what this PC comes (and can be configured) with:

It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows 7 Professional 64-bit*.
You can customize the PC with 7 solid colors.
You can customize the PC with 3 designs.
The Inspiron Zino HD uses AMD’s Athlon processor (single or dual core).
The base configuration is 3GB of RAM, but can be configured with 4, 6, and 8GB of RAM with 8GB being the max.
Storage shouldn’t be a problem with your choice of 500GB, 640GB, 750GB, or 1TB 7200rpm SATA hard drives.
You can choose either a DVD +/- RW drive or Blu-ray drive.
For graphics, you can choose either an integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 or discrete ATI Radeon HD 4330 with 512MB of dedicated memory.
It has HDMI and VGA ports.
A 4-in-1 media card reader and integrated gigabit Ethernet are both standard.
It has integrated 2.1 High Definition audio with the choice of going with a Sound Blaster X-Fi High Definition audio from Creative.
For your wireless needs, you can choose either a Dell 1397 802.11 b/g wireless card or Dell 1520 802.11 b/g/n wireless card.

This little PC starts at just $229 and can be customized to support a variety of configurations depending on your needs.

Matter a fact, Dell’s Lionel Menchaca talks about a perfect use for the Inspiron Zino HD – a Windows Media Center “hub” with Windows 7. You can connect this PC up to your HDTV via HDMI and play HD Blu-ray movies. You can buy a USB TV tuner to watch and record live TV in Windows Media Center and also stream video content via Internet TV and Netflix.

For a powerful Windows Media Center setup with Windows 7, it is recommended when ordering your Inspiron Zino HD you choose the discrete graphics option (the ATI Radeon HD 4330) for the best experience. With with the storage options you get with the Inspiron Zino HD, you can literally make this PC the centralized “hub” on your network for all your digital media. And of course HomeGroup in Windows 7 makes it easier than ever to share that content with the rest of your PCs on your network too.

In the coming months I’m hoping to pick one of these up and deploy it in my home as my own Windows Media Center hub.

* Base model comes with Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 32-bit.

Photos credit: Dell. See the full set of Inspiron Zino HD photos from Dell’s official Flickr page.

Brandon’s Guide to Awesome New Windows 7 PCs

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:20:06 GMT

Many of you may be on the market for a new Windows 7 PC. Our partners are delivering new PCs we think you will love and just in time for the holidays! Below are hot and slick looking Windows 7 PCs in categories we think will be big for holiday 2009.

Please note that many of the PCs with features mentioned below are just one of many configurations these PCs come with. Many of these PCs can be configured and customized to your liking.

All-in-one PCs:

Sony VAIO L Series: Features a Quad Core processor, 24” widescreen touch display, discrete graphics, lots of memory and storage.
Dell Studio One 19: Features a Quad Core processor, lots of storage, a Blu-ray combo drive and an 18.5" multitouch HD widescreen display.
HP TouchSmart 300z Series: Features discrete graphics, an optional built-in TV tuner and a 20" multitouch widescreen display.

Ultra-thin PCs:

Acer Aspire 4810T: Offers a 14" screen, good battery life, and weighs only 2.4 lbs.
Dell Adamo 13: Features a slick looking aluminum chassis, 13.4" edge-to-edge HD display, ultra-slim .65" profile, Bluetooth and optional Mobile Broadband.
Toshiba Satellite T135: Features a 13.3" HD widescreen display, full size keyboard, 1.5" profile and weighs 4.7 lbs.

Touch PCs:

Lenovo ThinkPad T400smt: A lightweight Laptop PC with a 14.1" multitouch display, integrated webcam, and dual-channel digital microphone.
Toshiba Satellite M500: Features a lightweight, 14.1" touch screen and specializes in mobility. Note that not all M500 models feature Windows Touch however.

Netbook PCs:

HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje: Features both style and mobility with its 10.1" HD widescreen – and just 2.35 lbs.
Toshiba mini NB205: Weighs 3 lbs., has 3G Mobile Broadband and good battery life.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2: Features a multitouch pad, and a 10.1" LED backlit screen.

But wait! There’s more! Here are some other great PCs that really show off some of things customers do on their PCs everyday (yes, some people game every day):

Great Gaming PCs:

Falcon NW Fragbox: A portable desktop PC with a Quad Core processor, discrete graphics, lots memory and storage.
Alienware M17x: Features Dual GPUs, a Quad Core processor and 12GB of DDR3 memory (that’s a lot of memory!).
Asus G51Vx: A 15" gaming laptop PC featuring NVIDIA graphics with dedicated 1GB of memory, and a backlit gaming keyboard.

