Dell Intros New XPS Laptops; Kills Off Adamo Line
Dell's got some new laptops and a whole new marketing strategy.
It's been a while since we've seen any new XPS laptops but Dell has mixed things up a little with the launch of three new notebooks. Not only that, but the company is killing off the Adamo line and focusing on just three brands: Alienware, Inspiron and XPS.
First things first, let's talk about these new laptops, shall we? Dell is targeting the multimedia crowd and families with these new machines. Available in 14-, 15.6- and 17-inch flavors, each of the notebooks packs Intel's Core i5 460M CPU, as well as 1GB NVIDIA 420M graphics (with Optimus and 3D Play) a 500GB (7200rpm) HDD, 4GB or RAM, Intel WiDi, Blu-ray, and a Skype-certified HD webcam. Starting prices for these guys are $899 for the XPS 14; $849 for the XPS 15; and $949 for the XPS 17. Of course, customization (like swapping out that Core i5 for an i7) is going to cost you.
The news comes just as Dell has decided to do away with its Adamo line. Dell is about to embark on multi-million dollar marketing campaign (Reuters reports "hundreds of millions" but who's counting?) to shed its reputation of being a manufacturer of cheaper computers. The company is hoping to further emphasize its premium line in a bid to better compete with the likes of Apple, a company that is definitely not afraid of putting high prices on its products.
"We're going to stop mentioning price as the single important aspect," Paul-Henri Ferrand, chief marketing officer for Dell's global consumer, and small and medium business division, told Reuters.
However, a monster marketing campaign isn't the only thing Dell is doing. Executives yesterday confirmed to Engadget that they're reorganizing things and will focus on three core brands going forward. The Inspiron line will represent casual computing, Alienware will be the gaming line, and the XPS brand will represent the new premium line of Dell computers.
Now, if you're a fan of those super-thin Adamos (and boys, those were some sexy computers) don’t fret. Though their brand is being killed off, they're not disappearing for good. Dell VP Ed Boyd told Engadget that we could expect some super-skinny XPS machines early next year. Fingers crossed for a sneaky-peeky at CES, eh?
Source: Dell, Reuters, Engadget
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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randomizer Isn't the Adamo line only 1 or 2 laptops anyway? They hyped that line up so much, and it hasn't even lasted 2 years.Reply -
Vladislaus randomizerIsn't the Adamo line only 1 or 2 laptops anyway? They hyped that line up so much, and it hasn't even lasted 2 years.It has a lot to be hyped. It is the thinnest laptop ever made. Even the new Macbook air is thicker than the Adamo.Reply -
JMcEntegart Reply9251971 said:It has a lot to be hyped. It is the thinnest laptop ever made. Even the new Macbook air is thicker than the Adamo.
I agree that it deserved the hype as they are gorgeous machines (I was looking into buying one yesterday, actually). I also don't think they needed to ditch the brand completely; they just needed to rename it Adama. :love: -
Spanky Deluxe Great news for Dell. As far as I've always been concerned, they make the best laptops after Apple and have great support. The Adamo line needed to go though, it may have been thin but it was ugly as sin. In many ways thin expensive laptops are a style statement and the only style statement Adamos made was that owners had no sense of style.Reply -
dEAne I will try my hands on these, I really don't like the looks of Dell laptops but I have bought few of them and serve me well.Reply -
pocketdrummer If they really want to recover from their tarnished reputation, they need to give an option to ship the system without bloatware. They need to can all the cheap plastic parts and go with aluminum (might I recommend black as a direct contrast to Apples's silver). Minimize unnecessary curves in the chassis that don't serve a purpose both functionally and aesthetically.Reply
Why is this such a hard concept? -
randomizer Reply
That would increase the price.9251993 said:If they really want to recover from their tarnished reputation, they need to give an option to ship the system without bloatware.