When we reviewed the Toshiba E205 a few weeks ago, we were really impressed with Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) technology and its ability to transmit 720p video and quality audio to a home theater across the room. And last week, when we reviewed the Sony VAIO S Series, we liked the way it combined a slim, attractive design with WiDi support. But now that we’ve reviewed the Dell Studio 15z, our third notebook with WiDi, we’ve realized that not all of these systems are created equal.

Sure, the Dell Studio 15z has a powerful Core i5 CPU and it outputs 720p video flawlessly to your TV using WiDi, but is that enough to recommend it? At $949, it’s not cheap and, at 5.4-pounds with 15.6-inch screen, it’s not exactly portable either. With its Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s display.
Learn Moreintegrated graphics chip, it’s no gaming phenom either.

The notebook does have a strong keyboard and loud, clear speakers, but is it worth the money?В Read our full review of the Dell Studio 15z and decide for yourself.

Act now! Get it while supplies last! As we (and others) noted in our review of the Dell Adamo XPS ($1,905.02), the world’s thinnest notebook is no longer available for sale on Dell’s Web site; consumers with deep pockets can only purchase this ultra-thin system on Best Buy and Amazon’s Web sites.

This thin and stylish notebook, which debuted this past fall, was only going to be made in limited numbers, according to a press representative for Dell, which is why the Adamo XPS is slowly fading from the scene.

If you’re still interested in picking up this system, its price has dropped about $100, to $1,905. For that, you get an Intel U9400 processor, a 128GB SSD, 3 hours and 46 minutes of battery life, and a design that’ll make others drool. If you’re more interested in spending your two grand wisely, the Sony Vaio Z ($2,099) offers two SSDs, about three times the performance, and scads more endurance. But, it’s not as thin, and that’s what you’re getting the Adamo XPS for, anyway.

It’s the most important product launch for Dell this year. Maybe in the company’s history. And if you ask Neeraj Choubey, general manager of tablets within Dell’s Communications Solutions Group, the Mini 5 isn’t just another slate. He uses words like “category killer.” And that’s because the device that he’s bringing to market will be the first 5-inch Android tablet in the U.S. that can also make calls. Yes, the Mini 5 is a phone, as well as a mobile Internet device, camera, camcorder, GPS navigator, and media player. You could call it a tabletphone.

Choubey, who spent five years at Motorola and created Yahoo’s mobile search product before becoming a VC, also feels pretty strongly that the Mini 5 won’t be swept away by the iPad hype. And that’s because the two devices have different target audiences. In fact, Choubey told us flat out that the iPad isn’t really a mobile device, saying that it’s best for those who “have a handbag or a murse or whatever.”

Here are just some of the other highlights of our interview:

• Dell is working with AT&T to bring the Mini 5 to market (even though no official carrier partnership has been announced).
• The Mini 5 will access the Android Market, a big differentiator versus devices like the Archos 5 ($329.99) and bigger screen Android tablets, and the front-facing camera is designed for peer-to-peer video calls.
• Dell is working on a portfolio of devices that includes Android tablets with larger displays.
• The company will be rolling out a service that will allow customers to buy content once and have it be available on multiple Dell devices. (Reminds us a bit of iTunes, but Choubey used Amazon as his example.)

Even with all of these tidbits there’s still a lot of other great stuff Choubey shared during our in-depth conversation. So dig in and tell us if you think the Mini 5 has what it takes to be a hit.

Do you think consumers are ready for a device that sits between a traditional smart phone and netbook?

I think we had the same conversations about netbooks a few years ago. Do you really need a netbook if you have a laptop? And the netbook was pretty disruptive because of the price points. How successful it was for long-term productivity gains I’m not sure, but here was a lot of chips sold on it. I think the tablet device coupled with some of the innovative things that carriers are thinking about as far as pricing, it will be something we’ll continue to look at. Right now my users are saying this is interesting enough, please tell me more about it. And once we get the device out there we’ll continue to listen to them, and if they say we don’t like this or we do like this, we’ll take that feedback and put it into the product development process.

Why are you calling the Mini 5 a Tablet if you can use it as a phone?

Yes, there’s a phone in the device. We’re working with AT&T and when you get this device you stick a SIM chip in it and make phone calls the normal way. And, yes, you can hold it up to your head or use Bluetooth. But the flip side is that we’re trying to make a device that developers will get excited about.

Other than the screen size and Market support, what features will make the Mini 5 stand out?

