This geek travels a fair bit for work and decided to check out a couple of Ultrabooks that might deliver the right balance of mobility and power for users on the go. With the widespread availability of budget travel these days, many holiday makers and entrepreneurs may choose to travel on budget or coach–this test will be performed in one of these cabin classes. Today’s spotlight is on the Dell XPS 14 Ultrabook , which has been marketed by Dell to the business user.
On first contact, this Ultrabook stands out from many other machines with its matte aluminum finish, Corning Gorilla Glass, magnesium-alloy wrist rest and a soft-touch bottom panel. The backlit Dell XPS Keyboard stands out as well as the large one-piece touchpad. Battery life-wise, the eight-cell 69WHr lithium-polymer battery lasted 6 hours 8 minutes, according to CNET’s video-playback battery-drain test. For this geek, the battery lasted through each flight I was on without having to plug it into the in-seat power source. Your mileage may vary according to number of (ahem) miles you are traveling, so putting the power adapter into your hand luggage is still advisable. Like most Ultrabooks released of late, the battery is built-in and not user-replaceable.
The backlit chiclet keyboard like the Dell XPS L502X (Backlight) Keyboard is spill-resistant, although this geek did not get a chance to test out how well this keyboard takes to liquids. This is a nice-to-have feature as spills are not uncommon in the cramped space of an economy class cabin–especially when there’s turbulence. The keyboard was fairly comfortable to type on, and the backlight is a good touch. However, the directional keys were a little too small for this geek’s liking.
The backlit Dell Keyboard is really nice when it gets dark during a flight. The notebook’s small footprint means it fits nicely on an economy class seat tray table.
While 2.1kg is not an issue for me (I’m used to carrying a 5kg machine around), it can be a real issue for other frequent travelers. At 336 x 233 x 21mm, the machine fits nicely on your economy class tray table, but it seems a tad heavy, especially if you compare it with other thin mid-sized 14-inch laptops without optical drives.
The bright (400-nit) 14-inch LED-lit display with edge-to-edge hardened Corning Gorilla Glass supports a native resolution of 1,600 x 900 pixels. Although the display was really bright, the image deteriorated once you tilt the laptop screen down a little. You can’t avoid this happening on a plane as the passenger in front of you will, at some point, lean his or her seat back. I would have been happier if this Ultrabook had better viewing angles and other Compatible Parts .
One good thing is that the ports such as the power, two USB 3.0, SD card slot and otherCompatible Parts such as combination 3.5mm jack are all located on the sides of the machine. If they were at the back like some other notebooks, the experience on a flight would be frustrating since it would be impossible to plug stuff in–there’s hardly any space between the tray table and the seat it’s attached to in front.
For more laptop reviews , please visit : http://www.laptopsview.info