Dell Adamo review
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Apr 13th 2009 2:13PM
posted Apr 13th 2009 2:13PM
Update: Dell pinged to let us know that the covering on the lid and screen is actually glass -- we've updated the review to reflect (no pun intended) that info.
Design
If you're just judging books (or notebooks, in this case) by their cover, the Adamo looks like a Times bestseller. From the sleek, sophisticated packaging (a hard, simple plastic shell with clasps at the bottom and a small arrangement of accessories in origami-like cardboard), right on down to the killer industrial design of the system itself, the Adamo is stunning. Once you wrest the laptop from its sexy confines, you find a thin and light -- though not terribly light -- sliver of computing art.
Much of Dell's process for the Adamo seems to be about texture. On the black... er, "Onyx" version we have, the lid of the computer is made up of four separate materials. The view from above starts with a high-gloss, hard glass at the front, moves into a matte strip in the center with embossed "Dell" and "Adamo" logos, which in turns leads into a smooth, brushed metal slab, and finally ends up at the back with yet another strip of dotted metal. Around the back end "overhang," the air vents are stylishly presented as a kind of gradient pixel pattern. From the first look, it's clear that there is an amazing attention to detail here.
When you open the system up, you see more of that brushed metal along the wrist rests, keyboard, and the edges of the glass-coated display. The keyboard is a smooth, chiclet style affair, with slightly curved keys, and a bold, futuristic font. Continuing the texture trend, the trackpad is made up of another kind of metal which has a circular patten that appears to move concentrically inward -- though it's smooth to the touch.
Along the edges the screws which fasten the screen are visible, giving the whole package an industrial feel. Adding to the sleek minimalism is the fact that there are only a few ports available; Ethernet, eSATA, two USB jacks, DisplayPort, and the power plug around the back, plus a headphone jack and SIM tray on the right side.
As far as straight numbers are concerned, the Adamo is a real champ in the size department. The laptop is thin... really thin. Compared to the MacBook Air (0.76-inches at its thickest point) and X301 (0.9-inches), the 0.65-inch Adamo is anorexic. Still, it's not the lightest portable in town, clocking in at 4 pounds (compared to the Air's 3, and the X301's 3.32, respectively).
The Adamo is beautiful, no question. Unfortunately, like many things, that beauty is only skin deep.
We noticed some troubling build issues with the model we were sent. First, the top piece of metal along the "rear end" of the system didn't seem to be fully held in place. As you can see in the video below, the right side had a disconcerting, mushy "give." Additionally, there was an odd rippling in the plastic where the media controls are located, with a bulge around the area of the play / pause buttons. It's hard to tell if that's intentional or not, but it looks wrong to us. These might seem minor, but if you're paying upwards of $2000 for a laptop, this stuff counts. Part of Dell's play here is that these are upscale "lifestyle" devices, but we don't know anyone who likes getting a Mercedes with a bumper that's about to fall off.
We also had problems with some basic design ideas. The keyboard is handsome, but the way Dell is handling power management, the letters are only really visible when the keyboard backlighting is on (on the black model at least) -- and it doesn't stay on long. That's fine if you're really well versed with this layout, but given the fact that the keys have so little travel, and there's a lopsided, left-heavy feel, we found ourselves tapping the wrong key fairly often.
Additionally, on a laptop in this price range, we were expecting some more multitouch features for the trackpad, but all that seems to be offered is a pinch zooming feature. That's clearly a software issue (we hope), since it does seem to have multitouch functionality. Hey, at least the thing is centered.
The guts
The outside is handsome, but the insides are downright ugly. In its attempt to focus on looks, Dell seems to have completely disregarded performance, loading up the base Adamo with a Core 2 Duo ULV chip chugging along at a paltry 1.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, as well as a 128GB SSD drive -- a nice touch -- and Intel's integrated X4500 GPU. Pretty light stuff if you're pushing Vista, which the Adamo naturally is.
