APC_Australia_Issue_442_June_2017

superguide » transformative 2-in-1s
$1,748 | WWW.DELL.COM.AU
Dell Inspiron 13
7000 Series 2-in-1
Not quite up there with the top
products.
$2,799 | WWW.DELL.COM.AU
Dell
XPS 13 2-in-1
A nice design and gorgeous screen.
Looking gorgeous in
brushed metal, the
Dell Inspiron 13
7000-series is a
capable mid- to high-end
convertible. It’s not as
elegant or flashy as the
XPS 13 (see opposite), but
it’s also quite a bit cheaper.
We should note that the
review model we received
used a slightly older
processor, and new 7000
series devices being sold on
Dell’s site use the i7-7200U
and i7-7500U with Intel
Graphics 620 — though some
with this spec are still
floating around at retailers.
Even with the older
processor, it was still a solid
performer in our tests,
roughly on par with the
XPS 13 in terms of
processing power.
The Inspiron is quite a bit
heavier and bulkier than
much of the recent
competition, however,
and you will notice the
difference when carrying it.
There’s a fair amount of
bezel around the 13.3-inch
Full HD screen, which is
particularly noticeable in
tablet mode. The screen has
excellent clarity but a little
too much gloss, making it
overly reflective in bright
light situations.
The keyboard feels a little
shallow, but the touchpad is
perfectly responsive, while
the audio is middling-togood
for a convertible. There
are three USB ports — one of
each flavour from USB 2.0,
3.0 to USB 3.1. The latter
supports DisplayPort,
although there’s actually a
hard HDMI port built into
the Inspiron as well.
Overall, we’re not sure
we can fully endorse the
7000 series Inspiron.
We’d probably recommend
spending just a little bit
more to get the XPS-13,
which has a superior design
and screen, as well as better
battery life.
Verdict
While this model does do well, its
highly-reflective screen and overall
bulk works against it.
With its
aluminium
shell and
elegant lines,
the Dell XPS 13 is quite the
looker. It closes super flat
and thin, the screen has
very little bezel, wasting no
space, while the keyboard
and touchpad have just the
right amount of sensitivity.
We were less enthused
about how it looks in tablet
form, however, with the
slightly curved back and
rubber feet leaving an
awkward gap between the
screen and base.
Like most Dell products,
there are customisable
configuration options, and
the XPS 13 2-in-1 can be had
for $2,299 if you’re willing
to give up half the memory
and storage capacity.
We looked at the top-level
configuration, with 16GB
of memory and a top-of-theline
512GB SSD. That extra
memory made a difference
in our benchmarks, with the
Dell coming out somewhat
faster than the similarly
configured Acer Spin 7
(back over the page).
The selling point for many
people will be its gorgeous
screen, a 3,200 x 1,800
InfinityEdge touch display
that pushes right to the edge
of the convertible and looks
great in tablet mode. It’s
bright and delivers
excellent colour and
definition. It does have a
tendency to pick up
fingerprints — a common
failing in convertibles.
Because of the limited bezel,
the webcam also has to sit
under the screen rather
than on top, which can be a
little disconcerting.
Although it’s expensive,
the XPS 13 is worth the
price for its screen alone.
It’s also light and powerful,
and even has a slightly
above average battery life.
If you can afford it, this is a
great choice.
Verdict
Beautifully designed with a great
display, it only has a few niggles
that you can probably live with.
44 www.apcmag.com