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Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 hands-on: A sleek showcase of firsts
Last CES, Dell unveiled its first XPS convertible -- the XPS 13 2-in-1. This year, the company is expanding its hybrid lineup. In addition to being the first convertible of its size for the series, the new XPS 15 2-in-1 is also one of the first laptops to pack Intel's Core processor with Radeon graphics. That chipset was teased in November, and incorporates an AMD Radeon GPU with dedicated RAM and Intel's CPU, allowing for smaller motherboards and thinner devices overall.
Dell XPS 15 review: A MacBook Pro rival for Windows users
By the time I hit publish on this review, something interesting had happened: Dell revealed that its XPS 15 laptop was outselling the smaller XPS 13. How could that be? Most flagship notebooks these days have 13-inch displays or smaller. And for good reason: Ultraportables are, by definition, thin and light, delivering longer and longer battery life with each passing year. But, as they say, different strokes for different folks. There are indeed people out there who need more -- more horsepower and more screen real estate -- even if it comes with the slight inconvenience of a heavier design. For those folks (and Dell says there are lots of them), the XPS 15 should mostly fit the bill. Just don't stray too far from a power outlet.
Dell's redesigned XPS 15 is a bigger version of our favorite Windows laptop
Whenever people ask what my favorite Windows laptop is, I'm always quick to say the Dell XPS 13. It has very few flaws to speak of, with a stylish design, comfy keyboard, vibrant screen and fast performance. It's no surprise, then, that when Dell got to work redesigning the bigger XPS 15, it rebuilt it in the 13's image. The updated notebook, which goes on sale today, inherits many of the features we loved in its smaller sibling, including a carbon fiber weave and a nearly bezel-less display that allows the notebook to have a compact footprint. All told, the 15's weight starts at 3.9 pounds, with Dell claiming that it's the world's smallest 15-inch laptop and the lightest "performance-class" machine of this size.
Dell's nearly bezel-less XPS 13 is about as small as an 11-inch laptop
Nope, sorry, Dell: You do not have the lightest 13-inch laptop. That distinction belongs to Lenovo. But could you have the smallest 13-inch notebook? Maybe. The company just announced a redesigned version of its XPS 13 Ultrabook, and thanks to a nearly bezel-less display, it's about as compact as an 11- or 12-inch laptop. So how small is that, exactly? Let's put it this way: If you were to set it down on top of a MacBook Air, you'd have lots of room left over, both length-wise and width-wise. That's because the Air, and other machines like it, have relatively thick bezels surrounding the display; on the XPS 13, that buffer space measures just 5mm wide.
Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and refreshed XPS 15 now available online
Dell introduced us to its Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and Haswell refresh of the XPS 15 earlier this month, and starting today both products -- along with two Venue Android slates -- are available online. The Venue 8 Pro, you may recall, offers an 1,280 x 800 IPS display, an Atom processor and an optional Synaptics digitizer. That model will go for $300 and up, while the pen costs an extra $35. Meanwhile, Dell's answer to the Surface Pro 2, the Venue Pro 11, will ship in November. The latest XPS 15, available with a 3,200 x 1,800 IPS display and up to a Core i7 Haswell CPU, starts at $1,500 for a full HD panel and $1,900 for the more pixel-dense version. Finally, the budget-priced Dell Venue 7 and 8 tablets, both of which run Android 4.2, are also available today. As previously reported, these guys will set you back $150 or $180, respectively. Head to Dell's website to view all the configuration options.
Dell refreshes the XPS 13 and 15 with Haswell, the 15 has a 3,200 x 1,800 display
Dell's XPS 11 might be all new and foldable, but the company hasn't forgotten its old workhorses, the XPS 13 and 15, both of which are receiving refreshes. Having already received a sharper display option earlier this year, the XPS 13 is now getting a 1080p touchscreen covered in Gorilla Glass NBT. And -- surprise, surprise -- Intel's Haswell processors (Core i3 / i5 / i7) are now part of the package, with battery life rated at up to 10 hours. As you'd expect too, the graphics have also received a bump: moving to Haswell also means stepping up to Intel's HD 4400 chipset. The XPS 15 (pictured above) has received an even more dramatic upgrade: it now sports a seriously pixel-dense 3,200 x 1,800 touch display "based on IGZO technology." You have the option of either Core i5 or i7 Haswell chips, "next-gen" NVIDIA graphics and up to 1TB of hard drive space, along with a 32GB SSD. You could just opt for a single 512GB solid-state drive instead, budget permitting, and you'll also have a choice of "voice and NFC options" (not that Dell was very specific about the voice part). The XPS 15 will arrive first, on October 15th, with a starting price of $1,500 (hey, 3,200 x 1,800 displays don't come cheap). If it's the XPS 13 you're after, that will go on sale sometime in November, starting at $1,000. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Dell rolls out updated XPS 15, XPS 17 laptops
Well, it's not the promised thinner and lighter replacement for the XPS 14, but Dell has just announced two other new XPS laptops: updated versions of it XPS 15 and XPS 17. Both of those are available today in a whole range of different configurations, including your choice of Sandy Bridge or Huron River processors, NVIDIA GPU options up to a GT 540M on the XPS 15 or GT555M on the XPS 17, up to 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and even an optional 3D-capable panel on the XPS 17. As usual, prices vary widely depending on the configuration, but things start at just $899 for a basic XPS 17 or $1049 for the XPS 15 -- hit up the link below to check out all the options available.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Netbooks and laptops
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. We're not going to lie, buying a laptop as a holiday present can be seriously scary. Not only are there tons of systems to choose from, but you're about to put down quite a bit of cash on something that's probably going to end up being someone's primary machine for a few years. Does your giftee need a netbook for just getting on the web to check e-mail? Or something thin and light with enough power to watch HD movies on the go? How about a Core i7-powered rig with discrete graphics to handle that Call of Duty: Black Ops that was in the stocking? You see, it's a daunting task, but fear not, we're here to ease the pain. Our breakdown of the best laptops is after the jump.
Dell XPS resurrected with NVIDIA graphics, HD webcams and JBL audio
It's baaack. Okay, to be fair Dell's XPS brand never really went away -- there's been the Studio XPS and Adamo XPS -- but as of today, the company's refocusing its efforts and bringing back the tried and true multimedia laptop brand. Just like we'd heard, the new 14-,15.6-, and 17-inch machines will be available across the board with NVIDIA GeForce 400M GPUs (with Optimus / 3D Play support) and Core i5 / i7 processor options, but there's more to these than just internal oomph -- it'll be one of the first laptops to ship with a Skype-certified HD webcam and they're also equipped with high-fidelity JBL speakers. In terms of aesthetics, the machines pull in some styling from the new Inspirons with the wider battery base, however, instead of plastic, the lids are coated in anodized aluminum. (Of course, Dell wouldn't be Dell without making the models available with Design Studio customization options -- aka with crazy pattern options.) So, what's the deal with pricing? The entry level systems -- the $899 XPS 14, $849 XPS 15, and $949 XPS 17 -- are all configured with Intel Core i5 460M processors, 1GB NVIDIA 420M graphics, 500GB 7,200rpm hard drives, 4GB of RAM and pack Intel WiDi. That's not too shabby, but, of course, you'll be able to configure 'em all with Blu-ray drives, more storage, memory, etc. Our review unit just arrived so expect a full work-up of the 14-inch system soon, but until then we leave you with the images and press release below. %Gallery-105589% %Gallery-105590%
