Dell XPS 11

The Dell XPS 11 ($ 1,399 list), the company's latest convertible tablet / laptop, is one of the lightest and thinnest fully functional device of its kind out there. It sports stunning carbon fiber on both sides of the laptop, and a higher-than-1080p-resolution screen. However, the inclusion of a membrane keyboard (instead of a traditional one machine) and modest performance of the XPS 11 battery keep firmly in the middle of the pack.

Design and Features
The XPS 11 is a very compact convertible. It measures 8 by 12 by 0.59 inches (HWD), and weighs just 2.44 pounds, so definitely more convenient than carrying both a tablet and a laptop together. While Apple has put its mark on the aluminum construction with Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (Mid 2013), Dell looks to do the same with carbon fiber. The XPS 11 is the top and bottom swathed in carbon fiber for strength and lightness. The effect is very attractive, because you can see the weave of the carbon fiber (it is not covered up as it is in the Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch). 11.6-inch touch screen The system is covered by a pane of Corning Gorilla Glass NBT.

The 11.6-inch screen is one of the standout features the XPS 11. It features a 2560 by 1440 resolution, which is much higher than 1080p HD. The XPS 11 will have 253 pixels per inch (ppi), higher than 227 ppi Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2013). It gives the XPS 11 with the ability to see clear 1080p video, as well as 4K video streaming online. It also gives you plenty of space for viewing and editing raw photos without having to zoom in too far. With an unfortunate side-effect: Heaven and Adobe Photoshop CS6, the menus and UI elements look very small. Newer programs and Windows 8-compliant program looked fine, as did the windows in desktop mode.

The XPS 11 has a dual-hinge axle with 360-degree flip screen, similar to the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. Like Yoga 2 Pro, you can use the XPS 11 with four modes: Laptop, Tablet, Tent, and Stand. Each mode has its use: the laptop and tablet modes is evident; Stand mode puts the touch screen closer to you than laptop mode; Tent mode it looks and sounds. Systems like the Lenovo Yoga have the disadvantage of having a physical key on the table stand facing mode or your fingers when in tablet mode. This concern is addressed by the membrane keyboard XPS 11.

As attractive and durable, the membrane keyboard is pretty comfortable to use with basic day-to-day. It is fine for quick search on the Web and for entering information into the form, but if you will type the great American novel, you'll want to hook up an external mechanical keyboard. Give or no key travel, which can be hard on your hands. The keyboard defaults to hear feedback clicks from the speaker each time you tap the keys, but it will not help you feel any better. A poor typist visible painful experience. It is one of the high quality drawbacks of the system, and can be a deal-breaker if you type more than a few hundred words at a sitting.

Despite its thin profile, the XPS 11 is chock-full of ports: There are two full size USB 3.0 port, and an HDMI port and SD card reader, both of which are absent from the system such as the Apple MacBook Air 11-inch and most tablet. In comparison, the Sony VAIO Tap 11 has only a USB 3.0 port, HDMI, and a microSD card reader. Wireless onnectivity the XPS 11 is a good, with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and WiDi 3.0 support.

Our review comes unit with a 256GB mSATA SSD, which is certainly enough storage for many users. The system has more than 200GB available when we first set it up. With a 80GB hard drive, which could prove to be a bit tight if you carry a lot of pictures and video you the base model.

The XPS 11 is thankfully free of bloatware; The only extra apps seen on the screen of Getting things like Amazon, Kindle, Intel Experience Center, Dell Shop, My Dell, Pocket Cloud, Microsoft Office (test), and photo gallery. The XPS 11 has a one-year warranty.