In our tests, the performance wasn't exactly sluggish, but it was a regular occurrence to see the CPU meter pegged at 100 percent during basic tasks (like loading a webpage or trying to multitask a few simple applications). The Adamo hardware seems to quickly respond to the pressure, though that's not necessarily a favorable note -- it's all-too-common for the fans to start spinning up while the system is carrying out basic tasks. Sometimes they seem to start up just for the hell of it, so if quiet computing is one of your checklist items, you'll be disappointed.
Using Microsoft's own Windows Experience tool, the Adamo ranked a lowly 3.2 -- almost at the lowest end of the scale for using basic Aero effects. By the company's standards this means the laptop sports the "Minimum specification needed to run Windows Vista Premium features, including the new Aero user interface." Not exactly heartening stuff for an upscale system.
To put it in perspective, we averaged a frame rate of about 10 while playing Quake 4 with medium graphics at 1280 X 720 resolution. It didn't fare much better when we reduced all the settings and resolution... and we're talking about a game from 2005 here. Now, we know most people who purchase this computer aren't interested in it for gaming horsepower, but this line of testing provides a real window into just how underpowered of a system you're buying into.
What we can't stress enough here is that it seems like the Adamo was built for some other, less intensive operating system, like, say... Windows 7. That's fine if you're the kind of person who doesn't mind a little stutter to their video or pauses in between basic multitasking, but you've got to be pretty shallow to spend $2000 on a system and not care how it performs.
Display
The 13.4-inch display on the Adamo looks great. While we would have liked a higher res option (we always like a higher res option), 1366 X 768 is fairly standard stuff for a screen of this size, and more than enough real estate to handle most tasks. In terms of clarity and color, it certainly does Aero proud, though just like the recent Macs we've reviewed, we find the persistent and almost exaggerated glare to be absurdly distracting here. Every computer maker needs to be giving users a way to opt-out of this setup -- it just doesn't work in a lot of scenarios. That said, we're assuming that if you're looking at something like the Adamo, you probably want it as glossy as possible.
Battery life
If you read our reviews, then you know we don't do hardcore battery benchmarks for most products. Instead, we find the best way to put a system through its paces is to get it out into the world and see what the day to day life looks and feels like. Dell promises upwards of five hours of battery life in the Adamos, and while it's true that the system is built for humming along at low levels, it doesn't get anywhere close to that in our testing. Most of the time, we managed to squeeze about two and a half hours out of the Adamo -- and we're talking basic tasks like document editing and web browsing. When we spent time watching video or gaming, not only did the fans hardly ever stop, but the battery life dropped down to just under two hours. It's not exactly a deal breaker, but given the fact that you've got no swappable battery here, it's certainly something worth considering. Generally, you're not going to be leaving the house without the Adamo's very, very attractive wall wart.
Wrap-up
Here's the deal: the Adamo is really expensive. Not just expensive for a PC. Not just expensive for an ultralight. Not just expensive for an underpowered computer. It's just expensive. Expensive in the sense that you're being charged a lot of money for something that seems like it shouldn't cost so much.
When you boil it down, it's not necessarily a "bad" computer -- just not a particularly good one. If you're a basic user with simple needs, this will do pretty much everything you want, but if you're a basic user with simple needs, why are you spending so much money on a PC? You could get a dozen (or more) computers that do exactly the same thing for far less money -- hell, even in Dell's own ecosystem there are myriad choices. For less than half of the cost of the Adamo, you could have a far more robust Studio 15; for about $800 less you could take home a Studio XPS 13 with much heftier discrete graphics, double the RAM, and a much faster CPU -- and still have a fairly attractive computer. Furthermore, the MacBook Air, which has more impressive specs and can run both Windows and OS X can be had for a starting price-point of $1799. The only spot where the Adamo really wins is right up against the X301... and those are pretty different markets by our account.
It's hard to say if releasing a computer like this right now is bad timing or just ignorance on Dell's part. Weirdly, while Microsoft is busy trying to convince users that PCs are a better value with its new ad campaign, the Adamo flies right in the face of that notion -- offering less computing power for far more money, all while wearing its form-over-function aesthetic right on its brushed aluminum sleeve. Is that a daring move for Dell? Definitely. Is it smart? That's for the buyer to decide.
