Despite its raw power, the Dell XPS
13 needs a touchscreen to get the most from Windows 8
The world of laptops is moving fast, and
the end of 2012 saw a raft of new designs that aim to get the best from Windows
8. The XPS 13 was one of the highlights of last year, so it’s no surprise that
Dell has continued with its flagship Ultrabook and given it the Windows 8
treatment.
The Dell XPS 13 is a pleasure to look at,
and at first glance it’s hard to see the differences between it and an Apple
Macbook. The lid is adorned with aluminum giving it a solid and high quality
finish with rounded edges and minimalist design. Inside, however, is a soft
rubber coating, reminiscent of the interior of an expensive car.
The
Dell XPS 13 is a pleasure to look at, and at first glance it’s hard to see the
differences between it and an Apple Macbook
It’s light too, weighing just 1.4kg, but
it’s not quite as thin as the likes of the Acer Aspire S7 or the Macbook Air.
Those are its closest rivals in terms of price and design, but unlike those
models, the Dell XPS 13 packs in blockbuster specs that deliver incredible performance.
Multitasking made easy
There’s an Intel Core i7 processor, which
is the best chip you’ll find in any Ultrabook. It will handle pretty much
anything you can throw at it; video and picture editing are all staples of the
XPS 13’s diet, as is multi-tasking all kinds of desktop and Windows 8 apps.
There’s also a whopping 8GB of RAM, which
help to keep the system responsive, and a massive 256GB solid state drive. This
last addition is one of the big selling points, as it marries incredible speed
with a realistic amount of storage for all your files and programs. The $1,799
price tag isn’t small change, but Dell is treating customers who buy into the
premium Ultrabook experience to a host of great specs that simply can’t be
found in competitor’s machines.
Battery life is staggering; we looped an HD
video for 325 minutes before it ran out of power, which is one of the best
laptop performances we’ve seen. This puts the Dell XPS 13 in the same league as
most dedicated tablets for longevity, and means it’s a great buy for anyone who
wants a reliable companion on the move.
Low-resolution
One slight disappointment, however, is the
screen. Dell has been adding wonderful full HD screens to its XPS 12 and XPS 15
products, but the XPS 13 only gets a 1,366 x 768 panel. This is something of a
letdown when you consider that Sony, Asus and Acer have all made 1080p panels a
fixture of the Windows 8 experience.
The
Dell XPS 13 is still one of the best laptops you can buy, offering top
performance, brilliant battery life and excellent build quality
Not only is the panel lacking the
resolution boost that we’ve come to expect from Windows 8 machines, there’s
also another glaring omission. Windows 8 is designed to work best with
touchscreens, and this has led to a raft of tablet/laptop hybrids, like Dell’s
own XPS 12, and standard laptops like the fabulous Asus VivoBook S200. It’s a
natural evolution of the laptop and really works with Windows 8’s large, tiled
interface and apps. Unfortunately, the Dell XPS 13’ panel is as touch-friendly
as a starving hyena.
The result is a user experience that feels
dated and flat. We sorely missed being able to pinch and zoom web sites using
the screen, and couldn’t get the most from the apps on the ever-expanding
Windows Store.
Of course, not everyone wants to embrace
the touchscreen future, and many people prefer the simplicity of the
traditional laptop experience, and fortunately, the XPS 13 excels in this area.
The chiclet keys are wonderful, with plenty of travel and wonderful cushioning
which makes it easy to type on for long periods. The trackpad is adorned in the
same rubber material as the rest of the XPS 13’s luxurious body, and is
accurate and responsive, offering a wonderful experience whether you’re sat at
your desk or working on the train.
The Dell also excels if you spend a lot of
time working on the move. There’s no wasted space, with the 13-inch screen
crammed into the dimensions you’d expect from a 12-inch machine. It’s tiny, yet
spacious, with no bezels to add unnecessary bulk.
The
trackpad is adorned in the same rubber material as the rest of the XPS 13’s
luxurious body
The Dell XPS 13 is still one of the best
laptops you can buy, offering top performance, brilliant battery life and
excellent build quality. However, in 2013, touchscreen technology is no longer
an expensive luxury. It’s the bread and butter of the Windows 8 experience, and
Dell has let us down by not offering the option on its flagship Ultrabook.
While we love the Dell XPS 13, we’d recommend holding off for a touchscreen
version, or trying the Acer Aspire S7 if you want to get the most from Windows
8.
|
Specifications
§ Price:
$1,799
§ Web:
www.dell.com
§ Processor:
Intel Core i7-2637M
§ Memory:
4GB
§ Memory
slots: 2
§ Size:
17 x 316 x 205mm
§ Weight:
1.3kg
§ Viewable
size: 13.3in
|
