What does the lowered price of $999 let you embrace?  A 1.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, a 128GB solid state SSD drive, all running on Windows 7 Home 64-bit edition.  Not enough vigor?  The Adamo Desire grants you a 2.1 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB RAM, and double the storage (256GB SSD) for $1,799, a $500 cut from last year’s price.

I’ve been eying the Adamo every since it was launched – can you say this deal is smoking hot?

Video demo after the cut

Processor choices start from a 1.2GHz Celeron and rise through a 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo or 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo, and graphics are courtesy of the X4500MHD chip.  While it’s a little thicker than the Adamos that went before it, that does mean you won’t be searching for useful ports in vain: the Vostro V13 has ethernet, USB, eSATA, audio in/out, an SD card slot and an ExpressCard slot, arguably making it more useful for the everyday business traveller.

All this news comes from Dell Singapore, who have jumped the collective corporate gun slightly in revealing the Vostro V13′s specifications.  We’ll hopefully have full pricing and details when Dell US wake up to the fact that their $450 secret is out of the bag.

[via Engadget]

Aesthetically the Booklet has got the goods, but performance wise not so much.  While  using the Booklet for the last week or so I had to get used to the netbook taking at least a minute to boot up Windows 7 Starter (thanks to its slow 4,200 rpm hard drive), and  stalling at times when trying to open an application or simply loading a Flash video (thanks to its sluggish Atom Z530 processor). The Booklet 3G is like the stereotypical blonde — pretty but slow.

But Nokia isn’t the only offender of making “luxurious but laggard” notebooks; Sony, HP, ASUS and Dell are similarly guilty of creating high end notebooks (or netbooks) with shoddy internal specs. Take Sony’s new $1,300 Vaio X Series notebook. Sure, the carbon fiber clad notebook is the lightest in the world and it is pretty darn thin but its got the same slow and underpowered Atom Z530 processor as the Booklet, and it actually costs more! Apparently, Sony learned nothing from its mistakes with the P Series. It was the same story with the Dell Adamo that cost plus two grand. The notebook’s machined-aluminum chassis is incredibly svelte and thin, but it has a sluggish ultra low voltage processor with only 2GB of RAM. (Luckily, Dell seems to have tweaked a few things with the revolutionary designed Dell Adamo XPS that is due out soon).

Offering less computing power for more money is one issue, but the same happens in the ergonomics realm.  Placing form-over-function, HP mucked up the touchpad on its super attractive and made of premium materials Envy 13. The same happened with its budget Pavilion dm3 touchpad; it is basically a pocket mirror implanted on a palmrest.  In both cases, it is an understatement to say that it is frustrating to move the cursor around the desktop. At the end of the day, we use our laptops to access digital content, not to attract onlookers. Don’t get me wrong, I love attractive technology and love the feel of using premium equipment, but not when it hampers the intended purpose of the product.

Beauty, dear notebook manufacturers, isn’t skin deep. Premium notebooks and netbooks have a position in the marketplace amongst those that value quality and are willing to shell out more for nice looking and feeling products, but sacrificing performance and power — the basics of a real laptop — shouldn’t have to be part of the equation.  I’m crossing my fingers that the next column I type on a premium netbook or notebook isn’t muddled by poor performance, a slow hard drive and a sub-par version of an operating system.

Like the Sharp Mebius NJ70A, one of Dell’s concepts in the run up to design finalisation had an LCD touchscreen serving double-duty as a trackpad.  In the end, though, they axed the idea because they felt it would add too much cost to what’s already a costly machine.  As for the touchscreen keyboard, that used the same technology as the opening-strip, but the absence of tactile feedback saw it shelved.

Finally – and this one really goes to show the lust for skinniness among Dell’s engineers these days – they tried a version with the ports hidden in a pop-up section, but it added a tiny bit more thickness, so got canned.  In the end, the Adamo XPS ended up reasonably gimmick-free (though only when you compare it to the prototypes) but no less tempting.

