Dell unveils their latest 13.3-inch XPS laptop and it’s an Ultrabook
Posted on 12. Jan, 2012 by Albert Madison in Laptops, Laptops
It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen a 13.3-inch laptop computer from Dell that is designed for their premium XPS line of computers. At CES 2012 the company has gone ahead and unveiled the Dell XPS 13 laptop which the company hopes will make a splash in the burgeoning Ultrabook market this year.
Dell XPS 13 lid hands-on Engadget
In terms of design the XPS 13 looks like Dell’s direct answer to Apple minimalist Macbook Air laptop, the entire body of the XPS 13 features no stunning touches it’s all very understated like Apple’s design for the Macbook Air. The only way you’ll know the XPS 13 is a computer from Dell is when you look at the small Dell logo on the lid and at the small XPS logo on the bottom of the display.
Dell XPS 13 front hands-on Engadget
With the new design Dell has done something they’ve done only a couple of times in the past, they’ve created a laptop that doesn’t really look anything like their other laptop offerings. The recently released Dell XPS 14z and 15z laptops both look the same, but they look nothing like the new Dell XPS 13 which lacks the chrome bezel the XPS 14z and 15z feature. (check out lots of hands-on photos from CES 2012 where the XPS 13 was put on display via Engadget.com)
However enough about the design of the new XPS 13 from Dell let’s discuss the price, specifications and the laptops release schedule.
As far as pricing goes Dell says they will start pricing at $999 for the new XPS 13 laptop. That price might sound a bit outrageous if this is the first time you payed attention to an Ultrabook, but it’s a really competitive price as far as 13-inch Ultrabooks go. The price is also really nice when you consider that this Dell is going to be made mostly from Aluminum (lid) and Carbon Fiber (chassis).
Dell has announced they plan to start shipping their XPS 13 laptop in February of 2012, so in under 50 days we should all be able to purchase a Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook from Dell.com or one of Dell’s numerous third-party retail partners.
Features for the Dell XPS 13 will start with the laptops 13-inch 1366×768 screen (300-nit brightness) which boasts Gorilla Glass protection from breaks and scratches. The next main feature for the XPS 13 is the Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, the base $999 XPS 13 will ship with a current gen. Core i5 dual-core processor (probably a low-voltage one) which packs Intel HD 3000 Graphics integrated.
Other misc. features include a 128GB SSD (option for upgrading to a 256GB SSD), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a backlit chiclet keyboard, Intel’s Rapid Start and Smart Connect technologies (YouTube external link), Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 and high-speed USB 3.0 ports, Mini DisplayPort for video plus audio output, 3.5mm audio jack, a 1.3MP webcam, and there is an integrated 47Wh battery which is estimated to offer up to 8 hours of computing battery life.
Dell plans to sell business ready versions of the XPS 13 laptop that feature TPM security, asset tagging, corporate images and a custom BIOS screen for IT troubleshooting and maintenance. Prices should be similar for the consumer XPS 13 and business XPS 13 laptops, all over $1000 after taxes.
For those wondering the Dell XPS 13 is going to be very thin and light, hence it’s Ultrabook classification. Dell claims their XPS 13 weights only 2.99 pounds and measures 0.71-inches at it’s thickest point and the laptop measures a mere 0.24-inches thick at it’s thinnest point.
The Dell XPS 13 only fails to include an SD card slot which is something that some might value and other 13-inch Ultrabooks currently offer. There is no HDMI out or optical media drive either with the Dell XPS 13 and both omissions could affect your purchasing decisions, but keep in mind that you own’t find an optical drive on most other 13-inch Ultrabooks and DisplayPort is just as good and well supported (products like displays and HDTV’s have slots for it) as HDMI.
All-r0und I’m excited about the new Dell XPS 13, I really like it’s design and I hope that Dell keeps the same type of design going when when they go to refresh their XPS 14, 15 and 17 laptops.
More info about the Dell XPS 13 can be found on laptops special page on Dell.com.
[Via]
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