The number one thing a lot of developers have told us that’s a unique feature for this device is that we have a front-facing webcam on it. We’ll be able to do peer-to-peer video conferencing, and we’re talking to a number of partners about that right now. There are probably a bunch of people out there thinking about augmented reality and different things you can do with a person and their face and how to present that in a mobile context. My job as a general manager is to make sure that I stay on the forefront of technology, listen to my users, and make sure that I not only keep my users happy but make a platform that developers are going to be excited to develop on.

What is the target market for the Dell Mini 5?

I’d say it’s definitely a more tech-savvy generation of people that understand the value of using alternate devices. There’s a use case that says my phone is really good at making phone calls, but in order to get the true Internet experience, being able to see a website in the shape and form that the original content publisher meant you to implicitly means you need a larger screen device. We’ve listened to customers and customers are dissatisfied with how they’re experiencing the Internet on their devices.

If you’re Apple, Apple would say go make an app for every service you have. The New York Times, traffic, whatever it is, which fits their business model great. But there’s a lot of developers out there doing Web-based content, flash-based content, and asking them to go do an iPhone app is kind of an onerous thing, whether you’re a mom and pop shop up to a large publisher. We’re all about bringing Internet content as it’s meant to be to a form factor that doesn’t require you to squint at your device. It’s a much more realistic and natural way for you to view the content.

Doesn’t that also mean that the Mini 5 might appeal to an older demographic, too?

There is bifurcation that we found in the research. Ostensibly there is this quintessential soccer mom, and she has an e-mail device, a cell phone and a PND device for the car and she also has a video camera and a point and shoot. You can consolidate all those devices into one device. This device is better than a Flip video camera, it’s better than a lot of the point and shoots out there, it’s better than the GPS navigation device that’s probably in the car, especially if it’s an in-dash one. In the use case that you’re in the car this has Bluetooth, it’ll connect, you can use a headphone, you don’t have to hold the device up to your head. When you’re walking you can hold it in your hand, and while you’re on the call you have a great device that you can do other stuff on as well.

Can you tell me if the Dell Mini 5 will be able to access the Android Market?

Yes, we are compliant. The initial device that we have has been blessed by Google and will have Google Mobile Services. You’ll have Gmail, you’ll have Marketplace, and you’ll have all the stuff that you would normally expect.

What percentage of the apps in the market do you expect the Dell Mini 5 can handle?

We’re in the middle of testing and I can’t share what that testing has shown but my expectation is that if it’s in the marketplace, it should work. Mind you, some apps may not be written to Google’s coding guidelines, and they may break for whatever reason. But if we find those apps and work with the developers, I’m sure that there’s no reason why that everything in the Google mobile marketplace will not work on the device.

Normally priced at $1,400, this discounted Dell Studio 17 desktop replacement notebook (which sells for $1050 until tomorrow with a coupon from Dell.com) will interest two kinds of laptop users:

• Mid-level gamers looking to buy a new rig
• Big-time multimedia users who love watching their favorite online content and DVDs on a system with performance chops and A/V acumen that’s more than up to snuff

We’ve reviewed the 17-inch monster, and it’s impressive equipment array (Windows 7 ($77.49) Home Premium, Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, 320GB The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
Learn Morehard drive spinning at 7200rpm, В 4GB RAM, and ATI high-definition graphics) helped it land a PCMark Vantage score that is more than 1,100 points higher than the average score of other desktop replacements, making it a superlative machine for crunching video, web browsing with a small arsenal of tabs, and heavy multi-tasking between programs.

In the gaming arena, the Dell Studio falls by the sword of other similar-sized gaming rigs (the ASUS G51J-A1 and the Toshiba Qosmio X505 ($2,399.00), for example), but its ATI Radeon 4650 Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s display.
Learn Moregraphics card still packs enough fight to wrestle down the latest games, just don’t expect absolutely stutter-free frame rates.

Our review unit didn’t include an HD screen, but the model sold at Dell features full 1080p glory. To boot, watching our favorite TV shows on the 8X An optical drive allows you to play or record to DVDs, CDs, or Blu-ray discs.
Learn MoreDVD drive proved to be an exceptional experience: video was sharp (even at the non-HD 1600 x 900-px resolution) and the built-in JBL speakers pumped enough sound to satisfy even at mid-point levels.

At the delicious price of $1,050, the Dell Studio 17 is cheaper than both Core i7 versions of the ASUS G51J-A1 and the Toshiba Qosmio X505 (both starting at $1,500), and even though it’s out-gunned by both in terms of gaming, it’s a good deal for those that can settle on a game machine that maims rather than kills. If that’s you, then start investigating now. Right now.

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