Dell shrinks 15.4in Inspiron laptops by 25%

Dell has revamped its 15.4in Inspiron laptop line by launching a new model clad in an array of four patterned colour lids. It's also three-quarters of the size of the previous version and 190g lighter.

Enter the Inspiron 1525, offered with a choice of Intel processors from the 1.86GHz Celeron 540 up to the 1.5GHz Core 2 Duo T5250. Each model sports a glossy 1280 x 800 screen driven by an integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics core.

Dell's Inspiron 1525: colourful

Hard drives of 80GB to 250GB are on offer with the machines, as is a two-megapixel built-into-the-bezel webcam, and a variety of optical drive options. They all include 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and 512MB to 2GB of 667MHz DDR 2 memory.

The 1525 weighs 2.7kg, down from the old 1520's 2.89kg. The new machine measures 357 x 256 x 25-37mm to the old 358 x 269 x 37-45mm, so the 1525 is around 65 per cent of of the volume of its predecessor.

Prices start at $499 in the US. There's no word yet on UK availability.