Dell Computer Corp finally brought its low-end Dimension range of desktop and notebooks (CI No 1,953) to Europe last week and cut European prices on its existing products by up to 18%. It also introduced its 325SLi ‘ultra portable performance notebook’ and, at the opposite end of the market, a high-end network server; the 400/XE. The company has also implemented a European version of its Selectcare post-sales support services, which gives users, corporates and third party maintainers a selection of offerings ranging from free 24 hour, seven day a week telephone support to four-hour on-site service, a parts-only package or a self-maintainers programme for those with a do-it-yourself bent. Dell says it delayed the introduction of the Dimension machines until the small office and home office market picked up outside the US, but it also had to get its European manufacturing facility in Limerick, Ireland tooled up. The European Dimensions differ in detail from their US counterparts, but are still aimed at what Roger Stone, European prod-uct marketing manager euphimistically calls the value segment of the market. Prices go from UKP860 for the 486/25s machine with 4Mb of RAM, an 80Mb hard disk and Super VGA colour monitor. The similarly configured 486DX/33 machine – with more expansion slots, comes to UKP1,160 while at the top of the bottom is the floor-standing 66MHz 80486DX2 with six drive bays, six slots and a 170Mb disk for UKP1,810.

Shake-out

Outside the Dimension range, the ultra portable weighs 3.5 lbs, is UKP1,274 and innovatively includes automatic insurance cover for a year against damage, loss, theft or distruction – Dell reckons notebook insurance is a particular pain for most of its customers. Bruce Sinclair, vice-president for Northern Europe, characterises the launch as the start of a big push for the European market. Over the last six months, Dell has opened operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. He sees a further shake-out of European personal computer manufacturer with half the manufacturers disappearing in the next 18 months. In 1993 the top three will take 35% of the Eur-opean market he says, by 1995 believes this share will have risen to 75%. Dell places itself at number three.