At Dell World in Austin, Texas, Dell introduced the most significant refresh to its OptiPlex commercial PC portfolio in five years. Along with the unveiling of the Wyse 5050 AIO zero client with VMWare, Dell said that these systems will help address the needs of the connected workforce of the future.
"We are defining the future of the PC and the role it plays in meeting our customers' most pressing computing needs," said Jeff Clarke, Vice Chairman of Operations and President of Client Solutions at Dell. "We are investing in this part of our business like never before, bringing new innovations to market that are redefining the role of the PC – whether it's an ultra-mobile 2-in-1, thin or zero client, or a desktop that now handles workloads for a mobile workforce who require a robust collaboration solution."
Significant upgrade
Dell unveiled a complete overhaul of the OptiPlex commercial PC family, addressing various desktop form factors. The refresh brings better energy efficiency to Micro Form Factor, Small Form Factor, Mini Tower and All-in-One designs, Dell said, which will help business users work faster, be more productive and better collaborate.
With the performance improvements delivered with the upgrade to Intel's latest sixth generation Skylake processors, the OptiPlex PCs deliver up to 160% better performance than a PC from five years ago. And the OptiPlex AIO brings 300% more pixels in the 7000 Series compared to a full HD (1080p) display.
The family of PCs can be configured with double the memory and four times the storage of prior generation products. Dell said that background noise is reduced by 32% with the OptiPlex 7040 Small Form Factor.
Additionally, for small meeting and conference spaces, the OptiPlex 7040 Micro with Intel vPro can be configured with Intel Unite software for seamless virtual meetings.
The PC Market
"The PC is core to our business," Michael Dell said at Dell World. "We've been working very closely with Microsoft on the launch of Windows 10."
On the consumer and SMB side, Mr. Dell said that the XPS 13 and XPS 15 with Windows 10 "may be one of the best PCs ever made"
Dell said it has overgrown its competitors with share growth, experiencing 11 consecutive quarters of growth. This is aided by Dell services, like ProSupport and ProSupport Plus. To help businesses manage and deploy devices, Dell also announced ProDeploy.
OptiPlex models
The new OptiPlex PCs will follow Dell's 3000, 5000 and 7000 numbering scheme found on other families of devices, including Latitude and Inspiron. There will be a number of different models in the OptiPlex commercial PC family.
The OptiPlex 7040 is the most powerful device, offering enterprise-class manageability, security and expandability. There is support for dual hard drives, triple displays and discrete graphics in a compact design.
The OptiPlex 24 7000 Series AIO (7440) is Dell's AIO desktop with a 4K UHD display in a sleek package. Additionally, the 22 3000 Series AIO (3030) is Dell's AIO that addresses a lower price point. The 3000 Series AIO features 19.5-inch or 21.5-inch displays.
- Check out our hands on with the Dell OptiPlex 24 7000/7440
The 5040 and 3040 are smaller desktop offerings. The 5040 represents the mid-range model, compared to the 7040, and the 3040 is Dell's entry-level offering.
And if you work in more extreme environments with warmer than normal ambient temperatures, the Specialty OptiPlex XE2 is a more durable offering.
Virtualization
"Data is mobile. It's not locked in a device," Mr. Dell said in his keynote remark at Dell World 2015. Dell's virtualization solutions help users manage and secure that data in an increasingly mobile workplace.
For those working in vertical industries, such as healthcare, finance or government, requiring a desktop virtualization solution, the Dell Wyse 5050 is an AIO zero client that leverages the power of VMWare environments.
The solution addresses the "the robust security businesses require with a zero attack surface for viruses and malware," Dell said in a statement.
The AIO features a 23.6-inch full HD display with PC over IP (PCoIP) technology. There's support for full USB peripheral interoperability and support for high resolution 3D graphics for use with applications like CAD and video editing.
The 5050 AIO is based on the 24-inch Dell P2414H monitor design, with the zero client positioned on the back and an integrated power supply.
Availability
The OptiPlex 7000, 5000 and Micro PC with Intel Unite are available today. The OptiPlex 3000 Series is coming next month. Dell did not provide pricing for the models.
The Dell Wyse 5050 will be available in the US starting December, and Dell will make the solution available in other regions next year.
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