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All posts tagged "environment"


Friday, August 29, 2008

Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop Deep Dive Video Series

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 06:00 AM


Dell's Studio Hybrid desktop PC is an interesting computer, partially because it comes from Dell, not usually a company known for taking risks or really doing much of anything interesting when it comes to design. The Studio Hybrid is a departure for a company usually known for playing it safe; the design of the Hybrid is quite unlike anything else on the market by any major manufacturer. I purchased the Studio Hybrid the first day it was released because I needed a small, quiet computer for my "digital wall" project. The day I received it, I published an unboxing and first impressions video. After that, I used it pretty intensely for a week to see if it was what I wanted. So how did the Studio Hybrid measure up? I shot a series of three "deep dive" videos that go into as much detail as possible on this new computer from Dell. Below is part one of three - after the break is parts two and three.


[click through to YouTube to see it in higher quality]

Read more...


Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop PC Unboxing and First Impressions

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 01:32 PM

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the Dell Studio Hybrid, a desktop PC running Windows Vista Home Premium SP1. Configured with an Intel Core 2 Duo T2390 (1.86 Ghz) CPU, 3 GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250 GB 5400 RPM hard drive, an 8x slot-loading DVD burner, and an Intel X3100 GPU. The colour is "Ruby", and cost me $744 Canadian with taxes direct from Dell.


[click through to YouTube to see it in higher quality]

My first impressions of the hardware design are very favourable - all except with the colour. If I had watched this video I would have realized that the shell is semi-transparent, so it doesn't have the rich gloss red I was hoping it would have. It doesn't look bad, but it's not what I expected. I'll be connecting it to a monitor and firing it up next.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Dell Launches Studio Hybrid Desktops

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 07:31 AM

http://www.dell.com/content/product...=dhs&ref=homepg

"More flexible than a typical PC, the Dell Studio Hybrid is an anywhere-you-want-it-desktop. Our smallest desktop, it looks great in the living room, on the desk, or anywhere else space is at a premium. And because sleeves are available in 6 colors or Bamboo, you know it'll match your sense of style. Best of all, it uses energy-efficient components, so you'll enjoy its power while helping to preserve the planet."

Dell's "bamboo PC" that we posted on a few months back is now a reality, and it's called the Studio Hybrid Desktop. I think the design is superb, but the name is ridiculous - how is this using any sort of hybrid power? This is clearly just a marketing gimmick to bring to mind the 70% power savings over a typical desktop PC - but if they wanted to do that, they should have called it the ecoPC or something similar. Beyond the completely dishonest name, the Studio Hybrid Desktop has a lot to offer: systems come equipped with three USB ports on the back, two on the front, DVI, HDMI, SPDIF (audio), even a Firewire port. They're Energy Star 4.0 compliant, and 80% smaller than your typical desktop computer, but can still be loaded to bear with up to 4 GB of RAM, an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 Ghz CPU, 320 GB hard drive, and even a Blu-Ray drive. They come in a variety of colours (pictured above) - and even bamboo for an extra $100 (you'd think bamboo would have the worst thermals, wouldn't you?). Prices start at $499 USD.

I've been looking for a small PC for my digital wall project, and I dare say that this is exactly what I'm looking for, with one exception: I'm not sure if the Intel X3100 can do HD decoding. One assumes it can, because Dell is selling the system with a Blu-Ray drive option, but I wasn't able to find a decisive answer in a quick online search. I think I'll order one today and rely on Dell's return policy to save me if I'm wrong. I wonder if I should spring for the Blu-Ray drive though? It's a $300 option, which is quite pricey in comparison to the whole machine, and my digital wall won't be our primary location for watching movies...so would it be a waste? Should I wait a year or two until Blu-Ray drives are $50, then replace the whole computer? Opinions?

Lots more pictures after the break! Read more...


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