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Dell updated its line of slim consumer Dimension desktop PCs this week with a multi-format expansion card reader. This is the first time such a feature has appeared in a Dell PC, a company spokesperson says.

The new Dimension 4700C is the first Dell PC to come with an optional media card reader that supports eight different expansion card formats. Other PC vendors, such as Gateway and Hewlett-Packard, have offered such an option for some time.

Dell's 8-in-1 memory card reader allows users to move pictures and other files stored on Compact Flash or Secure Digital cards to their PCs. This can be an easier way to swap files between devices without having to connect cables or set up wireless connections.

The 4700C is a small form factor PC that measures only 13 inches high by 4 inches wide by 14 inches deep. Dell's other Dimension PCs are a little taller and deeper, but are almost twice as wide. The 4700C replaces the 4600C, Dell's first small form factor desktop.

Space Savers

Small form factor PCs have generated interest among desktop buyers who want something smaller and quieter than the traditional heavy desktop chassis.

Apple Computer's newest IMac design integrates the PC chassis into the display for an extremely compact system, and other vendors have released models that integrate the motherboard into the base of a system's display. Many vendors have released systems similar to the phone-book sized specifications of the Dimension 4700C.

Dell's new system comes with Intel's Pentium 4 520 processor at 2.8 GHz, 512MB of DDR2 (double data rate 2) memory, a 40GB hard drive, a DVD-ROM drive, and a 17-inch CRT monitor for $999. The system costs $1059 with the 8-in-1 media card reader feature.

Four of Dell's five Dimension PCs now come with Intel's latest chip sets, now that the 4700C is available. The 4700C uses the Intel 915G chip set, which includes integrated graphics along with support for the PCI Express interconnect technology as well as DDR2 memory and advanced audio capabilities.