Dell launches new everyday business laptops

Dell launches new everyday business laptops

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Dell announced new models in its Inspiron laptop range.

Although the PC giant's machines are a fixture in companies across the world, there are suggestions that laptop sales are in a long-term decline. So, can these new models tempt workers away from their tablet computers?

Thin, light and powerful?

Dell's customers told it that they want better battery life from laptops without sacrificing overall performance, and that they want laptops that are thin and portable.

That's not exactly groundbreaking news, but as a result the company says its new Inspiron models take advantage of low-power processors to optimise performance and improve battery life. They're 17% thinner and 15% lighter than the previous generation.

Budget-friendly options

The Dell Inspiron 15 and Inspiron 17 models are designed for budget-conscious customers looking for a laptop with all the usual essential features.

Prices start at just £299 all in for the entry-level 15" model. But with its slow Celeron processor, it's a false economy. Even if you're on a really tight budget, you'll be better off stretching to £379 for a model with Intel's i3 processor.

Unusually for a laptop this size, the 15" model includes a 10-key number pad, which could be really useful if you enter numbers or work with figures a lot.

If you prefer a bigger screen (but a less portable laptop), the 17" model starts at £349. Again, a decent business machine will cost you more than that - here aim for the £449 model which includes a powerful Intel i5 processor.

Pay more for personalisation

There are also two more expensive models in the range: the Inspiron 15R and 17R.

These offer some personalisation options, including a choice of brushed-aluminium finishes. Lovely, but probably not worth paying more for.

Of more interest is the optional full HD screen available with these two laptops. This gives you a crisper display, with more space for your windows and the ability to show full HD video if you wish.

It's not a must-have for business use, but may be worth paying extra for, particularly if you use your laptop screen a lot to work on big images, spreadsheets or other documents that take up a lot of space on screen.

For a full HD screen, you're looking at paying £679 for the 15" model, or £699 for the 17" model.

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