According to a Dell press release, users can now purchase and download authorized Microsoft software through the company’s Download Store, marking the first time a non-Microsoft site has offered legal downloads of the popular products, which include most notably, Microsoft Office and all its components.
Dell claims to have cheaper prices as well, saying “For example, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007– one of the top-selling software titles in the is priced at $129.99 compared with the suggested retail price of $149.99.”
If you get a new computer or have a HDD crash, users keep a “digital locker” with Dell, that allows you to download any purchased software again at no extra charge as well as find your serial number if you forget it.
“With everyday savings plus on-demand access, the Dell Download Store addresses our customers’ two main concerns: price and immediacy. In addition, downloading is a more environmentally friendly way to purchase and distribute software because there’s no need for packaging material,” adds Geoff Surkamer, general manager, Dell Global Digital Distribution.
Result for: dell
Following three other companies before it, Hitachi has admitted to price fixing LCD displays, most of which were sold to Dell and Motorola.
Over the last few months, LG, Sharp and Chunghwa Picture Tubes have each admitted to price fixing the LCD market and were forced to pay fines ranging from $65 million USD for Chunghwa, to $400 million USD for LG, the largest group of the three.
According to the Department of Justice, Hitachi will cooperate with the ongoing investigation and will pay a $31 million USD fine for the price fixing of “TFT-LCD sold to Dell for use in desktop monitors and notebook computers from April 1, 2001, through March 31, 2004.”
“Hitachi joins three other multinational companies who have admitted to their involvement in fixing prices for LCD panels sold to U.S. companies and that have already paid criminal fines totaling more than $585 million,” added Scott D. Hammond, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department’s Antitrust Division. “This case should send a strong message to multinational companies operating in the United States that when it comes to enforcing the U.S. antitrust laws we mean business.”
Result for: dell
In January we reported that Dell was preparing to enter the smartphone business, and today it appears that rumor has been confirmed.
This morning at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega noted that “Dell announced they’re entering the smart phone market.” Although Dell has not confirmed anything yet, the word of the CEO of one of the largest carriers in America seems to be pretty solid at this point.
Previous reports have said that a group of engineers at Dell have been working on a phone based on the Android operating system for over a year now, and on a phone based on Windows Mobile for over six months.
Dell will be focusing on the increasingly crowded smartphone market, currently led by Apple, RIM and Palm and their two devices will likely be a touchscreen phone and one with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.