Verdict: Sexy, but overpriced. I feel like fake consumers in Microsoft commercials would agree with me on this one.
I agree with u bro,
Who would drop $1800 on dell netbook ,??
I think the fake computers in the Apple commercials would also agree with you.
Remember, the people who do the Apple commercials are ***PAID ACTORS*** (gasp!) who are claiming to be a mechanical device, namely an Apple Computer and a PC Computer! These people are directly lying to our faces, have been for years, and Apple is not apologizing for these lies that they are perpetually telling to us - I am outraged, outraged I tell you!
Similarly, those were touted "features" for most of apple's lineup until just recently; expensive, haughty design, but not packing much in the way of raw performance.
I find it funny, also, that engadget still can't figure out how to take screenshots inside Vista or OS X. C'mon guys, please? Please?
I hate this... "PC Computer!"
Personal Computer Computer.
Nice.
The correct word isn't necessarily "overpriced", but the Adamo certainly doesn't make sense now (or ever, really) and there's already a very small niche of a market for products like this.
Who knows how much it actually costs Dell to manufacture one of these. But I don't think this is the beginning of say, a "Dell tax".
And in three months, this computer will be $799 after the $1200 dollars in rebates and coupons, and will come with someone to stir your frappachino crapiato 24/7. As it stands, this is a $400 dollar computer that comes with an extra $400 in looks and $1200 in pretension. Love the look, hate the price.
Honestly though, I'd spend $800 for a low priced, very light-weight computer. Give me a bump in the processor, a drop in the price, and it's mine.
PS "If you read our reviews, than you know"... should be "then".
The Adamo just has WAY too many finishes for me, and they don't fit together. It's glossy, blocky, stripey, brushed, concentric circles, matte, stippled, and embossed *BEFORE* adding in the custom covers. The design and finish shows no coherence, no restraint.
It's like topping a club sandwich with a pizza, then wrapping it in steak and breading it with chicken strips, covering it in gravy, meatballs, and lasagna.
that sounds delicious!!!
bottom line
Get air!
i really don't think that's what they're saying
you have 5 seconds to stop wasting my bandwith, get off the computer and die of iCancer
Time to take an enema and a Preparation H for your "bottom" line. If you believe the Air is any better than the Adamo or any other PC, you probably believe in fairies, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
Apple blew it with the Error and Dell compounded the error with Adamo. One day someone will get it correct and provide a thin notebook that weighs 3 pounds or less with a removable battery and a quality 13 inch display.
That has yet to happen!
Yet to happen? I am typing this on a Sony Vaio Z. Sure, it is 3.4 pounds, a bit over your stated weight limit and it certainly does cost $2000 but it does not compromise on performance, screen quality is second to none and the battery is replaceable too.
vaio z series == sex
2 and 1/2 hours battery life? And non-user-replaceable battery?
Exactly get air
i really don't think that's what HE's saying
why? does the air have a replaceable battery?
The Air's battery is better. Almost twice as good.
@Shank: I was going to say get the Latitude E4200 instead. It's thin-n-light, and has user replaceable RAM, battery, and SSD, and it has better config than the Adamo (albeit no webcam). Oh, and it's cheaper too.
no, it's not.
http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=3220
@patriotsn1: To be fair, the Air still get 4 hours battery life on wireless internet browsing and MP3 playback. Imo it's Vista's fault. People are getting better battery life on laptops with OS X installed than with Vista on same configs. Even the Dell E4200 with its 6cell battery doesn't fare too well under Vista, but at least one can get an extra battery if needed.
