Dude, you got a Dell, period! RIP XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, Precision

It'll all end in tiers

CES Dell has used the annual CES extravaganza in Las Vegas this week to announce a branding shakeup that closely resembles Apple's hardware naming policy.

Gone are the XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, and Precision PC brands.

All future PCs from Big Mike’s Custom PC Barn will be named a “Dell”, “Dell Pro”, or “Dell Pro Max”. Each of those ranges will have three subsets: Base, Plus, and Premium. This approach will apply to all future Dell personal computers – from laptops to desktops – other than the Alienware brand used for gaming hardware.

The system slinger pitches its three tiers as offering buyers a simple explanation of system power. A “Dell” is for low-end computing and browsing, “Pro” is the business range, and “Pro Max” hardware targets high-end users who need maximum grunt and don't mind paying for it.

See, perfectly understandable ... Dell's latest PC brand categories

"To make finding the right AI PC easy for customers, we’ve introduced three simple product categories to focus on core customer needs – Dell (designed for play, school and work), Dell Pro (designed for professional-grade productivity) and Dell Pro Max (designed for maximum performance)," said Kevin Terwilliger, a veep in Dell's client product group.

"We’ve also made it easy to distinguish products within each of the new product categories. We have a consistent approach to tiering that lets customers pinpoint the exact device for their specific needs. Above and beyond the starting point (Base), there’s a Plus tier that offers the most scalable performance and a Premium tier that delivers the ultimate in mobility and design."

To illustrate the new naming protocol, Dell announced a bunch of hardware using the new monikers. Among the new kit was a couple of lower-end 14- and a 16-inch Dell Plus laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors and up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.

It also announced two laptops in the Dell Pro Base range: a 14- and a 16-inch model each initially powered by Intel Core and Core Ultra processors with between 8GB and 64GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage, and Windows 11 or Ubuntu Linux bundled.

There are three Pro Plus laptops, in 13-, 14-, and 16-inch sizes, all running, for the moment, on Intel Core Ultra processors. Again, users can specify up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage, and the two smaller units can be had in a 2-in-1 form factor with a touchscreen option, as well as a clamshell design.

Future Dell Pro PCs will sport AMD Ryzen AI Pro processors. That’s a big deal for AMD, which has not previously found a home in Dell’s business-oriented machines. The collab will commence in the northern spring. "We’re incredibly proud to collaborate with Dell," gushed Jack Huynh, GM of the computing and graphics group at AMD.

The Pro and Premium range ... Source: Dell

For those after a powerful 14- or 16-inch mobile workstation, the Dell Pro Max line comes with Nvidia RTX 500 and 2000 graphics hardware, along with up to 4TB of storage. The Dell Pro Premium range is available in 13 and 14-inch sizes, and does not come with Nvidia graphics.

"Dell’s strategy to shift to simple, descriptive naming across its PC, ecosystem solutions and services portfolio brings significant value to customers amidst a complex and evolving AI PC landscape," said Pat Moorhead, boss of analyst house Moor Insights & Strategy, in a canned statement.

"Alongside new silicon options from AMD, in addition to Intel and Qualcomm, and new PC designs, Dell is well positioned to offer choice and help organizations futureproof for the AI era." ®

Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the display sizes of the Dell Pro Base and Dell Pro Max laptops. We regret the error.