Direct2Dell

So not everyone wants a laptop with a display that might be mistaken for the local IMAX screen, but for those of you who appreciate an expansive high-def display for a great price, take a look at the new Dell Inspiron 17. Customers in the United States can order today; It's coming to Canada and Europe on July 30 and to Latin America on September 1.

While it may be stretching it to call a 17.3-inch laptop mobile, it is certainly transportable, so you can move your notebook anywhere and not lose that big screen performance.  Another key difference between this new super-sized laptop and its smaller sibling, the Inspiron 15, is the keyboard, with the Inspiron 17 featuring a separate number pad. 

What's just as impressive is the diminutive price - starting at $549. Of course you can choose from a wide variety of optional upgrades and features to build an Inspiron 17 that is uniquely yours. As with most of our consumer laptops we will offer a variety of color choices-starting with Obsidian Black, Cherry Red and Ice Blue today, and expanding to Alpine White, Jade Green, Passion Purple and Promise Pink ($5 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure) in a few weeks.  From there you head to under the hood and configure the processor, memory (up to 8GB), hard drive (up to 500GB) and graphics (up to 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 today, a 512MB version is scheduled to be available in a few weeks).

Update from Lionel: Clcik on either of the images in this post to see larger versions. To see more images of the Inspiron 17, check out this set on Dell's Flickr page.

So who should consider the Inspiron 17? Not surprisingly, it's an excellent option for someone looking at a new desktop. It's got all the horsepower needed to take on everyday activities whether it's watching video, managing photo albums or drafting blog posts. Add in a Blu-ray drive and the optional full HD (1080p) display and you've got a pretty sweet personal entertainment center.  Standard features like the built-in in 1.3MP webcam and wireless networking make it easy to stay in touch with family and friends.  But ultimately it's all about the display - 17.3-inches of 16:9 high-definition real estate that's ready to take on the local movie theater.