Dell’s next-generation ultra-portable laptop has landed, and it’s very good indeed. Succeeding the Inspiron 710m, the XPS M1210 has been designed for the mobile professional, with a host of features and blistering performance. Made of highly durable magnesium alloy frame, and sporting a built-in 1.3-Megapixel Web camera and 3G connectivity (integrated mobile broadband antenna), the XPS M1210 is more than road ready.

The first thing you’ll notice about the XPS M1210 (Best Current Price: £899) is its sleek black-and-silver chassis - we’re sure Alienware’s influence has started to rub off. Sophisticated and stylish, its magnesium alloy materials deliver a light, durable and top-notch design, plus the full-size keyboard and responsive trackpad add convenience without compromising looks. Stylish blue-backlit volume and audio/video-playback controls sit on the front bezel and are easy to access.

The system also includes a gorgeous 12.1-inch widescreen (1280x800 pixels) display with TrueLife technology for deep blacks and rich colours. The display is also razor sharp, making it great for working with graphics or playing back DVD movies. The base model comes with an Intel Core Duo Processor T2300E (1.66GHz/667MHz FSB/2MB cache), although this can be upgraded to the top-of-the-line T2600 (2.16GHz/667MHz FSB/2MB cache).

The Intel 950 integrated GMA, which although has the advantage of saving on the battery life, is not the best solution. Our review model shipped with nVidia’s much more capable GeForce Go 7400 graphics adapter, which has 256MB of dedicated 667MHz DDR2 memory.

You also get 1GB of system memory (upgradeable to 4GB), 80GB 5400rpm SATA HDD (optional 120GB), integrated 5-in-1 media reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD), multi-format DVD burner (optional dual-layer DVD+R), S-Video out, 4-pin FireWire, four USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, VGA-out, ExpressCard slot and 1-Watt per channel stereo speakers. In fact, the range of features and connectivity options are among the best we’ve seen on an ultra-portable.

A neat feature we’re increasingly seeing on multimedia laptops is the dedicated instant-on feature for accessing your multimedia collection (videos, DVD movies, music or photo slideshows) stored on the HDD, optical drive, USB memory key or media card, without having to start Windows. By default, the button boots Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system. There’s also a dedicated Wi-Fi switch on the left side of the system for toggling the built-in 802.11a/g, which even operates as a Wi-Fi locator when the machine is off.

Front-mounted headphone and omni-directional microphone sockets are also present, and there’s two headphone jacks for sharing audio playback with a colleague or friend. The camera even swivels so that you can snap shots in front of or behind the laptop and record presentations with audio and video. Bundled software also supports face tracking, and you can even zoom into your face and alter brightness and saturation levels.

Dell’s easy-to-use Wi-Fi Catcher software can be used to find wireless networks and hotspots at the flip of a switch and easily connect using the XPS M1210’s built-in wireless networking card. The same switch lets you turn wireless functionality on or off instantly if you’re on an aeroplane, or want to conserve battery life on the go. For added mobile connectivity, included support for integrated Vodafone mobile broadband enables you to connect to the Web through Vodafone’s 3G network (subscription contract required).

Because the XPS M1210 is built using the latest in mobile technology, it offers the power and performance you need to get the most out of digital entertainment, as well as personal productivity. Video, DVDs, music, games and more - the M1210 is a complete entertainment solution in disguise. And, with two front-side headphone ports, you can share the entertainment experience anywhere.

The XPS M1210 is one of the best general ultra-portable laptops we’ve reviewed. Starting at about 2kg, it’s also a lightweight traveller that you can take virtually anywhere. But don’t let the size fool you - the XPS M1210 is a true high-performance PC offering dual-core performance and up to 8 hours of mobile use using the optional 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery. And it offers a feature set that’s a cut above that of most ultra-portables, which usually sacrifice some features for portability.

[9] - Editors’ Choice

[Best Laptop Pricing UK]
[Best Laptop Pricing US]

BIOS, Jul 10, 06 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Laptop