Dell has released its new Studio Hybrid.
What is it a hybrid of?
Is it a cross between a fruit-colored iMac and a
Mac mini?
Did Dell think that it could cash in on the popularity of hybrid
cars?
Why is Dell doing this type of computer in the first place?
Let me point out, to all the Windows loving crowd, that Dell is
charging a premium for this pint-sized computer. The Dell Inspiron 530s
starts at $299, while the Studio Hybrid is $499. That's a $200 premium
for an underpowered, non-upgradeable computer.
A Windows lover should recognize this as the same criticism that
they have been giving to the Mac mini for years. What's wrong? Why
can't Dell do better on pricing?
Before everyone gets their fangs out, I'll admit that Dell is at
least beating the current pricing on the Mac mini. This doesn't impress
me, and I'll say more on this later.
There is only one thing that I am impressed with: on the
back there is an HDMI connector for connecting directly to an HD TV.
That feature is totally absent on today's Mac mini. The Dell Hybrid is
geared more toward the living room than the desktop.
I am slightly impressed.
Let's go back to pricing. The Dell Hybrid is missing WiFi at the
$499 price. That will set you back another $70. The Mac mini starts at
$599 and comes with WiFi and Bluetooth. That means the Hybrid is really
only $30 cheaper. It does have a bigger hard drive and comes with a DVD
burner, and since it was just released, there's no surprise that the
specs are slightly higher for the drive.
What doesn't make sense is why Dell would release this model. There
have been no reports from Apple that the Mac mini is a big seller.
Apple has gone out of its way to ignore development, and it needs a
major refresh.
What did Dell see that it spent R&D money on this kind of
project? Dell isn't known for spending a lot on R&D
development.
Dell Blinked
In my opinion, Dell blinked. That's right, in the contest between
Apple and Dell over what product to release next, Dell made a guess and
moved before Apple. Because Dell had the model ready, they decided to
release it and try to get press coverage to spark sales.
Because Dell blinked first, they are wide open for Apple to release
a product and one up them. Dell's has a 120 GB hard drive, so Apple can
release the next mini with a 200 GB drive, etc. Unfortunately for Dell,
that would be too easy.
They would love a price war with Apple to see who has better control
of their supply chain. Loss on margins would hurt Apple's share price
far more than it would damage Dell's, and they sell more computers to
offset the loss. It would be bloody, and Dell would probably win.
You can see that in this battle Dell didn't just try to pitch
another low-cost model - they already have plenty. This time they tried
to have a little style (but the fake bamboo covering for an extra $130
is a joke). They know that Apple isn't going to hit them with a price
war. It will be a battle of style, design, and features. That is not
Dell's strong area. Worse is they came out first, so Apple has time to
tweak their design before launch.
I am already on record: I think Apple will
release a new minitower to give Dell and HP a run for their
money.
I think the Studio Hybrid is a
sign that Dell also thinks so and is trying to get ready. Will Apple
fool us all by releasing something completely unexpected, or will we
see Apple and Dell battle it out?
I'm hoping for a fight with lots of blows being exchanged to get the
most customers lined up. I'm ready to replace my Mac mini, and I don't
want a Studio Hybrid. I'm betting that Apple will remain the champ and
Dell will walk away looking like the chump!
