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  • John Pope

    Lead Editor/Moderator

    70 Posts

    About

    John Pope, a.k.a. JohnP@Dell, has been involved with social media since 2006 and computers since, well, let's just say...

    Recent Posts

    • Higher Quality Reviews on Dell.com from People Like You
    • Hooked on Video
    • Lights…Camera…Panoramio-Enhanced Street Views
    • Dell Mini 10 Makes Its Debut
    • Check Out This New e-Mail Alert

    Jennifer Hughes

    Community Content Manager

    70 Posts

    About

    Jennifer leads the content coordination for Dell’s social media properties. She has been involved with social media s...

    Recent Posts

    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web

    John Blain

    Gaming Guy

    63 Posts

    About

    John has been active in social media at Dell since April of 2006, starting with the blog outreach team, and now as the ...

    Recent Posts

    • Are Developers Suffocating the PC Game Industry with DRM?
    • SXSW Interactive, A Gamer’s Adventure Part IV
    • SXSW Interactive: A Gamer's Adventure Part III
    • SXSW Interactive: A Gamer's Adventure Part II
    • SXSW Interactive: A Gamer's Adventure Part I

    Chris Byrd

    Digital Life Liaison

    40 Posts

    About

    Chris works closely with the online community on all things "digital life" and is known on Twitter as @ChrisBatDell. Wh...

    Recent Posts

    • SXSW 2009: The First 48 Hours
    • Check Out The New Dell Lounge
    • Dell Design Studio Artist Interview: Tristan Eaton Part II
    • Dell Design Studio Artist Interview: Tristan Eaton
    • PockeTwit: Twitter Client for Windows Mobile Users

    Natalie M. Davis

    Manager, Global Operations for Community Team

    33 Posts

    About

    Natalie and her team engage in conversations on Dell and non-Dell social media sites. She has over 10 years of marketi...

    Recent Posts

    • A Little Bling in Every Chic Geek’s Step
    • “And They Call It, Robot Love …”
    • A Necklace By Any Other Name
    • I Dare You to Hug Me: For the Inventive Chic Geek
    • Making It Viral

    Jay Pinkert

    Raconteur

    29 Posts

    About

    To paraphrase the Bard, some are born great bloggers, some achieve great blogging and some have blogging greatness thru...

    Recent Posts

    • Inspiron 15 Laptop: Sweet Spot of Form, Function and Affordability Launches on Dell.com
    • The Swiss Army Knife of Laptops
    • All's Right with the World: Inspiron Mini 12 Now Available with XP and Ubuntu
    • The Gift of Gab Could be Worth $4,000
    • A Welcome Disruption: Inspiron Mini 12 Now Available Online

    Richard Bernier

    Dell Community Security Liaison

    28 Posts

    About

    I have been with Dell for five years; two of those have been spent with the conversations group. You may have seen me o...

    Recent Posts

    • April 15 Is Almost Here
    • Hurry, Cut the Red Wire!
    • Conflicker Malware Poised to Strike on April Fools’ Day
    • Solicitation Overload
    • Who Are You? You Are Who?

    Anne B. Camden

    Consumer Product PR

    16 Posts

    About

    Anne has been with Dell Corporate Communications for 10 years, proudly practicing product PR the entire time. Started o...

    Recent Posts

    • Meet the Inspiron Mini 12 – Slim, Stylish and Well Connected
    • Lights, Camera, Action! Movies and Music Now Pre-Loaded on Your New Dell PC
    • About Those Ubuntu Mini 9 Hard Drive Partitions
    • Update on the Mini
    • Green Light for Ubuntu-Powered Inspiron Mini Shipments

    Ed Hassinger

    Software Engineer for Austin-based NetQoS

    14 Posts

    About

    It feels like I bought my first "IBM-compatible PC" just last year. And despite two decades and stints with nine failed...

