If cutting-edge tech is what you're after, consider the Dell XPS M1330, which performed near the top of its class. Our sub-5-pound test unit came with an extra-cost red lid, an optional LED-backlit display, and integrated mobile broadband. All of those trimmings add up, however: At $2179 (as of 9/12/07), a tricked-out M1330 is expensive.
Dell XPS M1330 Notebook - Customizable

- Spec Navigator
- Processor
- Memory
- Display
- Storage
- Battery
- Dimensions
- Other Features
- Networking
- Multimedia
- Software
- Interface Connections
- Included Devices
Processor
| Processor class | Core 2 Duo T7500 |
| Processor speed | 2200 MHz |
| Cache size | 2048 KB |
| Bus speed | 800 MHz |
Storage
| Total HD Size | 160 GB |
| Optical Drive Type | DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/-RAM |
| Optical Drive Speed | 2.4 |
| Removable Optical Drive | No |
| Slots |
|
| Number of Media Slots | 3 |
Networking
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Included network card | Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) |
| Modem Type | Not Included |
| Wireless LAN Type | 802.11n |
Multimedia
| Video chipset | nVidia GeForce Go 8400M GS |
| Installed video memory | 256 MB |
| Video integration | Integrated |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test Laptops »
Pros
Thin, wedge shape
Slot-fed optical drive
Cons
A little pricey
No modem and only two USB ports
Bottom Line
Weighing less than 5 pounds and jazzed up with a color lid and other features, this is a light and stylish portable.
Dell XPS M1330
XPS M1330 Notebook - Customizable Review, by Carla Thornton September 30, 2007
At a 4.7-pound minimum weight, the M1330 is one of the lightest 13.3-inch laptops I've seen. The design is satisfying overall. This complete overhaul of the 12-inch XPS M1210 has a bigger screen yet weighs less, and it's no taller than its predecessor because of new dropped hinges. One of the nicest features is its edge-to-edge keyboard; though the keys don't depress far, their large size makes typing comfortable. One heads-up: The M1330 lacks a modem port. While such an omission is not surprising on a notebook of this size, it's still something to be aware of.
Our test unit came with the optional, stunningly thin $200 LED-backlit screen. Even with the brightness cranked up, however, the 0.87-inch-thick screen was not as bright as the LED-backlit screens of other notebooks I've tested (such as the Toshiba Portege R400-S4931, Asus U1F, and Fujitsu LifeBook P7230), which enjoy a higher brightness specification (measured in nits).
The M1330, which has an HDMI port and a remote control, delivers a good multimedia experience for such a small notebook. The speakers are loud (though not stellar), and a bevy of buttons add convenience. You can use the Dell Media Direct button to bypass Windows and launch a movie or CD, and then use the backlit touch-sensitive controls to adjust the volume or change tracks. These controls are similar to the touch-sensitive control panel of HP Pavilion notebooks, but they have the added advantage of visual feedback in the form of a blue LED that briefly pulses around each selected area. A TV tuner and remote come in a $125 extra-cost kit. The slot-fed DVD drive, while more convenient than a tray, is as noisy as other slot-feds when accepting discs. Unfortunately, Dell gives no option for a Blu-ray Disc or HD DVD drive to take advantage of the high-definition, wide-screen display.
Performance, though, was superior. Equipped with a 2.2-GHz Core Duo T7500 chip and 2GB of RAM, our review machine produced a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 82, putting it in third place among all-purpose notebooks and on a par with other similarly configured systems. We saw very good results upgrading from the standard four-cell battery to a nine-cell unit. Though it accounts for half a pound of the laptop's weight (and $60 of our configuration's $2179 price), the better battery lasted 7 minutes shy of 5 hours--90 minutes longer than the category average.
The M1330 is available in black for $50 less than the Crimson Red version we tested. But if you want a thin and light notebook that makes a visual impression as strong as its performance, the flashy color will do the trick.
Carla Thornton
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- Rating Breakdown
-
80
-
71
-
83
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Laptops
80
71
70
54
Performance
| Adobe Photoshop CS2 | 477 |
| Autodesk 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 DirectX | 401 |
| Autodesk 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 Rendering | 743 |
| Battery Life (Video Playback in hh:mm) | 4:53:01 AM |
| Doom 3, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 50.9 |
| Far Cry, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 66.99 |
| Firefox 2 | 285 |
| Microsoft Office 2003 with SP-1 | 371 |
| Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9.0 | 253 |
| Multitasking | 390 |
| Nero 7 Ultra Edition | 946 |
| Number of Included Batteries | 1 |
| Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator 1.5 | 237 |
| Winzip Computing WinZip 10.0 | 398 |
| WorldBench 6 Score | 82 |
| WorldBench 6 Word Score | Good |
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