Mini Review: DELL XPS 14 laptop, the fraternal twin of the MacBook Pro

The good: The new Dell XPS 14 is solidly built and powerful. It’s also slim and attractive, especially for a laptop with an Intel Core i7 CPU and discrete graphics.
The bad: This is way heavier than any 14-inch laptop without an optical drive needs to be.
The bottom line: The flagship of Dell’s revamped laptop line, the XPS 14 is a worthy competitor to something like the MacBook Pro, and the two systems share a similar aesthetic. But Dell’s new Inspiron ultrabook is nearly as good, and a lot less expensive.
Specs
| Price as reviewed / Starting price | $1,499 / $1,099 |
| Processor | 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U |
| Memory | 4GB, 1333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 500GB 5,400rpm / 32GB SSD |
| Chipset | Intel HM77 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M / Intel HD 4000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 12.2 x 9.2 inches |
| Height | 0.8 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 14.0 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 4.7/5.7 pounds |
| Category | Midsize |
XPS 14 vs. Category Average
| Dell XPS 14 | Average for category [midsize] | |
|---|---|---|
| Video | HDMI, mini-DisplayPort | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone jack | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader | 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader, eSATA |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband |
| Optical drive | None | DVD burner |
Category: Computer & Laptop, Headlines, PC, Reviews