    Recent Posts

    • Some Day You May Own the Software You Own
    • Congratulations Linux! You’ve Officially Gone Mainstream
    • Produce Your Own Video, Stop the Country’s Decline!
    • From PC to Boob Tube – Play Video Off The Internet On Your TV
    • Important Life Lesson – How to Cope With The Loss Of Your Favorite TV Show

    Randy Gibson

    Imaging & Display Guy

    8 Posts

    About

    Randy is a technical writer and senior analyst for the Dell Solution Network. A nine-year veteran of Dell, he specializ...

    Recent Posts

    • A Familiar Name in Digital Photo Printing
    • Diminutive Dell Projector Designed for Digital Nomads
    • A Full-Color Printer That's Surprisingly Green
    • Your One-Stop Solution for Photo Editing
    • New Options for Home Theater

    Jesse Leonard

    Vista and Ubuntu Linux Liaison

    7 Posts

    About

    Jesse Leonard, a.k.a. Dell-Jesse_L within the online Dell community, has been involved in the Dell Forums for eight yea...

    Recent Posts

    • Hands-On With Dell's Wasabi Ultramobile Photo Printer
    • Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) Counting Down to Oct. 30
    • Firefox 3 Add-Ons
    • Firefox 3 Download Day Logs More than 8 Million Takers
    • Firefox3 Update

    RichardatDELL

    Two Ears, One Mouth Advocate

    6 Posts

    About

    After a career in Canadian politics, Richard moved to the U.S. to build out a career in communications. He joined Dell ...

    Recent Posts

    • Photographers: Tune In Marc Silber, Get Great Shots
    • Marc Silber and the Fine Art of Photography
    • RichardatDELL Finds a More Beautiful Way to View Photos on the Web
    • That Dreamy Infrared Photographic Feeling Returns, Thanks to LifePixel
    • Geotagging Your Photos

    Ellen Murphy

    Consumer Public Relations, EMEA

    5 Posts

    About

    Ellen works on the Consumer PR team in EMEA. She has nine years of marketing and communications experience, ranging fro...

    Recent Posts

    • And the Winner is ….
    • SPOTTED – Red Carpet Reporter
    • Dell at the MTV Europe Music Awards
    • Dell signs Major Pan-European Sponsorship With MTV
    • Dell UK Formula 1 Test Day Event at Silverstone

    Winnie Wong

    Alienware Marketing Communications

    5 Posts

    About

    Winnie has been a part of the Alienware family since 2000, when there were only 64 employees on the payroll. Her passio...

    Recent Posts

    • Over-30 Gamers
    • Girls Just Want to Have Fun: More Women LAN Partying
    • Immersive Gaming
    • Microtransactions Becoming Major Issue with Gamers
    • First Sighting

    Stefanie Nelson


    5 Posts

    About

    Stefanie has been entrenched in online media since the mid 90s, currently runs the marketing communications programs fo...

    Recent Posts

    • Dell Outlet Exclusive Twitter Deals
    • How I Won The Battle of The Batteries
    • Do You Jelly?
    • What's in That?
    • Google on Your Phone

    Michelle Mosmeyer

    Dell Communications Analyst

    5 Posts

    About

    Michelle has been with Dell Global Communications for more than eight years. In that time, she’s worked in Executive ...

    Recent Posts

    • The Science of Attraction
    • Confessions of a Valentine’s Day Naysayer
    • The Art of Affordable Escapism
    • Parents, CHILL … Facebook Actually Benefits Kids
    • Tech Tips for Those of Us With Wanderlust

    Vida Killian

    Dell IdeaStorm Manager

    4 Posts

    About

    Vida has been with the Dell social media team since 2006. Her first computer-related memory involved BASIC programming...

    Recent Posts

    • Meet George Jetson...
    • Wow! That's a LOT of Ideas
    • Help for Organizing the Help
    • From Chemical Engineering to Chick Blogging - Huh?!

