You get an Inspiron! And you get an Inspiron! Everyone gets Inspirons! That is, if Dell gets its way.
The company is releasing a slew of new notebooks, including the Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 (starting at $879.99, available October 2) and Inspiron 14 5000 2-in-1 (starting at $599.99, available October 2).
Typically considered Dell's jack-of-all-trades line of laptops, the Inspiron line has upped its versatility factor by making each system a convertible hybrid. And select models, like the 7000 series, have some other tricks up their sleeves like 4K panels -- a first for this brand of notebook.
Typically, we've categorized Inspirons as boring and unassuming. But with their new UHD touch displays, we'll have to reconsider. Available in 13, 15 and 17-inch configurations, the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 notebooks give consumers the option to upgrade from 1920 x 1080 to glorious 3840 x 2160. During my brief demo, I was impressed by the panel's vividness and brightness.
Other specs include an Intel Core i5-8265U processor (to start) with up to 32GB of RAM, half of which is comprised of Intel's Optane memory. The notebooks also feature up to a 128GB NVMe PCIe SSD with a whopping 2TB HDD and a Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU with 4GB of VRAM.
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Focusing on portability coupled with versatility, the Inspiron 14 5000 2-in-1 is stately with its slim borders and sturdy 360-degree hinges that allow for smooth transitions between modes. The system starts with an 8th Gen Core i3-8145U processor but can be configured with a Core i7-8565U CPU with up to 24GB of RAM (8GB of Intel Octane), a 256GB m.2 PCIe SSD with a 2TB HDD and an integrated Intel UHD 620 GPU.
My only real gripe with this notebook is the 1366 x 768 display. However, Dell does give consumers the chance to upgrade to a 1920 x 1080 panel. Both screens are touch-enabled and will play nice with the optional Active Pen.
As far as the overall design, the Inspirons look like what you'd expect from the series, but I appreciate Dell giving shoppers a choice of color for the 7000 series, even if it is only Platinum Silver and Abyss Black.
The 14 5000 gives you the best of both worlds with its Urban Gray aluminum lid and silver undercarriage. But outside of the 4K panel, the best part of the Inspiron is the set of dual 360-degree hinges which allow you to transform the system from a regular laptop into a tablet.
But as nice as each of the new notebook's looks, we're reserving our final judgment for when all the systems arrive for testing. Particularly the $599.99 Inspiron 14 5000, which we're guessing will draw a lot of attention due to its pricing.
