Dell XPS M1330 Laptop Review

I have owned over 6 Dell laptops over the last 12 years. Throw in a Sony Vaio, IBM ThinkPad and an HP Pavilion, and I still think one could call me a Dell loyalist. For the last five years I owned a Dell Latitude D400. In spite of the some of its speed/power issues, it was great for its size, weight, style and build quality.

So when it came time to retire the Latitude, I looked at the Dell XPS 1330. Given its weight, speed and price, plus all of its touted bells and whistles, it seemed like the logical choice.

The System:

XPS M1330, Matte Black Casing

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.2GHz/800MhzFSB, 4M L2 Cache)

4GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm

13.3 Inch Wide Screen WXGA TL WLED Backlit LCD with Camera

320-5603 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

250GB 5400RPM SATA HARD DRIVE

8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive

56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery

Dell Wireless 400, Ultra Wide Band Card

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

Pros:

Weight, speed, power, style and overall price all contribute to a high rating. The hi-def screen is especially attractive. Applications run fast, my wifi and wireless internet connection run especially fast (particularly in comparison to the Latitude's dying wireless driver - a major factor in its retirement). I also like the integrated DVD/CD and other flash media slots (all add-ons for the D400)

Cons:

Okay I am a little picky, but there were a few issues (not all of which were Dell's fault). Overall, I don't have the same solid feeling about the build quality of this machine that I did with the Latitude. Nothing has failed yet, and maybe it is the intention for a Home machine to be a little less robust. But I do think whether one is at home or at the office, a laptop needs to be tough. Specifically, the surfaces seem to be a little thin and flimsy (compared to MacBook), and there is no latch (the Latitude had one but it broke, so maybe no latch is the way to go). The shell coatings look like they may not react to well to the odd bump or ding...and on a personal note, shiny plastic emblems or trims are a bit of a turn off. On the substance side, lack of a docking station is a real oversight. Even in this wireless age, there are still accessories that require wires, unplugging each from the XPS gets a little tedious. You really want to click and go, that is kind of the point with a laptop. There is also no PCMCIA slot, admittedly and antiquated feature, but useful for other wireless cards and storage/transfer options. The fingerprint reader is a little fiddly; it is still easier to login via the keyboard.

Also a special mention on Vista - I am certain that I am not the first to say this, but why fix something that isn't broken? I was willing to keep an open mind, but providing greater integration with one's web experience isn't really worth the trade-off of having to learn where everything is on the system again. This also applies to the new Office Suite. Admittedly, it has some much nicer features and graphic effects (especially in PowerPoint), but hiding all the most used features is not very helpful or efficient. Oh well, that is a whole other review...

Overall

I like my XPS in spite of some nagging doubts about build quality and the lack of a docking station. It is light, quick and if you don't let people look too closely it still garners impressed looks and comments from colleagues and friends. The only other "missing" is a BluRay DVD (available on the 1530), but you can't have everything....at least not yet.