    Michelle Forde

    Dell's Red Carpet Reporter

    3 Posts

    About

    Recent Posts

    • Red Carpet Reporter – The Big Night
    • Red Carpet Reporter – The Press Conference
    • Red Carpet Reporter – I’ve Arrived

    Lionel Menchaca

    Chief Blogger

    3 Posts

    About

    Lionel Menchaca (LionelatDell in Twitter) has lived and breathed social media for the last couple of years and wishes ...

    Recent Posts

    • Microsoft & Netflix Agreement Coming
    • Alternative to Roku for Streaming Netflix
    • Vista Tip: Use Snipping Tool for Screen Captures

    Matt Parretta

    Dell Analyst Relations

    3 Posts

    About

    Matt has been at Dell since 2006 and is responsible for relationships with consumer industry analysts. He spent four ye...

    Recent Posts

    • New Tech Analyst Blog Spots Holiday Trends
    • Dell Dock Gets a Face Lift
    • Photography PhD Not Required

    Anna Hutchinson

    Product Reviews Manager

    2 Posts

    About

    Anna manages Dell’s product reviews program and works with journalists and tech experts across the United States. She...

    Recent Posts

    • It’s Not Just What’s In the Box That Counts
    • "Techspeak" or Plain Talk, Dell Awards and Reviews Site Deals in Both

    Michael "Odee" O'Dell

    Team Dignitas, Managing Director

    2 Posts

    About

    I've been a gamer since I got my first computer, a ZX8, in 1980. Last year I was able to fulfill a lifetime dream and t...

    Recent Posts

    • “Frontier” Views on Current, Future State of Gaming
    • Join Team Dignitas Live on WebCam at the M Festival Tomorrow

    Kara Krautter

    Foodie in Training

    2 Posts

    About

    Although I spend most of my day managing the Small Business blog for Dell, any free time I have seems to involve food. ...

    Recent Posts

    • Sharing Your Love for Fashion Just Got More Fun
    • Online vs. Print: Where Do You Find Recipes?

    Jennifer Allison

    Global Consumer Internal Communications

    2 Posts

    About

    Jennifer joined Dell’s Corporate Communications group in 2006 to focus on executive and employee communications for t...

    Recent Posts

    • New Dell Products at CES 2009
    • Separating Ourselves from the Animals

    Deborah R. Wood

    Independent Communications Consultant

    2 Posts

    About

    Open to learning about almost any topic and a professional interest in helping people communicate in new and traditiona...

    Recent Posts

    • Mind Your Social Media Ps and Qs
    • Passionate About Your Stuff? Check Out itaggit.com

    Jacqui Zhou

    Lead Editor/Moderator of Direct2Dell Chinese (http://chinese.direct2dell.com/)

    2 Posts

    About

    Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Jacqui always wanted to travel and see the world. After she earned a college degree...

    Recent Posts

    • “Bandit” Cell Phones: Part II
    • “Bandit” Cell Phones Find Favor Among Chinese Consumers

    Bill Bivin

    Community Liaison

    1 Posts

    About

    Bill works with the online community as the Community Liaison for laptops, and has worked at Dell since 2003. His Twitt...

    Recent Posts

    • What's Your Mini OOBE Look Like?

    Andrew Ford

    Head of marketing, corporate accounts, Dell Europe, Middle East and Africa

    1 Posts

    About

    Andrew is a keen internet, e-mail and social media enthusiast, and has worked in the IT and telecoms industry since the...

    Recent Posts

    • Your Data -- How Much is Out There? Is It All Bad?

    Chris Kinnair


    1 Posts

    About

    Chris "Blackmane" Kinnair is the world famous Team Dignitas Call of Duty 4 leader and when not practising to win tourna...

    Recent Posts

    • Chris "Blackmane" Kinnair Reviews Warhammer Online

    Bob Blomquist

    Senior Manager, Electronic Media

    1 Posts

    About

    Bob has spent 15 years at Dell working in a number of communications roles ranging from video productions to broadcast ...