[via Gizmodo]

After the cut: Dell Adamo XPS hands-on impressions, gallery, and video

To say the Dell Adamo XPS is thin is the understatement of the year. Both times I have seen it in person I have been equally as shocked at how freaking slender the notebook really is and just how amazing it looks. Measuring 13.4 x 10.8 x 0.4-inches and tipping the scales to 3.2 pounds, it was like carrying around a legal sized notepad in the crook of my arm. (The Macbook Air is taller at .7 inches at its thickest point, but does weigh a minuscule 0.2-pounds less). How is it that Dell accomplished creating the almost emaciated Adamo XPS, you ask? The answer lies in the notebook’s completely radical design. Its keyboard folds into the display allowing it to basically disappear when it is closed.  This is accomplished with a totally different hinge creation; the hinge is actually beneath the system which causes the keyboard to be propped up, but more on that soon. Either way, it is as crazy as it sounds!

Of course, that thinness comes with some sacrifice. The notebook only has two USB ports (one more than the Macbook Air!), a DisplayPort and a headphone jack.  An Ethernet and DVI adapter will come in the box and a good old external optical drive will be sold separately.

Clad in all aluminum there is no doubt that the futuristic system has a similar look to its long lost twin the Macbook Air, but the notebook has more pizazz or gimmicks, whichever you decide. Along the front of the lid is a “capacitive latching device” that unlocks the notebook. Seriously, the notebook will not unlock unless you rub a finger across the strip. It is totally James Bond, and is cool at first but I’m thinking it will get annoying to have to rub your finger on this strip every time you want to open your laptop (the whole process takes about 7 to 10 seconds). And don’t think it is some sort of security feature; anyone’s finger can unlock the lid.

When you finally do unlock the key to the Adamo XPS’s chastity belt you are greeted by a glossy 13.4-inch 1266 x 768 resolution display and an elevated keyboard. When I placed the notebook on a table the keyboard  was propped up, much like a desktop keyboard, and was insanely comfortable to type on. The keys themselves are coated in metal and felt really solid. Putting the laptop on my lap while sitting back on a couch wasn’t as cumbersome as I expected and it didn’t tilt as I typed on it, though I did have to adjust the screen angle ever so slightly to get everything at the right angle. As for the trackpad, it seemed pretty spacious and I think Dell may have finally have gotten it right by leaving out the multitouch failures and integrated mouse buttons.

The Adamo XPS is clearly the front runner in the best looking laptop competition, but will it also be about performance? All signs point to yes. The notebook doesn’t have a Intel Atom processor like the Sony X Series (and every other netbook on the market). Instead it has a dual-core 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive with Windows 7 Premium (64-bit). The notebook itself should be a decent performer, though it seems its battery life won’t be as strong as some other ULV notebooks on the market. With its included three-cell battery (which can be swapped out) it is rated for just over 2 hours of runtime.

The question on everyone’s mind: what the heck will it cost!? That’s a good question and though Dell is answering most of our questions with the official specs of the Adamo XPS they are still leaving the price out of the conversation. We were told the notebook will start at $1,799 (including the 128 GB SSD, three-cell battery and VGA and Ethernet dongles). Funny, that is just as much the Macbook Air with its faster processor and NVIDIA graphics. But hey, the Air doesn’t have the design of the Adamo XPS, an awesome propped up keyboard, or require a finger stroke to open it.

As you can see, the Adamo XPS’ hinge is pushed forward, meaning there’ll be some “junk in the trunk” to the ultraportable.  That’s similar to the design of the previous Adamo, though obviously this new model is even thinner.  You lose out on ports, however; from what we can see (there’s no telling what’s on the other side) you get a headphones socket, USB and power connector, and that’s pretty much it.

Dell insist that “because so many people who have had a sneak peek of Dell’s super thin Adamo XPS laptop seem to be falling in love with it,” that’s why they pushed out the photos. We’re calling a spade a spade and saying it’s a tired, measured promotional campaign, but then again we’re miserable cynics.

