Dell XPS M1210 Home and Business - First Take
Though its higher-end (and high-performance) configurations are expensive, the Dell XPS M1210 should appeal to everyday users who want a relatively light but still full-featured Media Center computer.
The Dell XPS M1210 (like the Lenovo 3000 V100) has a bit of an identity crisis: at 4.4 pounds with a 12.1-inch wide-screen display, it's not an ultraportable or a thin-and-light but something in between. Adding to the crisis is the vast array of configurations available, with prices ranging from $1,300 to a whopping $5,784. Choose from Intel Core Duo processors in speeds of 1.66GHz and 2.16GHz; anywhere from one to four gigabytes of 667MHz RAM; 60GB to 100GB hard drives spinning at either 5,400rpm or 7,200rpm; an integrated Intel GMA 950 or a discrete Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated VRAM; and either a CD-RW/DVD combo drive or DVD burner. All XPS M1210s are equipped with 802.11a/g wireless, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, Ethernet, a 56Kbps modem, S-Video out, VGA out, component out, S/PDIF out, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader. WWAN from Verizon or Cingular, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, and Windows XP Media Center Edition are all optional.
Our XPS M1210 review unit cost $2,687 for a mix of high-end components: a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 1GB of fast 667MHz RAM; a blazing, 7,200rpm hard drive with 80GB capacity; and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated memory. Find out more in our full review of the Dell XPS M1210.