Both camps have their undeniable proof of why you need to adhere to a particular ecosystem. But in 2015, it appears in the Windows fans the argument against which to say it does not work – it is a new laptop Dell XPS 13 review 2015. On paper, of course, argue there is nothing, as their “perfect” computer “merge” on all fronts. But are all as good as it looks in the photos and how to assert that marketers?

Specifications

Modifications of this unusual notebook are not very much, but choose a few. To reach us with a touch screen version of the resolution 3200h1800 pixels processor Intel Core i7-5500U (2,4 GHz), 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD. The numbers, of course, decent, but if you look at the cost of the equipment, the price tag is far more impressive than the performance. From here, too, filling the rest is more or less typical of the class.

At the Dell XPS 13 review, there are simpler equipment: Intel Core i5-5200U (2,2 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD and a non-touch screen display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. The simplest (and cheapest) version with the Core i3 to us for some reason decided not to deliver. Apparently, too cheap it turned out, in the local markets is not buying.

It can be long and tedious to list the features of work used in the Dell XPS 13 review processor power consumption (this follows from the notation «U» in marks), or choosing a Samsung PM851 as the SSD, but as of now we are not talking about a gaming laptop, but about the ultra compact a decision that created not for bragging rights in the results of the Benchmarks, let us confine ourselves to saying everything works. We have in our hands a laptop that easily crosses the mark of $ 1,000, which is still needed Bench brand?

I want to immediately make a reservation, that this laptop (like most others, especially with the 13-inch screen) is not designed for gaming, although “time-tested” and most demanding projects cope fine. Do not expect that Mafia 3 at the highest settings here will fly (when released), but I do not think that gaming devices aimed at people will choose this gadget.

Appearance Dell XPS 13 review

The most impressive moment in this notebook is the stage where you just open the box – knowing what’s waiting for you 13-inch laptop, it seems that you cheated. Can not a gadget with a screen size to get into this tiny box! But opening it, you know – that’s what I paid for that kind of money.

Before opening the gadget, let’s go through his appearance. The first thing we see – an aluminum cover of the unit on which the logo of the manufacturer of glossy plastic. Cover this quite easily soiled, but not stronger than aluminum, any other device. At the touch of exactly this material gives a feeling of security. Aluminum can be found at the bottom of the laptop, where the rubber bumpers, legs and blowing hot air zone.

As with the faces (rubberized, for a moment)? On the left is a connector for connecting the power cable, Mini DisplayPort, full sized USB 3.0 port and a combined headphone and microphone jacks (3.5 mm). Also, there is a battery status indicator and speaker. On the right, we find the second speaker, a key port for Kensington, another USB and card reader. This hole in the usefulness of a laptop to an end.

Opening the laptop Dell XPS 13 review, spend a few minutes looking at its screen. But we’ll discuss this later, but let’s say that the width of its scope from three sides is only 5.2 mm! But what else do we see here, it’s a keyboard with full sized keys, a touchpad (which we will discuss later, too) and carbon with soft-touch finish to coat the bottom half of the notebook.

The choice of carbon fiber, it seems to me on the long experience of using all-aluminum Mac, plus an additional device. If the palms are sweating slightly, the hand does not slip on the surface, and this material is pleasant tactile aluminum, not speaking about the first effect of perception, but of service. Boredom black disperses well-marked weave carbon fiber.

Assembling the Dell XPS 13 review does not cause any problems: all the elements fit perfectly, no annoying gaps anywhere or loose parts. By the way, the combination of silver aluminum and black elements it looks good for this account. MacBook cool look not so much because of the metal, but because Unibody-body. In the case of the Dell XPS 13, of course, no question of a single piece of material is not, but a perfect fit parts negates this advantage a laptop from Apple.

Screen – Dell XPS 13 review

Okay, enough of the lyrics! The most important element of the Dell XPS 13 review – is its screen. Let’s start with the most interesting: its “frameless”. If we put aside all conventions, is to be named “frameless” it is safe. Yes, the field in polls anti metre is, they are visible. But we notice them only because they are spoiled by modern smartphones. In the case of laptops, given the area of the 13-inch display, they are no more, and against the backdrop of competitive solutions, they can simply be ignored (but the stock to “more frameless” laptop from Dell is).