True... And I'd hate to bring beta software into the conversation, but Windows 7 has a MUCH improved power management setup. My old Acer on vista in normal mode lasted 1.5 hours. On Windows 7 it goes for almost 2.5. I guess we'll just wait and see. I would never spend over $2,000 on a laptop in any event though.
who cares if you have Vista to blame or the fact that you have a very slow CPU that constantly runs at near full capacity? The bottom line is that you get a crappy notebook for a huge price tag and this thing is really ugly compared to both Air and x301. WTF Dell? Stick with bargain notebook. If nothing else at least you used to know how to keep the price tag relatively low!
Why did they need an answer to the Mac Book Air? Was the public asking for a response? Is this just two companies battling it out hip hop style? If so, then let the Dell/Apple beef begin!
Well it's clearly no competition to air.
Ask yourself this if priced the same
What brand would u chose dell or apple.,?
Dell has been raped by air already,
I would choose dell.
But I'd NEVER spend this much on either.
Like any other Dell computers if you wait for 6 months you will probably get this laptop for 40-50% less than the price right now.
So this and the air are both.... just terrible...
My Air is far from terrible, and handles iPhone development just fine. If you have a thing against Apple, as Mr. Dell does, that’s your problem. I’ve bought Dell’s. If that is what you want, be my guest. But, a fanboy is a fanboy…
Was that a haiku? Because trying to comprehend what you said is giving me a headache. If I said BOTH were terrible, why would that make me hate Apple? Jeez you people are paranoid.
Also, if I'm going to spend over $2500 on a laptop, it better do a lot more than "iphone development".
In this market, a $2500 computer should be one of the fastest available. Honestly, I don't blame Apple for charging this much, if suckers will pay it, good for them!
In a nutshell, yes.
So that's where all the iFart apps come from then.
im sure iphone app development is a terrible strain on cpu power....
Even my Acer 3690 WMLI 1.6Ghz Celery running OS X can do iPhone development.
WOW, this review manages to disappoint me in every aspect.
*bad performances: check (not exactly unpredicted)
*fan noises: check (whhhy??)
*poor battery life: check (makes absolutely no sense especially with an built-in non-removable)
just remember the talking points:
Windows offers you choice ... you can get a cheap piece of crap (netbook with XP) or a high end machine (expensive piece of crap with Vista)
Thank you Steve Ballmer!
PS. Ballmer if you're listening, can I haz Anti Virus software PLs?
waaaaay overpriced Dell
air $999 @ appledotcom refurb
I mean I would pay $800 for adamo,
So say we all.
Ok I said this in the podcast comments too...I actually prefer the touch pad slightly to the left (under the space bar) as I use my thumb to scroll and rest my fingers on the keyboard (j k l ;).
I am sure more people that thumb scroll feel the same way. In fact I am going to go as far and say that thumb scrolling is the way to go if you type a lot...you have to move your hands around less (only for the odd right click) and it works for both right handed and left handed people.
Also, not to mention that you avoid scrolling/click by inadvertently placing your right hand on the pad.
how terrible. i just went to nyc last week and used an apple computer for the first time.
pc blows.
i have a studioxps 16 and i must say there are many, many build quality issues here. I can't wait until next week so i can buy a mac.
sorry microsoft. and dell. you lost again.
Wow, you aren't low ranked yet? The PC/ antiApple fanboys must be at recess.
i used to be a windows guy,
but seriously for what i do,
chiclet keyboard with nice travel + large trackpad pwns.
Shouldn't the whole point of a Dell-branded SliverBook be the price-to-performance difference between it and the Air? That, and a replaceable battery (though it's hard to manage currently at this level of thinness).
I'd almost call the Adamo and the Air fake-thin: Thin at the expense of basic features one needs from a business-ready laptop whatever its HTC potential (like the ability to swap batteries while working on the plane).
I always thought the most important portability specs of any laptop were weight and width, not depth. More than ever, my choices are back to a Mini9 and a MB.
@Skeezle
Yeah that's so true! Anything pro-apple is always low ranked- I still don't get why apple-bashing on Engadget is instantly popular...
Up close, it's amazingly ugly with all the mixed textures and materials and exposed fasteners. If Dell is going to bother with this kind of product, you'd think they could at least hire designers with some talent.