Dell Studio Hybrid Mini-PC Officially Makes Hippies Smile for $499

Dell's Hybrid mini PC is pretty much their worst kept secret ever (which is kinda sayin' something!) but as of now it can officially adorn the desktop corners of eco- and space-conscious college freshmen or slip into entertainment centers for $499. It's 80 percent smaller than a standard desktop while slurping 70 percent less power, and 95 percent of the packaging is recyclable, plus it comes with a system recycling kit.

This seems like the future of traditional consumer desktops that aren't gaming/performance beasts or servers (since the desktop is otherwise being supplanted by laptops in the consumer space). Definitely a winner from Dell's design department—but let's see how well these sell.

The studio hybrid is about 80 percent smaller than the typical desktop minitower, and uses up to 70 percent less energy. In addition to being extremely energy efficient and Energy Star 4.0 compliant, the Studio Hybrid’s unique packaging was designed to be environmentally responsible:

· Reduced packing materials 30 percent by weight.

· Packing materials are also 95 percent recyclable.

· Reduced printed documentation 75 percent by weight.

· System recycling kit is included.

The Studio Hybrid is available today on www.dell.com/hybrid and will be featured in select retailers later this fall.