It's not new or unique, but we appreciated it once again on the XPS 15.Ī large multitouch touch pad is nearly the size of the MacBook Pro's, and it controls better than many touch pads we've seen. Another button can be customized to instantly launch any program, and a third brings up fine-tuning controls for the Waves MaxxAudio system that runs through the JBL speakers.ĭell's onscreen dock, much like the icon dock in Mac OS X, provides an instant-access strip for commonly used programs, augmenting Windows 7 nicely. A settings button launches a pop-up of useful controls, ranging from Bluetooth to battery mode we wish more laptops had such a hot key. We're not huge fans of the column of page up/down buttons lining the right side of the keyboard, relegating the Enter/Shift keys to inner positions that aren't instantly touch-intuitive, but it's a trend that's growing for laptop keyboards everywhere.Ī few backlit touch controls lie on the upper-right side above the keyboard, to the left of a slightly off-from-center power button. And, though last year's XPS had function-reversed volume and media control keys, they've flipped back to requiring pressing the function key in this year's model. We do have a few gripes: the backlit keyboard is now a $40 upgrade instead of an included feature on the entry-level model. Typing feels very comfortable, although there could have been room for a number pad in the wide chassis. It's a nicer look, but it doesn't add up to anything significantly more ergonomic than the previous XPS. ![]() The keyboard is new, a shift from the flat keyboard with raised key surfaces seen on many of last year's Dell laptops. ![]() A wide, generous palm rest and keyboard deck is covered in more brushed metal, with a raised chiclet-style keyboard centered right in the middle between two speaker grilles. However, this is a laptop that gets a lot better once you actually start using it. The thick chassis has some noticeable flex on the sides, giving an impression of being not quite as solidly built as other high-end laptops such as the MacBook Pro and HP Envy. It nearly acts like a dock, giving this XPS a very desktop-friendly feel for keeping wires out of the way, but making access a little tough for lap use. ![]() The XPS uses that back lip for a handful of rear-facing ports, including HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Ethernet, the power jack, and one of its two USB 3.0 ports. The hinge-forward design on the XPS mirrors other recent Dell laptops, such as the Inspiron R and Mini 10, pushing the screen forward a little in relation to the keyboard but giving the rear end significant chunk. The XPS has undeniably throwback looks, and not in a good way. ![]() Especially with the extra riser added by the nine-cell battery option, the overall effect is one of the thickest laptops we've seen on the market. A thick, slightly tapered base and wide, flat, brushed-aluminum lid look, at first glance, like they belong on a budget laptop. The size and shape of the Dell XPS 15 is best described as beefy and bulky, with a flat, wide silver profile that looks like plastic but is actually metal. Nvidia GeForce GT540M + Intel GMA HD (Optimus) But don't feel like you have to spring for all the upgrades the base model should be more than enough for most-unless you're looking for Blu-ray and a full 1080p display. It's a heavy beast, and expensive, too, but if you're looking for a media laptop that can blast movies, play games, and show them off on a great screen, the new XPS 15 could be just what you're looking for. Unlike last time, Dell sent us a top-of-the-line fully rigged model, the XPS15-L502X, running around $1,488 on Dell's Web site: a quad-core 2GHz Core i7-2630QM CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200rpm hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics, a Blu-ray drive, and a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution screen, along with a chunky but longer-life nine-cell battery.
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