Is The World Ready for Dell's $2000 Notebook?

Just in case you forgot we're in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Dell has released a new, stylish, and very powerful laptop for costing no less than $2,000 (and up). Super light and super thin, many are comparing it directly to Apple's MacBook Air.

Dubbed "Adamo", Dell's elite line of laptop computers officially launched on St. Patty's Day (March 17th) -- however, discussion surrounding the hardware has been constant since that time and is unlikely to stop any day soon. The issue at heart: is this a better deal than the MacBook Air, and will anyone actually buy a $2,000 laptop in what is becoming the 'netbook age'?

Dell: "It's a statement."

Adamo is certainly an impressive piece of work. Milled from a single slab of aluminum, it features tempered glass, a very high def display, and is just 0.65 inches thick. Sporting a 13.3" screen, it weighs a paltry four pounds, about twice Acer's teenie-tiny 8.9" Aspire One netbook. The Adamo sports two lines: the cheaper Admire and more expensive ($2,699.99) Desire include 128GB solid state drives and Windows Vista Home Premium. (Source: networkworld.com)

John Spooner, a senior analyst at Technology Business Research, believes the Adamo's release indicates the Dell is trying to change, perhaps even evolve, its image. "It's an attempt to deliver an extremely high-end, premium brand that sets it apart from competitors," Spooner said. "It's a statement. It's Dell saying, 'Hey, we can design sexy just as well as the other guys.'" (Source: eweek.com)

High Quality, Big Price, Right Time?

There's little question who Dell is targeting with the Adamo.

At $2,000, the cheapest version fits neatly between the low and high-end MacBook Air, which ranges from about $1,799.99 to $2,499.99, depending on specs. Both the Air and Adamo feature 13.3" displays, but vary in thickness and weight. While the Adamo is about 0.65 inches thick, the Air is slightly larger at 0.76 inches. However, the Air tends to be lighter (depending on model), tipping the scales at three pounds (rather than the Adamo's four pounds). (Source: bestbuy.com)

Thus far, the Air has been moderately popular. That said: with the worst economic and foreclosure crisis ever, this probably isn't the best time for a premium hardware release. "These days $2,000 is awfully expensive for a notebook," Spooner noted.