Dell Rolls Out XPS 420 Desktop

Dell is now offering its XPS 420 desktop system, offering Intel Core 2 Duo or Extreme processors, ATI or Nvidia graphics, and SideShow access to music, photos, and video.

Computer maker Dell is now offering its XPS 420 desktop for online ordering. The new XPS model is designed to appeal to home entertainment users and semi-pro media buffs who are apt to assemble their own movies from digital video cameras…or just want to have a high-performance desktop system with powerful graphics capabilities.

Dell is offering the XPS 420 in a variety of configuations, inccluding more of the upgrade options available with the high-end XPS 720 series. Available features include Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors, ATI or Nvidia graphics cards, dual-layer DVD burners or Blu-ray optical drive, and a 13-in-1 media card reader. The base XPS 420 configuration comes with 2 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, a 20-inch Dell LCD display, and a 256 MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT video card for $1,499.

The XPS 420 MiniView display uses Microsoft’s SideShow technology the offer supplemental information and interface independent of Windows on a separate 3-by-2-inch 320 by 240 display. The SideShow screen can be used to show standard information like a clock and system status, but can also display images and video, music playback information, a Webcam image, and more. SideShow support is built into Vista, so as additional SideShow-enabled widgets and applications come out, XPS 420 users will be able to take advantage of them. The XPS 420 also features a rubberizes top panel (so your electronic toys don’t slide off) and an internal cable management system to make add-ons and upgrades easier. The system also includes Dell’s Xcellerator media co-processor designed to speed up MPEG-4 video encoding, making it simpler to convert video for use on an iPod or other portable device; users can also “transrate” MPEG-2 video to fit on a single-sided DVD, or “transcale” high-definition video to play on standard-definition sets.