The cursor went where I wanted it to, and it registered all my clicks correctly. I haven’t met many Windows trackpads that I’ve liked, but the one on the XPS 13 is quite responsive and precise. The island-style keys are backlit and easy to press. Vjeran Pavic for Re/codeĭespite the compact size, the keyboard and touchpad didn’t feel small or cramped. Just be aware that it draws more power, and will affect battery life. You do get a big bump in screen resolution, though - up to 3,200 by 1,800 pixels. There are touchscreen models of the XPS 13, but it will cost you - between $1,300 and $1,900. It would be nice if the XPS 13 came standard with a touchscreen, since the Windows 8.1 operating system is optimized for use on a touch display. It was bright and sharp enough for working on documents and watching movies. The model I reviewed features a 1,920 by 1,080-pixel non-touch display. Trust me when I say that this does not make for a very flattering view on video calls (hello, double chins!). The one downside of that, though, is that the webcam is now located in an odd spot in the lower left-hand corner. Compared to the MacBook Air, which has a 0.75-inch bezel, the XPS 13 has a 0.2-inch frame. Vjeran Pavic for Re/codeĭell was able to pull this off by reducing the size of the bezel around the screen. I never thought of my MacBook Air as particularly “big,” but after using the XPS 13 for a few days, it looked and felt gargantuan. At 7.88 inches tall by 11.98 inches wide and 0.6-inch thick, it’s about 23 percent smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air. Right away, I was struck by the XPS 13’s design. I have no hesitation recommending the XPS 13.

I’ve been using it as my primary laptop for the past week, and I’ve been very happy with it. It’s also fast, and has amazing battery life. Starting at $800, the Dell XPS 13 manages to pack a 13-inch display into the body of an 11-inch laptop, making it even more compact than the 13-inch MacBook Air. Now Dell has come along with a very worthy competitor. Thin, light, with a long-lasting battery, it’s the perfect everyday laptop. I don’t want to start a PC versus Mac fangirl war here, but when it comes to ultraportable laptops, the Apple MacBook Air has been pretty hard to beat.

Is dell a mac or a pc