The Adamo was not a perfect computer. But it was striking, thoughtful and terrifically unique (a horrifyingly rare attribute for computers these days). Dell tried. That’s what counted. So I was hoping this XPS 15z would something special…er.
It’s not bad. Not for starting at $US1000. Some vitals: 15 inches, 2.5kg, 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M processor, NVIDIA GeForce GT525M graphics, 6GB RAM, 7200rpm HDD, optional 300-nit 1920×1080 display, aluminium and magnesium alloy body. Thinner than a MacBook Pro. (Except not?) This, you may realise, is pretty much expressly designed to be a MacBook Pro fighter/killer/punker, like that blonde nuclear dude with gnarly fingernails in Superman IV was to Superman.
To the reviews. Engadget says it’s not as well built as a MacBook Pro:
But let’s get this out of the way right now: though the XPS 15z most definitely looks like a MacBook Pro and sports similar materials, you’ll wind up disappointed if you’re expecting the same exacting attention to detail.
Laptop Mag hated the typing experience:
The rounded keys don’t have as much travel as we’d like. When we were typing it just felt too shallow. We like the fact that the keyboard is backlit, but when the backlighting is turned off, it’s hard to read the letters and numbers.
PC Mag on performance the non-removable battery:
Though it didn’t beat the 15-inch and XPS 15 in these tests, the 15z is still considered a very fast laptop… It lasted 6 hours 22 minutes in MobileMark 2007 tests, ahead of the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch.
Now let’s give that all a shake, and the combined Franken-verdict:
For hundreds upon hundreds of dollars less, Dell’s unleashed an attractive, powerful and definitely desirable Windows PC that can definitely give the MacBook Pro a run for its money in terms of thinness and looks, but when it tried to borrow the MacBook Pro’s flair, it picked up some of Apple’s failings along the way.
Is making an OK facsimile of a two-and-a-half-year-old computer design really a commendable thing, even done at nearly half the price? I don’t know. I wanted something more. Something to want again. [Engadget, PC Mag, Laptop Mag]
Image via Laptop Mag.