    Recent Posts

    • Social Network for Pedal Mashers

    Richard Margetic

    Global Online Digittante

    1 Posts

    About

    Richard has been with Dell for the past three years with earlier stints at IBM, PwC and Microsoft, all in online. His I...

    Recent Posts

    • Xobni|inboX

    Ricardo Guerrero

    Global Online Project Manager & "Twitter Dude"

    1 Posts

    About

    Hailing from Colombia, South America, Ricardo has worked at Dell since 1999 as a content developer, and most recently ...

    Recent Posts

    • Twitter: It’s Not Just TMI About Your Friends!

    Kerry Bridge

    Dell EMEA Digital Communications

    1 Posts

    About

    Recent Posts

    • Exclusive Interview with MTV Nominees ABRI at GiTEX

    Dawn Lacallade

    Lead Stormchaser

    1 Posts

    About

    Dawn has been with Community for several years and is currently the Lead Stormchaser for Dell Ideastorm. She has been w...

    Recent Posts

    • Wii Fit: Who Says Exercise Can’t Be Fun?

    Mary Ellen Krautter


    1 Posts

    About

    I've been on the cutting fringe of the technology world since 1981 when my husband brought home one of the first person...

    Recent Posts

    • Coming Out of the Closet: The Ideal Home Office for the Not-So-Techie Gal

    DJ Moe

    DJ With Dubai's Channel 4 FM

    1 Posts

    About

    DJ Muhannad Al jazireh (aka DJ Moe) was born Aug. 14, 1969, to parents who still haven't the faintest idea of what to m...

    Recent Posts

    • One Step Closer to the European MTV Music Awards

    MoneyGuyBK


    1 Posts

    About

    MoneyGuyBK is one of our most active and helpful customers on the Dell Community Forum, where he has earned “Supersta...

    Recent Posts

    • You and Your Idle PC Can Help Humanity

    Debbie Gormley

    Care Community Liaison

    1 Posts

    About

    I’m a native Texan, Austinite if you will. I don’t think I’d ever move away from here but there are many other pa...

    Recent Posts

    • Shopping on the Internet

    Shaun Clark

    World Class Gamer

    1 Posts

    About

    Shaun Clark (game name Apollo) is a name that has been partnered with command and conquer since the release of EA's tit...

    Recent Posts

    • My Weekend at the M Festival in the UK

    Amie Paxton

    Dell Channel Community Manager

    1 Posts

    About

    With over nine years of interactive program management in technology and advertising, social media is transforming Amie...

    Recent Posts

    • Online Resources for Baby Names

    Stuart Wallock

    Dell Senior Manager, Global Community & Personalization

    1 Posts

    About

    Loving new tech things to play with since I started gaming on my Atari 2600 way back when, I have been working with Int...

    Recent Posts

    • New Dell Special Art Edition Laptops

    Mark Horner

    Team Dignitas

    1 Posts

    About

    Recent Posts

    • Coming Home a Winner

    Eric Erway

    Program Manager, Global Online

    1 Posts

    About

    Eric serves as a program manager for Dell’s Global Online team, working with multiple groups to translate customer re...

    Recent Posts

    • Making Technology Work for You

    Gunther Hoffmann

    Team Dignitas

    1 Posts

    About

    Gunther "SiS" Hoffmann, of Antwerp, Belgium, is a member of Team Dignitas and ranked No. 1 in his home country for Trac...

    Recent Posts

    • Dell-Sponsored Team Dignitas Wins Another Gaming Tourney

    Rick Scott


    1 Posts

    About

    Rick is a PADI open water scuba instructor and photographer. He splits time between his home in Austin and his ranch ne...

    Recent Posts

    • For Under $500, Gear Up for Amazing Underwater Shots

    Todd Smart

    Dell Community Outreach Administrator

    1 Posts

    About

    My job is to support our Community Liaisons as they help to resolve customer issues. I’m originally from Western New ...

