Dell Drops Adamo Price To Compete With MacBook Air

@AJMatesi: It's Dell that lowered their price, not Apple -- so you got it backwards: it seems like the Dell tax is fading.

It's sort of a toss-up of tradeoffs, and to really think about it, it's sort of hard to consider the processor and graphics power when neither of these devices were really designed to be powerhouses anyway. Longer battery life is always tempting, but I question how much more it actually saves. If I really had to choose, I'd go Air. SSD is nice, but the Air no longer suffers the crappy PATA iPod hard drives.

George Lucas writing and directing the next Star Trek.

YOU SHUT YOUR FILTHY WHORE MOUTH!

Kaiser-Machead

@zeroprime: Ahh....Thanks for the explanation.

@snoop_dizzle:
yep.
Hp owns voodoo too.

@twilight-arc: They do own Alienware now I believe...

@Xeno: I think that's because Apple recognizes that laptops are the growing market segment. They want to focus on winning customers over there.

Dell needs to drop the price of this machine to about half the price of the Macbook Air. Its just too expensive considering it doesnt' have a glowy Apple logo on the back.

MikeSWelch

@tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter: Maybe they need to create a high end brand within Dell. Something like Toyota did with Lexus. Without the distinction, too many people its just another Dell with the same support issues, but costing more.

twilight-arc

@Jim Topoleski: I wonder how the Adamo would fit into Microsoft's 'Buy a PC' adverts?

twilight-arc

@Jim Topoleski: The laptops aren't very overpriced compared to other luxury brands anymore but the desktops are a different story.

You know you have a pricing problem when you're more expensive than a similar Apple product.

Digo

@drakino: I didn't realize that they were soldered in. Thanks for filling me in.


but it should be noted that the Air comes down $100 on both the low and high end model with the student discount. It applies to me but it may apply to others as well.

@Eavangel:
Except for the solder on the air's ram.
That might be a bit tricky.
Though the adamo's ram is irreplaceable too.

@Eavangel: Upgrading the RAM on the Air is near impossible. The 2GB is directly soldered to the motherboard.

The 4GB of ram on the Adamo and 3G is the only advantage they have over the Air. Whereas the Air has a faster processor, and better graphics via the 9400m.

I'm enjoying mine quite a bit. It's a great travel laptop, allowing it to be usable even in cattle class, and still enough power to play games on the go.

drakino

@TheSonOfKrypton: it's the SSD that bumps it up in price. Those things are expensive. Not that I'm trying to defend Dell's pricing on this -- the Adamo is clearly the Ishtar of computing.

I would prefer a macbook pro over the air any day but if I had to choose between the adamo and air if they were the same price, I would go for the Air (plus I like a lot of the software on OSX and can still run windows).


But it really doesn't matter since the adamo is still basically more expensive (at least the higher end model).

Also speaking of expensive look at sony's viao signature line. Specifically their carbon model for 4 grand o_O

@Eavangel: I thought the 2 GB on the Air was soldered onto the motherboard and therefore not upgradeable.

D0rk

@Jim Topoleski:
I suppose apple magically supports developing their own OS then?

@AJMatesi: hasnt existed in a while is more like it.

Dont expect people to admit that though.

Jim Topoleski

@tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter:
Dell does have a deservedly bad reputation for their inspiron software, mainly because a lot of it leaves the consumer as the beta tester, resulting in lower costs but less reliability.
However, their business oriented stuff takes what works with the inspiron line, refines it, and sells it to business that could easily cancel a contract if the computers had a serious problem, meaning the laptops simply have to work, and dell usually makes sure they do.
I used to work with a (french) company that switched over to American made dell laptops from IBMs, and i don't recall anyone complaining, though i assure you several people would have liked too.

Are those rubber feet on the bottom of the Adamo? That's the first time I've noticed them.

I'll bet Dell never included those feet to the total thickness of the laptop.

@TheSonOfKrypton: The Dell Adamo uses the SU series of Core 2 Duo processors from Intel, which have 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz fsb and 10w max TDP. The Macbook Air uses the SL series of C2D processors, which have 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz fsb and 17w max TDP. Both are built on the 45nm fabrication process.

The SL series chips in the lower end macbook airs actually cost more than the lower end SU series in the Adamos.

Dell attempted to provide a better battery life with a process/graphics combo that used less energy. Unfortunately, it seems so underpowered that it runs full blast for task that normally wouldn't be "processor intensive" almost completely negating the gains of using low power components.

The 3G is a nice feature but i think it'd rather have the 9400 Nvidia and the faster processor in the Air any day. Plus upgrading RAM your-self is cheap so i'd have to say price vs performance, the Air is a better buy.

@Spoony: That's true, and what's even weirder is I can't find the option on the Apple Online Store to configure an Air with an SSD.

@roflwaffles is terribly unfunny: It's still a Dell. Servicing their comsumer-grade hardware has always been a nightmare. It's gotten better as of late, but it still leaves a bad stain on my shirt.

tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter

How to get your money's worth.
1. Buy adamo
2. Sell SSD for 300$
3. ????
4. profit.

@Lance eagles3strong:
128SSD
facts checked, the world can rest at peace.

@tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter:
Dell has good high end stuff, just like any company.

@Spoony:
Actually, its worth about 300$.

Whoa whoa whoa. You mean that an under powered DELL costs the same as an Apple product with better specs? This can't be right, someone do a quick fact check.

@TheSonOfKrypton: It's got a 128GB SSD...oh wait that's not worth anything.

apple tax is slowly fading?

AJMatesi

Wait, I thought all Macs were more expensive than ALL computers out there. You mean they AREN'T??? OMG.

soulfinger

@TheSonOfKrypton: Plus I believe these Adamos still only use Intel GMA graphics rather than the 9400M.

Let me correct that headline.
Dell Drops Adamo Price Becuase No One Bought Them
thats better.

They seriously need to get rid of the battery-like piece of plastic in the rear.

uRbAnlP

Wait wait wait. So YOU'RE telling ME, that a 1.2 GHz C2D Dell Adamo costs the same as a 1.86 GHz C2D Macbook Air!?!? And this is a good thing, HOW again?

Price drop or not it's still a Dell. If anyone has a problem with it, I'll have Nick cut you.

tok3ninja; is the best non-star commenter