Marketing Dell's Laptops

Dell Computer Corporation, the world's leading direct computer systems company, presents the most powerful model of its award-winning Dell* Inspiron* and Latitude notebook products.  Focus on customer needs is key to Dell's success in the portable market. In the last few years, Dell has designed Latitude and Inspiron™ product lines that incorporate relevant and leading-edge technologies such as the Intel® Pentium® II processor, extended battery life, high-capacity hard drives, large active matrix screens, faster memory and security features without compromising mobility, quality or pricing. The system, includes Intel's new 266 MHz Pentium* processor with MMX* technology and a large 14-inch active-matrix screen. Intel's new processor is expected to improve the performance of notebook PCs between seven and 10 percent.  Dell's latest Inspiron notebook PC, which is designed for small businesses and individual users who require high performance computer systems at aggressive prices.  Dell designs and customizes their laptop series to end-user requirements, and offers an extensive selection of peripherals and software through the DellWare* program.

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Product    Promotion    Price    Distribution
 

Product

The Dell Inspiron & Latitude Notebook Series feature:

Inspiron notebook computers are targeted at customers who require high-performing computer systems at aggressive prices, along with industry-leading service and support. Such customers are typically individuals or small- to medium-sized businesses that are looking for optimum performance for their system investment.

Latitude notebook PCs provide large corporate, government and education customers with reliability, stability and superior battery performance for complex networked environments. Important Latitude features include lower total cost of ownership, outstanding network connectivity and broad operating-system support.

Super XGA+ technology for excellent screen resolution

Pentium® III processors with Intel® SpeedStep™ technology

Convenient, lightweight, all-in-one design

  Variability in range: Midnight Grey, Tahoe Blue, Forest Green and Maroon

The new "all-in-one" Inspiron 7000 is a feature-rich notebook offered with 13.3, 14.1 or 15-inch large screens, up to 8GB of hard drive storage space, a combination DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk) and floppy drive for watching feature-length movies, and a standard three-year limited warranty*.

Dell's unique "Customize and Price" approach allows consumers to purchase a recommended Inspiron/Latitude system  and modify it to fit their needs. The New Inspiron 3800 brings design and affordability together in a lightweight notebook computer.

This latest member of the Inspiron notebook line leverages Dell's patent-pending HyperCool™ and StrikeZone™ technologies, introduced on the Latitude, Dell's corporate notebook line and winner of PC Computing's Torture Test three out of the last four years. HyperCool is a combination of active and passive thermal management for the notebook PC that reduces heat flow to the system's most critical components. StrikeZone is a raised surface beneath the hard drive that acts to protect the hard drive if it is accidentally dropped flat.

Other features include a 12-cell Lithium-Ion battery, a choice of Microsoft® Home Essentials 98 or Microsoft Small Business Edition 97, an internal 56K modem, a full-size keyboard, and ATI's RAGE™ LT Pro video controller with 3D and 2X AGP video in either 4MB or 8MB.

Promotion

PC Computing magazine, as a result of its annual notebook "Torture Test," recently selected Dell's Latitude CP M233ST as best choice for a portable computer. The "Torture Test" covers quality, durability, performance, usability, features and cost of portable computers5.

Weighing all these factors led the PC Computing editors to declare the Dell Latitude CP M233ST the overall winner on the basis of durability plus performance, features and cost.

On August 3rd, 1999, Dell Computer Corporation announced that it is ushering in the new school year with an aggressive consumer campaign, where everyday for over a month, Dell customers can win PCs and cash during Dell's "School Sensation" sweepstakes. August also marks the second anniversary of Dell's consumer business, now one of the fastest growing segments at Dell, the world's leading direct computer systems company.

Dell Computer Corporation, the world's leading direct computer systems company begins Internet Diagnostics Program, advanced customer support capabilities that will eventually help all Dell systems detect, diagnose and resolve most of their own problems automatically without human interaction.

Dell, already a leader in Internet sales and support unveils a promotion strategy called E-Support-Direct from Dell, is to create computing environments where a PC or server will be able to maintain itself. Dell's e-support initiative will provide tailored services designed to achieve higher levels of system uptime, streamline the customer support process and decrease the total cost of system ownership.

Awards

Price

Dell's pricing strategy is among the most competitive in the industry.  Its pioneering business to consumer direct model not only implies higher than industry-average profit margins on its wide array of laptops.  Both the Inspiron and Latitude series deliver style and affordability.  Dell's price for performance is centered upon eliminating resellers, retailers and other costly intermediary steps. Together with the industry's most efficient procurement, manufacturing and distribution process Dell offers its customers more powerful, more richly configured systems for the money than competitors. Inventory is turned over every 10 or fewer days, on average, keeping related costs low. The laptops start at $1,499.
 
 

Distribution

Dell's Unique Direct Model

Dell's award-winning products and customer service, industry-leading growth and consistently strong financial performance differentiate the company from competitors. At the heart of those characteristics is Dell's unique direct-to-customer business model. "Direct" refers to the company's relationships with its customers, from consumers to the world's largest corporations. There are no retailers or other resellers adding unnecessary time and cost, or diminishing Dell's understanding of customer expectations.

Through the direct business model, Dell offers in-person relationships with corporate and institutional customers; telephone and Internet purchasing (the latter now exceeding $40 million per day); customized computer systems; phone and online technical support; and next-day, on-site product service.

Today, Dell is enhancing and broadening the fundamental competitive advantages of the direct model by increasingly applying the efficiencies of the Internet to its entire business. Nearly 50 percent of Dell's sales currently are Web-enabled, and about 40 percent of Dell's technical support activities and about 70 percent of Dell's order-status transactions occur online. And Dell is a key partner with many of its customers in helping them deploy the technology they need to capitalize on the efficiencies of the Internet.
 

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