DELL XPS M1210 LAPTOP.
I am a Toshiba fan however this time I decided to go in for a Dell laptop because I wanted a gaming laptop (read "a laptop that could play Battlefield 2 without stuttering"). There aren’t many laptops available in India with dedicated video cards and even fewer laptops with 256 mb video cards (which is a BF2 requirement). In addition to this, I wanted to move to a smaller laptop - I’ve been using a Toshiba 2450 - A742 laptop which has a 15" screen and is simply too heavy.
I travel a lot and the Toshiba laptop constantly threatens to dislocate my shoulder! I did some research on the net and I found that only the Dell XPS M1210 (amongst the laptops available in India) matched my requirements. I must have read dozens of reviews and all of them agreed that this was one hell of a laptop!Dell allows you to "build" your own laptop - so you choose which processor you want, how much ram you need, what software you want installed etc etc.
My configuration is as follows: 2.0 Ghz Core Duo processor (T7200), 2 Gb ram, Nvidia 256 mb video card (Geforce 7400) windows vista (ultimate), 100 gb SATA 7200 rpm hdd, 12.1" glossy screen (WXGA Widescreen 1280x800), DVD-RW, 4 usb ports, 1 firewire port, Ethernet, wireless access, bluetooth, modem, built in webcam (Logitech 1.3 mp) etc. It’s truly amazing how much Dell has been packed into this tiny laptop! I haven’t tested the battery life (I opted for the 9 cell battery as against the 6 cell battery because the reviews said that the former lasts for 4-5 hours).
I have been using the laptop for 10 days and I am thrilled to bits. It is exactly what I was looking for - so far I’ve played BF2, BF 2142 and similar 3D games without a problem. There is no lag at all - the frames are smooth and the quality is good. I’m not impressed by Vista and finally ended up dual booting with XP (drivers available on the Dell website). The core duo processor lives up to its reputation (behaves like two independent processors so you can happily run a virus scan and burn a CD at the same time without a drop in performance).
The laptop is very attractive and the screen is comfortable to look at. I was worried that I would have to squint to read stuff on the small screen but I was delighted to find that the "Truelife" screen is nothing short of spectacular. Words are crystal clear and the screen is unbelievably bright. However, due to its glossy nature, the screen does reflect more than a matte screen. Its not something which affects me. Weighing in at 2.4 kgs, the M1210 is heavy for a 12" laptop. But with the high performance parts, you need extra cooling power hence it is a bit thick and heavy. The keyboard is full sized so I have no trouble typing. The laptop crunches through programs and is a pleasure to work on.
Yes, I do a bit of work on it as well! The logitech camera can be swiveled 180 degrees and is reasonable. The quality is acceptable for a web cam and you should not expect pictures similar to present day digital cameras. Sound quality is average and the speakers are just about acceptable. The casing is made of a magnesium alloy material and the build is solid. The M1210 reeks of quality justifying to an extent its high price. This is a laptop built to satisfy even the most critical user!
I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an exceptional laptop which doubles both as a gaming machine and a workhorse, all in a nice little package.The Dell XPS range is considered to be a "high end" product - supposedly these are computers built for customers who demand the very best. What that means in reality is that the computers are expensive! I had to shell out just under 1 Lakh and the price did make me wince. If you are strapped for money then this is not the laptop for you.
NOTE:Dell has replaced this model with the XPS M1330 - the specs are better, the laptop is sexier, GeForce 8400M GS....I am drooling already! The M1330 has great reviews so I cant think of a single reason NOT to buy it! I am talking about YOU....me...I am happy with my M1210. And no it has nothing to do with the fact that Im broke!