Dell slashes price on Adamo

Dell recently dropped the price of the Adamo by $500, bringing the current configurations down to $1,499 and $2,299. In a way this feels like the first big price cut Apple brought to the MacBook Air, since it was priced well above other notebooks. Considering that it is almost in the range of comparable notebooks now, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see sales picking up and maybe seeing one of these out in the wild.

Adamo Admire

• 13.4" 16:9 LED-Backlit 720P Display
• 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• Vista Home Premium 64-Bit
• 2GB 800MHz DDR3
• 128GB SSD
• $1,499

Adamo Desire

• 13.4" 16:9 LED-Backlit 720P Display
• 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• Home Premium 64-Bit
• 4GB 800MHz DDR3
• 128GB SSD
• Mobile Broadband
• $2,299

For more information, check out our hands-on with the Dell Adamo.

 

I'm not sure about that last sentence. I think I'd still be surprised to see sales pick up and and/or see one of these in the wild.

 

I still dont know why the use such weak processors...arent the SP SL versions available? For example the SL use around 12-19W and they give a huge performance boost. While the U series use 11.9 and below, that shouldnt be such a difference...

 

It's about time these finally arrived at the Outlet!
Now....finally...maybe some decent pricing!

Cin...

 

I am still sad to say I have not seen one in person yet

 

The Dell Outlet has them starting at $1099! LINK

 

That link was to some Hybrids, I think

Here is one with the ones for $1,099 on the bottom!

Linky

Sweetness! That's *Less* then what I was even expecting!!!

Cin...

 

My Latitude just got jealous...... lol

 

Probably because it's so thin they need to stick to ULV. I expect they would be using higher TDP CPUs if it was possible.

Sony is using 1.6Ghz ULV in the TT in Japan though. That will be possible with Adamo too.

 

And how can the MBA use a 1.86 CPU? It is roughly the same thickness but a lot faster...

 

Yes and that CPU has a much higher TDP. Not sure why Dell can't do that.

 

Runtime. The Air's pathetic performance in that aspect is proof. Fact is, for regular office automation needs a 1.4 is fine and it makes the machine more actually useful when really mobile, not hopping between pretentious coffee shops and offices with plenty of AC plugs to access.

Nevertheless, I'd like still lower TDP, and/or a bigger battery without a weight penalty - the machine, as handsome as it is, is way overweight to begin with and runtime isn't as long as I'd really practically like.

With the drop I must admit I'm kind of tempted to get an Onyx to make a pair... But I can probably hold myself back until the innards are refreshed.

 

I get about 3.5 hours surfing the net on my MBA and the Adamo gets about 2.5 from the Engadget review doing the same so I dont know where you got that the Adamo has longer runtime.

I am thinking of buying one though. It certainly got the looks...

 

I doubt the Apple Fanboys (to a man) at engadget ever ventured into the Power Options - If it hasn't been set for them, they can't find it. Unlike those idiots, I'm comparing ekeing with ekeing. In comparable extreme eke, the Adamo goes regularly for up to an hour longer, which takes it over the edge of 'gave up in light use in mid-afternoon' that is much more frequently encountered with the Air.

As I alluded though, I'd like at least 6 hours out of it with the next one - and even more ideally, a return to removable cells... although what with it being overweight to start with, that might take it slap bang into 13-inch MBP territory.

 

There is also a review on Notebookcheck that shows about 3.5 hours (213 minutes) on the Adamo. Certainly not much longer.

Of course if you have an Adamo and tell me your battery life surfing the net I will take your word for it.

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/dell-adamo-laptop-computer/4505-3121_7-33560244.html

http://gizmodo.com/5205524/dell-adamo-full-review-macho-outside-sissy-inside

Yeah, never trust people who review say that apple performs better and has better battery life- those stupid fanboys!

 

Notebookjournal got 185 minutes on the Adamo with 40% CPU load. Should be just over 4 hours with lower load.

MBA got 205 minutes with 30% CPU load. Conclusion: Very similar battery life.

 

How can they still sell a laptop of that caliber with only 2GB ram?

 

For what this laptop is intended to do, 2GB RAM is more than enough.

 

I rarely go above minimum screen brightness when I'm trying to eke. The Rev.C Air gets me 3.5 hours absolute max in a real-life usage (app-wise) environment, the Adamo does 4.5 absolute max in the same situation, which just about flops into 'borderline usable'.

I believe the Adamo cell is smaller? If you put an SP processor in there with that cell size, it'd probably be lucky to last 3 hours in the same sort of use. Weight - not in absolutes since it's perfectly portable, but for what it's innards comprise - is really the big issue with the Adamo. And that comes from the chassis - which, unlike the Air, I don't have to periodically bend back into shape.

One other wish stems from that, which is that for the next iteration I hope they drop aluminium (at least as the main structural components) and go carbon - not Sony carbon, but real carbon. I don't care if the price creeps up a few hundred due to that, but no matter how cool it looks I did - and do - have problems justifying a 1.8Kg machine with ultraportable innards which weighs what it does because they tried to adapt the Air's manufacturing process (while keeping it thin) for people who don't stroke, coo over and baby their machines.

 

The basic problem for me is price/performance. If I owned an Adamo, I'm sure I could take it on a trip, make use of its relatively robust connectivity, give a powerpoint presentation or two, keep up with email, maybe do a bit of websurfing. Maybe I could even stream HD video using SlingPlayer.

But it wouldn't be a primary work machine. I can't imagine using it for complex modeling with the large (900k records) dataset that I currently work with (though maybe I'm wrong about that).

