Dell Abandons Iconic PC "XPS" Brand

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In a move that has left some scratching their heads, Dell has announced a complete overhaul of its PC product line branding, retiring beloved names like XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude in favor of a simplified—but potentially confusing—naming scheme.

During a recent episode of Windows Weekly, hosts Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell discussed Dell's decision to abandon some of the most recognized brands in computing. The new naming convention, which mirrors Apple's product strategy with designations like "Dell Pro" and "Dell Max," has been met with significant criticism from the podcast's industry experts.

"These are unique to Dell. They're not all iconic, but I would argue they're pretty good brands," noted Paul Thurrott during the topic, emphasizing that names like XPS had achieved "ThinkPad-level" recognition in the PC space.

The New Structure

The new branding hierarchy includes:

• Dell (base model)
• Dell Pro
• Dell Max

Each tier will further be divided into base, plus, and premium variants—a structure that the hosts argued could lead to confusing combinations like "Dell Pro Max Base."

Business Impact Concerns

A particular point of concern raised during the discussion was the potential impact on Dell's business customers, who make up approximately 70% of its sales. Richard Campbell suggested that enterprise customers who specifically seek out Latitude devices might now look elsewhere, stating, "Your enterprise customers go 'Sorry, I'm only buying Latitudes. You don't sell Latitudes anymore? Then I guess I can go look elsewhere.'"

The hosts noted that Dell's move follows a similar rebranding by HP last year, though HP's decision came with more clearly articulated reasoning—their previous brands were "named after a ghost and a purple bug." However, the Windows Weekly team argued that Dell's established brands carried significant market value that shouldn't have been discarded.

Looking Forward

The only brand surviving this transition appears to be Alienware, Dell's gaming division, which will retain its distinct identity. This decision mirrors HP's retention of the Omen gaming brand, suggesting that gaming remains a unique market segment requiring specialized branding.

The consensus among the Windows Weekly hosts was clear: this was an unnecessary move that risks squandering years of quality buildup. As Leo Laporte succinctly put it, "You don't waste brand equity. That's really Marketing 101."

Want to hear the full discussion about CES 2025, Microsoft news, and other tech industry developments? Listen to the complete episode of Windows Weekly, hosts Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell on your favorite podcast platform.