Dell Inspiron 14z

The Dell Inspiron 14z ( Summer 2012) ( $ 899 direct ) combines third - generation Intel Core procressor , separate AMD Radeon 3D graphics , and an ultrabook form factor in the sub-$ 1000 Laptop buyers . For an ultrabook , the system is fast and has very good skills in 3D graphics , but the whole system is a little heavy and with less than stellar battery life . This is a decent choice for users who value , values ​​, multimedia and 3D performance over the performance of the battery , but overall it comes up short of our class leaders . At $ 899, it is more expensive than other Ultrabooks , but what you apying for the extra 3D and multimedia performance . It is a safe , middle of the road choice , and definitely a great choice for back to school , but eventually other Ultrabooks is more dramatically .

Design and Features
The Inspiron 14z looks really part of a new ultrabook , with its " Silver Moon " Coloring the main chassis and lighter silver ring around the system . ( The " Fire Red " color panels are available later this year . ) The system has a full - sized , island - style keyboard , with a decent typing feel . The keys have a slight indent , and the arrow keys in the lower right corner have contrasting feel . The up / down keys will bulge and the left / right buttons are concave , so you should be able to use them as link - type . The system has three backlit quick launch keys between the keyboard and the hinge , which gives you quick access to the system settings , audio settings , and a quick launch app of your choice . The multi - touch touchpad with separate left and right mouse buttons in case you want to use tap to click .

14 - inch panel system has a resolution of 1366 by 768 , which is good enough for 720p HD video ( 1080p HD will have to be scaled down ) . The ultrabook weighs just over 4lbs ( we measured 4.08 pounds without power adapter ) , so pretty easy to carry around . That said , the class leading Ultrabooks are almost a pound lighter . It is noted that the system has a built - in tray - loading DVD burner , which probably would not take a 13 - inch or smaller ultrabook , subnotebook , or sleekbook .

The system has two USB 3.0 ports , one exposed to the right , and one on the left hidden under the drop - down panel . HDMI port system under the same panel , including a full - size Ethernet port on the bottom of the door next to the HDMI port . The left side of the USB 3.0 port is a port PowerShare , which can charge an external device ( like a smartphone ) while the lid is closed and the system is off or asleep . A 3 - in - 1 memory card reader and Kensington lock port translate the external connectors .

The Inspiron 14z has a 720p HD webcam and pre - load Skype for Video Conferencing . Audio is a highlight , with Waves MaxxAudio 4.0 processing and Skullcandy branded speakers . An updated version of Dell Stage greets you at launch , and you can use the Dell Stage launcher to get to your multimedia .

Storage is not too much of a concern . The Inspiron 14z has a 500GB hard drive with a 32GB mSATA drive cache for speed . The system is quick to sleep and wake , in accordance with the specifications ultrabook . There is a bit of extra software and services accessible thought Dell Stage , including Facebook , Flickr , Shutterfly , CinemaNow , Hulu , Napster , RadioTime , noisey , Blio , and the Cozi family calendar . The Inspiron 14z has Intel WiDi software pre - loaded , although you will have to use your own track or WiDi adapter . There are several shortcut icons on the desktop , including eBay , My Identity Protection , and Play Games ( Wild tangent game ) . On the whole not too bad , but bloatware will make its presence known .