More Multimedia PCs:

Dell Studio XPS 16: Features premium ATI graphics, optional Intel Core i7 processor configuration, and your choice of either a 15.6" LED or 16" RGBLED seamless display.
HP Pavilion dv8t: Features an 18.4" HD widescreen, Blu-ray drive, TV tuner, and premium sound system with subwoofer and Dolby audio.
Toshiba Satellite A505: Features discrete graphics (certain configurations), a dual-core CPU, and premium surround sound speakers, and a HD 16" screen.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y650: A very stylish, thin, and light notebook at only 1 inch thick and weighing only 5.6 lbs.

All Around Great Everyday PCs:

Dell Studio XPS 13: Features a 13.3" edge-to-edge display, backlit keyboard and NVIDIA graphics.
Toshiba Satellite U500: Versatility, power and style and touch capable. A 13.3” mobile do-it-all machine.

Work from Anywhere (Mobility):

HP Pavilion dm3: Features a 13.3” ultra wide screen display and NVIDIA graphics, under 4 lbs. and 1 inch thin with great battery life.
Lenovo ThinkPad X200T: Features a lightweight form factor, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and is a Tablet PC (great for taking notes during meetings!).

Safeguard Your Work:

Lenovo ThinkPad X301: Features GPS, Bluetooth and Unified wireless capabilities.
HP ProBook 5310: Features a 13.3” HD LED display with integrated mobile broadband and a thin and lightweight design.

We are also making it easier for customers to choose which Windows PC is right for them with an updated version of Windows PC Scout (previously known as Windows Laptop Scout).

Windows PC Scout has been completely updated with new PCs and new ways of helping customers better identify the PC they want based on their needs. Essentially Windows PC Scout “Simplifies your search” for the right PC. There are a couple of ways Windows PC Scout will help you find the PC you want:

Laptop 101: Educates you on Laptop PCs.
Usage: Discover how certain Laptop PCs are used for specific needs.
Recommend: Match your needs with quality-checked Laptop PCs by Microsoft. Windows PC Scout provides clear recommendations on Windows PCs at a variety of price points.
Buy: Once you’ve found a PC, Windows PC Scout makes it easy to click through to purchase the right PC for them through major retailers, the online Microsoft Store or PC manufacturer websites.

If you’re looking for a new Windows 7 PC – give Windows PC Scout a spin!

As you can see, there is such an amazing variety of Windows 7 PCs for you to choose!

A Look at Some Cool Windows 7 PCs

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:12:13 GMT

As of today, we’re 9 days away from the worldwide launch of Windows 7. It’s no secret that when Windows 7 becomes available on October 22nd, our hardware partners are launching a host of cool new PCs to match it. I’ve had the privilege to see some of the slick new machines and I can tell you that there are some seriously fast computers with wickedly cool designs on the way.

“But Brandon!” you might be saying. “I don’t want to wait 10 whole days to start shopping for a great PC! Which machines can I check out NOW?”

Well, fear not. There are quite a few powerful, reasonably priced Windows 7 PCs that you can start test-driving now, and a few that you can even pre-order. I’ve highlighted some of my favorites below.

First up is the HP dm3. This 13” bad boy is available with a whopping half-terabyte hard drive, discrete graphics, a built in web cam, and up to a mind-boggling 10 hours of battery life. Sounds expensive, right? The truth is just the opposite; you can get your own starting at $549, which makes it a great option if you’re a student on a budget, or a consumer looking to get a lot of bang for your buck.

On October 5th, Dell opened up a great new program called the Windows 7 Easy Upgrade which will allow you to order once of their select machines today and have it pre-installed with Windows 7 and shipped to you right around the time when Windows 7 launches on October 22nd. One of my favorites and the laptop I am currently using today is the Dell Studio 15. I love this computer because it’s the total package – its great looking and completely customizable. Dell does a GREAT job at letting you personalize the color and design of your machine via their Design Studio. I customized mine with a weird funky goat.

I affectionately refer to this laptop as “The Goat”. I decorated The Goat with a few stickers (as you can see). The Studio 15 has some serious media street cred with a 15.6” HD screen that does 900p resolution, 256MB ATI discrete graphics, webcam and built in DVD burner. It also has a heck of a reasonable price tag, starting at $899. This is a really solid choice if you’re looking for an eye-catching “do-it-all” laptop. I’ll be talking more about this laptop and my experience with it in another blog post coming shortly.

One of my favorite thin-and-light notebooks is the Toshiba Satellite T135. Maybe it should have been codenamed “Pocket Hercules” instead; 3GB of RAM, a new Intel ULV processor, 250GB drive, HDMI and a 720p HD screen, all wrapped up in a package that’s only about an inch thick. It’s a very cool ultra-portable notebook, perfect for working (or playing) on the go.