    Recent Posts

    • Wireless Networking is Great, But There Are Practical Concerns

    Camille Nisich

    Global Communications Operations Manager

    1 Posts

    About

    Camille returned to her roots in 2007, joining Dell’s Corporate Communications team after nearly seven years in the c...

    Recent Posts

    • When Your Photo Filing System Fails You

    Mary Ellen Gitachu

    Dell Corporate Communications

    1 Posts

    About

    ME (EMMIE) works in corporate communications at Dell. Originally from the East Coast, she’s tracked around the states...

    Recent Posts

    • Over the Net and Through the Webcam to Grandmother's House We Go

    Kathryn Diana

    Dell Product Reviews

    1 Posts

    About

    Kathryn is a member of Dell’s product reviews team and works hard to get products into the hands of gaming journalist...

    Recent Posts

    • Brass knuckles?! Genius!

    Geoff Knox

    Supervisor, Global Operations for Community Team

    1 Posts

    About

    Geoff has been with Dell since 2005 and has been working with Dell’s social media efforts since 2006. He has been a f...

    Recent Posts

    • To Be, or Not To Be, on the Vista SP1 Bandwagon?

    aikiwolfie

    Frequent Contributor to IdeaStorm

    1 Posts

    About

    I got my first Atari when I was only 2 years old - 1980 I think - and I've had a computer of some kind ever since. Past...

    Recent Posts

    • Thoughts on Simplifying IT and After-Sales Support
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • Brass knuckles?! Genius!
    • Are Developers Suffocating the PC Game Industry with DRM?
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • April 15 Is Almost Here
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
    • When Your Photo Filing System Fails You
    • Hurry, Cut the Red Wire!
    • Conflicker Malware Poised to Strike on April Fools’ Day
    • Cyber Sisterhood Reads from ‘Round the Web
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      especially the commen...
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      more videos to your blog posts to
      keep the readers more...
    • Hab mich hier duch den Text
      gequält und hab einige hilfreiche
      Infols entnehmen können. Vielen
      Dank.
    • This article is just the tip of the
      iceberg. I think you made some good
      points in places but theres more.
    • Tolles Blog. Das Theme gefaellt
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    • Tolles Thema. Ich bin zwar nicht
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      auch kein Forum hi...
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      mentioned. Tia Smith
    • Richard, I just came across a
      letter you sent to me when I was
      first married. That w...
    • Sorry Jen, this is not spam, My
      posting details were incorrect
    • Great post, but i must agree with
      Dobert. Real strange post
    • Quick thoughts: 1gb of memory is
      more than enough for me. I often
      have several progr...
    • My href="http://www.lockerzinvite.se"
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    • Hi, perhaps this entry could be off
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Archive for the ‘Vlogs’ Category

Thinking Outside the Box With Gaming Insider Boyd Beasley

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Think what you may, Electronic Arts is one of the biggest and most respected names in the video game business. They’ve been a part of my personal gaming life for decades. I vaguely remember losing countless hours to Archon and Archon II, Populous, The Bard’s Tale and, more recently, Need for Speed, Burnout,  Crysis and Warhammer Online. I could easily say I and countless others like me wouldn’t be the gamers we are today if it weren’t for Electronic Arts.

It was a treat for me to sit down last week and speak with EA’s senior director of customer service, Boyd Beasley. We had the chance to talk about the future of gaming, what it means to be a griefer, the role of social media in gaming, and how a company like EA can meet the challenges of the ever-changing gaming market.  I was able to capture some of our conversation on camera for posterity. Although there were a few subjects we really couldn’t talk about, I came as close to those as I could. The conversation was fairly refreshing, and it was good to see that EA is looking outside the box a bit to solve some of the industry’s problems. Take a look:

It was great to see a gamer at the helm of EA’s customer service, even if he is a carebear (sorry, Boyd. I had to take a shot!). From our discussion both on and off the camera, it was easy to see that Boyd is passionate about what he does, and the industry needs more passionate people.

