Dell unveils holiday lineup, including new plasma TVs

IDG News Service - Dell Inc. took the wraps off its holiday lineup on Thursday, showing new printers, plasma televisions and music players that will soon be available through its Web site.

Dell's two new plasma televisions are the company's first entry into that market, where it hopes to undercut competitors. Dell's high-end 42-in. W4200HD will sell for $3,500 and support high-definition content, with resolution of 1,024 vertical lines by 768 horizontal lines. Dell will also offer the 42-in. W4200ED, priced at $2,300, featuring resolution of 852 by 480.

"This is a logical extension of our flat-panel market," said Mike George, general manager and vice president of Dell's U.S. consumer business.

Dell already offers several smaller LCD televisions. It added a new model to that line on Thursday, introducing the 19-in. W 1900 LCD TV, priced at $900.

Dell also introduced two new models in its Dell DJ (digital jukebox) line of digital music players. One of the new versions, the 4.4-ounce, 5GB Pocket DJ, is a lightweight player intended to rival Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod Mini. Dell's Pocket DJ is larger than the iPod Mini, but it's also cheaper, with a retail price of $200 vs. the iPod Mini's $250.

Dell's other new DJ is an updated version of its 20GB model. The company is adding Microsoft Corp.'s Media Transfer Protocol and Digital Rights Management technology, code-named Janus, to its media players; the technology will be added to existing DJs later this year and in early 2005 to the models introduced on Thursday. Customers will be able to upgrade their DJs to incorporate the new software at Dell's Web site.

The media players and the plasma TVs will be available for ordering later this month and will begin shipping in early November, Dell said. The plasma TVs can now be shipped only in the U.S., excluding Alaska and Hawaii, but George said Dell is working to expand distribution to Europe and Asia.

Dell also spotlighted on Thursday two new photo printers, both of which are now shipping. The Photo Printer 540, priced at $190, is a dedicated photo printer with a 2.5-in. LCD screen and a digital memory card reader that allows users to view and print images without an attached PC. The printer also includes a suite of photo editing software.

The All-in-One Printer 942 also includes a small photo screen and can print photos, though it is more geared for everyday printing tasks. It is priced at $150, and handles printing, copying, faxing and color scanning.

Dell held its holiday showcaseat the DigitalLife show in New York, where George said Dell will focus on the "digital lifestyle" idea as it crafts its products and advertising campaigns. The company is experimenting with four of its 80 Dell Direct stores (which don't carry inventory; shoppers can evaluate Dell products at the shops but still need to order them online), redesigning them around a digital life theme to show how Dell's products can work together in the home. If those prototype stores -- in Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles -- prove popular, Dell will expand the design, George said.