BUSINESS
Dell launches small form factor PC
29-10-2002
by Ralph Averbuch
In a new move for Dell, the company has announced the smallest PC in its range of business oriented computers.
The OptiPlex SX260 is a small desktop PC that eschews many of the legacy expansion slots in favour of on-board components.
Dell believes the new computer, previewed for journalists at Dell's European media launch earlier this month, represents the future for many enterprise and small business environments where space is at a premium. The new model also serves IT managers who want their users to have a consistent experience across all machines.
This latest model comes in at 50 percent smaller than its predecessor and with claims that it is smaller than any of its mainstream competitors. The computer unit itself is definitely petite -- it is smaller than a typical business briefcase and can easily be tucked away under a desk, wall mounted, or slotted onto a special stand (pictured), an optional extra. With the optional flat-panel screen, the unit takes up a tiny amount of desk space compared to traditional form factor PC boxes.
In an interesting development, the SX260 has components in common with Dell's range of Latitude laptops. Users can, for instance, interchange DVD and CD-ROM drives from the laptop into the desktop, or vice versa.
At its announcement Dell representatives claimed that this new form factor is the result of detailed customer research which points to a business environment where a slot-less motherboard is adequate for business uses, arguing that in many of their existing business range PCs, which the SX260 replaces, most PCI slots were never used.
Dell also believes this will improve its opportunities to break into new markets, where ultra-small, easy to install PCs have an advantage, such as point of sale, kiosks, banking, healthcare and temporary offices. The new line also comes with options for wireless networking.
Using only Intel chips, the top option is the 3.06GHz Pentium 4 and a maximum RAM of 1 Gigabyte. Other options include Celeron processors. As standard all units contain 1 Gigabit Ethernet and 6 USB 2.0 slots. The new line is available now in Europe.
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