13 is the lucky number (Dell Studio XPS 13)

Member Name: liquidio

Product:	Dell Studio XPS 13
Date:	12/06/09 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb value for great performance, Dell finally deliver a great all-round package

Disadvantages: Gets hot, can pick up smudges

I have been a Dell customer for some time, so I was quite excited about the XPS 13 when it came time to replace by old computer (an Inspiron 8500). I liked many aspects of Dell's systems but they always seemed to have a major flaw in past designs, and I had heard that the XPS was actually quite a well put-together package. I did a lot of research to see what I could get for my money and it came out top, so I bit the bullet and this is what I ended up with...

> The Ordering Process

This is probably one of the best things I have enjoyed about Dell. The ordering process is quite simple and importantly allows a high degree of customisation, so you don't end up paying for components you don't want. The website runs smoothly and is quite straightforward, probably the most difficult thing is identifying which base system you want to use. Because I had been reading reviews I knew that the XPS 13 fitted into the small-but-powerful category, but it wouldn't be immediately obvious from Dell's system descriptions. I think the numerical categorising system falls down in that respect.

Two important hints for using Dell ordering. If you spec up your system online and then ring the call centre to actually purchase it, they can usually beat the online price by around £30. I have no idea why this is so, but it's a nice way of saving a little money. The other money saving tip concerns RAM - it's often cheaper to buy a system with less RAM than you want and then go to Crucial and buy the remainder for a better price. You have to be confident about installing it yourself (though it is not hard, almost plug-it-in easy) and also careful about buying the right components. Crucial select the memory type for you automatically so that's not hard, but you only have a limited number of memory slots, one of which will be occupied by the original Dell memory.

Delivery was estimated at 6 weeks, but it came much faster. This was not bad considering I ordered it only a few weeks after it was released - usually component shortages mean that things are more delayed early-on, and it was better than my previous Dell purchase 4 years ago.

> First Impressions - The Physical Appearance of the Machine

The machine arrived in a nice neat black box, with a black plastic handle (once I had unwrapped the brown cardboard). Perhaps for the first time since I have bought a computer it was not a tangle of cables and components inside - nestling in the black plastic tray inside was the computer in a black (you guessed the colour scheme!) velvety bag, the power cables neatly tucked to the side. There was also a number of CDs and manuals tucked away in a small pile.

The machine itself looks attractive. The styling has been done more in terms of texture and lighting that colour. Most of the machine is a high-gloss black plastic. It looks good, the gloss brings some depth and makes it easy to clean, the downside is that it does show up smudges, so I've found I have to be careful about keeping dirty hands away from it (probably no bad thing). There is also a pad of leather on the spine of the machine, which is a great natural texture and makes carrying it much more comfortable. Perhaps it is a shame they did not go further with this as it really is a nice unusual feature.

The keyboard is solid, much more so than previous Dell efforts which were weakened due to air holes in the backing plate, and nicely underlit in a light blue. For me, it felt comfortable to use and I have no complaints about it. The trackpad is also good - the sensitivity is decent and it is integrated into the surface of the machine so you don't get those annoying joints which collect dust. My only quibble with is is that there is increased functionality in it which is too easy to turn on - for instance, if you leave your finger lying in the wrong place then it's easy to start zooming instead of scrolling.

The screen is high quality (I chose the LED upgrade), bright with as good whites and blacks as I have seen elsewhere and a gloss that doesn't reflect too much of the outside world. I don't think good screens are so unusual now on high end notebooks but it certainly doesn't let you down. It's 1200x800 and in a widescreen format and viewing angles are good too, so it works for watching DVDs on for more than one person (though the screen is too small to use as a proper entertainments system if you are away from home and bored it can be handy). The screen is held on by a hinge that for the first time on a laptop I've owned actually felt solid. This was what killed my old computer, simple failure of the hinge, so this is a relief.

The other things to mention include the various in/out bits, which are all concentrated on the left, right and back edge of the computer. There are 2 USB ports, and handily one has been placed on the right and one of the left, which is perfect both for access when using the computer and for plugging in devices from either side. There are a number of other I/O ports like firewire which I never use, and the DVD reader which is on the right side of the machine. It doesn't have a tray but an opening covered by a very dense brush. I'm ambivalent about this - it's much neater and sturdier but I do worry about rubbish getting into the drive although it doesn't looks like it would easily.

