Dell's ultra-thin laptop on sale

Mar 17, 2009

Computer manufacturer Dell has launched, what it calls, is the world's thinnest laptop.

The Adamo weighs 1.8kg and is 1.64cm thick, making it thinner, but heavier, than Apple's MacBook Air.

A spokesman for Dell told the BBC that the Adamo was a "fashion statement" and that it was the first in a range of luxury laptops from the firm.

The Adamo goes on sale at the end of the month, with a basic 1.2GHz Intel Core2D processor retailing at £1649.

"This wasn't a play against one particular brand," said Dell's marketing director, David Clifton. "This was about making a stylish product that's high in design and craftsmanship."

Economic gloom

Some might question the wisdom of launching a luxury laptop during one of the worst recessions on record, but Mr Clifton told the BBC that there was no downside to launching the Adamo at this time.

"The primary purpose of this launch is to broaden people's perception of Dell.

"There's still a luxury market out there and not many products in that market.

"We're really proud of our product," he added.

The editor of PC Pro magazine, Tim Danton, said the launch of Adamo was more about brand and perception than sales. He told the BBC that making "the world's thinnest laptop" would enable Dell to build a strong marketing campaign, just like Apple did.

"This is a 'hero product' that sits at the top of their range and, they hope, will start changing perceptions about Dell from being a businesslike brand into something more desirable.

Dell said it had put as much effort into crafting the look of the Adamo as it has refining the hardware inside.

The 34cm (13.4in) screen is powered by Intel's X4500 graphics chip, while the system is driven by an 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, with DDR3 system memory. The firm say the Adamo can run for up to five hours on a single battery charge.

"This is a fantastically specced-out system," said Mr Clifton.

Tim Danton said that the release would not just benefit Dell but the PC industry as a whole.

"It is vital the PC market is seen to produce attractive items.

"Times have changed and people make judgement calls not just on spec, but what something looks like and how that product reflects on them."

Source: BBC