Posted in Gaming, Video, Vlogs | No Comments »

Green Light for Ubuntu-Powered Inspiron Mini Shipments

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

Elvis has left the building…today initial shipments of the Ubuntu 8.04 version of the Inspiron Mini 9 headed out the door. So for those of you who placed pre-orders, you may want to check your order status over the next couple of days as it should update as we ramp up volume. To the customers who purchased an Ubuntu version of the Mini, we look forward to your feedback.

Dell’s software engineers spent a significant amount of time and effort developing a customized interface that is simple and intuitive. Within 1-2 clicks you can access the Internet, start a video chat session, check e-mail, play a game a game, etc. And you can “customize” the interface to highlight favorite Web sites or activities.  To see more of the Ubuntu interface, watch this vlog that features Doug Anson from Dell’s CTO team as he steps through some the features of the Dell custom interface. Doug was Dell’s lead who worked with Canonical to bring the Ubuntu interface for the Mini 9.

I’d like to address some of the questions that have been floating out in the comments section:

Why did Dell delay shipping Ubuntu Linux on the Mini?

I’ll try to keep this simple. On every new product, our product and software engineers are testing and qualifying components, updating drivers  and checking software up to launch, and occasionally late in the game we come across in issue that impacts the launch schedule. That’s what happened here – we came across an issue in the final days before launch that had to be dealt with. Our commitment is to ship a Linux device that “just works” of the box and we couldn’t let something go out the door that was less. Our choices were:  a) delay the launch of the Mini altogether; b) launch with a Windows XP version only, or c) launch with both Windows XP and Ubuntu, and allow customer to place “pre-orders” for the Ubuntu Mini.

While the Linux fan base may not be large, it is passionate, and given the anticipation around the Mini, we felt customers were best served by allowing them to “pre-order” the Ubuntu system, while our engineers focused on taking care of the issue.  Not to get into the weeds, but for example, if we update a driver, the device has to go through the full gamut of qualifying and testing  to make sure that the new driver doesn’t “break” something else. It’s complex, tedious work that takes time to do right.

Why are the Ubuntu and Windows XP base configurations different?

The fact is, Linux takes less “resources” to operate — it takes up less room on the hard drive, needs less memory. This is one of the most admired features of Linux – it doesn’t take a lot of hardware to deliver a positive user experience. So, on the Mini specifically, the Ubuntu Linux version delivers a solid experience with 4GB of storage and 512MB of memory. There are a lot of folks however, who are just not interested in Linux – and that’s why we also offer a Windows XP version. There’s no learning curve and no concerns about compatibility –  it delivers the same familiar experience found on full-sized laptops and desktops. However, Windows XP loaded on a 4GB hard drive does not t leave a lot of room for anything else – therefore we made the decision to  offer Windows XP on 8Gb or 16GB systems only, to ensure those customers got the best Windows experience from their Mini.

Why isn’t 2GB of memory available on the Mini?

First let’s revisit the Mini’s “purpose in life.” It was conceived and designed to deliver great on-the-go Internet connectivity – to check e-mail, surf the Internet, stream media, connect to Web applications, etc. None of these applications take a lot of memory. Now, if you’re like me and regularly find yourself with 35 “open” e-mails all waiting for some kind of response or action, that’s when more system memory comes in handy. But honestly – if you’re checking e-mail on the go, you probably wouldn’t have dozens of e-mails open, would you? Based on that premise, 1GB is certainly sufficient, and keeps the price of Mini down.

But in the pursuit of full disclosure, there is another reason why the Mini tops out at 1GB of system memory – Dell chose to offer Windows XP on the Mini, which is limited to 1GB of system memory. Microsoft’s guidance for “netbook” hardware specification is that devices that exceed the 1GB of memory are capable of running Windows Vista Basic, which delivers a better experience.

