Dell Unveils Inspiron 15z Ultrabook At Rs 41,990

Dell today launched its Inspiron 15z laptops with optional touchscreen, with the aim of attracting buyers seeking entry-level ultrabooks. This new laptops is priced at Rs 41,990 (without taxes) and runs on Windows 8. 

The all-new Inspiron 15z has a 15.6-inch LED HD display with TrueLife technology and buyers can choose between RAM ranging from 4GB to 8GB. Hard disk options in the device are 500GB SATA or 256GB solid state drive. The device is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core CPUs and features scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass touchscreen. 

Offered with optional Nvidia GeForce GT630M 2GB DDR3 graphics, Inspiron 15z weighs 2.46 kg (touchscreen version) and measures 23mm in thickness. This new ultrabook comes with Waves MaxxAudio 4.0 for sound enhancement and Skullcandy speakers. This laptop also includes a built-in optical drive, Intel Rapid Start Technology and Intel Smart Response Technology. 

Dell XPS With 1080p Priced About $1400

If you're into the "more pixels" ultrabook mantra and suitably flush, the 3 pound Dell XPS 13 with a 13.3-inch 1080p display, now on Dell's shelves, may be your machine. The soon-to-be-private outfit flaunted it at CES 2013, saying it also had a much wider 72 percent color gamut (instead of 45 percent for the 720p models), which definitely jibed with the more brilliant display we saw.

The barrier for entry will be a little dearer than Dell first said, though, as a 3rd-gen Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM, Intel HD 4000 graphics, Windows 8 and a 256GB SSD will run $1,400, $100 more than it first promised.
A 3rd-gen Core i7 model will start at $1,600 with the same specs. You'll be able to grab the latter model by February 14th, while the Core i5 (and lower-priced 720p) versions are in stock and shipping by next day. Considering similar models and the imminent arrival of a certain Mr. Haswell, we hope it won't be a hard sell at that price -- even with the 1080p screen.

[Source: Dell Store]

Dell Stock Price Skyrockets On Report It Is In Talks To Go Private

Dell, the Texas-based technology company that helped make the desktop personal computer mainstream, is reportedly in talks to go private with the help of private equity firms, according to a report issued by Bloomberg news citing sources familiar with the situation.

Dell’s stock, which is listed on the NASDAQ, is currently experiencing a skyrocketing share price apparently in response to the news. Within minutes of Bloomberg’s report, Dell’s stock price shot up more than 15 percent from around $10.92 per share to more than $12.70 per share.

Dell was founded in 1984 and held its initial public offering in 1988. The company’s market cap is currently around $20 billion. According to the Bloomberg report, Dell is in talks with “at least two” private equity firms who could finance the deal.

This is not the first time take-private rumors have swirled around Dell in recent years. Back in 2010 the company was reported to be looking into going private after experiencing a lackluster stock market performance. At that time, the company’s top-level executives did not rule out that taking the company out of the glare of the public markets could be a smart move.

This rumor may inspire a bit of schadenfreude in those who have kept tabs on the tech industry for a while now. When asked about Apple back in 1997, Michael Dell famously said: “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” But it bears mention that going private through a leveraged buyout is by no means a method of shutting down a company — it does, however, often signal that serious layoffs and restructuring could be on deck.

We’ve reached out to Dell for comment and will update this with any information we receive.