Dell introduces 'Studio' brand - products designed to foster creativity, innovation

Dell recently unveiled "Studio", a unique consumer brand designed to reflect the creative individual who demands tailored technology solutions.

The Studio portfolio includes features that consumers can rely on to expand their creativity and digital horizons. The products combine smart technology with elegant design and exciting personalisation options.

"People seeking stunning design, brilliant colours, and innovative new technology will find inspiration in Dell's new Studio brand," said Gavin Slevin, client products brand manager at Dell South Africa. "These products are built for today's digital lifestyle based on the millions of conversations we have every year on dell.com, Ideastorm and community forums. With Dell Studio, we're answering the call for personalisation, connectivity and simplicity."

The first Studio products are two chic laptops, the Studio 15 and Studio 17. These PCs combine sleek designs, striking visual elements and features such as standard slot load drives, backlit keyboard and built-in Web cam. The Studio product range will be available to customers through Dell's nearest customers. Built-in mobile broadband will be available later next month.

The new Studio products inherit design elements first introduced in Dell's award-winning XPS M1330 and M1530 laptops, including a sleek wedge-shaped profile and iconic drop hinge. Taking a page from the Inspiron portfolio, Studio laptops also offer several options that allow a customer to colour customise a laptop unique to him or her. In addition, Dell will offer optional colour-coordinated accessories and peripherals like backpacks, slipcovers, mice and ear buds so customers can assemble a mobile high-definition package that's unique.

"One year ago today we refreshed and revitalised our consumer portfolio with emphasis on product style, design and personalisation," said Slevin. "Flamingo Pink and Midnight Blue laptops have since become regular sights on university campuses and in coffee shops. The new Studio products demonstrate that Dell is continuing to focus on design and value, delivering attractive, feature-packed mobile digital lifestyle products."

Starting with either a 15.4 or 17-inch high-definition display, customers can pick one of six optional colour choices, including new Plum Purple and Tangerine Orange in addition to Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green and Jet Black (standard). For a more subtly personalised laptop, Dell has added an optional high-gloss Graphite Grey choice that can be customised with contrasting black, or more vivid blue, pink or red edge trim around the display back.

While Dell Studio systems have rich basic features, they also offer customers a wide variety of options to ensure the system facilitates and enhances the user's digital passions, whether that is being the curator of their own photo or music library or creating cool new Web content. For extra security, customers can avoid unauthorised access and secure personal data with the optional fingerprint reader. Entertainment buffs will appreciate the hideaway express-card travel remote and noise cancellation ear buds.

Dell is also focused on simplifying the consumer digital experience with unique user interfaces like the Dell Dock, a task-based application organiser. The Dell Dock is a unique user interface that automatically sorts all of the installed software applications on the PC into simple, user friendly categories, which can be accessed by a simple taskbar, leaving the desktop clutter-free.

Customers don't have to locate and open a programme by application name or icon on the desktop, but instead can locate it by task, like "e-mail & chat", "security", "view photos" and "play music". The taskbar is fully customisable: users can choose its anchor location, background and font colour, and even the icons used to represent a category.