About the display itself to say something bad will not work: there is excellent color reproduction, as well as its contrast. Initially the screen much “cold”, but after a little tweaking parameters color everything was just fine. Perhaps the only complaint I can think of is how the lighting of pixels: in assessing the viewing angle luminance significantly drop in distant parts of the screen. The image quality is not affected, and it is a critical angle close to 140 degrees – this defect was not detected during the operation, namely in “dry” evaluation.

But the sunscreen is much glare. The maximum brightness is, of course, helps to partially compensate for this deficiency, but additional anti-reflection coating to such a compact device, which is everywhere and want to carry, would not hurt.

By the way, the default Dell XPS 13 review is exposed zooming interface 250% (not surprising, given its permission). I “moved” at the option of 200%, as used to work with a small interface. But to use the native resolution (pixels 3200h1800) simply will not work – the letters are simply unreadable, and controls themselves are about the size of one pixel. Why use a much greater pixel density, absolutely incomprehensible to me personally.

The screen then touch and that too is beyond my comprehension. Dell XPS 13 review is a classic representative of the class of laptops: the display is detachable from the keyboard, sophisticated design for turning the screen into a tablet format here, too, is not provided. Interface ModernUI, of course, is much more convenient to use in touch mode, but why should it go to a traditional laptop at all? Yet because of this manufacturer had to make a very stiff joints – open the laptop with one hand it is impossible in principle. In addition, fingerprints spoil the impression of a very good screen. It is better to use proven keyboard and touchpad.

The keyboard, touchpad – Dell XPS 13 review

Against the background of the thin side and upper frames display a sharp dissonance is much lower field below the screen that looks like a vestige, but its height is not due to a lag in technology and elementary ergonomics: so engineers were able to increase the area of housing, and instead of a full sized keyboard and wide enough , although low touchpad, and, in general, make convenient layout of all controls. Venues on the sides of the touchpad to where the palms, then you can call conventionally comfortable – my hands are medium sized and comfortable accommodation provides no reserve places for hands. Just on the edge, but still comfortable.

Despite its compact body, managed to equip the Dell laptop and keyboard unit with the standard letter keys. For this, it was necessary to sacrifice a little extreme length of the left and right rows, but the usability of such a decision had no effect. Typing on a laptop comfortable buttons themselves are fixed firmly in place, do not hang out and do not rattle when shaking. Their progress through the use of traditional construction is a standard that is fine because the user does not have to get used to. Moreover, the Dell XPS 13 review will likely act as a mobile station and the user’s environment will certainly be a computer with a traditional keyboard, so switching from one gadget to another will not cause discomfort.

But the touchpad, despite its decent size and soft-touch coating is a mixed feeling. Case In Windows – scroll sensitivity is markedly different from application to application, and with gestures everything is not as good as that of a rival operating system. Even in the “native» Microsoft Edge and “Explorer” no identity in the behavior. But here it is convenient to control the cursor. Perhaps the touchpad lacks height – finger often rests on the brink, but it costs a compact housing.

Dimensions – Dell XPS 13 review

This notebook is personally my delights because of its size. To be clear, I’m talking about, look at the wonderful pictures as long as the Dell XPS 13 review is less than or larger than its famous competitors:

It is the smallest 13-inch laptop that I have ever seen. The effect is incredible. After two days of work for him, I opened a 15-inch laptop and felt like both desk is top. For small size Dell XPS 13 review you get used instantly.

But what about the weight and thickness? I do not know why suddenly all manufacturers have decided to begin to fight for the most subtle laptops body, as for me, all the decisions up to 2 cm have a right to life and may well be called compact. In the case of the Dell XPS 13 review we have the usual triangular cross-section of 9 mm at the thinnest point, and up to 15 mm at the site of attachment to the body of the display. This thickness does not cause any discomfort during the operation and contrive the deployment battery engineers did not have to.

The weight of the laptop is 1.26 kg, which in my mind is on the level of comfort. Frankly, I would gladly give preference to more lightweight devices, but with the Dell XPS 13 review we get a great 13-inch screen, powerful processor, and adequate autonomy. So – a relatively large mass – is a necessary measure. Incidentally, a version with a non-touch screen a little easier (1.18 kg), and the battery life she should be increased because of the display with a resolution of Full HD.

