Dell introduces 'aggressively' priced notebook but Big Three remain calm (160)

Dell has introduced a 133MHz MMX notebook, only a week after it cut prices on its existing Latitude notebool range.

The new model features 16Mbytes of memory, a 1.6Gbytes hard drive, a 12-speed CD drive, a 12.1-inch SVGA active matrix display and one year?s guarantee for #1,999 plus VAT.

The company said the machine is available now on its Internet site. According to Dell, customers who buy its Latitude XPi CD can increase their hard drive specification to 5Gbytes to support Windows NT.

Dell claims to have grown its European market share in notebooks by 83 per cent in the first quarter of 1997, putting severe pressure on Compaq and IBM, which still sell their machines using a distributor/reseller model.

But although Dell remains bullish about its aims to dominate the notebook market, the ?big three? - Compaq, IBM and Toshiba - confirmed they have no plans to cut prices to match its move.