Dell to offer giant screen notebook

Dell will be the first big player to release a notebook PC with 15-inch screen - due this Autumn. The units will be aimed at the growing army of mobile presenters, as well as specialists who require a big screen such as engineers.

The huge LCD will support XGA resolutions of 1280x1024 pixels and offer a viewing area just an inch less than an orthodox 17-inch CRT desktop monitor according to sources in Taiwan familiar with the product specification. The Samsung-made panel will be offered in a new notebook in the direct seller's Latitude range. To compensate for the screen's energy demands, Dell will offer a large Lithium Ion battery.

In the UK, only a few clone vendors have tried selling mobile PCs with such large displays. London-based AJP Business Computers' 8500 line includes a model with a slightly larger 15.1-inch screen. A source familiar with both products said that unlike the AJP, which uses a special design to accommodate the panel, the Dell uses the same body as its 14.1-inch screen notebook with the 15-inch screen edging over the base.