Dell Adamo Official: $1,999 On March 26th

Dell have officially launched their Dell Adamo luxury ultraportable, happily bringing to an end the months of teaser campaigns and posturing videos.  Dell plan a whole range of Adamo products, which makes the specs of this first notebook a little easier to swallow: the MacBook Air rival has an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz U9300 processor with 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 128GB SSD and integrated Intel X4500 graphics, in a cleverly designed casing that, altogether, weighs four pounds.

Packaging and Overview videos after the cut

That makes it heavier than the MacBook Air comes in at, indeed around a third heavier.   The Dell Adamo has a 13.4-inch display 16:9 "HD" display, Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi draft-N support, optional mobile broadband and potentially in excess of five hours battery life.  Connections include two USB 2.0 ports, a combo USB/eSATA port, DisplayPort and ethernet.

Dell will also happily sell you a slimline external DVD or Blu-ray drive, plus connector cables to switch that DisplayPort hook-up to HDMI, DVI or VGA.  There's a lot of evidence that Dell were more focused on design than they were on hardware, to be honest, with the packaging being particularly sleek and even the Windows authenticity sticker, required by Microsoft, being hidden under a magnetic cover.

The 13-inch Dell Adamo will be shipping on March 26th, and is available to preorder now, priced from $1,999.  It'll be available in 24 countries, including the US and Canada, much of Europe and Asia.

Dell Adamo packaging:

Dell Adamo overview:

Press Release:

Style-minded people who place a premium on precision craftsmanship and design can now add Adamo to their list of must-have items for 2009. Dell today unveiled the world's thinnest laptop as a kick off to the new Adamo by Dell brand.

Adamo, derived from the Latin word meaning "to fall in love," will serve as a flagship in a line of products created to disrupt the personal computing space with the combination of new design, aesthetics, personalization choices and sought-after technologies.

The News:

Adamo is the pinnacle of craftsmanship and design and features:

· A chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum featuring precision detailing and a scalloped backlit keyboard

· Striking high definition edge-to-edge glass display

· Fully connected with WiFi, Bluetooth(tm) and optional integrated mobile broadband* and full complement of connectivity ports with no compromises

· Cool, quiet and robust solid state drives

· Available in Onyx and Pearl colors with a broad range of complementary accessories

· Price starting at $1999

Quotes:

"Great design needs to be timeless and evoke emotion in people", said Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell's consumer products. "While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch."

"Dell continues to signal a commitment to design and personalization across its entire product line and has made significant strides forward in the past year," said Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst, Enderle Group. "The Adamo laptop is a showcase for this commitment and a flagship product that will draw buyers to the brand."

People who choose Adamo will be offered a unique color matched collection of Adamo by Dell branded peripherals and accessories including, in the U.S. an exclusive line of bags from TUMI. Choices will include:

· External storage option with 250GB** or 500GB** external hard drive.

· External DVD+/-RW or Blu-ray disc drive.

· 8GB** USB drive.

· Connectors and cables including DisplayPort to HDMI, DVI, and VGA.

· Adamo Premium Service (US Only):

o 24/7 access to Dell's best trained technicians

o Consistent communication with a dedicated personal team

The Adamo by Dell brand is being supported by innovative and new approaches to marketing and promotion for Dell. Designed to challenge people's perceptions of what a computer is, the Adamo by Dell brand was inspired by fashion, luxury brands and timeless design.

Dell has looked beyond traditional approaches to reaching computer shoppers and launched a provocative campaign featuring:

· A stylish worldwide print campaign shot by acclaimed British-based photographer Nadav Kandar and featuring high-fashion models that reinforces the "fall in love" positioning. Kander, whose work is celebrated in galleries worldwide, also shot the moving portfolio, "Obama's People," which appeared in The New York Times Magazine earlier this year.

· AdamoByDell.com , the centerpiece of the campaign and a highly stylized site where viewers can learn about Adamo, register for updates and, beginning today, place orders. Since its launch last month, AdamoByDell.com has attracted nearly 800,000 unique visitors from around the world and more than 1 million page views.

· Artful packaging in which the product arrives "floating" in a clear box with minimal clutter – a beautiful experience for a sophisticated product.

Product Specifications:

· Intel® Core 2 Duo processors with Intel® Centrino ® technology

· DDR3 system memory

· 13.4-inch 16:9 HD display

· Draft-Wireless N

· High-performance solid state drives standard

· Bluetooth 2.1

· Mobile Broadband* option

· Up to 5+ hours of battery life (preliminary)***

· 2 USB ports, 1 USB/eSATA combo port, Display Port, RJ-45 port

· Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-bit

Available for pre-order today at www.adamobydell.com and shipping worldwide starting March 26, 2009, Adamo will be available online for purchase in 24 countries including U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, U.K. France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, ANZ, China, Honk Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia/Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia.