Dell XPS M1330

Unlike the bulky, unattractive 12-inch Dell XPS m1210, the M1330 has clearly been built with an emphasis on good looks and clean lines, ditching the earlier model's cumbersome, rotating Web cam and thick chassis. The system is slightly wedge shaped, going from 0.87 inch in the front to 1.3 inches in the rear. At less than four pounds, it's one of the lightest 13-inch laptops we've seen--nearly a full pound lighter than the popular yet hefty 13-inch Apple MacBook, and a touch lighter than the 12-inch XPS M1210.

Compared with other recent 13-inch laptops, the Dell XPS M1330 performed as expected, closely matching the performance of the similarly configured Apple MacBook, and easily beating the Fujitsu's 13-inch AMD-based LifeBook S2210, thanks to the strength of Intel's Core 2 Duo processors and Centrino Duo platform. Hardware has evolved to the point where laptop performance comes only into play if a system is somehow working slower than it should be and as we'd expect for any recent Core 2 Duo laptop, the XPS M1330 is a speedy performer, even when running multiple apps such as iTunes, Word, and IE at the same time.

Tech Spec

General

• Platform Technology Intel Centrino Duo
• Built-in Devices Wireless LAN antenna
• Width 12.5 in
• Depth 9.4 in
• Height 1.3 in
• Weight 
• Screen type Widescreen
• Wireless capabilities  

Processor

• Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz
• Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
• 64-bit processor Yes  

Cache Memory

• Type L2 cache
• Cache size 2 MB

RAM

• Installed Size 4 GB / 4 GB (max)
• Technology DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz
• RAM configuration features 2 x 512 MB

Storage Controller

• Storage controller type Serial ATA

Storage

• Floppy Drive None
• Hard Drive 500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400
• Storage Removable None
• Hard drive type Portable

Optical Storage

• Type DVD?RW - Integrated

Optical Storage (2nd)

• 2nd optical storage type None

Card Reader

• Card reader type 8 in 1 card reader

Display

• Display Type 13.3 in TFT active matrix
• Max Resolution 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
• Widescreen Display Yes
• Features TrueLife

Video

• Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce 8400M
• Video Memory Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0 - 128 MB

Audio

• Audio output type Sound card
• Audio output compliant standards High Definition Audio

Notebook Camera

• Camera Type Integrated
• Notebook Camera / Sensor Resolution 2 Megapixel

Multimedia Functionality

• TV Tuner Type None

Input Device(s)

• Input device type Keyboard , Touchpad

Telecom

• Modem Fax / modem
• Max transfer rate 56 Kbps

Networking

• Networking Network adapter
• Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
• Wireless NIC Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
• Data link protocol Ethernet , IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Fast Ethernet
• Networking standards IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g

Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Slots Total (Free) Memory , 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/54
• Interfaces 2 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A , 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) , 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 , 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11 , 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) , 1 x Display / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A , Audio - Line-out/headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , Microphone - Input - Mini-phone mono 3.5 mm , Audio - Line-in - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm

Miscellaneous

• Features Camera

Power

• Power device form factor External

Battery

• Technology 4-cell Lithium ion
• Installed Qty 1
• Battery capacity 37 Wh
• CNET Labs battery drain test: DVD playback (min) 143

Operating System / Software

• OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
• Software Drivers & Utilities , Microsoft Works 8.0 , Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 , McAfee SecurityCenter (15 months subscription)

Manufacturer Warranty

• Service & Support 1 year warranty