PRICE As reviewed, £1,500 (£1,800 inc VAT) from dell.co.uk
The Dell XPS 13 was one of the few modern day laptops to make our list of iconic PCs, so full credit to Dell for daring to mess with the recipe. Admittedly, there is a 2022 update of the plain XPS 13, but it has minor tweaks; the XPS 13 Plus is a complete departure.
The result is one of the most visually stunning laptops around. From the almost invisible glass touchpad to the ultra-thin bezels, this is refinement and beauty that few other laptops come close to. If choosing a laptop was simply a matter of style, it would be a shoe-in for the A List.
Plus and minus
Take the graphite finish. This would be boring on any other laptop, but the Dell XPS 13 Plus oozes class and sophistication. It doesn’t hurt that the chassis is made from “low-carbon” aluminium, produced using “hydro powered renewable energy sources” that Dell claims reduces emissions by 70%, nor that the model on test features an OLED display.
Dell even uses the keyboard as a design element, with an edge-to-edge design that’s tailor-made for writers. The keys are large with a satisfying, almost mechanical feedback – despite not being mechanical.
But there are two polarising features of the Dell XPS 13 Plus: the trackpad and the new touch bar.
The entire wrist rest is made of Gorilla Glass, including the trackpad itself, which means that the pad uses haptic rather than mechanical feedback to simulate the feel of clicking. You can turn up the intensity of the signals to make it more responsive, but with no well-defined borders indicating the location of the trackpad, it takes a lot of getting used to.
Esta historia es de la edición November 2022 de PC Pro.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 2022 de PC Pro.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
How to earn Cyber Essentials certification
The UK's government-backed security standard provides reassurance for you and your customers. Nik Rawlinson explores what's involved - and how to get it
HP Omen Transcend 14
If you're sticking with Asus or Razer gaming laptops out of habit, the HP Omen Transcend 14 may just change your mind
AI TRİSM
New computing paradigms come with new challenges. Steve Cassidy explores how to use AI safely and securely
13 warnings about using AI at work
AI experts from industry and academia were gathered by the Turing Institute to consider the future of the technology. Nicole Kobie reveals the lessons they offered
Brilliant business comms at zero cost
Whether you choose 3CX Free or 3CX SMB V20, it's time to say goodbye to per-user pricing and bundle rip-offs
TURN YOUR DUMB TV INTO A SMART ONE WITH A RASPBERRY PI
Enjoy video on demand and more Nik Rawlinson finds out how the humble Pi can transform your TV
GIGABIT INTERNET Get the speeds you're paying for
Is your premium internet service not racing along like it should? Darien Graham-Smith goes in search of faster downloads on every device
7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IT PROS
The PC Pro team combine their collective wisdom to create seven tips for keeping on top of your IT game
BRILLIANT MONITORS from £149
Whether you’re looking for screens to roll out ina business, an entertainment centrepiece ora pro-quality monitor, one of our 15 displays holds the answer
PORTABLESSDs FROM £69
We review 12 portable SSDs that cover a wide range of standards, form factors and target users