Dell’s newest XPS consumer laptops, with Intel Ivy Bridge chips, bright, end-to-end displays, built-in mobile broadband, Dell service options and a mix of SSD and hard drives, can easily adapt to the enterprise.
Dell today introduced the XPS 14 and XPS 15,
two consumer laptops with the latest Intel technology and enough power and
service support to play the part of business machines. Like Dells earlier-introduced
XPS 13, the emphasis here is on performance, flexibility and design.
The new XPS laptops feature bright (400-nit)
edge-to-edge hardened Corning Gorilla Glass displays, third-generation Intel
Core processors and Intel Rapid Start, Smart Response and Smart Connect
technologies.
The 14-inch Ultrabook additionally boasts up
to 11 hours of battery lifean industry best, according to Delland
features a machined aluminum chassis with a silicone base, a magnesium palm rest
with soft touch paint, a glass touchpad with multi-gesture support, and a
spill-proof, backlit, chiclet-style keyboard. An option with integrated mobile
broadband has a soft, black leather back to prevent signal interference with
the built-in antennas.
The XPS 14 is available with Intel Core i5 or
i7 processors, 4GB or 8GB of dual-channel double data rate type 3 (DDR3)
memory, and hard-drive options that include a 500GB hard drive with a 32GB
mSATA solid-state drive (SSD) with Intel Rapid Start Technology and Intel Smart
Response Technology and a 512GB SSD option, also with Rapid Start and Smart
connect.
There are a variety of connectivity options,
including a WLAN/WiMax/WiDi Combo. Its Intel Wireless Display-ready, theres
Bluetooth 4.0, and Waves MaxxAudio 4, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam with dual-array
digital microphones and two USB 3.0 ports, as well as a mini DisplayPort, a High-Definition
Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port and a 3-in-1 card reader.
The XPS 14 has a starting weight of 4.6
pounds and measures 0.81 by 13.2 by 9.2 inches, though the WWAN model starts at
4.88 pounds and measures 0.91 inches thick.
And again, while branded as consumer
machines, a number of options make both new XPS laptops enterprise-friendly.
Dell ProSupport extends on-site and remote tech support is available; a Trusted
Platform Module (TPM) offers user and machine security for BitLocker Data
Encryption and network-based client computing; and a Configuration Service can
help Dell customers set up BIOS settings and otherwise streamline the process
of deploying laptops to employees.
Also available are service plans that include
in-home service after remote diagnosis, phone support, a year of accidental
damage service and Computrack LoJack options for recovering stolen devices.
The XPS 15 puts a focus on entertainment and
content creation. There are Intel Core i5 and i7 processor options, 1GB and 2GB
Nvidia GeForce graphics options, and hard-drive combinations that include a 1TB
5,400-rpm hard drive with a 128GB mSATA SSD drive with Intel Rapid start and
Smart Response technologies.
Theres also the option of a DVD-RW or
Blu-ray Disc drive, the XPS 15 is Intel Wireless Display-ready, the battery
lasts just over eight hoursbatteries on both models, it should be noted, are
not replaceableand Waves MaxxAudio 4 is on board, along with the 1.3MP Webcam
with dual-array microphones, three USB 3.0 ports, a mini DisplayPort, an HDMI
port, a 3-in-1 card reader and more.
The XPS 15 measures 0.91 by 14.6 by 9.8
inches and weighs 5.79 pounds.
Both laptops are available as of June 26; the
XPS 14 starts at $1,099 and the XPS 15 at $1,299.
Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.
Email
Print
