Dell's Intros New Windows 8.1/Android Tablets, Ultrabooks

By Kevin Parrish
published

Dell has introduced a new batch of products based on Windows 8.1 and Android.

Dell Venue 7

Hot on the heels of discontinuing its Windows RT-based XPS 10 last week, Dell has introduced (opens in new tab) a new line of "Venue" tablets shipping with Windows 8.1 or Android. The company also introduced what it deems as the world's most compact 2-in-1 device with an 11.6 inch Quad HD Display, the XPS 11, and the XPS 15 with the world's first 15.6 inch Quad HD+ display.

Dell revealed on Wednesday that the upcoming Dell Venue 8 Pro will ship with Windows 8.1 for consumers, packing a bright HD IPS display, advanced connectivity options, and supposedly long battery life. The Dell Venue 11 Pro will also be based on Windows 8.1, and ship with a detachable keyboard, offering a 2-in-1 form factor, and a removable battery. Optional accessories will include the Dell Active Stylus, the Dell Mobile Keyboard, and the Dell Tablet Desktop Dock.

Dell Venue 8

Dell also plans to ship the 7 inch Dell Venue 7 and the 8 inch Dell Venue Android "feature rich" tablets. Both will have an upscale fit and finish, and will be designed with longevity in mind. These two Android devices will ship with an Intel Atom Z2760 "Clover Trail" processor, while the Windows 8.1-based Dell Venue 8 Pro and Dell Venue 11 Pro will feature the new Intel Atom quad-core "Bay Trail" processors. The Venue 11 Pro will also offer Core i3 and i5 processors and Intel vPro options as well.

As for the Dell XPS laptops, these three models will feature machined aluminum, carbon fiber, "vibrant" displays, and Corning Gorilla Glass NBT. The 4.44 pound XPS 15 will have a 15.6 inch screen with a 1920 x 1080 display, a touchscreen option, Intel Core i5 and i7 "Haswell" options, and Nvidia discrete graphics options. Hard drive configuration options will range from 500 GB to 1 TB, both with a 32 GB mSATA SSD, to a 512 GB solid state drive, all including Intel Rapid Start Technology. The XPS 15 also has an optional Quad HD+ touch display, aka a 3200 x 1800 resolution.

Dell Venue 8 Pro

As for the XPS 13, this updated "razer thin" device will have a 13.3 inch edge-to-edge Full HD screen, a weight of just under 3 pounds, and optional touch capabilities. The device will also have Intel Core "Haswell" processors and Intel HD 4400 graphics. Meanwhile, the XPS 11 2-in-1 Ultrabook will have an 11.6 inch screen with a 2560 x 1440 display, weigh 2.5 pounds, and measure 11 to 15 millimeters thin.

"The Dell PocketCloud application is pre-installed on all XPS and Venue products, helping users build their own 'personal cloud' and remotely manage personal and professional content," states Dell's press release. "By combining PocketCloud with the portability of the new Venue tablets and XPS laptops, mobile workers will be able to enjoy an easy and connected experience with access to all of their apps and content from virtually anywhere."

Dell Venue 11 Pro

Starting October 18, the Dell Venue 7, Venue 8, Venue 8 Pro and the Dell XPS 15 will be made available on Dell's website in the United States and select countries. The Dell Venue 11 Pro, XPS 11 and the XPS 13 with touch will be available in November. The starting price and general specs (in PDF format) for each are listed below:

Venue 7: $149.99 (specs (opens in new tab))
Venue 8: $179.99 (specs (opens in new tab))
Venue 8 Pro: $299.99 (specs (opens in new tab))
Venue 11 Pro: $499.99 (specs (opens in new tab))
XPS 15: $1,499.99 (specs (opens in new tab))
XPS 11: $999.99 (specs (opens in new tab))
XPS 13: $999.99 (specs (opens in new tab))

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Dell XPS 15
Kevin Parrish
9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Deus Gladiorum
    Dell is probably in the running with Apple for the most overpriced crap laptop manufacturer. Welcome to another round of mediocrity.
    Reply
  • w8gaming
    One of the interest product among this is the 8" Windows Pro tablet. Sure it is running on BayTrail, but consider it comes with IPS panel, Windows 8 Pro and USB port. Compare that to the Acer W3 or W4 tablet and you can see the profit margin Acer hopes to make should be quite high, or maybe Acer should have exclude Office from the product and lower the price. This tablet is priced like a netbook but can be run as a tablet.

    It is also interesting to see the cheaper product, Venue 8, is $120 cheaper because it runs Android, has 16Gb less storage, and run the earlier generation of Atom CPU. Seems to me the Windows OS tax adds quite a bit to the cost. Imagine if Microsoft decides to embrace the new trend and offer the OS free or very cheap, then we will have W8 tablet at very very low cost comparable to Chromebook.
    Reply
  • waynebriar10
    Another series of Android tablets to launch this week offer impressive performance and very competitive pricing -- as Ramos Technology has partnered with Intel to introduce the i-Series with 8", 9", 10" and 12" size models (ranging $189-$299); and all feature HD displays and Intel's new CloverTrail+ performance processor with Hyper-Threading technology which runs four threads simultaneously and outscores many current quad-core tablets in benchmark testing--

    The most compact model is the Ramos i8 ($189) - which is the world’s thinnest 8" tablet... and that offers a very stylish and sleek design; along with the durability of an aluminum-nickel frame.

    The new Ramos i8 compares to Dell's Venue 8 tablet, matching most features, including an Intel processor and 7.9" HD screen.

    A key advantage to an 8-inch display is it's still compact and easy to carry, but compared to the more traditional 7" tablet size, offers 40% more screen area, which makes a significant difference to make viewing tablet content much easier.

    One of the first U.S. sites with more details and photos on the new Ramos i-Series is-- Ta b l e t S p r i n t
    Reply
  • waynebriar10
    TabletSprint also offers a $25 Bonus Apps package with each tablet as well as free monthly 4G access with 500MB of data each month.
    Reply
  • wemakeourfuture
    @Deus Gladiorum:
    Apple actually makes some of the best cost for product ultrabooks on the market.

    You have to consider: quality build material, battery life over time, customer service and resale value.
    If you do, you'll see Apple's laptops are some of the top choices for value.

    Showing me a piece of crap plastic PC, that after 1.5 years has 1 hours of batter life, with zero customer service and re-sale value is 33% of original price, but I get to save $100-$200 now because its a PC with similar hardware isn't a very compelling argument.

    And this is coming from someone who refuses a new Mac at work to use an old Samsung Windows 7 laptop. Even though I can bootcamp windows 7 and be fine, I just don't need an upgrade.
    Reply
  • zaki_44
    @wemakeourfuture

    Unfortunately, many Apple products seem to have very poor repairability.

    For me that's not 'quality build material'!

    Dell tablets and laptops do seem to be a lot more easily repaired.
    Reply
  • BryanFRitt
    The pdf for the XPS 15 says up to 3.6GHz for the i7-4702HQ, but the i7-4700HQ only goes up to 3.2GHz, according to Intel's website:
    http://ark.intel.com/products/series/75115
    http://ark.intel.com/products/75118/Intel-Core-i7-4702HQ-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_20-GHz
    Reply
  • wemakeourfuture
    @zaki_44: quality build material is completely different than repairability

    Most Ultrabooks have very poor repairability.
    Reply
  • D3LTA09
    Why does dell have to make their XPS 13 line look like a macbook air? Was hoping they would have changed it with the refresh. Why not some naked carbon fibre or something that doesnt look like another recycled product? Even if it just had the same black theme as the inside when the lid is open I would still look at buying one.
    Reply