The trackpad is a new “clickpad” that clicks anywhere over the entire surface. If found it quite easy to type quickly and accurately, which is a step up from a lot of Ultrabook keyboards. The key travel is sort of short, but that’s a problem with all these super-thin laptops. It’s the performance you expect from a good Core i5 CPU and fast SSD. The system boots up quickly, and wakes up from sleep in just a couple seconds when you open the lid. The performance of this entry-level model feels quite snappy. Dell also offers configurations with a 256GB SSD for $1299, and with a 256GB SSD and Core i7 2637M for $1499. The entry-level Macbook Air costs $300 more and gives you the same RAM and SSD, but a very slightly faster (1.7GHz) Core i5 CPU. The system I’m testing is the entry-level $999 model, which features a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Off-axis viewing is reasonable, though I’ve seen better, and I’m spoiled by the IPS displays on premium tablets. It gets quite bright, though the glossy screen makes it hard to use in bright, direct sunshine. It’s also a 16:9 aspect ratio instead of 16:10 on the Apple product, so it’s slightly wider and slightly shorter. Speaking of the display, its resolution is 1366×768, which is a bit lower than the 1440×900 resolution of the Air. An Ultrabook that’s acctually smaller than the comparable Macbook Air is no mean feat, and it’s definitely not the kind of thing you expect from Dell. While the screen is the same size as the 13-inch Air, the XPS 13 is actually less wide and less deep. While slightly thicker than the 13-inch Macbook Air, and just a touch heavier (we measured 2 pounds 15.8 ounces, where the Air is 2 pounds 15.1 ounces), the XPS 13 actually has a significantly smaller footprint than Apple’s hot laptop. A full review with benchmarks and a lot more hands-on use will be forthcoming, but I wanted to let you know what I think before the system goes on sale next week.ĭell makes a big deal about the size of the XPS 13, and they’re right to: it’s sort of impressive. The XPS 13 is by no means the perfect laptop, but my initial hands-on impression is extremely positive. Now I have the final production model in my hands, and I’m pleased to say my impression stands. At the time, I said “it may be the best laptop Dell’s made in years,” based on a very limited demonstration. Back at CES, we gave you the details on Dell’s first Ultrabook, the XPS 13.
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