Dell XPS M1330 Ultraportable Notebook PC

The Bottom Line
Dell's XPS M1330 is unique in that they have produced a very lightweight and small 13.3" notebook that does fit the bill as an ultraportable. Performance is good but nothing really that sets it apart from other ultraportables. What would be a really good ultraportable instead has been marred by supply and quality issues that only the most patient of consumers should really consider.

Pros

* Very Lightweight For 13.3" Screen
* Two Full Gigabytes Of Memory
* Large Hard Drive

Cons

* Supply and Quality Issues
* Lacks Dial-Up Modem

Description

* Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 13.3" WXGA (1280x800) LED Backlit Display with Intel GMA X3100 Integrated Graphics
* 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless
* Two USB 2.0, One FireWire, ExpressCard/54 and 8-in-1 Card Reader
* 12.5" x 9.4" x 1.3" @ 4 lbs.
* Windows Home Premium, Works 8, McAfee Security Center

Guide Review - Dell XPS M1330 Ultraportable Notebook PC

Dell's new ultraportable M1330 is really is really amazing for its small and lightweight design. It is one of very few systems that can pack in a 13.3" LCD display and still weigh under four pounds. The display comes with the new LED backlighting that improves color and brightness or the more traditional design to save a little money.

In terms of performance, the XPS M1330 certainly has some notable features. It comes equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 mobile processor, 2GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory and a very large 160GB hard drive. All of these make it a very solid notebook that can be used as a primary computer system. The problem is that it doesn't really set it apart from many other ultraportables in terms of overall performance. There are many systems just as equally suited to these tasks.

One thing that travelers may want to be aware of is the networking. The system does not come equipped with a built-in dial-up modem. This can be problematic for some but 802.11 wireless networks are more common. Users that need more flexible wireless networks also have the option of installing a cellular modem for Verizon, AT&T or Sprint wireless networks.

The biggest problem though comes from Dell itself. There have been a number of issues in regards to the quality of the cases and component supply delays that make ordering an XPS M1330 a big challenge. As it stands at the time of this review, there is at least a 3 week delay in getting a unit. For many people, this is much longer. The plastic exterior is also of questionable quality compared to many other notebooks available to consumers.