Dell has introduced an 11.6-inch Inspiron 11 touchscreen starting at $349 as the company reorganizes its consumer laptop series with a new naming method and models.
This new model is with processors from Advanced Micro Devices, whose chips are back in Dell laptops after a long break. The Inspiron 11 with Intel processors code-named Haswell starts at $379 and has a size similar to that of Apple’s MacBook.
With Inspiron 11, buyers can get a touchscreen ultraportable with a powerful processor at a low price, said Jonathan Guttell, director of global consumer messaging at Dell. The laptop will run for 8 hours on a single battery charge. It will also have Windows 8.1 installed with a touch-enabled display to make use of the new OS’s touchscreen capabilities.
You will also be able to customize from the base configuration, with a maximum of 4GB of RAM and 500GB of hard drive space. Dell will not be offering the option of Windows 7 with Inspiron 11.
The Inspiron 11 will have Gorilla Glass for screen ruggedness, USB 3.0 ports, a webcam and an HDMI port. Inspiron laptops currently have screens of 13.3 inches and larger. Inspirons are the least expensive Dell laptops, while XPS is a premium brand. Latitude laptops are designed for business users. Dell also plans to announce a new Windows 8.1 consumer tablet called Venue at an event in New York City on October 2.
The new models were announced after Dell shareholders last week voted to approve a $24.9 billion buyout of the company by CEO Michael Dell and associate Silver Lake Partners. There were concerns that the weak PC division would be the first domino to fall if Dell went private. However, the CEO reiterated his commitment to Dell’s PC operations, but the company’s focus is to expand in the enterprise.
According to zdnet, Dell is making this new notebook available starting on October 3. The new Inspirons will also ship worldwide, though a specific shipping date was not provided.