The whole package ways somewhere between 2 and 2.5 kilos, so don't think this is a super-light machine, but it is carryable in a briefcase and compact.

The power supply unit is an unusual shape - flatter than normal, less of a brick, although about the same size in totality. This is actually a good idea; it is much easier to pack into a briefcase than previously. The power lead has a handy blue light on the end so it's easy to see if power is on, and it plugs into the right hand side of the computer near the hinge. I liked that positioning, much easier to locate than blind at the back, although I can't guarantee it wouldn't annoy everyone, it would depend on the setup of your desk and personal preference.

> Performance

I got the 2.4Ghz processor and 4GB of RAM, but upgraded the graphics card to the 9500m as I like to play games as well as do all the normal work and browsing functions.

I chose 64bit Vista as the OS and it runs very quickly, which I was glad about as I had heard of its demands on performance. Vista itself takes a little bit of getting used to - it does try to protect you a little bit from the innards of the system and so it often tries to confirm many steps you take or direct you into a certain way of viewing the interface, particularly when installing programs or navigating the system. But if you 'surrender' to the slightly more intended pattern of use it's not a bad experience, enabling you to do most of the things you would normally do with a computer in a friendly way. There's quite a few visual effects as well, but for me these are secondary to the general experience. One other problem I have encountered is backwards compatability - it isn't always possible, particularly with games, and whilst there is an inbuilt emulator that can fix many problems, it doesn't always work.

The computer is capable of playing everything out there at the moment in terms of games, but it's not able to do full detail on the really bleeding-edge things (although even many desktops aren't). Speed is not a problem for this system in any way. I'm not a computer geek, so I can't tell you benchmark scores or anything like that. It's just faster than anything I have ever used.

The one problem with this system is that it does get hot, and it really only has a fan outlet in one place, which is towards the back left. Much of the fan vent is actually on the underside, so if you put the computer on a soft surface that blocks the vent it gets hot quickly. If you are using it with a demanding program such as a game, it sometimes shuts down as a result, which is annoying. But it's such a powerful computer that I suspect it is physically impossible to do much about this.

I decided to choose the solid state hard drive instead of the normal disk-based drives. This is a slightly controversial choice, but I would encourage you to think of the cost and benefits as follows:
- It is more costly and has a slower write speed, as well as a lower capacity
- But it has a much faster access and read speed (which will probably be more valuable to you, and it really is noticeable, particularly if working with mass data) and, most importantly, the battery life is far far better than an HDD. So for mobile working, it's the one to have.
It's also very quiet, which is really pleasant if almost a bit odd, because you tend not to notice the sound a hard drive makes until you are missing it.

The DVD drive works well, having similar access times and write speeds to other drives of similar quality. It's a shame there was no Blu-ray option at the time of purchase, as there was for the larger machine in the class, but I don't think it's worth it for the price right now unless someone is very obsessive over movies! An external drive is always an option anyway later down the line.

The sound is reasonable, you are never going to get good sound on a laptop as the physical speaker size is an important factor, but it is clear enough even if the bass response is not strong. Some people complain online about crackling issues thanks to interference between components, but I have not encoutered this; perhaps Dell is now including the workaround that most people use in production models.

In terms of value for performance I shopped around extensively, and in Europe at least there didn't seem to be anything from a half-known brand that compared. This is partly due to the ability to customise, but it's largely true of the pre-configured systems too. Sony's machines probably match in terms of build and performance, and may be even better in terms of quality, but the cost is at least a third more than the comparable Dell. HP, Toshiba etc. had a variety of decent machines but all were lacking in one way or another - often the graphics card, which is key if you want to be playing games at all.

> Niggles

So all in all, I think this is a great machine and it was clear from my shopping around that the Dell system offered much better value for money than the competitor systems. But it's not perfect, so I have decided to list the things you have to be ok with to buy this system. Other systems have worse flaws for sure. If you are, then I would not hesitate to recommend it as the best system of its type..

- It gets hot, especially on the underside.
- The high gloss finish can show up smudges.
- Lack of Blu-ray option.

Summary: If you can handle the niggles, it's the best system of its type and great value

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