It comes down to: am I willing to spend $1500-$2000 for a workhorse notebook and then another $1500-$2500 for an ultraportable to take on trips? Not when I can get that primary work notebook in a 1.8kg package. It does make an unsightly bulge whenever I try to put it in an inter-office envelope, though...

 

I fully agree for most one or two-machine owners.

The Adamo's 'mass foible', as it were, is basically the price of having a genuinely roadable - to professional Windows users, not the Apple-strokers - machine in aluminium, a construction method (i.e. the 'unibody' approach) which has plenty of visual and tactile kudos but near-zero definitive engineering merits given the other approaches currently available.

Fine for marketing/BS-driven Apple of course, but for anyone else? At least Dell maximised the abovementioned positives of an aluminium chassis, but the weight turns it from something which could have been a very compelling ultraportable were it a pound lighter into a 'neither fish nor fowl'. I am carrying the Adamo far more often than I expected, but even for me with other more functional adjunct machines, it was a very hard sell.

Basically, you've got to want it because of the way it looks and feels - that's all there is to it really.

 

it all comes from point of view.if you chose positive approach to dell and negative to apple, you bring up Dell's pros-ports and 3g modem...if you looks from "apple" view- thinness,lightness,performance,support,etc.

 

well, the MBA lacks ports...and that is a major concern to 90% mobile users...

 

No it is not- I bet you any money no serious mobile user(well, except Vogelbung) is ever going to get Dell Adamo of Air-those guys have x301 and co! for example my mom wants adamo, but the only thing she is going to do is surf websites, view movies/pictures and edit text. all she needs is good screen and 1xUSB.

 

Even those are debatable in reality. Usable practical performance is a factor especially as an adjunct machine (and I don't think there's a lot in it despite the apparent numerical superiority of the - less stable - Apple), as well as Apple's inferior carry-in support in comparison to the premium (for Dell at least) consumer support with an offered accidental damage warranty, which for any 'image' machine (Apple included - especially with even their larger mainstream machines having lower structural integrity than the Adamo) I think is a must.

Just an aside, but I notice that you never speak of firsthand machine experiences other than extremely enthusiastic posting for Apple products, along with a strong negative opinion of anyone who holds views otherwise, despite professing to own so many other machines. If it wasn't in your sig, your posting patterns wouldn't actually betray any evidence of owning anything other than an Apple as of late, in terms of postings of insights and experiences - not just problem posts. An interesting point, I thought.

Oh, and even my mother - who I've furnished with Air's - complains about the single USB port.

 

Same applies to dell-their so called premium support was unable to resolve my problems... and what do you mean-inferior carry-in support?

And f.e. if we don't have 3g here-how it is a + for me?

And same applies to you- strong negative opinion on apple(also, I don't post negative towards those who don't like apple-some of my closest efriends on those forums are anti-apple) And I don't have much to speak about my other machines-sadly, I usually complain about my problems with m4400(kudos to dell forums for helping me so much)... everything else works great + we have lots of good and knowledgeable guys in that forums to help. However apple forum is filled with misinformation and we only have few core mac users who can actually help to resolve issues.

Anyway, we are going Off-T

 

Darn. I'm really sorry I ended up editing the post after your post. I have a tendency to sit, re-preview and re-edit. Bad habit I know.

 

No problem! as long as we don't go "XXX sucks, YYY rocks" it is ok i think! Nothing is better then a good conversation/debate! And I will post a pic of my notebooks tomorrow And I don't own any mac atm

 

Dell Adamos are overpriced.

Would rather an Acer Travelmate 8371 with all the toys. But I don't see them in the USA market yet.

 

the 1.2ghz ULV c2d is a great processor. used it for over a year, and only for one application, it was too slow. and i'm no weak user, i run dj software on it, visual studio for developing, databases, firefox with tons of plugins, all sort of things.

for non-gaming tasks, and non-"workstation"-tasks like producing music, or doing cad, or what ever, it's a great performer.

together with the ssd, the adamo should be very well balanced in performance, giving you a great overall experience, with no big slowdowns.

and as it ahs a 720p screen, yes, 720p works without a problem to watch on a 1.2ghz c2d.


calling that processor weak is ridiculous. the atom is weak, and still good enough for most. that processor laughs at any atom.

 

800 mhz DDR3? Wow i never even heard of that before.

 

You are right. Most people seriously underestimate that CPU and seriously overestimate their own needs.

If it was me I would prefer getting a 1.4Ghz though. That should be enough head room for years to come.

 

Still too expensive I know they can do better otherwise people will get Timeline instead.

 

Yes, and you can also buy suits at Wal-Mart. Ticking off the figures isn't necessary the be-all. The fact that I have to point that out indicates how completely outside the target market some people are, I guess.

 

As Vogelbung indicates Acer Timeline is a completely different laptop class. Still a nice laptop but made mostly from plastics.

 

Compared to other models in the same segment, the starting price of $1499 is competitive.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X301, Sony AVIO TT/Z, Samsung X360, Toshiba Portege R600 all have starting prices well over $1500...and the base model MacBook Air starts at $1499.

 

I haven't used the 1.2GHz SU9300, but I have used a ThinkPad X301 with the 1.4GHz SU9400. I expected poor performance, but was pleasantly surprised! The combination of the dual-core processor, hi-performance SSD and DDR3 memory is more than sufficient for most users!

 

Yes that CPU will not be bottlenecking normal usage.

 

I have a HP 2510p with U7700 at 1.33, and that cpu is more then enough for me when I am on the road. With a 9 cell battery I get 8 hours of battery life. I can always overclock it to 1.55 when plugged it in. When I first got it I thought the cpu was going to be really slow but I changed my mind when I first used it. The 3 years warranty was also the best thing about it.