RIP Dell Adamo: MacBook Air rival killed off

Update from Dell India: "With the launch of the XPS 15  and 17 laptops in October, we have realigned our premium products under the XPS brand. XPS products are developed to deliver a premium performance experience associated with multimedia activities like video editing, immersive entertainment and casual gaming. Rounding out our Consumer portfolio is the Inspiron brand, providing an all-round computing and internet experience for families and students, and Alienware, our flagship gaming line. The engineering excellence and cutting-edge design Adamo is known for will be incorporated into future products under the XPS brand."
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Original Story: Dell has pulled the plug on its Adamo premium ultraportable laptop range, rival to Apple's MacBook Air line of ultaportable laptops, a Dell representative confirmed. The Dell Adamo luxury laptop was first launched at CES 2009, locking horns with Apple's premium thin MacBook Air laptop -- which was launched a year earlier in January 2008. The most recent Adamo laptop is the Dell Adamo XPS.

The Dell Adamo luxury ultraportable line lasted for just two years, and according to one Dell executive the Dell Adamo series was "the pinnacle of style and product design [for Dell]." The existing Dell Adamo XPS measured between 0.38-inch to 0.40-inch compared to the original Dell Adamo's 0.65-inch thickness -- thinner (but not lighter) than the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air at the time.

The Adamo XPS also had an interesting hinge design and placement. Not too long ago, the Dell Adamo XPS claimed to be the thinnest laptop in the world.

It's unfortunate that Dell has decided to discontinue the Adamo series. Globally, the demise of Dell's Adamo ultraportable laptop line is blamed upon poor sales despite heavy retail discounts. This points to the fact that Apple's MacBook Air line is seemingly unbeatable in the luxury ultraportable laptop segment. Existing models of Dell Adamo laptops stuck in the retail channel will be sold off, with future production discontinued.

However, the essence of Dell Adamo -- thin design, premium focus, luxury product, etc. -- will live on. A new MacBook Air competitor along the lines of Dell Adamo will be launched within the next six months, according to CNET's source, and the challenge will be taken by a laptop falling under Dell's existing product line -- Inspiron, XPS, or Alienware.

The future heir of Dell's Adamo laptop will sport a compelling design for an ultraportable laptop, CNET further said. For the moment, Apple's MacBook Air ultraportable is ruling the roost with hardly any competition, especially to the 11-inch MacBook Air.