Autonomy

In the “typewriter” (LibreOffice, a couple of pages in the browser, included three messenger) laptop runs at an average of about 6.5 hours. If you run resource-intensive programs (graphics, simple video editor or something comparable), we get 3-3.5 hours autonomy. Not a bad result, considering the compact size of Dell XPS 13 review.

Watching movies on the road here is not forbidden – I have a laptop lived 5.5 hours at a luminance level of 70% and 30% of the volume (regular speakers are very loud), incorporated Wi-Fi and Telegram in the background. I watched the video itself in the resolution of Full HD, Playback is through the regular player. I think that with such results Dell XPS 13 can easily take on the road.

The dynamics of the discharge in sleep mode for a short period of testing is difficult to assess, but at night sleep with a Windows 10 laptop lost 2% battery power (consider the energy cost of recovery from sleep mode). This is a very good result, so I have not much worried about the battery level after the laptop will lie in this state three or four days.

Gently remind you that in our area the most simple configuration of Dell XPS 13 review is not officially sold, and affordable model in the minimum configuration above the estimated $ 1,000. And it is this price tag made me expect something more when it touched parts.

Remember when I talked about a great assembly and different materials? All of this is still there. But you see, as there are fixed screws! Really it was impossible to make a recess in the housing coincident with the size of the screw head?

Laptop keyboard is pleasant to work, there is a built-in backlight key (and let each manufacturer will receive from me a virtual slap for notebooks without it) with two levels of brightness. Why not make a customizable level of brightness? It’s just a lamp!

I also did not like the transparency of themselves notation keys: When working in darkness with a faint illumination of the screen when the light from the display almost gets on the keyboard, we must save the glitters. In fact, we do not look at the keyboard exactly perpendicular, and therefore out of the keys (they are slightly raised above the ground, as in other laptops) emanates an aura of light, so strong that I have to strain your eyes in an attempt to see the button – the letters almost are seen as they shine much weaker.

The latest claim to the keyboard I will be applying Cyrillic characters. With the arrangement of the layout and everything is fine. But why it was impossible to put the letters in the same font as the English?

I was also concerned about the question of why in the Dell XPS 13 review uses Mini DisplayPort, instead of Thunderbolt? The laptop is not cheap, and therefore not the most popular, but it is currently interchangeable and much more advanced standard and can be applied. Moreover, this notebook is a compact, yet powerful enough to satisfy the needs of most users as a home PC. Only the hub should be connected, of which there is a wide range of Thunderbolt. Here are a couple of examples that can be connected to the notebook with a single cable (I use Belkin, if that):

But not all as bad as it might seem on the last three paragraphs. The Dell did not have to drop some useful detail and integrated into the housing indicator of battery discharge on the side of the face. You press the button and tight on the number of light bulbs you know how things are going. The laptop while it is not necessary to include.

Of course, the way to save a few tens of seconds – even more so elegant – allows the notebook to work out a price in the eyes of the consumer. And the panel (in the best sense of the word) the bottom of the laptop, which is hidden under the device information, I can only be happy. The famous attention to detail!

Generally, it designs in the Dell XPS 13 review is positioned with its top-end segment of gadgets, where engineers “bother” of any, even the most insignificant occasion. The only exception is the location of the front camera – in the lower left corner. The fact that the source of this angle does not see my face is normal, but more looking at the chin. One lady, try out the web camera in this gadget was dissatisfied with “the increase in the noise” in the picture, although I did not notice it, to be perfectly honest. But the word women in matters of its appearance, as you know, is crucial, so I did not argue.

Findings – Dell XPS 13 review

Mighty is a laptop Dell XPS 13 review with an excellent full-size keyboard, touchpad, and good excellent display. There is everything you could wish for from a compact notebook: the minimum size and weight, a decent, though not the best in its class autonomy, good performance (not your browser + typewriter, as is the case with the devices on the Intel Core M).

There are an apparatus and wow-effect that creates almost no frame around the display. In the picture (if qualitative) just failed, and a very high resolution makes viewing photos in an act of admirable talent as a photographer, as well as by the Dell XPS 13 review.

Yes, the notebook has a number of minor flaws, which can draw attention, but they are not essential if you do not think, just enjoy the main advantages of the device.

