Dell XPS 13

It is not the MacBook Air clone. Sure, the Dell XPS 13 ($ 999.99 direct) is compared to the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($ 1,299 direct, 4 stars), because all 13.3-inch Ultrabooks are. But instead of building just another thin aluminum wedge, Dell has lavished design and, dare we say it, craftsmanship Intel's ultrabook concept. The result will be situated in the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s ($ 1,495 direct, 4 stars) and the Editors' Choice HP Folio 13 ($ 1,048.99 direct, 4 stars) as a status symbol in this category. And if you can forgive its very economical port selection, really? Not even a memory-card slot?-It may be the most captivating much.

0.7 by 12.4 by 8.1 inches ( HWD ) , the XPS 13 is one of the most compact Ultrabooks - According to Dell , 14 percent smaller in volume than the MacBook Air 13 - inch . Surely the 2.96 - pound portable would not be a burden to your briefcase . Like most Ultrabooks , the Dell XPS 13 is the plain and fancy configuration . The $ 999.99 base model tested here includes a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid - state drive , along with 4GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium . Stepping up to $ 1499.99 version gets you a 1.7GHz Core i7 chip and a 256GB SSD .

Design
The Stealth bomber like it had a lot of high - tech materials as the XPS 13 . The top cover and a ring around the base is machined aluminum , while the base itself is carbon fiber composite . The palm rest is magnesium alloy with soft - touch paint . Finally , the 13.3 - inch display virtually bezel - free range with edge -to - edge Gorilla Glass adds strength and looks gorgeous (think of the best smartphone or tablet screen you see ) .

The overall effect is stunning , from the silver aluminum cover metal plate with etched logo under Windows and Intel ( no sticker on the palm rest ! ) . It is also stable , with virtually no screen flexing and no vibration during typing . Our only complaint is that , when closed , there is almost no projection or screen edge to grip , making the Dell hard to open .

The screen settles for 1366 by 768 resolution that included baseline Netbook , missing the chance to impress us with 1440 by 900 or 1600 MacBook Air by Asus Zenbook UX31 900 - RSL8 ( $ 1,049 list , 4 star ) . Its viewing angle is slightly narrower : one or two times we find ourselves wishing that we can tilt the screen back a fraction more . On the positive side , the color display is bright and it is so bright ; Dell 300 nits advertising but we would have guessed more , you can turn on the backlight fully half down , not just one or two notch , nothing getting dirty .

The screen mesh - satisfactorily matched by a finger - friendly keyboard , with slightly scalloped keys and a precise , slightly clicky design that avoids too - shallow Ultrabooks to feel some type . Missing keyboard dedicated Home , End , PgUp , and PgDn keys (they are doubled up on the cursor arrows ) and the rarely used keys , context menus , but provides a bright LED backlight for typing dim environment . The large touchpad works well : its lower left and right corners serve as a good tactile mouse buttons .