Posted by Calvin in Laptops & Tablets | 3 Comments
Dell unveils XPS 13 Ultrabook, the most compact 13-incher yet
Dell maybe late in announcing their Ultrabook but we’ll give them a pass for coming up with the most compact 13-inch in the market.
The Dell XPS 13 is the company’s first Ultrabook and it features an edge-to-edge glass, near “frameless” display making it the most compact 13.3-inch Ultrabook yet. It’s like having a 13-inch display on an 11-inch laptop’s form factor.
Foregoing the typical aluminum base (lid is aluminum though) other laptops are using, Dell went with a carbon fiber composite base that offers a premium look, lightweight at just under 3 lbs and cooler to the touch than aluminum.
Other specs include an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, integrated Intel graphics, up to 256GB SSD, 4GB RAM and a 6-cell battery that Dells claims can deliver close to 9 hours of battery life. There’s no HDMI port here nor a memory card slot which can be quite a dealbreaker unless it’s going to be used in a corporate environment.
The Dell XPS 13 will be available in select geographies around the world in March 2012 with a starting price of $999 which seems to be the average price of premium Ultrabooks.
| Dell XPS 13 Specs: |
|---|
| Ultrathin laptop (0.24-0.71”/6-18mm) |
| Precision machined aluminum with a carbon fiber composite base |
| Microsoft Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium |
| Intel Core i5 2467M and i7 2637M processor choices |
| 13.3” HD WLED, 300-nit (1366×768) 720p; edge-to-edge hardened Gorilla Glass |
| Intel HD 3000 video graphics |
| 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333Mhz memory |
| 128 GB SSD or 256GB SSD drive options |
| Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard |
| Glass integrated button touchpad with multi-gesture support |
| Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 802.11 A/G/N |
| Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity |
| High definition audio with Waves MaxxAudio 4 |
| Built-in 47WHr 6-cell battery offering up to eight hours, fifty-three minutes of battery life; 45W AC adaptor |
| USB 3.0 (1) + USB 2.0 with PowerShare (1), mini Display-Port, and headset jack |
| Built-in 1.3MP webcam with dual array digital microphones |
| Weight: starting at 2.99lbs (1.36 kg) |
| Price: Starts at $999 |
Again without a Memory Card slot.. I mean I can live without an HDMI port, but a memory card slot? even in my corporate environment, we take pics of things to link to databases and audits.. sure, we can always use a USB card reader, but come on.. The HP Spectre has a card reader built in..
This and the Lenovo U300s.. if it weren’t for that little niggle I wouldn’t think twice about requisitioning for either one of these..
It’s like their forgoing a lot of those essentials that mobile warriors need just for the sake of getting things as thin and light as possible.
i dont think it’s too much of a sacrifice in space if you want to include a card reader. i think calvin is right here that they’re thinking what office employees don’t need, that’s the card reader and hdmi port.
but i hope they will make a similar version for consumers which has those two missing ports.