How Skype benefits from the Dell bundling deal

Skype will be pre-loaded on the $3,500-$4,700 XPS 2010, which features a pre-bundled webcam, and be optional on the $1,300-$2,500 XPS 1210 which also has an elective webcam.

On these screens, I make it a rule to get beyond the "cool" and explore what this means.

I think this deal is more important for Skype than it is for Dell.

For Dell, I don't think the availability of Skype, a webcam and earbuds you can pick up at the Radio Shack for $15 or $20 bucks will convince folks who are considering whether to pay a small (maybe not so small) fortune for a notebook to go ahead and make the leap. Many of those folks are power users who probably have Skype already, as well as a webcam if indeed they have wanted one.

But as for Skype, I have to think the pre-load is an effective strategy against other IM-centric VoIP providers, as well as the broadband VoIP bundlers and pure-play VoIP providers such as Vonage. After all, it is easier to plug in your webcam, your buds, click on an icon, buy some credits and get ready to rock.

Or VoIP, as the case may be.