Dell has released a new line of notebooks aimed at high-end multimedia creators and viewers.

The Studio laptops will sport a number of features designed for high-end multimedia users, such as an optional Blu-ray drive and a high-resolution 17in screen.

The new notebooks will sport Intel Core 2 Duo processors up to 2.5GHz and offer the option of up to 3Gb of Ram and a 256MB ATI Radeon graphics card.

Dell hopes that the Studio line will appeal to users who lead what the company calls "high-def mobile lifestyles".

"These products are built for today's digital nomad based on the millions of conversations we have every year on Dell.com, Ideastorm and community forums," said Michael Tatelman, vice president of consumer sales and marketing at Dell.

"With Dell Studio we are answering the call for personalisation, connectivity and simplicity."

The two Studio models will follow Dell's XPS 1330 in offering a variety of case colours. In addition to the seven solid-colour cases, the company is offering a grey case with a choice of three different trim colours.

Dell is also trying something new on the software front. In addition to a standard Windows Vista bundle, the new notebooks will feature a navigation tool known as the Dell Dock.

Similar to the Mac OS X Dock feature, the semi-translucent Dell Dock sits on the edge of the screen and allows users to store commonly-accessed applications and features directly from the dock rather than navigating through Windows.

Both the 15in and 17in Studio models are currently available through Dell's online store. The company also plans to sell the notebooks through Best Buy and Staples in the US.