Is 11” just too big for you? Then check out the HP Mini 110. This 10”, 2.68lb netbook PC is one of the most unique I’ve seen – for this project, HP partnered with designer Tord Boontje to create HP Imprint 3D, a new engraving process that allows HP to build amazing textured casebacks. At $399, it’s an affordable way to get the ultimate in style and portability.

If you need something to put on your desk, instead of carry in your bag, I suggest you take a look at one of the great new all-in-ones. They’re compact and clean, and work great in the kitchen or in an area where you don’t have a lot of space.

The newest kid on the all-in-one block is Sony’s VAIO L. Part HDTV, part PC, the L has a Blu-Ray player, a TV tuner, and a beautiful 24” multi-touch display that’s ready to take advantage of Windows 7 multitouch. The VAIO L is set to hit stores in November, and pricing starts around $1300.

Dell also makes a nice all-in-one in the Dell Studio 19. I love this thing because it’s a powerhouse in a super slim design, and you can get it in white, blue, grey, pink or red. It’s got an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 3GB of memory, a 500GB drive and all of the trimmings. Like the VAIO L, its ready to take full advantage of Windows 7’s multi-touch technology via its super-bright touchscreen display, and you can get it in “alpine white” for $999. Adding a custom color job and a Blu-Ray drive will bump the price up to about $1100, which is still a great deal.

And HP just announced today revamp of HPs a revamp of their venerable multi-touch enabled TouchSmart PCs. They’re introducing two new models – the TouchSmart 300 (20” HD screen) and 600 (23” HD screen). Not only are these great looking machines with a long, successful history, but they also include HP customized touch versions of popular applications and services, like Twitter, Rhapsody, Hulu, Pandora, Netflix, and more. Pricing starts at a consumer-friendly $899 for the 300 and $1,049 for the 600.

This is just a small sliver of the PC goodness that’s coming soon with Windows 7. Stay tuned for more info on the latest and greatest Windows 7 PCs!

Dell Now Offering Windows 7 Drivers for Commercial Desktops and Laptops

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:32:30 GMT

Dell is jumping in to help business (commercial) customers get ready for Windows 7 by offering Windows 7 drivers for their commercial desktop and laptop PCs. They are posting their Windows 7 drivers here (see Drivers and Downloads on left-hand navigation).

By offering drivers for their commercial desktop and laptop PCs, Dell is helping business customers with Dell PCs in their environments prepare for Windows 7 deployments.

For more information, see this blog post on Dell’s Inside Enterprise IT Blog.

Buy Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED and Help Eliminate AIDS in Africa

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:27:11 GMT

Starting on December 15th, people will be able to purchase the standalone version of Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED and fight to help eliminate AIDS in Africa at no extra cost. Microsoft will contribute a portion of the profits to the Global Fund. To date - (PRODUCT) RED™ partners and events together have contributed more than $115 million to support Global Fund-financed programs that positively impact the lives of people affected by HIV AND AIDS in Africa. (RED)™ money provides access to education, nutrition, counseling, medical services, and the two pills a day individuals need to stay alive.

If you’re still doing your Christmas shopping and looking for a gift for someone, why not save lives too? You can pre-order Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED today from Amazon.com and choose FREE Super Saver Shipping to have it delivered before Christmas. In early 2009 – Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED will be hitting store shelves at select retailers.

The latest version of Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED includes brand new exclusive content from (PRODUCT) RED partners to personalize the desktop: Emporio Armani clock gadget and Hallmark wallpapers, (RED)™ and Africa-inspired graphics, new (RED)™ words screen savers and more.

Here is a little preview of that exclusive content…

Africa-inspired wallpapers

Windows (PRODUCT) RED Wallpapers

Dell continues to be a (PRODUCT) RED partner and will be integrating the updated content into their future Dell XPS (PRODUCT) RED PCs for customers who choose Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED.

(PRODUCT) RED continues to gain momentum. Earlier this month Starbucks joined as a (PRODUCT) RED partner. (RED)WIRE™ also launched, a digital music magazine offering exclusive tracks from artists like R.E.M. and Keith Urban with a $5 per month membership fee. Half your membership fee for (RED)WIRE goes to buy medicine to keep people living with HIV in Africa alive.

College students can also take advantage of a new Ultimate Steal offer and grab a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED today for $64.95.

Find a Laptop with Windows Laptop Scout + Special Holiday Offers

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:59:00 GMT

Need help finding the perfect laptop just for you or someone in the family for the holidays? We’ve got the perfect tool for you. We’ve launched Windows Laptop Scout to help you find the right PC. Windows Laptop Scout helps you search for a laptop starting with how you or someone in your family will use the laptop. You can choose from 4 selections to get results on laptops that will meet your needs (you can choose all that apply to your needs).

