The size and shape of the Dell XPS 15 is best described as beefy and bulky, with a flat, wide silver profile that looks like plastic but is actually metal. A thick, slightly tapered base and wide, flat, brushed-aluminum lid look, at first glance, like they belong on a budget laptop. Especially with the extra riser added by the nine-cell battery option, the overall effect is one of the thickest laptops we’ve seen on the market. The XPS has undeniably throwback looks, and not in a good way. The keyboard is new, a shift from the flat keyboard with raised key surfaces seen on many of last year’s Dell laptops. It’s a nicer look, but it doesn’t add up to anything significantly more ergonomic than the previous XPS. Typing feels very comfortable, although there could have been room for a number pad in the wide chassis. An HD Webcam records video at resolutions up to 1, 600x1, 200 pixels, or at 1, 280x720 pixels in HD H.264 format. Though frame rates are choppy using normal settings, the HD recording mode produces smooth, very watchable clips. The Webcam is also compatible with SkypeHD for HD streaming, a pleasant bonus. A noise-canceling microphone adds to the chat package, pushing its chat capabilities closer to that of a business laptop. Price as reviewed / starting price $1, 488 /$799
Hard drive 750GB 7, 200rpm
Chipset Intel HM67
Graphics Nvidia GeForce GT540M+ Intel GMA HD(Optimus)
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium(64-bit)