Frames Dell XPS 13 review and MacBook Pro Retina 15″: not just noticeable difference – it is huge

With this gadget in the personal technology park, you can even mock “Yabloko”. Yes, Dell designers is not as attentive to detail as Johnny Ive in his white room in Cupertino and on the autonomy of the laptop with a display resolution pixels 3200h1800 clearly losing MacBook Pro Retina 13 (the closest competitor to the world of Apple). But Dell XPS 13 considerably smaller, almost 20% lighter, and its “frameless” display adds to the feeling that you possess a laptop from the future.

Needless to Dell XPS 13 review for money? Yes, especially in the simplest configuration, which will work even longer (due to the lower resolution display, and not such a powerful processor). Did I buy it myself? No, I’m not ready to get back on Windows, despite the fact that “ten” I liked it. But looking round this gadget, I understand that this is what would have to look like a series of flagship MacBook Pro Retina in 2015, only in aluminum housing and with the same Apple’s attention to detail.

Source: Dell, engadget

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The emergence of a new model of laptop ASUS ZenBook UX305F proves that cheaper is not always to be accompanied by a decrease in quality cuts of functionality and other compromises. The best budget ultrabook 2015 ZenBook UX305F concerns just one of those notebooks in which, and the build quality and specification, and price worthy of all praise.

Why is best budget ultrabook 2015?

We note first of all explicitly the budget price, which is only $ 699. For best budget ultrabook 2015 is very good, because most ultrabooks offered for the money, clearly inferior ASUS computer in the classroom. It is thick and clumsy “bricks”, equipped with hard drives sluggish. Windows loaded on them very slowly, and the screen is noticeable every pixel.

One look at ZenBook enough to understand: no question of the heavy-weight laptop which its creators have tried to conceal a ultrabook, in this case, does not go. Before us is not some cheap plastic, and solid and sturdy aluminum coating. According to the ASUS, ZenBook body is made of aluminum, 0.5 mm thick, making it one of the thinnest products with a screen having a diagonal of 13.3 inches. The thickness of the shell model Dell XPS 13, 2015 is 18 mm. The original Ultrabook Apple MacBook Air 11 boasts a thickness of 16.8 mm. And ASUS? Total of 13 mm!

Inside, you will not find any Celeron, or Pentium, or similar cheaper SoC Bay Trail, created based on Atom. Instead, ASUS engineers decided to place here the processor’s low-power Intel Core M 5Y10. It is based on the architecture Broadwell, but the possibility of Core M limited, and it consumes about a third of the volume of electricity it takes to power Core i5 or Core i7 Broadwell.

As a result, best budget ultrabook 2015 – ZenBook dispenses with fans, and very quiet. According to the developers, to protect the processor and internal components from overheating, it uses design IceCool, created on the basis of an alloy of chromium and copper. Probably, the internal components are really protected, but outside of a computer, it seemed to me quite hot. After performing the test within an hour to perform the encoding procedure, I fixed thermal pattern back and front of ZenBook. The temperature was at 49 and 48 degrees respectively. A similar model HP EliteBook, equipped with the less powerful processor Core M, heated to about 10 degrees less.

After hours of programs coding housing fanless computer, best budget ultrabook 2015 ZenBook UX305F warmed up very significantly.

On the test bench

The best budget ultrabook 2015 – ZenBook became the second portable computer with a processor Core M, with whom I happened to meet. For ultra PC performance is not as important as for gaming desktop computers or workstations but nevertheless is certainly worth measuring.

The first thing I compared the results of the CPU Core M test PC Mark 8 simulating workloads, the results demonstrated by computers Dell XPS 13, 2015 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. To say this is nothing special. The test focused on the implementation of simple, routine office procedures, and the required level of performance is achieved fairly quickly. Immediately it becomes clear that for interactive work with Microsoft Word or Excel eight-overclocked Core i7 is not needed.

After that, I went to the coding tasks. MKV file size of 30 GB using HandBrake has been recorded in a format suitable for viewing on the tablet Android. For laptops, this is a pretty decent load, but something out of the ordinary it can not be called.

