Computer maker Dell is now offering its XPS 420 desktop for online ordering. The new XPS model is designed to appeal to home entertainment users and semi-pro media buffs who are apt to assemble their own movies from digital video cameras…or just want to have a high-performance desktop system with powerful graphics capabilities.
Dell is offering the XPS 420 in a variety of configuations, inccluding more of the upgrade options available with the high-end XPS 720 series. Available features include Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors, ATI or Nvidia graphics cards, dual-layer DVD burners or Blu-ray optical drive, and a 13-in-1 media card reader. The base XPS 420 configuration comes with 2 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, a 20-inch Dell LCD display, and a 256 MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT video card for $1,499.
The XPS 420 MiniView display uses Microsoft’s SideShow technology the offer supplemental information and interface independent of Windows on a separate 3-by-2-inch 320 by 240 display. The SideShow screen can be used to show standard information like a clock and system status, but can also display images and video, music playback information, a Webcam image, and more. SideShow support is built into Vista, so as additional SideShow-enabled widgets and applications come out, XPS 420 users will be able to take advantage of them. The XPS 420 also features a rubberizes top panel (so your electronic toys don’t slide off) and an internal cable management system to make add-ons and upgrades easier. The system also includes Dell’s Xcellerator media co-processor designed to speed up MPEG-4 video encoding, making it simpler to convert video for use on an iPod or other portable device; users can also “transrate” MPEG-2 video to fit on a single-sided DVD, or “transcale” high-definition video to play on standard-definition sets.
