Dell

Dell is a computer-hardware company based in Round Rock, Texas. It was founded by Michael Dell in 1984 and was originally called PC’s Limited. It changed its name to "Dell Computer Corporation" in 1988. This American company develops, manufactures and sells personal computers, data storage devices, servers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), network switches, computer peripherals, software and other products. The company launched the first computer of its own design, the "Turbo PC", in 1985. This computer contained an Intel 8088-compatible processor running at a speed of 8 MHz. In 1987, PC’s Limited set up its first operation in the United Kingdom.

Dell expanded its operations with the introduction of televisions, handhelds, and digital audio players in 2004. It also produced Dell-brand printers for home and small-office use. Dell purchased the computer hardware manufacturer Alienware in 2006. In November the same year, Dell’s website started to offer notebooks with AMD processors (the Inspiron 1501 with a 15.4" display) with the choice of a single-core MK-36 processor, dual-core Turion X2 chips or Mobile Sempron.

Dell’s major competitors are Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Gateway, Lenovo, Acer, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. Dell typically markets specific brand names to different consumer segments. For example, Dell sells products under the OptiPlex, Latitude and Precision brands to medium-sized and large business customers, while the Dimension, Inspiron, and XPS brands have an orientation towards home consumers, students, and enthusiasts.