Dell replaces displays on nine notebook models
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(InfoWorld) - Dell is offering free replacements of the displays on nine popular notebook PC models, responding to customers who created a Web site to complain that some LCD screens developed a one pixel-wide vertical line. "Dell shipped faulty LCD screens in 2005 and is giving customers grief about replacing the screens. It's time to bring attention to the issue," says the site, Dellverticalline.com. "Managers at Dell need to be made aware of the issue so that they can stop treating their loyal customers like dirt and replace the screens in a timely fashion." Unless a faulty screen is replaced, it can develop a permanent vertical line one pixel wide, either stuck on a single color or reflecting the color displayed behind it, according to the Web site. Dell first responded to the issue in April, offering to replace certain 17-inch displays on Inspiron 9200, Inspiron 9300, and XPS Gen 2 notebooks sold between November 2004 and October 2006. On Tuesday, Dell expanded its replacement program to include six more models, including the Inspiron 6000 and 8600, Latitude D800 and D810, and Precision Mobile Workstation M60 and M70 notebooks sold between December 2004 and December 2006. Some of those models use a faulty component that can generate the line over time, according to a posting on Dell's corporate blog by Lionel Menchaca, Dell's digital media manager. Dell will now replace any LCD screen affected by this issue within three years of purchase or will refund customers who were forced to pay for their own replacements, Menchaca said. Dell did not respond to requests for comment about the size of the program or say whether the manufacturer of the faulty component would help pay for it. The recall happens at a time when Dell is struggling to comply with an accounting investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, maintain its listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange and reverse a market share slide that has allowed rival Hewlett-Packard to claim the title of world's largest PC vendor. In response, CEO Michael Dell launched the corporate blog in February, announced he wouldÂ lay off 10 percent of the company's workersÂ and has begun selling PCs inÂ retail shops likeWal-Mart. Retail store distribution is a sharp break with the company's history of selling computers only directly through its Web site and phone lines.
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(InfoWorld) - Making an effort toÂ compete with DellÂ for business users, Lenovo Group has launched a widescreen version of its ThinkPad line of notebook PCs. The ThinkPad T60 will use a 15.4-inch widescreen, yet hold its weight down to 5.1 pounds, lighter than any comparable notebook from the top five PC vendors, Lenovo said Tuesday. The company also hopes that adding this feature will regain consumers' confidence after Lenovo was forced in September toÂ recall the batteries from 526,000 ThinkPad modelsÂ -- including the T60. Like notebooks sold by competing vendors Dell, Apple Computer, and Toshiba, those computers used lithium-ion batteriesÂ manufactured by Sony, whose faulty design could lead to overheating and fire. Lenovo already sells widescreen notebooks in other product lines, such as the Z-series and 3000-series for small businesses, but this is the first widescreen model for corporate users, said Rajat Aggarwal, product marketing manager for the T-Series at Lenovo. Those customers can already chose a T60 notebook with 14- or 15-inch screen, but have recently been asking for the full widescreen version, allowing them to display more columns on an Excel spreadsheet, show multiple windows and fit better onto airplane tray tables, Aggarwal said. In another nod to high-end users, the notebook will be capable of running Microsoft's new Vista OS, with a dual-core Core 2 Duo processor from Intel and graphics card from ATI. Despite this package, Lenovo is lagging behind its rival PC vendors in delivering widescreen notebooks to the business market, analysts said. "Lenovo is playing catch-up in the widescreen game," said Samir Bhavnani, research director at Current Analysis. "Lenovo is a little late to the game because Dell's entire lineup of corporate systems is available in widescreen right now. Dell just identified a market shift before Lenovo did." Still, the product should be popular with Lenovo's core audience, the corporate user, Bhavnani said. Since acquiring IBM's notebook PC division in 2005, Lenovo has succeeded at preserving the ThinkPad brand's history of innovation, rolling out features such as the tablet PC and integrated wireless broadband. Lenovo is selling the ThinkPad T60 notebook with 15.4-inch display for $1,399 in the base model. Users can upgrade to a version that works as a laptop workstation for faster numeric computation or to run the Vista Premium OS.ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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MacCentral - Dell Inc. took the wraps off its holiday lineup on Thursday, showing new printers, plasma televisions and music players that will soon be available through its Web site.
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Dell said on Wednesday it would  close all of its 140 U.S. kiosks, a concept it launched in 2002  to showcase computers, as it expands sales of PCs in retail  stores.
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Dell Inc.  said on Friday  it would sell notebook computers at more than 580 of Wal-Mart  Stores Inc.'s  Sam's Club outlets for $899 each starting  next week, its latest move to sell computers in retail chains.
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By MATT SLAGLE DALLAS - Flamingo pink laptops, anyone? Computer maker Dell Inc. is hoping its image as a stodgy maker of desktop and notebook computers is about to end, and it's banking on some new color options and designs to do the trick.
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PC Magazine - Dell held a technology day in New York City this week to discuss its vision and strategy for the reminder of the year. PC Magazine's Mark Hachman talked with Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell's Product Group, to discuss the company's recent notebook recall, what its Vista product plans might be, the Apple iTV, and the relationship with its newly-acquired Alienware subsidiary.
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Paint it black A customer poses the question: "Dell, Dell, Dell, where art thou lovely electric pink laptop you bigged up a little while ago?â¦
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Dell has released the new Inspiron 9200 that replaces the Inspiron 9100 as Dell&#39;s desktop replacment style notebook. The 9200 features a 17&quot; UltraSharp Wide Screen with either an XGA or UXGA resolution display.
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About 4.4 million AC adapters sold worldwide with Dell notebooks between September 1998 and February 2002 were recalled on Friday because of a risk of overheating, which could lead to a fire or electrical shock, according to Dell.
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Notebook a +9%, hardware +1,2%, in calo computer desktop
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There are further big doings on the tiny-laptop front, as Everex announced Tuesday that they will indeed offer a model with a 9-inch screen -- answering the unspoken challenge lain down by Asustek's similar news earlier this month concerning their Eee.
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Dell Inc. is recalling about 990,000 AC adapters used with notebook personal computers because they can overheat and cause a fire and electrical shock hazard, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.
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At CES 2008 next week, manufacturers won't be showing off hot new desktops; instead, sleek new notebooks will take center stage. In the United States, notebooks are already outpacing desktop PC sales by a small margin and it won't be much longer before the rest of the world catches up.
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Dell Inc. is recalling about 2.9 million AC adapters nationwide_ 4.4 million worldwide_ used with notebook personal computers because they can overheat and cause a fire and electrical shock hazard, the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.
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Today, notebook computers are being used in an increasing number of applications in both consumer and commercial environments.  This paper  discusses the technologies necessary to meet the demands of these applications and what Fujitsu is doing to meet the varied display requirements of its customers.
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About 4.4 million AC adapters sold worldwide with Dell notebooks between September 1998 and February 2002 were recalled Friday. Dell sold the adapters with its Latitude, Inspiron and Precision series of computers, as well as separately.