After Dell it's now Lenovo's turn to join Microsoft's "downgrade" program and continue offering Windows XP Professional past the June 30 deadline. All customers with qualified Lenovo PCs that have Vista Business or Vista Ultimate versions can now purchase a Windows XP recovery CD until January 31, 2009. That's not the same approach used by Dell, but it's absolutely legit and will let users enjoy the good old Windows XP for quite a while. HP and Toshiba, are the other two companies that will likely take advantage of the downgrade rights provided by Microsoft.

InfoWorld US reports that Dell will continue to sell and support Windows XP to consumers beyond the June 30 date that Microsoft reaffirmed as final sales date for Windows XP Professional. Dell will use a licensing option which Microsoft calls a "downgrade" license that allow buying a Vista Business or Vista Ultimate license and still provide Windows XP. Dell will preinstall XP Professional as a "downgrade" on a variety of desktop PCs and laptops, that include some Dell Latitude, OptiPlex, and Dell Precision systems as well as some Vostro and Dell XPS gaming systems where the downgrade will come for a small fee. The computers available with the XP option will include the Windows Vista installation DVD in the box so users can later install Vista over XP under the same license if they wish. Dell said it will utilize and support this program as long as Microsoft supports it.

Michael Dell has said his firm can regain its spot as the world's number one PC maker by switching its focus to consumers and the developing world.

"We're growing faster than our industry," he told BBC News, "so if you keep on doing that for long enough time, you'll certainly get there."

Mr Dell returned as chief executive in 2007 after the company he founded as a college student was overtaken by HP. He said his turnaround strategy for the firm was already bearing fruit - sales were up 19% at the end of the year, having started the year falling at a rate of 11%.

Dell now plans to focus more on home users, as well as continue supplying computers to businesses.

Additionally, Mr Dell added: "As we've gone to the consumer we've been paying quite a bit more attention to design, fashion, colours, textures and materials."

Dell today announced its redesigned Vostro laptop line for small businesses, including the new 13.3-inch Vostro 1310 starting at $749 and 15.4-inch Vostro 1510 starting at $599. Products are available today in Europe, Middle East and Africa, followed by North and South America May 1, and Asia Pacific and Japan May 5. The company will also offer a redesigned 17-inch Vostro 1710 laptop in mid May.

It appears that Dell has ceased sales of all Dell 3008WFP 30-inch LCD monitors, due to a small technical issue. The 30-inch beast is now removed from Dell's official web site, until a new version is available.

The Dell 3008 monitor has been well received since launch and has been very popular with customers. In February we experienced a small technical issue with the product that has been long resolved. Currently the monitors are on extended lead times and in order to manage demand, the 3008 is not available on dell.com. We are managing orders on a prioritized basis and hope to have the product available to all customers in the near future.

Just like many other manufacturers, Dell now announced plans to take a piece of the sub-$500 low-cost notebook market, by releasing its first low-cost 8.9-inch mini-laptop made by Compal Electronics. Compal will initially ship 200,000-300,000 notebook computers to Dell each month, a Compal official said, confirming the existense of such a product. Compal Electronics, the world's second-largest contract manufacturer of notebook computers by revenue after Quanta Computer Inc., aims to ship 1 million to 2 million low-cost notebook computers to Dell in 2008, the official added. Specifications of the new Dell mini-laptop are unknown, but first batches are expected to ship in early June, the same time when Intel's new Atom processors are set to become available.

Dell today detailed additional actions in its previously announced program to restore the competitive advantage of the company's operating model, rationalize its operations and improve profitability and cash flow. "We believe we have a $3 billion opportunity to drive both productivity and efficiency," said Michael Dell, Dell's chairman and CEO. "We've analyzed the business and opportunity, so we know - without question - where our priorities should be. And as we've reignited growth in our business, we're taking deliberate steps across the company to improve our competitive position."

Today, Dell announced that movie buffs can pick up the Inspiron 1525 with optional Blu-ray disc playback for under a $1,000 or $879 to be more precise. The award-winning Inspiron 1525 laptop features a 15.4-inch high definition wide aspect display with 720p resolution, various options of Intel Core 2 processors, up to 4GB of DDR2 667MHz memory, up to 250GB of disk space, Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics, and more. It also includes an HDMI port for easy connectivity to high resolution displays and HDTVs. The Blu-ray player disc drive is fully backwards compatible, and will play as well as burn traditional DVDs and CDs. Consumers can also chose a Blu-ray DL burner drive, but this will add $480 to the overall price of the laptop. The Inspiron 1525 laptop with Blu-ray is available today in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Here's a link to Dell's Online store where you can customize and purchase the Inspiron 1525 laptop.

Dell has a semi-rugged notebook planned, dubbed the "E6400 ATG". The laptop should offer increased durability at little compromise to size and weight. It will either come with 14.1" WXGA normal or touch screen (with brightness 750cd/m2 or 650cd/m2, respectively}. The notebook will be dust-proof, shock-proof, and spill-proof to military standards.

