Dell Targets SMBs with New Vostro Desktop

Dell is gunning after the SMB market with the launch of a new desktop in its Vostro lineup yesterday. What is unique about the new Vostro "All-In-One" range is how the entire system is squeezed into the back of an LCD display, which comes with VESA mounting for a compatible display arm or to affix to a wall. Dell says that it is suitable for use in receptionist areas, training labs, design and customer areas, among others.

Displays are available in 17-, 18.5- and 19-inch sizes, while processor options range from entry-level Celeron to the latest Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad chips. RAM and storage options look pretty standard to me, though a bundled wireless keyboard and mouse completes the compact, wire-free appeal of the package. Interestingly, Wi-Fi, which I imagine would be a perfect complement, is an optional item.

I suppose small and medium-sized businesses considering the Vostro All-In-One would be going for its out-of-the-box space savings of about 44 percent, compared to the footprint of a traditional desktop. This increases to 79 percent when used with a VESA flexible mount.

Sam Burd, Global Vice President, Dell Small and Medium Business, sums up the design philosophy behind the All-In-One this way, "Small businesses are waking up to the fact that saving space is a critical requirement for their desktops, and the Vostro All In One is the first-of-its-kind solution for small businesses wanting a cleaner, more productive workspace at an amazing value."

The Vostro All-In-One is priced starting at $629 and is immediately available in China, July 27 in South Asia, Australia and New Zealand. North America and Europe can begin ordering from August 11. It seems to me like Dell's rushing the All-In-One out from factories in China, and shipping them as fast as possible to the rest of the world. Maybe it had some problems with production? Of course, that's pure speculation on my part.

Anyway, integrating the entire desktop into the display is not a new concept, and computer makers like Apple and Sony have had models based on this design for a while now. Then again, none of them have competing units priced as affordably as the Vostro All-In-One, which is what makes it appealing, indeed.