Dell XPS 13 review

The Dell XPS 13 ran for 4 hours and 52 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. That's not terrible, but far from what you'll need for a full day's work away from an outlet, and less than many ultrabook-style laptops give you. The current 13-inch MacBook Air ran for 6 hours and 46 minutes on the same test, and HP's excellent Folio 13 ran for an hour longer than the XPS 13.

As the XPS 13 hasn't landed on Dell's Web site as of this writing, we'll have to update the details on exact warranty options and upgrades when that information is available. On previous XPS laptops, Dell has offered a default one-year mail-in service warranty, and Dell's site offers 24-7 toll-free phone service and Web support, including documentation and software drivers that are easy to find.

The Dell XPS 13 misses a few things on the path to ultrabook greatness, but it also passes a very important test. Everyone in the office who has seen and picked it up has come away impressed, and that first impression at least shows that this system can cut through the crowded field of slim 13-inch laptops. With a better battery and screen, and a few other tweaks, it would be an easy go-to ultrabook recommendation.

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System configurations:

Dell XPS 13
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 3000; 128GB Samsung SSD

Asus UX31E-DH52
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB(Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 128GB SSD

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-2677M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 3000; 256GB JMicron 616 SSD

Acer Aspire S3-951-6646
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 128MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm + 20GB SSD

HP Folio 13
Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 3000; 128GB Samsung SSD

Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch (Summer 2011)
OS X 10.7 Lion; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 384MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 128GB Apple SSD