xps

New Dell XPS 15 and 17 laptops debut, add 3D, Sandy Bridge

The Dell XPS 15, though bulky, was one of our top mainstream laptops in 2010. Updates to the XPS 15 and 17 line of high-end Dell laptops retain the somewhat homely look of their predecessors, but add new second-generation Core i-series processors, upgraded graphics options, increased display resolutions, and even a few 3D models. These are the laptops announced at CES 2011, but they're finally available for purchase.

You can check out the prices for yourself, but they remain pretty affordable. While the XPS 17 with a new 1080p 3D display starts at $1,099, its specs are impressive: 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M CPU, Nvidia GeForce GT550M graphics, that revamped 1,920x1,080-pixel display, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive. An entry-level non-3D XPS 17 starts at $899. … Read more

CES: New Dell XPS 17 adds 3D

LAS VEGAS--As 3D continues to infiltrate all things at CES 2011, should we really be surprised that the Dell XPS followed suit? Not really, but it is a nice new option on the top end of the XPS lineup. With its high-end GeForce graphics, the XPS 17 should certainly be able to handle the load. We assume, based on the photos we've seen, that the XPS uses Nvidia 3D Vision with active shutter glasses.

There are a few more tweaks to last year's model as well: new Sandy Bridge Intel processors, of course, but also new Nvidia graphics … Read more

XPS tool

XPS files, where XPS stands for XML Paper Specification, define the layout, printing specifications, and other factors about a document. They're similar to PDFs, but are based on XML. Windows has a built-in XPS Viewer that opens automatically when you click an XPS file, but it's pretty basic. XPS Annotator is a free, full-featured, standalone XPS file viewer, document annotator, XPS-to-image converter, properties adder and editor, and digital document signing tool. It has familiar operations such as zoom, search, save, copy, and print to a variety of output options. It supports hyperlinks, too.

XPS Annotator is a compact … Read more

New Dell XPS laptops ready to take on HP Envy

Amid a week featuring the debut of a fashionably small laptop, Dell has announced a line of products that move firmly in the opposite direction. The new XPS line of laptops are a high-end-targeted set of media-featured notebooks aimed squarely at the HP Envy and MacBook Pro crowds. The design, from a backlit keyboard to lots of anodized and brushed aluminum, feels like an upscale fusion of the Studio and Adamo lines. They aren't flashy, but they seem quite sleek, and Dell offers its arsenal of Design Studio tweaks for anyone looking to pop these XPS models up a … Read more

Where are all the really expensive laptops?

Not too many years ago, any laptop $999 or less was considered a budget machine, and spending between $1,000 and $2,000 was the standard buy-in for constructive computing. Starting around the same time as low-cost Netbooks came onto the scene, laptop prices across the board took a dive, and today's mainstream user can easily get away with spending less than $700 for a fully functional midsize laptop, or just a few dollars more to add high-end extras like Blu-ray or discrete graphics.

What this means is that one of the hardest things to find right now is … Read more

Spec shootout: MacBook Pro takes on Dell

With new MacBook Pros hitting the streets packing faster silicon, it's a good exercise to see how Apple stacks up against the competition.

Note that this is not a performance comparison--though I've include links at the bottom--but a quick side-by-side comparison that a buyer might do upon walking into Best Buy (which I've witnessed before).

And the usual disclaimers apply about price. MacBook Pros are relatively pricey, top-notch laptops designed to exude chic: aluminum enclosures, high-performance LED displays, and a fit-and-finish that is better than most competitors.

That said, some customers (surprise, surprise) are swayed by price, particularly when there's a gaping spread between two systems with roughly similar specifications.

And that seems to be the case here. Take a look and you decide.

Note that the Dell has a quad-core Core i7, the Apple a dual-core i7. But don't be deceived by core counts. The Core i7-based MacBook Pro does very well in performance benchmarks. Moreover, the Pro has Intel graphics integrated into the CPU package along with the dual-core processor, allowing it to switch between Intel and Nvidia discrete graphics to save power--which results in much better battery life compared to the Dell. In Dell's favor, the Studio XPS 16 has options for a Blu-ray optical drive and a 3G modem (both included below). The MacBook Pro doesn't.

Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro:

Operating system: Mac OS X Snow Leopard Processor: 2.66GHz Intel Core i7, dual-core Display: 15-inch 1440-by-900-pixel LED-backlit glossy w/camera Graphics chip: Nvidia GeForce GT 330M w/ 256MB plus Intel graphics (switchable)… Read more

Dell's high-end design gamble: Adamo XPS and Alienware M11x

If there's a company almost universally associated with low-cost, high-volume, middle-of-the-road 15-inch laptops, it's Dell. In fact, the company, which might best be described as "the guys who make your mom's laptop," has struggled for years to break into the design chic space occupied by Apple and Sony.

That's why it's somewhat surprising that Dell's two recent high-end gambles, the 11-inch Alienware M11x"gaming Netbook" and the wafer-thin 13-inch Adamo XPS, both hit a lot of the right notes, even if they are unlikely to be big-volume products.

Previously, we'… Read more

Dell's Adamo XPS slips through the cracks

As in, the ultrathin laptop is literally thin enough to slip trough almost any small opening more than 9.99mm thick. Dell's Adamo XPS has had plenty of prerelease hype, from teaser photos to hands-on previews, and the final retail product is certainly an impressive feat of laptop engineering.

Even more interesting, despite Dell's best efforts, consumers who are interested in shelling out for this high-end laptop might finally have a good chance of actually being able to buy one. The original holiday 2009 release date was sketchy, to say the least, and in early March the product … Read more

Ray Kurzweil tries to build a better e-reader

LAS VEGAS--Ray Kurzweil knows a little something about e-readers.

The computing pioneer, who among other things helped develop modern text recognition software, has been working to use digital technology to improve reading for the past 30 years. After years of work on how computers can help those with learning disabilities, Kurzweil is now taking aim at the masses.

His latest project, Blio, is an effort to improve the emerging electronic book field with software that turns e-books into more than just a digital copy of the print edition. Blio, which is due out next month, is software that combines a … Read more