14z

The latest generation of Dell XPS laptops, with the "z" designation, kicked off with the 15-inch XPS 15z. Dell claimed that laptop was the world's thinnest 15-inch laptop (Windows laptop, that is), and the new 14-inch XPS 14z makes a similar claim, again with a few asterisks to keep in mind. With the XPS 14z, Dell says that this is the "thinnest fully featured laptop on the planet." What does that mean?

According to Dell, it's a laptop with an internal optical drive and discrete graphics. More impressively, this is a 14-inch laptop screen in a body with the smaller footprint of a 13-inch laptop. We like more screen in less body, but it also has one unfortunate side effect. … Read more

Dell is adding a 14-inch model to its new line of thin XPS z series laptops--though availability, for now, will be limited to China.

The 4.4-pound XPS 14z boasts a borderless--or bezel-free--display yielding a design that's similar to a 13-inch laptop. And Dell squeezes an optical drive into a form factor that's just less than an inch thick.

Like the earlier XPS 15z, the 14z has Intel Core i5 and Core i7 Sandy Bridge processors. It also comes with an Nvidia GeForce GT 520M graphics option, USB 3.0 ports, and a 1366x768 HD LED display.

Availability is in China only and is being launched ahead of the country's Golden Week holiday. Availability in other regions, including the U.S., will be announced in the coming weeks.

By announcing in China first, Dell is acknowledging the enormity of that market.

In China a model with an i5 processor, 4G RAM, 500GB HDD, and 1GB video card will be priced at 7,699 yuan. Information about pricing and sales in the U.S. was not immediately available. … Read more

When it comes to laptops in 2011, "thinner is better" seems to be a consistent trend. The MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 head the pack in that regard, but laptops such as the Sony Vaio SE and Dell XPS 15z have followed suit. It's no surprise, then, that the mainstream Dell Inspiron line has gotten its own thinned-out model in the Inspiron 14z. If the name rings a bell, that's because there was a previous Inspiron 14z released in 2009, with a Core 2 Duo processor, but that "thin" laptop was inferior to … Read more

When reviewing the Dell XPS 15z this summer, it was hard not to notice how comparatively slim it was to the normal XPS 15--and how thick so many of Dell's laptops are by comparison. While the Inspiron R series is hardly as large as the XPS, it's miles away from anything one would call thin and light.

Dell's newly unveiled Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops are a continuation of the thinner laptop trend, but they're a bigger deal for most consumers: they're 13- and 14-inchers, and they're relatively budget-oriented mainstream machines as opposed to high-end. It's a repeat of what Dell did just a few years ago with the Inspiron line, but revisited on the latest-generation laptops. … Read more

Dell's ubiquitous Inspiron line of laptops is getting a few new additions today, with the announcement of the Inspiron 14z and 15z. According to Dell, the "Z" designation for these new systems indicates, "thinner, lighter bodies, and long-lasting power-sipping batteries."

They also both feature 16:9 1,366x768 widescreen displays, and Intel's Core 2 Solo processors -- which offer much of the battery saving advantages found in low-power chips such as Intel's Atom, but with better performance more suited for a mainstream system.

Specs, according to Dell, include:

Targeted largely at students, Dell's new Studio 14z laptop was quietly announced this morning. Part of the upscale but affordable Studio line, which brings in design elements from Dell's high-end XPS laptops, the Studio 14z is thin and light for a 14-inch system, starting at 4.5 pounds and from .76-1.2-inches thick (the body is slightly tapered). Helping it shave away the extra millimeters is an LED display and the lack of an internal optical drive. Dell calls it, "a homework-busting system by day and an entertainment powerhouse by night."

In a press release, Dell … Read more