Is this the Desktop Computer of the Future?

If so, then the future is here! The Inspiron Zino is an 8"x8" square:


Dell PCs cram multimedia power into tiny package

Dell announced a miniature PC using single- or dual-core AMD processors, available with Ubuntu Linux. Starting at approximately $230, the Inspiron Zino HD sports up to 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, comes in ten colors, and is available with discrete graphics, says Dell.

While the Inspiron Zino HD measures just 7.8 x 7.8 x 3.4 inches, it should not be confused with a low-power "nettop" PC. Instead, says Dell, the device is a full-blown multimedia PC in miniature, offering "amazing performance," an HDMI video output, and an internal optical drive that's offered in both DVD and Blu-ray versions.

The rear panel of Dell's Zino HD

Dell offers the Zino HD with a choice of four different AMD processors, none of which has been well-documented by the chipmaker itself. The two single-core choices are the Athlon 2650e, clocked at 1.6GHz with a 15 Watt TDP, and the Athlon 2850e, clocked at 1.8GHz with a 22 Watt TDP. The two dual-core choices are the Athlon X2 3250e (1.5GHz, with a 22 Watt TDP) and the Athlon Neo X2 6850e (1.8GHz, TDP unknown).

[...]

The Inspiron Zino HD PCs are now available, says Dell, with prices ranging from approximately $230 to $1,024, depending on configuration.

More information may be found on the Dell website, here. [...]

They are also offered with Windows Vista or Windows 7, and with various features, different processors, ram, graphics cards, etc. Follow the link to see the options, the specs and more.

All the other micro PC's I've posted about seem to ship from Hong Kong or Taiwan, and have much lower specs. This is an offering from a major US PC vendor, and it's a high-powered, High-Definition multimedia machine. It's not your grandfather's PC. Is this where all desktop PCs are headed? I think it's a distinct possibility.
     

Dell's New Student Netbook, the Latitude 2100

Maybe they should call it "The Snitch", because it let's the teacher know if you are on the Web or networking when you should be doing something else:



The video is about 4 minutes. It shows how this netbook is optimized for classroom use, and it's many unique features. It can be used with Linux, Windows XP Home, and Windows Vista. Price is expected to be $370.00.

Linux-ready netbook touted as "Student rugged"

Dell is readying a netbook for the K-12 educational market with a rubberized case and an optional touchscreen. Incorporating an Intel Atom N270 with 1GB RAM, the Latitude 2100 offers a 10.1-inch display, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, up to 250GB storage, and Ubuntu Linux, says Dell.

While focusing primarily on the K-12 market, the Latitude 2100 is also a good fit for corporate applications including employee training or order fulfillment, says Dell. Features aimed at the K-12 environment include optional touchscreen, webcam, and lock slots. There are also five primary colors available, as well as a personalized labeling window for easy identification. A network activity light is included that enables teachers to easily spot when a student is using the WiFi connection.

[...]

The Latitude 2100 ships with remote management software that enables features including Wake-on-LAN, Alert Standard Format, and Microsoft's Systems Management Server. In addition, the netbooks will soon be offered in the U.S. with an optional Dell Mobile Computing Station, a specialized cart system designed to ease the process of storing, charging, and managing up to 24 netbooks at once. Students can store the units in charging slots, which are also configured to enable IT administrators to remotely update the computers with new software at night. [...]

It all seems very efficient, and likely to become a new standard in the schools of our Brave New World.
     

Will HP be next to offer Linux pre-installed?

Inspired by Dell's choice to offer Linux pre-installed on some of it's computers, HP may do the same. At least that is a popular story circulating presently. Some excerpts from Joe Panettieri at SeekingAlpha:

Will HP Follow Dell With Ubuntu Linux PCs?

[...] Dell's initial success with Ubuntu apparently has caught Hewlett-Packard's attention. Sources close to HP tell me the company hope to offer PCs with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed in a few months -- or perhaps even a few weeks.

Growing interest in Ubuntu Linux is easy to explain. After all, Ubuntu is simple to use and friendlier than Windows in some (but certainly not all) ways. For instance, Ubuntu boots up fast -- really fast -- and isn't bogged down with dozens of desktop icons or menu options that you'll never use. Nor does it require certain types of security software that can further slow down your PC's performance.

It took me about five minutes to figure out the basics of Ubuntu's graphical user interface. Len Sandy, a fellow blogger who also purchased a Dell system running Ubuntu, says there are at least five reasons why some consumers will prefer Ubuntu over Windows. Like me, he notes that Ubuntu's user interface is easy to learn.

[...]

According to several Ubuntu online forums, HP plans to introduce PCs with Ubuntu pre-installed within the next few weeks. I'm hearing similar chatter from my sources.

The noise surrounding Ubuntu will grow louder this July, when Dell and Intel sponsor a major Linux event in Oregon. [...]

HP has been a Linux supporter for quite a while in the Server Market. Expanding to the Desktop market would be a logical next move, especially if they believe Dell is tapping into a new viable market. Read the whole piece for more information and links.


Related Links:

Dell Finally Offers Linux Pre-installed
After much talk, they actually do it.

Dell to offer Ubuntu Linux pre-installed
What it means in the larger picture of the PC market.

Is Apple going to drop OS X and move on?
Is there an emerging Dell-Linux-Apple war?

Dell Finally Offers Linux Pre-installed

From DesktopLinux.com:
Ubuntu-powered Dell desktops and notebook arrive

On May 24, the rumors and speculation came to an end. Dell officially unveiled its three consumer systems -- the XPS 410n and Dimension E520n desktops, and the Inspiron E1505n notebook -- that come with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux distribution factory installed.

DesktopLinux.com predicted that Dell would release Ubuntu-powered computers from these lines. We did not see, however, that rather than offering a variety of models, albeit not the full range from each line, that Dell would be offering a single system from each line. [...]

There was speculation for a while about if it would ever happen. This is the first time that one of the Big computer manufacturers has offered to ship their machines with Desktop Linux already installed.

Choice is always a good thing! We all benefit. See the full article for details.

Also from DesktopLinux.com:
These are Dell's Ubuntu PCs
More details about the actual machines Dell is shipping with Ubuntu Linux.
     

Dell to offer Ubuntu Linux pre-installed

Why is it a big deal? Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols at Desktoplinux.com explains:

What Dell's desktop Linux move means

[...] Dell also is saying something else that's equally important about the desktop world. It's saying, for the first time in more than a decade, that standard x86 PC users have a choice. For the first time since OS/2 mattered, users have a choice again. No more are users stuck with Windows. No more are they forced to pay the Microsoft tax.

Even users who never intend on using Linux should be glad to see Microsoft's iron hand finally lifted, albeit just an inch. Just as the arrival of Firefox forced Microsoft to improve Internet Explorer, the arrival of Linux on a mainstream desktop will force Microsoft to make significant, rather than cosmetic, improvements to its own operating systems. [...]

Ultimately more choices benefit everyone. This is good news.




Related Link:

Dell to choose Ubuntu