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Technology news and Jobs 
Fuzzy Logic Here comes Dell’s Vostro ‘thin and light’ 12-incher
Fuzzy Logic Here comes Dell’s Vostro ‘thin and light’ 12-incher | Here comes Dell’s Vostro ‘thin and light’ 12-incher |
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| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Wednesday, 19 December 2007 | |
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This has now changed, with the Vostro 1200 series arriving on Australian shores less than two weeks before the end of the year, effectively completing the current Vostro line-up, which comprises of the entry-level Vostro 1000 series with a 15.4-inch widescreen, the Vostro 1400 with a 14.4-inch widescreen and the high-end Vostro 1500, also with a 15.4-inch widescreen. The Vostro 1200 starts at 1.9kg, and is the lightest model in the range, but thankfully uses regular Core 2 Duo notebook processors rather than the ULV (ultra-low voltage) models which are used to generate as little heat as possible and to extend battery life further. The biggest problem with ULV components, however, is that they are usually available at slower clock speeds than non-ULV gear. In the past, this has meant ultra-portability at the cost of performance, but thankfully, this is changing. While ultra-portable models still won’t sport the very fastest Core 2 Duo processors available on the high-end models, this is usually because the fastest parts generate much more heat and use much more battery power. So, thanks to standard notebook parts, going ultra-mobile no longer has to mean going ultra-slow. A DVD/CD burner, 2GB of RAM and an inbuilt 802.11n wireless module are included in the package, although as expected, a range of options are available, be it a 1.4Ghz or 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, hard disk drives in sizes up to 160GB, an in-built 2 megapixel webcam, Bluetooth, Windows XP or Vista, and more, with the final price naturally depending on which parts are, or aren’t, included in the system. Dell says that ‘Vostro’ means ‘yours’ in Latin, and as part of creating the Vostro brand, Dell says they listened to ‘customer feedback’ and decided to remove often pesky ‘trialware’ from the range (aside from a 30-day introductory offer for McAfee SecurityCenter). Dell also says they offer “simple to use tools that address top-of-mind problems such as data back-up, PC performance and health, plus specialised networking support for customers without dedicated IT staff”, although competitors such as HP and others either already offer or have also begun offering this kind of support. Dell also reminds us that “all Vostro, Inspiron and XPS models can be recycled free of charge by Dell at the end of the product's life”, something that has become very important in the much more environmentally aware world we live in today. The Vostro 1200 is available from December 21, and will likely prove a popular addition to the Vostro range, or at least for those – like myself – that prefer smaller and lighter portable computers!
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