Posted in Laptops, Vlogs | 33 Comments »

Without Further Ado, Meet Your New Best Friend

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 launches today – 8 a.m. Central – in the U.S., Japan and some European countries (check local listings). Starting price for the XP version – available now — is $399 USD. An Ubuntu Linux version will be available later, starting at $349 USD.

If you can wait until 6 a.m. Central tomorrow, Sept. 5, you’ll be able to get a Mini for only $99 with the purchase of a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop through 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9 (U.S. only).

In case you’re new to the Internet and therefore unaware of the deafening advance buzz, allow me to introduce this compact, take-it-everywhere Internet companion. Purpose-built to keep teens, tweens, travelers and “Tweeters” connected, the Mini is optimized for that “30-minute connection” experience – blogging, surfing, e-mailing, chatting, viewing photos, videos and music – you get the idea.

With a starting weight of 2.28 lbs., digital nomads will value the Mini’s durable design, with sealed keyboard and reliable solid state drive (SSD) memory storage. A bright 8.9‑inch glossy LED display (1024×600) presents most Web pages with no left-right scrolling, and the keypads are large and easy to navigate. Standard built-in Wi-Fi means quick and easy wireless Internet access.

An optional built-in webcam, bundled with Dell Video Chat, makes it easy to stay in touch using video chat, recording and sending video e-mails, or even PC-to-PC phone calls around the world. DVC even supports four-way calling. The built-in Bluetooth option provides easy wireless connections to enabled accessories, like stereo headphones, mouse, printer, etc.

Extending the Mini experience, Dell teamed up with Box.net to offer exclusive Web-based file storage, access and sharing to Mini users, including a free Basic plan with 2GB of remote storage space, expandable to 25GB. The Mini will include a direct link to a Dell-exclusive home page on Box.net, providing users an easy way to add incremental online storage space.

If past is prelude, the kind readers of this blog will have a lot of additional questions about this much-anticipated arrival. Enjoy learning more about the Mini, and let us know what you think.

Update: And speaking of additional details, here’s a vlog that features Brian Pitstick, who was part of Dell’s product team tasked with making the Mini 9 a reality.

Posted in Connectivity, Design, Vlogs | 286 Comments »

Over the Net and Through the Webcam to Grandmother’s House We Go

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

There are many women like me who have moved around throughout their corporate lives, leaving grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family many miles apart. At least I was fortunate enough to spend my early childhood with my great-grandmother on the first floor, my grandparents on the second floor and my immediate family on the third floor of a triple-decker. From my teens until young adulthood, I lived on the same street as my cousins, sharing three houses in a row.

Fast forward several decades and my children will have to travel to at least four states to see their cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Add onto that challenge the increasing cost of travel, kids’ schedules, my own work schedule and travel limitations for my parents due to health issues. So what’s a mother to do to ensure some kind of family togetherness and visits to grandma’s house?

Well, my sister turned me on to voice over Internet protocol - what the techies refer to as VoIP.  When I updated my personal computer to my pink Dell laptop with an integrated webcam, I downloaded a free VoIP software application called Skype to communicate with my far-flung family. (BTW, there are other options I want to check out including the new Dell Video Chat. My colleague Anne Camden recently posted information on this.)

Since then, I’ve been checking in on my mom (more on getting my mom and family updated to the new age later), aunt, brother and anyone else for free!

Check out this vlog of my daughter using the Internet to share her recent summer vacation with her auntie in California:

Posted in Connectivity, Cyber Sisterhood, Laptops, Productivity Software, Tips, Vlogs | 2 Comments »

QuakeCon’s Over, But Extreme Gaming Tour Trucks On!

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

While I was at QuakeCon I spent a fair bit of my time in the Extreme Gaming Tour truck sponsored by Dell and Intel, hanging out with the ladies from PMS and checking out all of the cool equipment loaded with the latest games while the DJ pumped out the tunes. Midway through the conference, Amber “Athena Twin” Dalton from PMS took me on a tour of the truck for the camera, and I wanted to share the video with all of you.

