Dell Unveils Colorful Inspiron Towers

— -- Dell capitalizes on the trend of putting a personal touch on your computer by introducing today new Inspiron mini-tower and slim tower models, available in eight different colors.

The new systems will ship in China first, and in the United States later this year.

The vibrant colors cover a wide spectrum of the rainbow: eight different colors: Piano Black, Pure White, True Blue, Formula Red, Tangerine Orange, Spring Green, Plum Purple and Flamingo Pink. And the mini-tower and slim-tower cases feature a redesigned, clean front--a refresh of Dell's current offerings.

System configurations will include the choice of Intel Celeron, Intel Core 2 Duo, and Intel Core 2 Quad; or AMD Sempron, Athlon X2, and Phenom X4 processors. Default configurations will feature integrated graphics, with discrete graphics options available. Memory options will go up to 8GB; storage up to 750GB in the slim tower, and 1TB in the mini-tower. The mini-tower model offers dual-optical drive options, including a Blu-ray Disc reader.

I'm surprised by the components that remain optional, though: A 19-in-1 media card reader and HDMI connectivity. A media card reader is integral to most PC users today; why have to have a separate card reader lying on your desk when the reader can, and should, be built into the system? Likewise, HDMI is growing in its importance; it would be nice to have this port on-board by default--especially if one eventually were to migrate a system into a living room environment.

I'm also surpised that there are just six USB ports (and only two of those are front-accessible). I can name more than six devices I'd attach in a nanosecond. And I sure would prefer not to rely on a USB hub to do so.

Another surprise: No 2TB hard disk drive option in the mini-tower. With 2TB as the new gold standard of storage capacity, 1TB feels downright paltry.