Despite the fact that a powerful processor for office tasks are not required, it is easy to note that the dual-core Core i5 chip with a much higher level of energy consumption and an increased clock frequency has a distinct advantage here. We consume up to two-thirds less power dual-core Core M 5Y10 just do not have the computing power to keep up with him. Nevertheless, the result is also quite acceptable. The absence of high processing power is not a deterrent if you do not constantly have to solve problems that require intensive computation. Otherwise, it makes sense to pay for a Core i7. But most people are significant differences between the Core i7 and Core M in their daily activities will not notice.

Graphics performance

Core M processor consumes little power and emits little heat. The performance he is ahead of Atom, Celeron, and Pentium, but lags well behind consumes three times more energy Core i5. When the test coding HandBrake and graphic test 3DMark Cloud Gate it became obvious. The performance you will lose a lot. Even i5 integrated graphics does not allow to play the game, placing increased demands on hardware resources, with an acceptable frame rate, and Core M in this sense is further away from the ideal. Its integrated graphics is approximately at the level of the old HD4000 processor Ivy Bridge.

Battery life

One of the most important, perhaps, the characteristics of the laptop is the duration of his continuous battery life. Run on ZenBook MobileMark 2014 test, I compared its results with the results demonstrated Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and two models of Dell XPS 13.

MobileMark 2014 test checks the computer to perform popular applications like Office and Photoshop, simulating a typical work session. It simulates the real activity of the user who receives e-mail and then read it in about five minutes. About a man who, as the machine for eight hours continuously pounding on the keys, speech is not going.

Computer Zenbook, equipped with a battery capacity of 45 watt-hour Core M processor with low power consumption, when running on the battery lasted 638 minutes. Dell XPS 13 laptop with a battery capacity of 2,015 52-watt-hour display with higher resolution gave him a bit with a score of 602 minutes. I found time to perform the test on a computer Dell XPS 13, 2015, equipped with RAM capacity of 4 GB SSD of 128 GB and a screen with a resolution of 1920 x1080 pixels. With a price of $ 799. It can be considered a direct competitor ZenBook. By reducing the screen resolution and the lack of touch interface uptime Dell XPS 13 has increased to 728 minutes.

Old computer ThinkPad X1 Carbon in 2014, equipped with a battery capacity of 46 watt-hour, worked for 431 minute, showing the worst result. Soon there should be an updated version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Perhaps she could return the lost positions.

No savings

Returning to the physical characteristics ZenBook, I must say that I was expecting less. Save could be, for example, on the screen, to a cheap TN panel of mediocre quality. However, ASUS uses IPS screen with a diagonal of 13.3 inches, a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and anti-glare. It is also proposed version with a screen having a resolution of 3200×1800 pixels. The display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels looks very good, no color distortion, I have not noticed. The manufacturer declares the brightness level of 300 nits, but our device recorded 340. In a dark room at the maximum brightness level, much leakage of light through the cracks, as in normal installations no adverse effects are observed.

Low-cost solutions I expect to see in the storage subsystem. The manufacturer could install a computer disk or a hybrid drive with an obsolete interface mSATA. However, the laptop, to my surprise, was equipped with a solid state drive M.2 SATA 256 GB. I repeat once again: SSD 256 GB. It is unlikely that for this price you will be able to see this anywhere else. And the point.

Despite the low price trade-offs in the model UX305 is not too much.

Not a bad keyboard

The keyboard also turned out to be quite good. One of my complaints about the model Dell XPS 13, 2015 was related just to unnecessarily keyboard keys and small size of 14,7 x 14,7 mm. The keys best budget ultrabook 2015 ZenBook is 16.2 mm in width and 14.7 mm in length. Perhaps someone does not matter, but it should be noted that the keys ZenBook I got more accurate, although they seemed to me enough elastic. If very much to find fault, it may be noted also the lack of lighting, but after the sight I get a price tag of $ 699. All these claims instantly disappear.

The trackpad is made in the style of ASUS. Personally for me, the benchmark is the trackpad Google Chromebook Pixel. At ASUS trackpad to the level of Pixel does not hold, metal felt, but he made quite an acceptable level, and false alarms in case of accidental touching his hand there is also not observed.

What else can I complain? Probably on the wireless interface. The computer is equipped with a dual-band adapter ASUS 802.11n. 802.11ac standard is not supported. However, for most users, it does not matter, and they are, perhaps, instead of 802.11ac adapter would prefer to have an increased amount of RAM or storage subsystem.