What does seem to be the case is that it’s an aluminum chassis and a damned thin one at that.  Dell’s press release is terse and teasing, highlighting only the origins of the Adamo name – from the Latin “to fall in love with” – and if they can get the specs and the price right then maybe more people will fall for this XPS machine than did for its overpriced, underpowered predecessor.

There’s not even a hint of a date when we can expect more, so if you’re interested it’s the mailing list for you.  We’ll be keeping an eye on this, Dell; please don’t bore us with another netbook.

That gets you a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo machine with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a 128GB SSD.  The higher-spec model, which originally started at $2,699, is also reduced, this time to $2,299; that has a 1.4GHz processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and integrated mobile broadband.

It’s not exactly what you’d call cheap, and the performance from the low-voltage processors won’t be anything to call home about, but we won’t argue with a $500 reduction too much.  Dell are also offering free 3-5 day shipping at the moment, just in case that lures you in.

[Thanks Paula!]

It also prevents hot-swapping, keeping a second battery pack in your bag so that you can continue working even when the first runs out.  Doing away with the user-accessible battery means Dell can shrink down the casing, hence their “world’s thinnest” title.  Right now, as well as keeping quiet on how long the Adamo battery’s life-span is predicted to be, Dell are also refusing to be drawn on how expensive it will be to replace it.

It’s a trend we’re seeing more of in the notebook world, and not just among ultraportables.  Apple’s MacBook Air has a non-user-replaceable battery, and so does their more recent 17-inch MacBook Pro, which uses the space savings to keep the workstation’s heft down.

Of course, just because there’s a significant announcement from them, it doesn’t mean the Apple rumor-machine winds down but for a second.  This week we’ve heard about a possible OLED maelstrom from the company, with not only iPhone and iPod touch models using the new display technology but a netbook, desktop and more. 

Dell’s Adamo launch didn’t quite have the same impact as iPhone OS 3.0, but then now perhaps isn’t the best economical time to offer a luxury notebook.  Still, it’s a handsome machine and, in the unboxing experience and metal-to-metal, does a decent job of holding its own against the MacBook Air.  What could undermine the whole thing is if users demand performance along with their glossy casings: neither the entry- nor high-spec Adamo’s pack the punch to go along with their price-tags.

Ironically, Steve Ballmer picked this week to accuse Apple of attempting to sell the same hardware as everyone else, only with a $500 logo charge.  According to Ballmer (who obviously missed out on the Adamo press release) the tide has turned and Apple’s days of selling overpriced computers are nearing an end.  Cue much Apple/Microsoft drum-banging and banner waving, as most people forget that, like with so many things, when it comes to computers it’s really what you do with it that counts.

In mobile devices, Sony Ericsson’s Idou smartphone showed its pre-production head not once but twice, amid talk that Ericsson were considering selling off their stake in the collaboration to Sony.  Perhaps Sony were too busy toasting their successful negotiations with Google for over 500,000 ebooks on the Sony Reader to notice.

As for the SlashGear testbench this week, two of Logic3′s iPod touch/iPhone docks – the i-Station Rotate and i-Station25 – strut their musical and video stuff, while the BeamBox Evolution R1 pico-projector shed its packaging in our video-unboxing.  We’ll have the full review of the R1 this coming week, together with a few more AV pleasantries.

Finally, there are fresh faces old and new here at SlashGear, with the return of former writer Brenda Stokes and the arrival of Steven Grady, a new member to the team.  Brenda will continue her broad consumer tech coverage and sparring with me in a new round of “He Says, She Says” editorials, while Steven will focus on gaming news.  For Steven’s full introduction, check out his introduction at My Pre, where he’ll also be community manager.

Unboxing video after the cut

Most of the Adamo’s pros are obvious: its “world’s thinnest” size, for a start, with a lower half that – as the photo in the gallery below shows – is almost the same thickness as the iPhone 3G, and then the attention to detail.  The backlit keyboard gets credit too, which is ironic because the LED screen backlighting is a riot of light leaking whenever it’s touched.  The performance is another obvious issue: under the wafer-thin hood there’s a mere Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz U9300.

