Dell Refreshes XPS One Entertainment PC

In preparation for the holiday shopping season, Dell on Thursday refreshed its XPS One entertainment PC with a larger monitor, faster processor, better graphics, and a higher price.

The XPS One 24, the latest version of the high-end system, includes a 24-inch, 1,080p high-definition display, and JBL dual stereo speakers and subwoofer. For graphics, the XPS One is available with an optional Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT card with 512 MB of memory. The system ships with an Intel Core 2 quad-core Q8200 processor.

The all-in-one machine comes with Windows Vista Home Premium, 4 GB of memory, and a 320-GB hard drive. The older model of the XPS One, which is also available, has a 20-inch display, Vista Home Premium, 2 GB of memory, a 250-GB hard drive, and an Intel Core 2 dual-core E4500 processor. The older XPS One 20 does not come standard with a separate graphics card, but ships with a graphics chip integrated in the motherboard.

Both models are midnight gray. A (Product) Red version is also available. Companies that offer (Product) Red products contribute a percentage of the sales or a portion of the profits to the Global Fund, which fights AIDS in Africa. Apple and Microsoft are also contributors to the fund.

The XPS One 24 starts at $1,699, and the XPS One 20 at $999. The base model of the XPS One 24 includes an integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics processor. The model with the Nvidia card costs $1,999, which includes a 750-GB hard drive.

The XPS One, launched in November 2007, competes with the Apple iMac, Gateway's One, and Hewlett-Packard's TouchSmart. The last has a differentiating touch screen, but falls within the same price range as the XPS One. Dell also makes a top-of-the-line XPS notebook that competes with Apple's MacBook Pro. The machines are aimed at consumers who do a lot of photo and video editing and watch high-definition video.