In the same spirit that brought you the (Morotola RAZR) RED, (iPod Shuffle) RED and (iPod nano) RED, Dell released a foursome of (PRODUCT) RED items: a printer, two laptops, and a desktop.
(PRODUCT) RED is a loose consortium of highly desirable consumer items, with some proceeds going to the fight against AIDS in Africa. How desirable? Well, in addition to the aforementioned iPods and RAZR, there's also an (AMERICAN EXPRESS) RED card, (GAP) RED T-Shirt, and a (CONVERSE) RED sneaker.
More after the jump.
Editor's note: Post updated at 6pm EST with quotes from Dell, Microsoft and (Red).
The Dell XPS One (PRODUCT) RED is an all in one desktop starting at $1,559, with a unique RED colored case, screen saver, theme, and sider bar gadgets. These add ons are being produced with the assistance of Microsoft (Bill Gates is a big contributor to African disease relief through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Like other (PRODUCT) RED items, the XPS One (PRODUCT) RED is basically the same as a run of the mill XPS One, with some cachet added. $80 of the XPS One's purchase price goes to (PRODUCT) RED's Global Fund.
The two laptops are the XPS M1330 (PRODUCT) RED subnotebook with a 13.3-inch screen and the XPS M1530 (PRODUCT) RED with a 15.4-inch screen. Like the XPS One, the notebooks come with the same themes and (PRODUCT) RED software add ons. It's notable to point out that the XPS M1330 and 1530 were already available in "Crimson red", but not (PRODUCT) RED. Both laptops start at $1,149, and $50 of the price goes to the Global Fund.
The 948 All in One Printer (PRODUCT) RED is a $149 scanner/fax/copier/printer that has a more subdued (PRODUCT) RED branding. $5 of the purchase price goes to the Global Fund.
This goes to show that Apple and Motorola products aren't the only products "Cool enough" to make it into Bono's inner circle. So Steve (Jobs), can we get an iMac in RED?
UPDATE: News reporter Chloe Albanesius spoke to execs from Dell, Microsoft and (Red) Wednesday afternoon for their thoughts on the endeavor.
Dell looked to (Red) after a regular contributor to its Idea Storm Web site suggested that the computer maker partner with the organization, said Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden.
"Now we are going to be the exclusive PC partner" for (Red), she said.
The Dell computers and printer will be available for sale on Dell.com/joinred starting Thursday and in Best Buy stores this weekend, she said.
"There's no price difference between a non-Red product and a Red product, so if you're looking to purchase an XPS, there's every reason in the world to go ahead a purchase a Red notebook," Camden said.
Dell had already been in talks with Red when Microsoft came on board, though Microsoft and the MSN team have worked with Bobby Shriver, co-founder of (Red), said Craig Cincotta, senior product manager for Microsoft Windows.
"Helping people living with AIDS is a no-brainer," he said.
Red desktop contributions from Microsoft include:
- Themed wallpaper
- (Red) screen saver
- (Red) video that can be used as a Windows DreamScene
- Sidebar gadgets that click users to various (Red) Web sites, including those from Microsoft and Dell
The (Red) version of Windows Vista will only be available on pre-installed Dell machines, and is not available as a download or software installation, Cincotta said.
Both companies will participate for at least several years, they said.
"All our partnerships are multi-year," said Susan Smith Ellis, CEO of (Red).
A majority of the Dell/Microsoft contributions will go toward the purchase of HIV/AIDS medications, Smith Ellis said. (Red) and the Global Fund have awarded grants in Swaziland, Ghana and Rwanda, areas in which women and children have been "disproportionately" affected by the disease, she said.
To promote the offering, Dell has purchased a spot during this year's Super Bowl, the first time Dell has advertised during the game, Camden said.
Media reports suggested that U2 singer and (Red) supporter Bono had designed the (Red) Dell computers, but Camden said that was "taken out of context." Bono saw the machines in prototypes, but "the whole team of us is involved in co-branding" so he was not solely responsible for the design, she said.