Of course, the biggest drawback is the price, and as Xavier says it’s really not the best time to be launching a $1,999+ ultraportable.  Global recession or not, though, the 13-inch Adamo promises to be the first of at least a few new Dell machines, so get used to nifty magnetic flaps and etched casings.

Also of note are the scalloped, backlit keys with a new font, and edge-to-edge glass display.  The entry level model will rock a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, X4500 graphics and 2GB of RAM, while a higher-spec version will get a 1.4GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and an integrated 3G card.  However it still uses integrated graphics, and the price jumps from $1,999 for the entry-level model to $2,699.

In fact everything about the first Adamo seems intended to take money off you.  Dell not only have the usual external DVD and Blu-ray drives, but a matching 8GB flash drive, 250GB or 500GB hard-drives, and even matching connectors and cables.  They’ve also partnered with bag-manufacturer TUMI for some slick carry-cases.  It’s a handsome machine – and at 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 inches it’s certainly small – but not exactly being launched at the best financial time.

Based on a VIA C7-M processor running at 1.6GHz, together with a Chrome9 graphics chipset capable of 1080p and hardware H.264, MPEG-2/4, VC-1 and WMV9 decoding, the Surfboard C855 is intended for the new breed of HD netbooks.  That would certainly be a way for Dell to differentiate the Adamo 9 from their existing Inspiron Mini ranges, which use Intel Atom processors and top out at 720p playback maximum, together with offering the sort of battery life buyers have come to expect from netbook-sized devices.  The Surfboard C855 is even compatible with the few confirmed Adamo 9 features we know about: the optional HSPA and GPS; it also has WiFi and Bluetooth as you’d expect. 

It would certainly be a tempting prospect to consumers: internal displays at up to 1366 x 768 and external displays at up to 1920 x 1440, from an ultracompact, luxury-design netbook.  Something to take on the ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Shell, certainly.  Of course, it would require Dell to step away from Intel and take up with their rival VIA, but the possibility of a single-vendor 1080p Full-HD capable platform (something Intel’s own GN40 doesn’t offer, and for which the Atom/Ion combination demands balancing Intel and NVIDIA relationships) might be enough of a draw.

Full specifications for either system are still unknown.  What will be interesting to see is whether Dell continue their “luxury” path with the Adamo range and give the Dell Adamo 9 “mainstream” components in the vein of the Sony VAIO TT, or opt for a netbook-style specification using Atom processors.

Meanwhile, what we do know is that the Adamo 9 should have optional wireless broadband and GPS, going by the compatibility list for Dell’s wireless 5530 card.  The ultra-ultraportable is listed there, which suggests it will have integrated HSPA and GPS.

[via Engadget]

As for the Dell Adamo on its own, they found it to be sleek and nicely designed, though the keyboard – which has keys more like the Dell Mini 9 netbook – flexed noticeably in the center.  That’s likely to be tweaked in final production hardware; what hopefully won’t change is the metal trackpad, which CNET call “very good”.  The glass-covered display is as glare and reflection susceptible as you’d expect, and at 1,366 x 768 Dell’s claim of “HD” resolution will disappoint anyone hoping for native 1080p.

CNET have also been talking to Dell’s design team about the Adamo’s clever magnetic cover, and the licensing regulations (Microsoft’s and the FCC’s) that demand stickers must be “accessible to the end user without the use of tools to see it.”  For most notebooks that means they end up stuck to the underside, but with the Adamo Dell condensed as much information as could be into tiny etched text, and then put inescapable stickers like the Windows COA under the magnetic piece.

The Dell Adamo is available to preorder now, priced from $1,999.  More details here.

Packaging and Overview videos after the cut

That makes it heavier than the MacBook Air comes in at, indeed around a third heavier.   The Dell Adamo has a 13.4-inch display 16:9 “HD” display, Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi draft-N support, optional mobile broadband and potentially in excess of five hours battery life.  Connections include two USB 2.0 ports, a combo USB/eSATA port, DisplayPort and ethernet.

