Dell Intros Mini-Desktop PC, Hints at Smartphone Plans

Dell has unveiled a low-cost, energy-efficient desktop that the company says is 80 percent smaller than standard minitowers.The Studio Hybrid mini-desktop, which Dell is positioning for office or home use, runs on Pentium dual-core and Core 2 Duo processors and comes preloaded with Windows Vista. With up to 4 GB of memory and 320 GB of storage, the Studio Hybrid also includes Gigabit Ethernet and optional wireless; Blu-ray will become an option next month. According to Dell, the PC uses 70 percent less power than a typical desktop. Pricewise, the Studio Hybrid starts at $499 without a monitor and $689 with a monitor.

Separately, could Dell be working on its own smartphone? In an interview with GigaOm, CEO Michael Dell acknowledged that the company is "looking at the whole smartphone category" and intimated that it was figuring out whether to work with Android or Symbian.PC World, GigaOm