A release date for any Blu-ray equipped systems remains unknown, though Intel is set to unveil its Centrino 2 and accompanying new Core 2 processors in early June, which provides the earliest opportunity for a new upgrade to the professional notebooks that could add the HD optical drive technology.

Separately, however, Dell plans to offer one of the least expensive Blu-ray notebooks yet, according to statements by technology strategist Brian Zucker. Without providing many details, the expert claims his company will have a portable below the $1,000 mark in March that can at least read Blu-ray media, setting a new point of entry for the format. Dell already offers Blu-ray on many notebooks but often reserves it as an option due to the typically high price for these drives.

It was unclear as to whether the Dell system would be a lower-cost version of an existing option or else a new model entirely, such as a reworked Inspiron line.