Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook

A few years ago Dell built some of the best notebooks in the market. The D-series notebooks were solid business machines which could rivaled or bested Lenovo's Thinkpads. The Dell XPS were on the cutting edge of notebook design and performance. And then, there were the amazing Dell Adamo laptops. But something happened along the way, and the Dell brand started to become stale and boring. That is about to change. With the new Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook, Dell is back.

The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook has a 13.3-inch display, like most other of the new Intel powered Utlrabooks. Let's get three things out of the way. The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook does not have a 1600 x 900 high resolution display like the Asus  Zenbook, but a more typical 1366 x 768 display. It also does not have a SD Card reader, unlike most of its competitors. Last, it has a mini display port instead of a more convenient HDMI port. If you can get past those three things, it may be the best Ultrabook for you.

Size. The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook is a 13.3-inch laptop in the frame of a 12.5-inch laptop. Combined with a typical weight of of 2.99 pounds, we think this makes the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook the most portable of the bunch.

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook -12.4 x 8.1 x 0.71 inches

Asus Zenbook UX31 - 13.3 x 8.9 x 0.73 inches 

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s - 12.8 x 8.5 x 0.59 inches

13-inch MacBook Air - 12.8 x 8.95 x 0.68 inches

Dell achieve the size reduction by putting a slimmer bezel around the display.

Materials. Most Ultrabooks have aped Apple's design for the MacBook Air and in so doing adopted it flaws. The all Aluminum look may be sexy, but it is easily scratched. Ever wonder my there are so many notebook protection skins and cases being sold at Apple stores? Well that is why. The aluminum palm rests also discolor over time and can get chilly when being used in a cold environment. Dell decided to use magnesium  for the palm rest and trackpad, which feels much more comfortable than the aluminum we see most Ultrabooks sporting these days. The remainder of laptop is built with aluminum and magnesium alloy.

Also there is no need to get a screen protector for the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook . The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. In terms of the premium quality of the materials used to build this laptop, it is second to none. 

Basic specifications. The based model comes with the following specifications:

Processor - Intel Core i5-2467M (1.6 GHz with Turbo Boost to 2.3 GHz)

Graphics - Intel HD 3000

RAM - 4 GB

Storage - 128 GB SSD

Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium

Keyboard - Backlit

Webcam - Yes

USB 3.0 - Yes

Price: Php59,990

Two upgraded models are available.

256 GB SSD - Php71,990

256 GB SSD plus Core i7-2367M - Php79,990