Dell XPS 12 Lap

Dell XPS 12 review :

A Windows 8 PC that can be used in a tablet mode? Those will come a dime a dozen this fall. But what's fascinating is how each PC maker has approached the challenge of mixing a touchscreen with a more traditional mouse-and-keyboard setup. For some OEMs, this means going the hybrid route, with 10- or 11-inch tablets that slot neatly into an optional keyboard dock. For others, it means a full-fledged PC with a slide-out touchscreen. And for a few, it means a laptop whose screen can fold down, leaving you with what can only be described as an oversized slate.
That's how we would describe the Dell XPS 12, a 12.5-inch notebook whose screen flips inside its hinge, allowing you to use the machine in tablet mode or, if you prefer, with the screen facing away from the keys. (Yes, Dell is giving this form factor a second try.) It starts at a relatively steep $1,200 but then again, this is a fairly premium machine we're talking about: it combines all the ingredients of an Ultrabook (lightweight build, Ivy Bridge processor and a solid-state drive) with a 400-nit, 1080p, Gorilla Glass touchscreen

Look and feel

If you thought Dell's other XPS Ultrabooks were pretty, you're going to like the XPS 12; it has the same overarching design as the XPS 13 and 14, save, of course, for that touchscreen and easel-like hinge. Once again, Dell decked the lid out in a lovely carbon fiber weave -- a design flourish that lets you know this is indeed a premium system. The palm rest and bottom side, meanwhile, have a pleasing, soft-touch finish that does a good job of repelling scratches and fingerprints. Underneath that soft, touchable layer is a magnesium alloy frame, which makes the entire machine feel rigid -- you won't notice any bending or flexing as you type on the keyboard or hold the PC in one hand.
Dell also makes use of some tasteful metal accents, including a band of aluminum around the keyboard deck. As with the other XPS Ultrabooks, there's even a metal door on the bottom side, hiding the Windows product key and any FCC certifications. The frame housing the display is also made of metal and feels reassuringly sturdy. What's more, the display snaps in and out of position with a comforting clicking sound, which should also inspire confidence in the build quality. To push the display out, you'll need to nudge it from either side, using your fingers. Presumably you don't mind fingerprints, otherwise you wouldn't be considering a touchscreen PC in the first place.

At 3.35 pounds, this feels heavy for a 12.5-inch laptop -- a common tradeoff with touchscreen machines. When it comes to carrying the machine around in your bag or around the house, that weight won't be an issue, though we did find that it's inconvenient to use in tablet mode for long stretches -- it's just too large and unwieldy. If you do use it as a tablet, you might appreciate it most when you're hanging out on the couch, and can rest the device against your legs. Ultimately, we'd say we were more likely to use the touchscreen in clamshell mode -- touching Live Tiles and other finger-friendly elements instead of using the trackpad.
Given all this, you might wonder why a complicated hinge design like this is even necessary. And yet, we can think of at least one benefit. Unlike, say, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, the XPS 12 doesn't leave the keys exposed while you're in tablet mode. That means if you're cradling it like a slate, you won't feel the keys against your fingers on the back side. (If you do choose the Yoga instead, there's an optional sleeve that covers the keyboard portion of the laptop, though this seems like a less elegant solution.)
Poke around the edges and you'll find a modest collection of ports: two USB 3.0 sockets (one with support for PowerShare and Windows debugging), a Mini DisplayPort, a 3.5mm headphone jack and dual speakers -- one on each side. There's a volume rocker for when you're using this thing as a tablet, though there are also dedicated volume and mute keys on the keyboard. Unfortunately, Dell omitted an SD card reader, as it did on the XPS 13. It's not that we would have wanted to augment the system's storage; it just would have been nice to offload photos and video from a memory card.

Communication

An Intel WLAN adapter ensures that the XPS 12 can connect to wireless networks of the 802.11a/b/g/n standards. The Centrino Advanced-N 6235 belongs to the high-end class and scores thanks to dual-band support (2.4 and 5 GHz) and multi-stream technology (2x2, up to 300 MB/s). The reach and connection stability of the wireless adapter gave us a good impression in the test.

The Advanced-N 6235 offers various other WLAN features (like the Intel Wireless Display) and also includes Bluetooth 4.0, which allows the test model to connect to various peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard and even Smartphones). Users would have been ecstatic if an integrated UMTS module was included, but Dell does not offer one.

The built-in webcam can take pictures and videos at a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. This is far too low for high-quality pictures/videos, but it is sufficient for Skype and similar programs. On the other hand, the recordings of the microphone are very clear.

Keyboard

We are familiar with the features of the black chiclet keyboard (US layout in our test model) as it is also installed in the XPS 13, and that is why we are going to keep this section short. The soft pressure point of the 15 x 15 mm keys, which are slightly concave, ensures fast typing, but does not provide appropriate feedback. In terms of quality, the test model can stand its own ground against any competitor: we did not find any weak spots or other flaws. The keyboard offers backlight (two levels) for working in the dark.

