Computer maker Dell has rolled out the Inspiron 1525, a colorful series of 15.4-inch notebooks that now offer Blu-ray playback capabilities as an option…for starting prices under $1,000. Dell is offering both Blu-ray players (backward compatible with standard DVDs and CDs, of course) as well as a Blu-ray burner for backing up important data.
The Inspiron 1525s sport a 1,280 by 800-pixel 15.4-inch LCD display, which is enough resolution to handle 720p high-definition video playback. The systems are available with a selection of processors (ranging from 1.8 GHz Intel Celeron 540s through 2 GHz Core 2 Duo T7250s), support up to 4 GB of RAM, and up to 250 GB of hard drive space. The systems drive their screens with Intel GMA X3100 graphics controllers—so they aren’t going to win an awards over high-definition technology from ATI or Nvidia—and ship with WIndows Vista Home, Home Premium, or Ultimate. The systems have four USB ports, 100Base-T Ethernet, a IEEE1394 port, an 8-in-1 media card reader, video out (VGA, S-Video, and HDMI), along with an ExpressCard/54 slot. The systems are also available with an optional 2 megapixel Webcam and a variety of Wi-Fi and mobile broadband options.
Blu ray-equipped Inspiron 1525s are available today on Dell’s Web site; they ship in a wide spectrum of case colors, including yellow, blue, and red, along with themed cases Chill, Blossom, and Commotion.
