Today, the new Dell XPS 14z is available to US and Canadian Markets. The 14z comes in at $1000, competing directly with the HP Envy 14 and Sony VAIO SA series. The Windows 7 laptop is marketed as the world’s thinnest, with a 13.3 inch aluminum chassis and a 14 inch LG Shuriken display.
The slender body may seem less impressive compared to the upcoming torrent of ultrabooks, including the ridiculously skinny Asus Zenbook which is just 0.35 inches thick. However, you’ll encounter no problem in slipping the XPS 14z into your backpack and carrying it around all weekend.
In terms of design, almost nothing except the size has been changed from the XPS 15z. You will get the same beautiful brushed metal finish, which feels as solid as it looks. Even the paper-thin aluminum lid is firm enough to take a pounding, so you won’t need to pad your bag with bubble wrap.
An isolation-style keyboard fills the center of the XPS 14z’s chassis, bordered at both sides by the built-in speakers. The curved design of the keys is lovely and gives a futuristic appearance. They are firmly set and comfortable to type on.
The base model comes with a core i5-2430M processor, 6GB of DDR3 SDRAM (expandable to 8GB), and a 500 GB 7200 prm drive (also expandable up to 750 GB, with solid state options available down the line).
Dell also offers a nice graphic option in the form of NVIDIA GT 520M, but you’ll have to pay an extra $200 to take advantage of it. Dell’s latest consumer laptop looks like a great buy for costumers on a budget who want Mac-like looks on a Window operated machine.