Touchpad

The Cypress Trackpad is also from the XPS 13. The touchpad measures 10 x 6.2 centimeters (3.9 x 2.4 inches). The precision should be improved further before the launch of the model, but various multi-touch gestures and the practical hand sensor already work perfectly. Two strong keys are placed below the touchpad and their feel and build quality earns them a "very good" rating.

Touchscreen and Tablet mode

Let us not forget the last input method: the touchscreen. It can be used in laptop and tablet mode, and in contrast to many business convertibles, the touchscreen of our test model can only be used with a finger (no pen in delivery). The necessary/recommended UI is pre-installed: Windows 8 with "Metro". Officially, Microsoft only refers to Metro as the "Windows-8-UI" nowadays, so as to make a clear distinction. However, we will stick with the old tag.

Thanks to big boxes and the simple interface, easy tasks, like playing videos or surfing on the web are very comfortable on the test model (like on an Apple or Android tablet). Internet Explorer (Metro) can scroll or zoom smoothly, even on large websites. In addition, switching between various tabs has been designed perfectly for tablet users. Browsers, media player and programs from other sources are started from the standard Aero surface and do not offer the same experience. That would require a special Metro App.

The touchscreen is fast and precise, and the picture is turned automatically when the laptop is tipped. Currently, it still takes one or two seconds, but the manufacturer should be able to reduce that period by the time the XPS 12 is released.

 

Display

The 12.5-inch display (diagonal) places our test model between the typical sizes of a tablet and an Ultrabook. The Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels) results in an extremely high pixel density of 176 dpi - a single pixel is hard to distinguish at this level. This also means that the user will need good eyesight to read symbols and characters clearly without increasing their size.

Performance

3.2 GHz - max Turbo speed

Windows 8 is the first Microsoft OS which will be released with x86/x64 and ARM versions. It has not been announced if existing Windows programs are compatible with an ARM chip - thus, Dell has equipped the XPS 12 with an Intel notebook CPU.

In our test, we had the best CPU available for this test model: the Core i7-3667U (currently the fastest ULV CPU with a 17 W TDP). This dual-core CPU is based on Ivy Bridge technology and is clocked at 2.0 GHz. Thanks to Turbo Boost 2.0, the CPU can reach up to 3.2 GHz (2 cores: 3.0 GHz). All the details about supported features like hyperthreading, AVX or AES-NI can be found in our databank. Warning: currently only the Core i5-3317U and Core i7-3517U will be available for this model.

The manufacturer has not installed a dedicated graphics card, which means that the HD Graphics 4000 IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) will take care of the graphics processing. The IGP will share the 4 MB L3 cache and DDR3 memory interface with the processor cores.

The model employs two 4 GB DDR3-1333 modules in dual-channel mode. All models of this series will also have a SSD drive, which, in this case, is 256 GB.

Processor

The times when the tag "ULV" meant low-power consumption are long gone. As long as the temperature emissions and power consumption allow it, the Core i7-3667U can run at the same level as a Core i5-3210M (a middle-class model with a 35 W TDP).

In the single-thread benchmarks, our model stays stable at the maximum 3.2 GHz and scores a great 5,607 points in Cinebench R10 (64-bit). The popular Core i5-3317U is left behind by about 25%.

When both cores are at load, the clock speed quickly drops from 3.0 GHz to around 2.4 GHz. We expect the manufacturer to correct the appropriate BIOS parameter by the launch of the XPS 12, and thus increase the score of 2.55 points in Cinebench R11.5. Whether connected to a power socket, or running on its battery, the XPS delivers the same performance.

Graphics Card

The user will have to accept some limitations when it comes to the GPU. The Intel IGPs are not known for their amazing 3D performance, and this is true for the HD Graphics 4000 as well (16 Execution Units, clock frequency of 350 to 1150 MHz).

In 3DMark 11, the IGP scores 596 points and can only compete with entry-level GPUs like the Radeon HD 6470M. A noticeable increase in performance is promised by the successor, the Haswell, which we expect in the second quarter of the coming year. The HD 4000 delivers enough performance for the demands of an everyday user. The IGP can decode and encode videos (Quick Sync) and applications can be accelerated with the OpenCL support.

Battery Life

As the XPS 13, the XPS 12 has a Lithium-Polymer battery with a maximum capacity of 47 Wh. The battery is integrated into the laptop and can only be removed after opening the notebook.

Windows 8 refuses to co-operate with Battery Eater and thus, we had to run a slightly different test. We ran the laptop in idle mode, with an empty desktop and the respective settings (minimum brightness, power-saver mode, all wireless modules off). This resulted in an excellent run time of 9 hours and 38 minutes.

A typical scenario is delineated by our WLAN script, which loads websites and HD videos every 40 seconds (at about 150 cd/m² and in power-saver mode). After 5 hours and 34 minutes the XPS 12 is empty. An iPad or Android tablet last far longer, but most of the Ultrabook competition is beaten.

The Battery Eater Classic test is replaced by 3DMark 06 in an infinite cycle (max brightness, high-performance mode, all wireless modules on). After 1 hour and 31 minutes, the battery is empty. Playing games on-the-go is possible, but we recommend having a power socket in the vicinity.

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