Dell colors its laptop world

Business computer-maker Dell plans to start aggressively courting consumers Tuesday— in part with new laptops colored flamingo pink.

The No. 2 PC maker has always offered some consumer computers. But they tended to be offshoots of its business products, and usually amounted to only 15% of U.S. sales.

Dell wants to change that. The company, which has struggled in recent quarters, has created a consumer-focused division. Its mandate: produce a fast-changing line of dazzling consumer PCs.

The first models will be available today on Dell's website. They include a slim performance laptop and feature-packed PCs. The most eye-catching are midrange laptops available in eight colors, from espresso brown to sunshine yellow.

Dell is also launching new services. Buyers of two of its most-popular consumer brands — Inspiron and XPS — can back up information online for a year for free. (Inspiron owners can store up to 3 gigabytes of data; XPS owners can store up to 10 GB.) Dell has also beefed up consumer Web pages and support.

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