Dell has updated its media-centric Inspiron R notebook series today with flashy new paint jobs and a few improvements under the hood. The lineup has mainly the same internals as existing models, with Core i3 and Core i5 processors, but Dell has also thrown in Intel Wireless Display as an option. We saw the technology in action back in January at CES, and though it had its limitations, it's still a very interesting and hassle-free approach to outputting PC to TV wirelessly.
The R series comes in 14, 15 and 17-inch varieties sporting a glossy and metallic-looking finish in black, blue, red, or pink hues. Prices start at $479 for a base model with an Intel Pentium P6000 processor and 2GB DDR3 memory. As usual you can configure its internals to your heart's content, though -- including adding up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, up to a 640GB hard drive, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD graphics with 1GB video memory.
Other features include 802.11n wireless networking, a webcam, Bluetooth, two or three USB ports (depending on the model), an eSATA / USB 2.0 combo port, 6-cell battery and optional Blu-ray optical drive. The Inspiron R also has forward-positioned hinge, like the last batch of Mini 10 netbooks, which allows you to open the display further than before and gives the laptop a uniform thickness. The new Inspiron R series is available today at retail and on Dell.com.
