Dell Admits It Made a Huge Mistake When It Abandoned XPS (gizmodo.com)
(Tuesday January 06, 2026 @05:00AM (BeauHD)
from the back-to-the-basics dept.)
- Reference: 0180521755
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/01/06/0428249/dell-admits-it-made-a-huge-mistake-when-it-abandoned-xps
- Source link: https://gizmodo.com/dell-admits-it-made-a-huge-mistake-when-it-abandoned-xps-2000705053
Dell has reversed course and [1]resurrected the XPS brand as its "premium consumer" brand of laptops, admitting it was a mistake to kill it in the first place. Slashdot reader [2]joshuark shares a report from Gizmodo:
> At last year's CES, Dell made the [3]eyebrow-raising decision to ax all its legacy laptop brand names and instead opt for Apple-like conventions. Instead of XPS, we were forced to comprehend the differences between a "Dell," a "Dell Pro," a "Dell Premium," and a "Dell Pro Max." "This complicated brand we called Dell last year was trying to cover this very large consumer space with lots of similar products," Jeff Clarke, Dell's chief operating officer said. Now those non-XPS products are mostly dedicated to the base consumer and entry-level laptops, "no pluses, minuses, squares, or whatever the hell else we called them."
>
> "We won't chase every competitor down every rabbit hole," he added. What that means is we probably won't see any kind of handheld PC from Alienware, like that [4]age-old UFO design showed off back in 2020. Just as well, Dell isn't remodeling its entire laptop lineup for a second time in two years. The company isn't bringing back brand names like Inspiron (which became mere "Dells) or Latitude (which transformed into "Dell Pro). According to Clarke, Dell Pro "still tests well."
[1] https://gizmodo.com/dell-admits-it-made-a-huge-mistake-when-it-abandoned-xps-2000705053
[2] https://slashdot.org/~joshuark
[3] https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/01/06/2135241/dell-will-no-longer-make-xps-computers
[4] https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/alienware-concept-ufo-shows-why-portable-games-are-better-than-streaming-for-now/
> At last year's CES, Dell made the [3]eyebrow-raising decision to ax all its legacy laptop brand names and instead opt for Apple-like conventions. Instead of XPS, we were forced to comprehend the differences between a "Dell," a "Dell Pro," a "Dell Premium," and a "Dell Pro Max." "This complicated brand we called Dell last year was trying to cover this very large consumer space with lots of similar products," Jeff Clarke, Dell's chief operating officer said. Now those non-XPS products are mostly dedicated to the base consumer and entry-level laptops, "no pluses, minuses, squares, or whatever the hell else we called them."
>
> "We won't chase every competitor down every rabbit hole," he added. What that means is we probably won't see any kind of handheld PC from Alienware, like that [4]age-old UFO design showed off back in 2020. Just as well, Dell isn't remodeling its entire laptop lineup for a second time in two years. The company isn't bringing back brand names like Inspiron (which became mere "Dells) or Latitude (which transformed into "Dell Pro). According to Clarke, Dell Pro "still tests well."
[1] https://gizmodo.com/dell-admits-it-made-a-huge-mistake-when-it-abandoned-xps-2000705053
[2] https://slashdot.org/~joshuark
[3] https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/01/06/2135241/dell-will-no-longer-make-xps-computers
[4] https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/alienware-concept-ufo-shows-why-portable-games-are-better-than-streaming-for-now/
What have they "admitted" to? (Score:2)
by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 )
They haven't admitted a mistake or apparently learned any lesson at all. Instead, they're just attempting to pivot a small amount and apply some window dressing to rescue their failing rebrand initiative.
Re: (Score:2)
by korgitser ( 1809018 )
I never really understood rebranding at all. Take what your customers know about your brand, and throw it in the trash. I mean I understand it if your brand is trash, but if it's actually successful and selling, maybe not fuck with it?
Re: (Score:2)
by sanf780 ( 4055211 )
I assume Dell corporation wanted to bring new consumers in. After all, capitalism requires companies to grow. An stagnant revenue situation usually follows a declining revenue one.
Why (Score:4, Interesting)
What is the point? The only reason i can see is to create confusion. Now instead of inspiron or latitude we have variants of Dell thingy or dell whatsit? Even apple have got it wrong here and why did apple name their computer a pro and their chip a pro? The number of people that get confused about e.g. M2 macbook pro and m2 pro macbook is too high. . Then you have modifiers like pro max on the iPhone which is not to be confused with pro macs which are computers with keyboards. The same people who came up with Tahoe and liquid glass probably invented the naming schema. I.e they have no clue or they are playing 5d chess.
Re: (Score:2)
Agreeing with you and pointing out their worse offender - the iPad range. I have absolutely no idea the differences between their products there, it makes very little sense to me. And I've been using Apple products for 40 years.
Feels like the new Amelio era to me - ship what we've got in the parts bin and call it a strategy. Too many products.
Re: (Score:2)
Yo dawg, I heard you like pro, so we put pro on your pro so you can pro while you pro?