DELL IS GETTING HIP to the underground scene, dawgz, by manufacturing laptops skinned up with crazy artwork from Mike Ming.

Calling the mash-up a range where "Unorthodox, adventurous contemporary art meets on-the-go technology", Dells new laptop is called the 'Special Art Edition Inspiron 1525'.

The machines cost 700 bucks each, and the boys from Round Rock reckon that they have perfected a new manufacturing technique to make the lid paint vibrant - "a fluid, graffiti-inspired tattoo effect", in fact.

The range is another attempt by Dell to woo trend-setters away from their otherwise-inevitable Apple Mac purchase.

Mr Ming is rather well known on the New York hipster art scene, being based in Brooklyn. Probably next door to the Beastie Boys and Sarah Jessica Parker, if we know our New York. And we do.

Ming claims that "I wanted to create a sense of energy, playfulness, sophistication and psychedelic momentum when I started this." He could have saved himself some trouble - after a few hours using Windows Vista, you don't need fancy artwork to start seeing stars.

See for yourself, here. µ