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Hands-on with Dell’s updated range of Inspiron 2-in-1 convertible notebooks

By Kenny Yeo - 31 May 2016

Hands-on with Dell’s updated range of Inspiron 2-in-1 convertible notebooks

It's a 2-in-1 kinda world

Dell has refreshed its range of Inspiron 2-in-1 notebooks at Computex 2016.

2-in-1 notebooks are here to stay. Whether they have detachable displays or convertible designs that allow the screens to be flipped 180-degrees, these notebooks are becoming increasing popularly because of their versatility. And at Computex 2016, Dell has refreshed its range of Inspiron 2-in-1 notebooks, which includes a brand new 17-inch model that is also the world’s first 17-inch 2-in-1 notebook. Here’s a closer look at these new devices.

 

The Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 notebooks

The 17-inch Dell Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 notebook is said to be the world's first 2-in-1 convertible notebook.

The Inspiron 7000 Series is Dell’s premium line of mainstream notebooks and naturally the 2-in-1 notebooks in this range are made with premium materials. Most notably, they are distinguishable by their brushed aluminum chassis. Another feature that these notebooks have that makes them unique in Dell’s Inspiron 2-in-1 notebook lineup is the presence of a USB Type-C port.

A USB Type-C port, the telltale sign of an Inspiron 7000 2-in1 notebook model. In addition, we can also see a HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port and a headphone jack.

The 7000 2-in-1 notebooks will available with 13, 15 and 17-inch displays. The 17-inch model is also touted by Dell as being the world’s first 17-inch 2-in-1 notebook. These notebooks will feature wide-viewing angle displays with Full-HD (1080p) resolution. Additionally, they will be powered by Intel’s new sixth generation Skylake processors and will come with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM. The 17-inch model that we saw even has discrete graphics in the form of NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 940MX.

On the right side of the Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 notebook is another USB 3.0 port and an SD card slot.

Other nifty features include an infrared webcam that will allow users to use Windows Hello, and log into their PCs with facial recognition; support for wireless 802.11ac; and optional SSDs. And to let users get the most of their Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 notebooks and their USB Type-C port, Dell will also begin offer an optional USB Type-C adapter that will add HDMI, VGA, USB 3.0 and Ethernet connectivity.

The Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 notebook is pretty thick and quite heavy.

The Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 notebook is a bit curious because it's fairly thick and unwieldy, which begs the question, "Is anyone out there asking for a 17-inch 2-in-1 convertible notebook?" Well, we are sure there are some users who would want it, and if you can look past the weight and size, it's actually a pretty nifty notebook to have around the house. We don't think many users would want to carry it out with them, but certainly, the larger display will make it better for tasks like reading and especially watching movies. 

No word yet on local pricing and availability, but prices for the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 notebooks will begin at US$749 for the 13-inch model in the United States.

 

The Inspiron 5000 2-in-1 notebooks

The Inspiron 5000 2-in-1 notebooks have plastic chassis, but you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference even if they were side by side.

The Inspiron 5000 2-in-1 notebooks are Dell’s entry-level 2-in-1 notebooks and it is aesthetically similar to the 7000 2-in-1 notebooks except that it has a plastic chassis. The plastic construction means the 5000 2-in-1 notebooks are oh-so-slightly thicker, but most people will be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two, especially since the plastic chassis has been finished to give the same look as the brushed aluminum found on the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 notebooks. They even weigh about the same - the 13-inch model is just 1.62kg, while the 15-inch model is 2.08kg. Plastic construction aside, the only other crucial difference is that it does not have a USB Type-C port. But given that USB Type-C devices are still fairly rare, we don't think it's something that most users would miss.

No USB Type-C port here, but there's two USB 3.0 ports and a single HDMI port. On the opposite side is another USB 3.0 port and an SD card reader.

Here's the 13-inch Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 notebook in stand mode, which is great for watching videos because you can be closer to the screen.

The Inspiron 5000 2-in-1 notebooks will be available in 13 and 15-inch display sizes; and like the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 notebooks, these displays will come in wide-angel Full-HD (1080p) resolution. Also, they will be powered by Intel’s new sixth generation Core processor and can be spec’ed with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM. Additionally, the Inspiron 5000 Series 2-in-1 notebooks will have infrared cameras that will allow users to use Windows Hello facial recognition to unlock their PCs. Finally, users who demand more performance can also spec their Inspiron 5000 2-in-1 notebooks with SSDs.

The Inspiron 5000 2-in-1 notebooks will be available in Singapore from June 3 and prices will begin at S$929 for the 13-inch model.

 

The Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1

Here is the Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 notebook in black and blue.

The Inspiron 11 3000 2-in1 notebook is the most compact and basic 2-in-1 notebook from Dell. New for 2016 is an 11-inch model with display that supports a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a variety of Intel processors, and can be spec’ed with a Celeron processor all the way up to the latest low-power Core m3 processor. It comes with a 500GB HDD and 2GB of RAM as standard, and it features two USB port and a single HDMI port, which can come in handy if users wish to output movies to their television. There’s even a microSD card to expand storage.

Despite the Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 notebook's compact size, it still packs two USB 3.0 ports and a single HDMI port.

Designed to be cheap and cheerful, the 11-inch Inspiron 3000 2-in-1 notebook will also be available in different colors. Right now there's red, black, white and blue. We are quite fond of the red.

The Inspiron 11 3000 Series will be available in Singapore from June 3 with prices beginning at just S$649.
 

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