The best offer for today

We see that the market is undergoing serious ultrabook price shifts. The appearance of the model Dell XPS 13, 2015 for $ 800. Was a major step forward, although the users had to sacrifice the memory and storage subsystem. The same thing we see with computer Apple MacBook Air 11, which is equipped with a small screen and low resolution as the model Dell, has 4 GB of RAM and storage subsystem capacity of only 128GB.

The best budget ultrabook 2015 – model ZenBook cost $ 699. Sets a new standard for ultrabooks cost expectations. By equipping I would not even attribute it to the category of low-priced ultrabooks. But, probably, it’s still not that ZenBook sold too cheaply, and that other manufacturers were inflating prices.

Source: Asus

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The coming year, many IT-analysts call the “year of the revival of laptops.” We believe, however, that they did not die to be reborn. Progress goes on, and trends in 2015 reflect the main trends in the segment. About them today and we’ll talk, but also show a number of interesting new products.

As it happens at the beginning of each year, a variety of manufacturers show that they are going to release this year, at the January CES show in Las Vegas. However, someone rips off the veils, without even waiting for the cherished date. And tell about those and other pro – or rather, what is the most interesting notebooks waiting for their customers in the coming year.

Intel’s new platform

But first we must say about the new platform Broadwell – namely its Intel showed at the last exhibition month ago. The main advantages of the fifth generation of processors Intel Core, made on 14-nanometer process technology, compared to the 22-nm generation Haswell, consist in higher performance at a smaller size and heat dissipation. This is especially true three-dimensional graphics – promised to increase by as much as 22%. Intel has also assured that the device will Broadwell to wake up much in nine (!) Times faster than Haswell, and to work on a single charge device itself will be up to 30% longer. According to statistics, there are about 600 million computers (both desktops and laptops) that have not been updated for at least the last four years, and advanced machine with Broadwell they should be a worthy replacement.

However, the platform platform, but also the more obvious advantages of the new generation of technology should be. Trends in the latest generation of laptops loom quite clear: reducing the area occupied by the component (frameless screen at least) more slim, yet lighter weight (although it would seem, much less) – in general, no surprises, but nice, fast and convenient . Meant to be.

Acer Chromebook 15

The new “Chromebooks” from Acer is interesting in several respects. Firstly, Acer Chromebooks released in the form factor of traditional notebook – screen size is 15.6 inches trends. As you know, laptops Chrome OS occupies a specific niche: they were the governors of netbooks on ultra price that justifies and content. It refers to the free cloud OS, cloud storage for data, small hardware capacity hard disk (usually, SSD), etc. Acer Chromebook 15 takes up new horizons: first of all, it Full-HD-display with IPS-matrix, but there will be less expensive version with HD-screens. Then – of course, the new generation of processors Intel Core i3 or Celeron family Broadwell. RAM had 2 or 4 gigabytes, 16 or 32 GB of internal (SSD-drive) and 100 GB of cloud storage. Booting the system takes just 7 seconds thanks to speed the OS and SSD-drives.

In addition to the good technical components in a given Chromebooks and the case itself is not bad – stated that it can withstand a fall from a height of 45 cm on the ground, it is possible to put the weight up to 60 pounds (that is, the girl at him quite easily fit). In this case, no special protections it has no Chromebooks: the case of the ordinary, though durable plastic mat and he does not look cheap. However, with the size and weight could not take records as diagonal (yes, it’s Chromebooks with the largest screen sizes today): laptop weighs 2.2 kilograms at a thickness of 24.2 mm. The price will be less than 300 euros per unit.

ASUS Transformer Book Chi T300

Sequel “Transformers” from ASUS at CES gained a new breath, and can rightly be called today “the world’s thinnest 12.5-inch tablet with a keyboard plug-in” (as say the developers). Of course, it will take some time, and this title will be intercepted by someone else (even 0.1 mm), but so far this title – for the ASUS Transformer Book Chi T300, flatbed portion of which has a thickness of only 7.3 mm, along with the keyboard -14.3 mm, even by the standards of ultrabooks very, very little.

Other key points – display resolution, which is 2560h1440 pixels and support for 4G LTE. Of course, will be used the Intel Core generation Broadwell, in transformer set up to 8GB of RAM, up to 128 GB of internal memory, there is a front HD-camera, as the operating system supports Windows 8.1. There is also a younger version with Full-HD-TV.

