Dell Upgrades Entry-Level Notebooks

The low-price SmartStep notebook line from Dell has been upgraded with two new, more expensive SmartStep laptops. The SmartStep 200N and 250N are now on sale on Dell's Web site, while the SmartStep 100N has been discontinued and no longer appears on the site.

The SmartStep 100N, introduced only last March, cost $899 and was designed for first-time or inexperienced buyers. The new SmartStep 200N and 250N introduced on Tuesday represent significant upgrades in both price and components, starting at $1499. The SmartStep 250N runs on a 2.2-GHz Intel desktop Pentium 4 processor, while the SmartStep 200N has a 2-GHz P4 CPU. The SmartStep 100N shipped with a 1.06-GHz Intel Celeron processor.

The 200N is priced at $1499 on Dell's Web site, with the 2.0-GHz Pentium 4, 256MB of memory, a 30GB hard drive, and an 8X DVD-ROM drive. The 250N, with the 2.2-GHz Pentium 4, 256MB of memory, a 40GB hard drive, and an 8X CD-RW/DVD drive, sells for $1899 on the site.

Inspiron Expanded

Dell also released the Inspiron 4150 notebook Tuesday. It will be targeted at mobile professionals, families, and students, a Dell spokesperson said. It will replace the Inspiron 4100, which will still be available for a short time on Dell's Web site, according to the Dell representative.

The Inspiron 4150 features Intel Pentium 4-M processors running at speeds of up to 2.0 GHz, using the Intel 845MP chip set. The notebook starts at $1499 with a 1.6-GHz Pentium 4-M processor, 256MB of DDR RAM, and a 30GB hard drive. A configuration that adds a 2.0-GHz Pentium 4-M processor, a 24X CD-RW/DVD drive, and an enhanced graphics display sells for $2479.

Desktop Chip Adapted

Many companies have started to include desktop processors in notebook PCs to bring high performance and low cost to mobile users, said Ketan Pandya, marketing manager for consumer notebooks at Dell.

"We wanted to wait until we were sure we had solved all the problems with that type of configuration," such as limited battery life and thermal problems, before introducing desktop processors to mobile users, Pandya said. The new SmartStep notebooks feature larger batteries than other Dell notebooks and last about three hours, he said.

The new SmartStep notebooks have one thing in common with their predecessor: They are preconfigured notebooks, a departure from Dell's traditional build-to-order sales model.

"We are still targeting the SmartStep line at the buyer who is looking for more of a retail experience," Pandya said, explaining that inexperienced users can be overwhelmed by the many choices available on Dell's Web site, and prefer the single-configuration ordering model.