Dell introduces new brightly-colored laptops, desktops

MANILA, Philippines - After launching its first-ever line of consumer products in the country last April, Dell introduced its line of brightly colored laptop and desktop computers, and its entry into the netbook category, the Inspiron Mini 9. While a Johnny come lately in the local consumer scene, Dell’s local representative office said it is offering a “choice" without compromising specifications. Introduced Wednesday night were the 15" Studio, the 9" Inspiron Mini and the Studio Hybrid desktop computer which is about 80 percent smaller than the average mini tower computer and comes in different color sleeves. The Studio laptop series, which are also available in 17" and in eight “colorful, relaxing and vibrant" colors, are positioned as lifestyle mobile computers to suit different personalities and needs of the users. This concept is not new in the computer market. Apple, Inc., known for setting the consumer trend in computers, pioneered the candy-colored iMac computers way back in the late 1990s. Dell is offering customers no compromises because what it is offering are competitively-priced products with the specifications that their consumers want, Karen Lindy Gonzales Dell Philippines’ senior marketing manager for consumer retail said. Unlike other brands in the same price range, Gonzales said their products come complete with an operating system, memory of no less than one gigabyte, and with some of the latest mobile technologies such as a built-in web camera, Blu Ray disc system, Bluetooth and mobile broadband. Some mobile and multimedia capabilities of the mobile computer line can be accessed with a touch of a button without having to boot up the computer. Barry Bunyi, director and country manager of the Dell Representative Office in the Philippines, downplayed the fact that they came into the local consumer market at a time when their competitors have already made their presence in the same market for several years. The company is listening to their consumers and offering in the local market what their consumers want, Bunyi said. “Addressing the [needs of the local] market is important," Bunyi told reporters Wednesday night. “We want to give our consumers what [they] are asking for at the right time. Customers now have a choice among major brands." The 15" Studio laptop model retails at around P61,399 while the 17" model retails at P87,399. The Inspiron Mini retails at P24,599 but there is no pricing yet for the Studio Hybrid model. All products will be available starting October through channel partners including Silicon Valley, Abenson, Accent Micro, and Octagon Computers. The Studio laptops come in Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green or the standard Jet Black. The Studio Hybrid comes in seven optional and interchangeable external finishes or color sleeves in Bamboo, Emerald, Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Slate and Topaz. Dell has been in the local corporate market for some time now but it was only early this year when it said it is going to offer its consumer products in the local market. Dell’s contact center unit is also one of the pioneers of business process outsourcing in the Philippines. - Veronica C. Silva, GMANews.TV