A word of warning, though: I shot this video without the benefit of a noise cancelling microphone, and the DJ was pumping out tunes at loud volumes. It may be hard at times to hear her, but on the plus side, you can really get a feel for what it was like to actually be there!

Dell Extreme Gaming Tour Bus Walkthrough

This video only gives a quick glimpse at what’s in this truck, so be sure to check it out in person if you can!

The bus will be at GenCon in Indianapolis today through Sunday, then will travel to the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver on Aug. 23-24, and will hit the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle after that. For more tour dates, check the schedule here!

Posted in Events, Gaming, Video, Vlogs | No Comments »

Unboxing One of First Dell Studio Hybrid PCs

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Jason Dunn over at Digital Home Thoughts took delivery of one of the first Dell Studio Hybrid PCs and shares his out-of-the-box impressions on YouTube:

Posted in Design, Desktops, Video, Vlogs | 3 Comments »

On Camera From QuakeCon: Movie Director Mike Pasley

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008

Now that I’ve returned from the field, I’ve had a chance to look through all of the footage I gathered at this year’s QuakeCon. As promised, this will be one of several posts over the next few days where I show some of the highlights. There was just so much to see and do at the conference it was difficult to tear myself away to do anything more than empty my camera and answer a few e-mails. It was that jam packed!

The first video I’d like to drop is a quick three-minute interview with Mike Pasley, the director of Frag. I had run into him on the walkway between the exhibition hall and the hotel on Thursday when he briefly told me about the movie. A movie about the professionals in the gaming world and the counter-culture that spawned them intrigued me greatly, being a hardcore gamer myself. I had to drop by his booth in the exhibition hall and talk to him for a bit.

The following was caught on camera:

I had a chance to speak with Mike a couple of days later, and it was evident that he was knowledgeable and passionate about the professional gaming industry, and that this movie was a labor of love. He admitted that as the filming progressed, the story unfolded from what the team initially had in mind into a brutally honest portrayal of the professional gaming industry as a whole. The end result is a dynamic look into a world that most people don’t even know exists, and the injustices that remain so prevalent there.

Thank you, Mike, for spending the time to share your experiences with me both on and off the camera. It was truly an eye opener, and I can’t recommend the movie enough to anyone who wants to know what’s really going on in the world of professional gaming.

Those of you in Toronto have a chance to catch Mike and crew at the Fan Expo later this month.

Posted in Events, Gaming, Vlogs | 5 Comments »

Dell UK Formula 1 Test Day Event at Silverstone

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Dell launched the Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptops last week.  To kick off the launch in the UK we took some press out to the Formula 1 Test Day in Silverstone, UK, where we showed off the new products, and gave them a sneak peek of what’s to come. 

Below is a vlog with the highlights. As our spokespeople, David Clifton and Adam Griffin we were briefing our guests, the engines were roaring in the background, creating an exciting atmosphere for the day.  We could see the cars zipping around the track from the window of our briefing room.  It was pretty impressive. 

Dell sponsors the BMW-Sauber team, which meant we were able to take a tour of the pits and service roads while we were there, and driver Nick Heidfeld made an appearance at lunch.  Behind-the-scenes access aside, hosting our briefings at the F1 Test Day was fitting for another reason: Formula 1 is a sport where technology and design are utterly dependent on each other.  With Studio, we’re likewise focusing on where technology and design intersect.  While most of us are not using our laptops to analyze road surface conditions on the way to work, we are all dependent on our technology every day to surf, share, watch, learn, and stay connected – and we want it to look good in the process.

Don’t take our word for it though, Daniel at Tech Digest described the Studio laptops as tasty, while Gaj commented on the design and customisation options.  Also, check out our Flickr site for photos from the day.

Posted in Events, Laptops, Vlogs | 2 Comments »


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