It is curious that this hybrid was introduced more than six months ago, with the platform to speak of the previous generation; at CES, however, the announcement made it clear that the generation is still new.

Dell XPS 13

The first thing that attracts attention in this laptop – the screen. It is made in accordance with the latest trends, frameless. Formally, the frame still is – but it is modest thickness 5.2 mm, and it will fit a touch (all models except the youngest) 13.3-inch screen (with a resolution of Full-HD in the younger version and QHD + – in the older ie 3200h1800 pixels) into the 12-inch netbook (and some even talking about the 11-inch – that, too, can easily be compared with extra-models). A comparison will be, by the way, is not in favor of MacBook Air, the scope of which is three times wider. But funny that a narrow frame opened drawback of this design: there is no place to put a webcam, which is traditionally located above the screen. Therefore, the XPS 13 it stuck in the lower left corner, which is bound to affect the convenience of communication. However, no one bothers to buy a high-quality external “Webcam”.

Weight of 1.2 kilograms of news, which is acceptable, but can not be called a record. Rather, it is the norm for a 13-inch screen, except for MacBook Air, which is heavier by 23%. Although he is heavier than the XPS 13 HP EliteBook 102 (1.22 kg) and the Lenovo Yoga 3 (1.18). The body is an alloy of aluminum and carbon fiber.

From a technical point of view, the model is also not to lose face. The basic configuration of the fifth generation platform offers Broadwell processor with Intel Core i3, 4GB of RAM and SSD-drive capacity of 128 GB. The maximum configuration is based on the Intel Core i7 with eight gigabytes of RAM and other buns.

On the other hand, this laptop for gaming is not suitable, because even in the older version had integrated graphics HD 5500. The overall performance for the first test, however, is comparable to that of the MacBook Air, including battery life.

Among other pleasant things should be noted spotlighting Chiclet keyboard, and a rather large multifunctional klikpad, as well as pre-installed Windows 8.1. Dell XPS 13 ultrabook is already sold in the US for as low as 800 to $ 1,800

Lenovo X1 Carbon 2015

My favorite toy of many, the model from Lenovo X1 Carbon survived another, third, the birth. It’s not quite ultranovaya model, but updated one extremely successful model. Home “trick” we already know: a translation of the line for the fifth generation of processors Intel Broadwell. With this battery life of one particular instance of this ultrabook (Notably including their governments) increased to 11 hours.

In addition, the company in this model have already returned to the classical scheme of input devices: touch pad with separate left and right buttons (instead klikpada), plus three more. Is still here and the traditional trackpoint – there he is, red in the center of the keyboard.

Developers call this model “the easiest in the world of high-performance notebook”: indeed, the weight of the laptop does not exceed 1.3 kg. At the same time he IPS-touch screen with a diagonal of 14 inches with a resolution of 1600×900 pixels to 2560h1440 depending on the modification. SSD-drive installed in the X1 Carbon up to 512 GB, and some modifications to get a laptop with high-speed storage interface PCIe. Memory in the versions – from 4 to 8 GB available adapters Wi-Fi (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports and one – USB 2.0.

The price of the new product starts with $ 1,250 for a younger model, and sales will begin later this month.

MSI GT80 Titan SLI

Of course, thin ultrabooks will be required by the market, but at least they will be in demand and laptops, where the main thing – performance. Of course, here primarily refers gaming devices for their customers screen diagonal decent filling important and powerful and even fineness body weight.

New laptop from MSI attracts attention immediately: his mechanical keyboard Cherry MX Brown with high-profile keys and red illumination, as well as the innovative touch panel with the ability to switch between klikpada and numeric keypad. In addition, there is a huge 18.4-inch display c-resolution Full-HD, which displays the image on the discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX980M or GTX980M SLI (ie two at once!), And it can be installed right up to 8 GB of video memory.

