Dell unveils supersized notebook

Michael Dell introduced the XPS Mobile Concept which offers numerous options normally found in high-end desktops

Dell chairman Michael Dell has unveiled a new concept notebook computer at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that aims to combine portability with high-end performance. 

"In mobile computing people are typically thinking about how great an ultra-portable product is," said Alex Gruzen, a senior vice president in Dell's product group.

"They might not know that there is this equally explosive growth taking place in large display notebooks."

The XPS Mobile Concept offers numerous options normally found in high-end desktop systems. It comes with a 20.1in wide-screen LCD display which has a 1.3-megapixel camera built in under the screen.

It also features an array of microphones designed to provide better sound quality in conferences, and comes with eight integrated speakers and a subwoofer. To make for true desktop replacement, the keyboard can be detached.

A Bluetooth remote device allows users to control the laptop from their couch and use it as a media centre hooked up to an external display.

By unveiling the concept, Dell wanted to emphasise innovation within the company. The company is generally considered a grey box vendor that makes a living from selling other people's technology in its boxes.

But the XPS Mobile Concept's design has been awarded 10 patents so far, Gruzen boasted.

The model is only a concept at this stage, Dell emphasised, and the computer maker did not disclose a planned shipping date. A notice on the Dell website, however, stated that it will be "shipping soon". 

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