Dell today announced its expanded Inspiron laptop portfolio, designed for students and families.

The company unveiled three series of Inspiron laptops - the Inspiron z series, the Inspiron R series and the Inspiron R Special Edition series.

All these new Inspiron laptops will offer options with Intel's new 3rd Generation Core i processors (Ivy Bridge), Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, and will be eligible for the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade program.

The new Inspiron family features Waves MaxxAudio technology optimized for Dell laptops to deliver high-quality sound for watching movies and listening to music without the need for external speakers. The Inspiron 13z and 14z and the Inspiron R Special Edition series also feature Skullcandy-branded speakers integrated into the laptops.

Dell's first Inspiron Ultrabook, the Inspiron 14z blends Intel Rapid Start Technology for fast boot and resume and up to seven hours of battery life. Starting at 4.12 pounds (1.87 kg), and 0.83-inches (21 mm) at its thickest point, it's light and easy to carry in a backpack or tote.

The Inspiron 14z is available today in select countries in Asia, June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, and in select countries in Europe and Latin America later this summer, starting at $699.99 USD.

Rounding out the Inspiron z series portfolio is the Inspiron 13z, which offers up to seven and a half hours of battery life, and starts at a mere 3.81 pounds (1.73 kg), and 0.82-inches (20.7 mm).

Both laptops offer mobile broadband as an option with Dell NetReady mobile broadband service.

The Inspiron 13z is available today in select countries in Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $599.99 USD.

The Inspiron 15R and Inspiron 17R feature high-definition displays, advanced audio with Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology, full connectivity, and a variety of processor, memory and hard drive options.

The new Inspiron Special Edition series provides performance and premium features for entertainment. An expansion of Dell's Inspiron portfolio, the Inspiron 15R Special Edition and 17R Special Edition allow users to enjoy advanced audio and graphics for multimedia entertainment including studio-quality Waves MaxxAudio 4 audio suite and Skullcandy speakers, and standard discrete graphics from AMD (Inspiron 15R Special Edition) and NVIDIA (Inspiron 17R Special Edition).

The Inspiron 17R is available today starting at $599.99 USD.

The new Inspiron R Special Edition laptops feature a durable anodized aluminum exterior in Stealth Black, Full HD display (1920x1080) for video playback, including Blu-ray disc options. The Inspiron 17R Special Edition is also available with a super bright 400 nit Full HD display or an optional Full HD 3D display. Other features include backlit keyboards, and optional mSATA SSD devices with Intel Rapid Start Technology for fast boot and sleep resume times.

Inspiron 15R Special Edition is starting at $899.99 USD. The Inspiron 17R Special Edition is also available today starting at $1,099.99 USD ($1,299.99 with 3D).