Dell Adamo replacement specs leak out

New leaks from sources on Tuesday hinted that Dell's replacement for the Adamo will be more overtly distinct from the MacBook Air that Dell had originally tried to chase. Rather that go for similar sizes, they would start with 15.6-inch screens and focus on being the thinnest at that size. They would use Core i5 and i7 chips, although CNET's tips couldn't glean whether they were low voltage or full power processors.

The design would strive for being both fast and thin. Dell wouldn't entirely abandon its attempts to pursue Apple since the new notebook would go after home users wanting "style and beauty" and use "special materials" in its construction, the insiders said. The company would also try to avoid the one-off, seldom-updated approach to the Adamo and make the new system part of a category.

A launch would come in the next few weeks with a price below $1,000. More sizes would follow later.

Dell has had a patchy track record with upscale ultraportables. The Adamo 13 was supposed to be Windows' equivalent to the MacBook Air but was more expensive and slower. The company eventually phased it out and had less success still with its short-lived Adamo XPS, which cost more and lasted for just 2.5 hours on its usual battery.

The closest analogy to the rumored new system is the Latitude Z600, which had a 16-inch display but low-voltage processors and a thin profile. It too had a short lifespan, but this was blamed more on its being relegated to the business Latitude badge and the cost of using a 64GB SSD at a time when they were still expensive. Drive prices and the appeal of ultraportables may be encouraging Dell to come back to the field now that even the new MacBook Air can start below $1,000 with performance that once cost $2,000 with an Adamo.

Latitude Z600

By Electronista Staff

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Intel, computers, industry, Dell, Latitude, MacBook Air, Core i7, Sandy Bridge, Apple, Adamo, Core i5