The E6400 ATG will be an addition to Dell's line-up and will not replace the fully-rugged XFR D630.

Dell has started selling a new UltraSharp widescreen LCD, the 2009W. Meant to be a 20-inch 16:10 widescreen monitor, the UltraSharp 2009W features 1680x1050 pixels native resolution, 102% color gamut, 2000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and fast 5ms response time. In terms of connectivity, the 2009W has VGA and DVI with HDCP plus four USB 2.0 ports. Available now directly from Dell, the price tag for this new UltraSharp is $289.

Dell today unveiled its first fully ruggedized laptop, the Latitude XFR D630. The system is one of the only in its class to simplify IT with seamless integration into existing infrastructure and deliver extreme durability without compromising performance. The rugged laptop, intended for government and commercial customers, is available today in the U.S. and starts at $3,899.

Dell on Friday quietly updated its Latitude range to add Intel's 45 nanometer Penryn Core 2 Duos as an option. The 14-inch D630 and 15.4-inch D830 can both be custom-fitted with either a 2.5GHz or 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo on top of existing 65 nanometer chips. Both new optional Penryn CPUs offer 6MB of Level 2 cache, 800MHz FSB and lower power consumption which leads to improved battery life. The two pro systems otherwise appear to remain unchanged outside of prices. Either Latitude starts just below $1,400 with a 2GHz, previous-generation Core 2 Duo, 1GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, and built-in Intel graphics. Adding the Penryn processors contributes $130 to the price for the 2.5GHz processor and $390 for the 2.6GHz edition.

Admittedly the majority of techPowerUp! readers are probably more interested in building their own gaming computers than buying them from large OEMs, but Dell has now launched its latest incarnation of the XPS gaming desktop. The XPS 630 is the first pre-built PC from any major manufacturer to support the Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA), and comes equipped with an nForce 650 chipset, two PCIe x16 slots, four HDD bays and Corsair DOMINATOR memory - the base model features an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU and a 512MB GeForce 8800 GT graphics card. Dell itself sanctions overclocking, commenting that both the CPU and memory can be pushed beyond stock speeds. The base model costs $1,299 and comes with a two year warranty, going on sale tomorrow.

Reconnect, a free drop-off program to recycle unwanted computers, was introduced today by Dell and Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio.

• Reconnect offers consumers in northwest Ohio free recycling for any brand of computer equipment in any condition. Residents can find a drop-off location at www.reconnectpartnership.com .
• Program goals are to divert nearly 1 million pounds of used computers and computer equipment from area landfills over the next year; and provide consumer education on the importance of environmentally-responsible computer disposal. Reconnect also can help create job opportunities for individuals with disabilities and other employment barriers.
• Reconnect programs currently exist in Austin, Texas, (15 counties in Central Texas), San Francisco (Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties), San Antonio (23 counties in Central and South Texas), North Carolina (49 counties), San Diego County, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, as well as throughout the states of Michigan and New Jersey.

TG Daily reports that Dell has developed a new line of AMD-based machines for businesses under the OptiPlex brand. Scheduled for a global launch next week on February 19th, these new computers will be named OptiPlex 740 and 740 Enhanced. The OptiPlex 740 will come with either a single or a dual-core Athlon 64 and GeForce 6150LE graphics/chipset combinations while the Enhanced version will utilize triple-core and quad-core Phenom processors mounted on a GeForce 6150LE/nForce 430 motherboard with Quadro NVS 210S graphics.

A fire at one of Taiwan's Lite-On fabs could disrupt supplies to the PC industry, with Dell, HP and Lenovo particularly at risk, an industry researcher said on Tuesday. Lite-On's factory, located in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan, caught fire after an electrical line short circuited, fortunately no one was hurt in the incident. However, the fire had caused initial damage of around T$2.266 billion ($71 million), and caused fourteen production lines of liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors to stop working. "This could have a major impact on the landscape of the desktop monitor industry in the first and second quarters of 2008, but most probably in regards to share shift rather than in overall supply and demand," said DisplaySearch analyst Chris Connery in a report. He added that Dell, HP and Lenovo - Lite-On's top contract partners - could suffer from supply distruption. But Connery added that if the Taiwan firm outsources its own production to local competitors or if the PC companies switch to Lite-On competitors the damage could be limited.

Dell Inc. has refreshed its XPS laptop PC line and the Inspiron 1525 notebook, which now optionally have a built-in Wireless USB module. For an additional $150, customers can purchase the XPS M1330, M1530, M1730 and Inspiron 1525 notebooks with the new capability that enables computer peripherals and electronics devices - such as printers, external hard drives, mice, keyboards, digital cameras, and MP3 players - to connect to a system without a USB cable. Along with a built-in Wireless USB module, purchasers who select the new option will also get Belkin's 4-port WUSB hub. Wireless USB technology is based on the Ultra-WideBand (UWB) radio platform, which is capable of sending 480 Mbit/s at distances up to 3 meters and 110 Mbit/s at up to 10 meters.