RAM, incidentally, is also a lot: available in three versions with 16, 24 or 32 GB of RAM. It is clear that this notebook is supplied to the maximum all: for example, there is a processor Intel Core i7-4980HQ or i7-4720HQ, with Core i3 can not be ordered. Hard drives at once and there are many: from two to four SSD-drives of 128 GB or 256 format M.2 2280 in RAID 0, plus the usual “pancake” drive 7200 rpm 1 TB volume. And since all that stuff weighs as much as 4.5 pounds with a thickness of 49 mm housing (just do not save), then interfaces “Titan” is not deprived. Five ports USB 3.0, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort (two pieces), Gigabit Ethernet (module Qualcomm Killer E2200), SD-card reader drive BR-RW, two audio, digital audio S / PDIF (support 7.1 channel audio). And even has its own subwoofer in addition to the stereo speakers from Dynaudio.

Of course, this configuration requires a powerful battery and – true, if you think about size and weight as something not very easy to have a carrying this monster. Therefore, the battery did not make a monstrous, it is simple, non-removable, eight-element, 89 Vt⋅ch (5225 mA⋅ch). All other details that can be modified (eg, replacement of RAM), there are, and they can be accessed by removing the panel with a dragon from the keyboard.

It is clear that not only cost a supergeymersky laptop can not, so be it: the configuration of a single card valued at $ 2,500, a configuration with two video cards in SLI and even more RAM will draw for $ 3,500, and the maximum completely and $ 5,000 will go.

Lenovo LaVie Z

The real star of CES 2015 was the presentation of Lenovo LaVie Z: 13-inch laptop weighing only 780 grams, developed in collaboration with the company NEC. In the line – two models HZ550 and HZ750, and weight in the preceding sentence is for a younger model (senior weighs 925 grams, which is also very, very few). It is argued that these models are the first devices created in collaboration by Lenovo and NEC, which are available outside of the Japanese market.

The maximum thickness of both devices does not exceed 16.9 mm, and these impressive figures turned including because housing and the display unit using a special magnesium-lithium alloy, which share 50% less than that of aluminum itself, and the strength is not less than the heavier magnesium alloys.

Non-touch screens and touch younger and older models, respectively, have the same 13.3-inch, they are covered with a special heavy-duty foil, which replaces the protective glass – it is possible to further reduce weight. Screen resolution of both models can be WQHD, as proposed in the older version with additional Full-HD.

Hard drive in all devices is the same – a SSD-drive capacity of 128 GB. RAM – up to 8 GB, available also all the necessary interfaces. Platform, of course, the last – Intel Broadwell fifth-generation Core i5 and Core i7. Discrete graphics solutions are not provided, customers will have to do Intel HD Graphics.

Finally, the capacity of the battery: the great mass of the older model HZ750 connected, in particular, and the fact that it has a more capacious battery – 44.4 W / h, while the younger HZ750 – 29,6 W / h. And the second reason – the older model has a reinforced construction joint, since we are dealing not even just with ultrabooks, and with high-grade transformers.

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The company Dell at CES 2015 introduced an updated model of its Ultrabook Dell XPS 13 . This 13.3 “notebook in quality, pretty and very compact package.

It is on the dimensions of the main focus, the novelty frame around the display is only 5.2 mm, and is now comparable with the laptop 11.6″ models. Dimensions new items – 304 x 200, thickness of 9 to 15 mm. Dell XPS 13 has already been called the most compact 13″ laptop in the world. About the need to reduce virtually all 13″ ultrabooks on the market I said at the beginning of last year, as significant changes in this regard was not long ago. Looking for your MacBook Air 13 understand that it could be much more compact without sacrificing ergonomics. Dell made a ultrabook first place.

But because of the reduction of dimensions not suffered major elements: there are 2 USB 3.0, full-size keyboard, and a single battery charge 52 Vt⋅ch laptop lives up to 15 hours. Other connectors there is: mini DisplayPort, headphone jack and lock Noble.

Of iron can choose the most appropriate model you. The display resolution may be 1920 × 1080 pixels or 3200 × 1800 pixels, I would prefer the first option with the productive filling. The range starts from processors Intel Core i3 and ends with a fifth-generation top-end mobile i7 of the same generation.

Graphics – Intel HD 5500, which is good amount of RAM – up to 8 GB, which is not bad, but already in the top I would like to see 16 GB, but the maximum amount of SSD – 256GB, that I personally would be very little.

I had a brief run on the comments to the announcement of the XPS 13 on foreign resources – like most laptops. The design is really nice and, by the way, no one recalls. I am glad that the model presented is not on paper, but in the final working version. Moreover, in February laptop will be available, the cost starts at $ 800.

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