Once you click “Show laptops” – you’re given results based on your needs. I took Windows Laptop Scout for a spin myself. I chose “Work on the go” and “Music, movies, and more” and as you can see in the below screenshot, I got 18 out of 31 laptops that meet my needs (more laptops will continue to be added).

I was able to refine my search by adjusting the settings on the bottom such as Price, Screen Size, Speed, Storage and Weight. The results update automatically. Windows Laptop Scout is a tool I strongly recommend checking out if you are looking for a new laptop.

I’ve also got some deals I think you’ll be interested in especially as we officially head into the holidays.

Over on Windows.com we have a list of a few special deals folks can take advantage of…

Sony: Buy any eligible VAIO CS or SR series notebook with a VAIO DPF-D80 digital photo frame and save $180. Click here for details.
Dell: Save now when you buy the Dell XPS M1530 together with a Linksys by Cisco Router and Media Center Extender. Click here for details.
Blockbuster: Buy a qualifying laptop from participating retailers and get 6 months of Blockbuster movies. Choose from more than a dozen models from 5 great companies. Click here to pick a qualifying laptop.
Best Buy: Buy a Windows Mobile Smartphone and 2-year activation, and Geek Squad will set up your phone, including e-mail, right in the store. Click here for details.

Hopefully along with Windows Laptop Scout, you will find these offerings useful!

Oh and don’t forget the recent updates to Windows Live too! You can check out all the offerings of Windows Live at WindowsLive.com.

Checking out Dell’s Vostro 1500 Business Laptop

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:18:00 GMT

Two weeks ago my new Dell Vostro 1500 arrived. Dell's Vostro Notebook line-up is a relatively new line-up of laptops that cater to business users. While I love the Tablet PC experience the HP tx1000 offers, I was in need for something a little more powerful. I'm the type of guy that likes to feel like I am taking my desktop PC with me when I travel.

After looking at the specs for the Vostro 1500, I decided to customize it for some added benefit. Here are the specs on my Vostro 1500:

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz Processor
Screen - 15.4 Widescreen XGA+ LCD TrueLife
Memory - 2GB DDR2
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB
Storage - 160GB 7200RPM SATA Harddrive
Media - 8x DVD-RW with double-layer DVD-R write capability
Network - Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card
Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
Mobile Broadband - Dell Wireless 5520 HSDPA 3.6 Mini-card (for AT&T)

With Windows Vista Ultimate (this laptop deserves nothing less), the Vostro 1500 has everything I need in a laptop and makes "going mobile" much easier. It has a Windows Experience Index of 4.6 with the lowest rating being Graphics. The rest of the scores are the highest I've seen on a laptop to-date.

For the first time, I am enjoying running at 802.11 N with the Vostro 1500. Right now as I wrote my post on the Vostro, I'm running at 130Mbps.Works absolutely amazing. My router, the D-Link DIR-625 RangeBooster N Router, supports 802.11 N but I've not had a device with 802.11 N wireless capabilities until now. The DIR-625 was part of D-Link's initial wave of devices that took advantage of and supported Windows Vista when Windows Vista launched last January.

After 2 weeks with the Vostro 1500, I'm really happy with my decision. I've still got more experiences to write about, such as using the Mobile Broadband wireless capability but I'll save that for another post. I've updated my What I Use page to reflect the Vostro 1500 - check it out.

Also: my new HP MediaSmart Server arrives this week. I plan on having a post up on rolling out Windows Home Server in my home by the end of the week. I look forward to getting the HP MediaSmart Server set up.

Images of the Dell Vostro 1500 were uploaded to my Flickr account using Windows Live Photo Gallery.Click here for the full set of photos of the Dell Vostro 1500.

Putting Windows Vista to the test on a new Dell PC

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Ed Bott recently purchased a new Dell C521 PC running Windows Vista Home Premium and blogs about his experience with the PC. He talks about his experience right from starting up the PC for the first time after receiving it from Dell to his experience trying to "stress" the PC out.

What Ed did to "stress" out his PC was he began copying over 6GB of photos from a network server, started playing a DVD in Windows Media Player 11, opened up 5 websites in IE7 (5 different tabs), and opened and started using Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker. Ed even noted that while all of this was taking place, Flip3D worked perfectly. And while his PC's Task Manager displayed high usage on its memory and CPU - Ed says the PC displayed an "a very impressive performance".

I'm going to try The Ed Bott PC Stress Test later tonight on my PC's. ;-)

Click here to read Ed Bott's full report on his experience.