Yesterday, we brought you the tragic news that Dell recently stopped selling computers based on AMD processors on their website. Today, Dell made a statement to attempt to clarify the situation. Dell explained that there is a delicate balancing act that must be done between retail, phone, and internet sales channels. Dell also assured that there will be ample supply of AMD-based computers coming through retail channels, and that Dell hasn't quite stopped selling AMD computers on their website just yet (Inspiron 531 is still available). Dell also clarified that Dell is still selling plenty of AMD-based computers online, just so long as the customers are business. To sum it up, Dell said this:

We are committed to the AMD product lines as a long-term partner to provide the maximum choice for our customers.

For years, users wanted Dell to include AMD processors in Dell builds. In May 2006, Dell was happy to announce that they were bringing AMD on board. Everything seemed to be working out, until now. Dell recently announced that they're discontinuing almost all AMD-based Dell computers. The few ones that are left cannot be purchased online, and are only found in stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. This is likely to be a huge blow for AMD, and could not have come at a worse time. AMD recently posted abysmal revenue/loss figures for Q4 2007, and is running a company (ATI) that is worth 30% less than it was at the time of initial purchase. Hopefully, AMD will find more people to sell their processors.

The updated Dell Inspiron and XPS notebooks, refreshed with the new Intel Core 2 Duo "Penryn" 45-nanometer processors, are now available for customers in Hong Kong. Dell's laptop series that feature "Penryn" CPUs are the Inspiron 1420, 1520, and 1720, as well as the XPS M1330 and XPS M1730. You can now equip these models with the 45nm Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz/800 FSB/3MB Cache), T8300 (2.4GHz/800 FSB/3MB Cache), T9300 (2.5GHz/800 FSB/6MB Cache), or T9500 (2.6GHz/800 FSB/6MB Cache) processors. Currently, it is unknown when the Penryn-powered Dell consumer notebooks will hit the U.S. market.

Dell Bets on Intel Penryn for its High-End Laptops

Dell will begin offering Intel's Penryn processor as an option on several notebooks within a week or so, according to sources close to the computer giant. Although the 45-nanometer generation of Penryn processors targeted at laptops was announced back in early January, the chips haven't exactly leaped into laptop lineups. So far, Hewlett-Packard is the biggest taker of one Penryn chip: the Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB L2 cache). Dell has not specified yet which models will get the processors, but the company's high-performance notebooks, such as the XPS, are likely candidates. Intel's 45-nanometer mobile processors integrate 6MB of cache versus 4MB for the older 65-nanometer Merom generation, and the lower-end chips integrate 3MB versus 2MB for the Merom-class processors.

Dell this morning kept on its promise and began offering the XPS M1330 with Linux in the US. The system is the first XPS in the country to come preloaded with Ubuntu Linux. The American model, however, is more limited than versions in Europe. Coming in black color only, the M1330 in the US will lack the 64GB solid-state and 320GB hard drive options of its overseas equivalent. At $954, the stock model ships with a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo T5450 (2MB cache/667MHz FSB), 1GB of DDR2 memory, a 120GB 5400 rpm hard drive, and Intel GMA X3100 video. Upgrades boost the system up to 2.2GHz (Core 2 Duo T7500, 800Mhz FSB, 4MB Cache) along with 4GB of memory and a 200GB 7200 rpm hard disk. Orders begin today with stock systems arriving in customer hands in less than two weeks.

As Dell's Global Consumer business continues to evolve, the company today announced that it will close its 140 kiosks in the United States.

The Dell Direct Store model, which began in 2002, enabled customers to touch and feel Dell products before purchasing systems direct from the company. In the past six months the company has adopted a retail strategy that enables Dell to connect with customers it has not necessarily reached in the past. Dell is applying the advantages of its direct business model into retail where customers can purchase laptop and desktop computers in more than 10,000 retail outlets worldwide.

Dell has upped the specs for its performance notebooks by introducing the option of dual 8800M GTX graphics cards for the XPS M1730. Dell is claiming performance improvements of as much as 49% compared to dual 8700M GT graphics processors, commenting that the notebook is capable of reaching 13,500 points in 3DMark06. However, the extra performance comes at a premium, with the minimum price for this setup being $3,400. That works out at being $1000 more than a single 8700M GT and $700 more than dual 8700M GTs, with the top-spec model costing around $7,000.

Dell and Microsoft Corp. will offer customers a simple way to make a difference in the fight against AIDS in Africa through the purchase of unique (PRODUCT) RED branded personal computers and a printer. Adding to the premium experience, all Dell (PRODUCT) RED PCs are powered by Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED. Dell is the exclusive partner for PCs and peripherals for (PRODUCT) RED.