Ultrabooks have come a long way lately. They just keep getting smaller, more powerful, and more affordable. One of the latest in the category is Dell’s XPS 13 Ultrabook. The ultrabook term, as we’ve discussed previously here at the Future Shop Tech Blog, is a class of notebook computer meeting specific criteria from Intel. It basically boils down to them being thin, light, long lasting, and with ample performance for a day’s work.
A lot of the ultrabooks have a tendency to be pretty similar in specs, price, and overall features. A lot of them, including the Macbook Air, even look remarkably similar to one another. The differences tend to be in the details. Manufacturers are really using them to showcase build quality and specific design decisions to give themselves a distinction amongst the competition. That focus on design is quite evident with the XPS 13.
As soon as you get this unit you can tell something is different, with the small and streamlines packaging. It’s a breeze and a joy to unbox the hardware, and you won’t be left with much clutter. Sure you don’t buy a new computer based on the box but how something is packaged can tell you a lot about the product and how it’s been designed as an overall experience.
The outer shell of this ultrabook is a fingerprint-resistant matte metal, with a rubberized material finishing both the laptop’s underside, as well as the keyboard and wrist-rest areas. I’m a big fan of both these material choices. The rubberized material is tremendously comfortable both when carrying and using this machine. It’s soft to the touch with a slight cushion to it, making returning to a cold, hard metal ultrabook an unappealing prospect.
Dell has such a keen design focus on this unit that they have even installed a special metallic panel on the underside which proudly displays the XPS, Windows, and Intel logos. This panel unfolds to reveal all those other logos, stickers, and numbers you’d commonly find on other hardware. Having serial numbers and the like all tucked away neatly like that makes the overall package that much cleaner and neater. It’s one of those little things that on its own doesn’t do all too much but in aggregate it makes this machine something just a little more special.
As for specs this unit is just under three pounds, and 18mm at its thickest point, much like the MacBook Air. Under the hood you’ll find a second generation Intel Core i5-2467M 1,6 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. It’s got plenty of power to let you work for several hours on battery without any problems.
Unfortunately there aren’t too many ports on this unit. There’s the 3.5mm headphone jack as you’d expect, a USB 2.0 port one side with a USB 3.0 port on the other. A Mini Display Port, and nothing more to speak of. While that’s not a huge problem, some users may pine for a couple more USB ports or an SD card reader.
Considering the price, this one looks like a really good deal. When you’re using it its comfortable and seems very reliable. This ultrabook sells for under a thousand dollars but is certainly competitive for those options over that price point, owing a lot to Dell’s attention to detail and consistent design focus. This isn't the most powerful ultrabook you'll find, but its got plenty of power for most people, and certainly isn't underpowered in any meaningful way. While you could pay much more for slightly better specs, this is certainly one of the nicest feeling ultrabooks i've seen. Its just so comfortable to operate even with extended use. Its a joy to touch, and cary around. Something like a MacBook Air just feels somehow harsh in comparison.
The Dell XPS 13 is super-thin, amazingly powerful, and stunningly gorgeous. It packs a powerful 2nd gen Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a lightning-fast 128GB solid state drive into a sexy design that's only 0.71" (18mm) at its thickest point. With such a thin and light design, you'll want to bring it with you everywhere you go.
The Dell XPS 13 is super-thin, amazingly powerful, and stunningly gorgeous. It packs a powerful 2nd gen Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a lightning-fast 128GB solid state drive into a sexy design that's only 0.71" (18mm) at its thickest point. With such a thin and light design, you'll want to bring it with you everywhere you go.
