Dell just recently announced two new budget LCDs that will be added to their line. The 17 inch E1709W and 19 inch Ultrasharp 1908FP are two simple monitors aimed at providing the bare necessities.

The E1709W has a 1440×900 resolution while the more expensive 1908FP has a 1280×1024 resolution, which is in the 4:3 ratio which is almost unheard of in new monitors. The 1908FP also has a faster response time of 5ms as well as the addition of four USB ports.

Dell is obviously taking into account the hard economic times most people are going through, and updating their products to address the new needs. In all honesty the E1709W works great for general computer use, yes it isn’t as nice as the 24 inch Apple Cinema display, but it gets the job done.

The E1709W will cost $179 while the larger UltraSharp 1908FP will cost $249.

Source - Electronista

Mainstream PC maker Dell announced on Thursday that they will be offering users a choice between Windows Vista and Windows XP on certain computers. The announcement came after Vista was released this January with high expectations. Vista has since been battered down with bugs and problems that have caused users to complain asking for options to be able to use Windows XP again.

Users prefer XP due to its simplistic interface and the notions that it “behaves” well. Vista had many driver issues and performance problems at its release which has plagued its popularity ever since. Currently Microsoft lets Asus, the maker of the Eee PC use Windows XP Home Edition on their lightweight, portable netbooks.

Even though Dell offers the choice, it’s going to cost $150 to “downgrade” to the older operating system. This downgrade is done through a loophole in an agreement with Microsoft that allows for business users to use Windows XP. Microsoft is currently embarking on $300 million ad campaign to clear up concerns over the operating system, and to restore faith back in Microsoft before the release of Windows 7.

Article Sources - Electronista / Computer World / MSNBC

You’ve probably heard the term “netbook” thrown around a bit within the last year, but why is it so important, and what are they?

A netbook is simply a small, portable, low end computer that was made with simple computing tasks in mind. Simple computing tasks means surfing the internet, writing emails, and streaming music. In reality this is probably all that 90% of people do on a computer, but don’t quote me on that.

So why are they so important? The “Netbook Revolution” if you will shows that computer manufacturers are finally realizing what most people use computers for, and they are building specialized products for those tasks. Before netbooks were around, you would have to buy a mid to high end computer just to have wireless internet. This would have set you back around $500. Now an Eee PC 2G Surf which will do the same tasks such as surfing the internet just as well will set you back only $240. 

So for the holiday season, if you are looking into getting a laptop for someone who uses their computers lightly consider a netbook. The Eee PC line by Asus is both reputable and fairly cheap. Some recommended netbooks are listed below:

Asus:

• Eee PC 701SDX
• Eee PC 4G Surf

Dell:

• Inspiron Mini 9