Dell will also happily sell you a slimline external DVD or Blu-ray drive, plus connector cables to switch that DisplayPort hook-up to HDMI, DVI or VGA.  There’s a lot of evidence that Dell were more focused on design than they were on hardware, to be honest, with the packaging being particularly sleek and even the Windows authenticity sticker, required by Microsoft, being hidden under a magnetic cover.

The 13-inch Dell Adamo will be shipping on March 26th, and is available to preorder now, priced from $1,999.  It’ll be available in 24 countries, including the US and Canada, much of Europe and Asia.

Dell Adamo packaging:

Dell Adamo overview:

Press Release:

Style-minded people who place a premium on precision craftsmanship and design can now add Adamo to their list of must-have items for 2009. Dell today unveiled the world’s thinnest laptop as a kick off to the new Adamo by Dell brand.

Adamo, derived from the Latin word meaning “to fall in love,” will serve as a flagship in a line of products created to disrupt the personal computing space with the combination of new design, aesthetics, personalization choices and sought-after technologies.

The News:

Adamo is the pinnacle of craftsmanship and design and features:

· A chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum featuring precision detailing and a scalloped backlit keyboard

· Striking high definition edge-to-edge glass display

· Fully connected with WiFi, Bluetooth(tm) and optional integrated mobile broadband* and full complement of connectivity ports with no compromises

· Cool, quiet and robust solid state drives

· Available in Onyx and Pearl colors with a broad range of complementary accessories

· Price starting at $1999

Quotes:

“Great design needs to be timeless and evoke emotion in people”, said Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell’s consumer products. “While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch.”

“Dell continues to signal a commitment to design and personalization across its entire product line and has made significant strides forward in the past year,” said Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst, Enderle Group. “The Adamo laptop is a showcase for this commitment and a flagship product that will draw buyers to the brand.”

People who choose Adamo will be offered a unique color matched collection of Adamo by Dell branded peripherals and accessories including, in the U.S. an exclusive line of bags from TUMI. Choices will include:

· External storage option with 250GB** or 500GB** external hard drive.

· External DVD+/-RW or Blu-ray disc drive.

· 8GB** USB drive.

· Connectors and cables including DisplayPort to HDMI, DVI, and VGA.

· Adamo Premium Service (US Only):

o 24/7 access to Dell’s best trained technicians

o Consistent communication with a dedicated personal team

The Adamo by Dell brand is being supported by innovative and new approaches to marketing and promotion for Dell. Designed to challenge people’s perceptions of what a computer is, the Adamo by Dell brand was inspired by fashion, luxury brands and timeless design.

Dell has looked beyond traditional approaches to reaching computer shoppers and launched a provocative campaign featuring:

· A stylish worldwide print campaign shot by acclaimed British-based photographer Nadav Kandar and featuring high-fashion models that reinforces the “fall in love” positioning. Kander, whose work is celebrated in galleries worldwide, also shot the moving portfolio, “Obama’s People,” which appeared in The New York Times Magazine earlier this year.

· AdamoByDell.com , the centerpiece of the campaign and a highly stylized site where viewers can learn about Adamo, register for updates and, beginning today, place orders. Since its launch last month, AdamoByDell.com has attracted nearly 800,000 unique visitors from around the world and more than 1 million page views.

· Artful packaging in which the product arrives “floating” in a clear box with minimal clutter – a beautiful experience for a sophisticated product.

Product Specifications:

· Intel® Core 2 Duo processors with Intel® Centrino ® technology

· DDR3 system memory

· 13.4-inch 16:9 HD display

· Draft-Wireless N

· High-performance solid state drives standard

· Bluetooth 2.1

· Mobile Broadband* option

· Up to 5+ hours of battery life (preliminary)***

· 2 USB ports, 1 USB/eSATA combo port, Display Port, RJ-45 port

· Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-bit

Available for pre-order today at www.adamobydell.com and shipping worldwide starting March 26, 2009, Adamo will be available online for purchase in 24 countries including U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, U.K. France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, ANZ, China, Honk Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia/Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia.