CNET Asia Review

It's difficult to know what to make of the Dell XPS M1210. On the one hand, its 12.1-inch widescreen display is characteristic of an ultraportable laptop. On the other hand, its 2kg starting weight places it in line with thin-and-lights that have larger displays, such as the 13.3-inch Sony Vaio SZ or the 14.1-inch Fujitsu LifeBook S7110. The XPS M1210 offers a feature set that's a cut above that of most ultraportables, which usually sacrifice some features for portability. Though our test unit includes upgrades that more than double the price, at its S$1,999 (US$1,420.15) starting price, the M1210 will appeal to everyday users who want a relatively light and compact but still full-featured Media Center computer.

Design
It's a bit larger than its predecessor (the Dell Inspiron 710m), but the Dell XPS M1210, measuring 297mm wide, 221mm deep (239mm deep with the extended battery), and 36mm thick, is slightly smaller and thicker than the Lenovo 3000 V100. Weighing an even 2.27kg with the nine-cell battery, the XPS M1210 lands squarely in the middle of the thin-and-light category; the laptop's base configuration with a six-cell battery weighs a slightly more portable 2kg. With its bulky AC adapter, our XPS M1210 test unit's total travel weight comes in at 2.63kg, making it light enough to carry for semi-frequent travel.

The XPS M1210 features a bright 12.1-inch display that's just big enough for surfing the Web and watching the occasional movie on the road; the crisp 1,280 x 800 native resolution and glossy finish in particular add to the movie-watching experience. Above the display sits an optional 1.3-megapixel Webcam with directional microphone; the camera swivels so that you can snap shots in front of or behind the laptop and record presentations with audio and video. Beneath the display sit two speakers with the tinny sound that's typical of a laptop; we had hoped for more from a laptop that's billed as a mobile entertainment center.

The keyboard on the XPS M1210 shows some significant gains over its predecessor's; all of the keys are full size, with generous travel that makes typing comfortable for even extended periods. The touch pad and mouse buttons are a bit small (typical for a laptop of this size) but functional. We like the glowing blue media controls that sit along the XPS M1210's front edge, making it easy to change music tracks and control volume. We also like the handy Wi-Fi catcher, which lets you test for nearby Wi-Fi networks by simply sliding a switch on the laptop's left edge.

Features
The Dell XPS M1210 takes advantage of its slightly thick case by packing it with an impressive number of ports, jacks, and slots. For starters, you get four USB 2.0 ports, a number usually seen on much larger systems. Add to those four-pin FireWire, VGA, and S-Video-out ports plus two headphone jacks (handy if you want to watch a movie with a friend) and a microphone jack; there's also an ExpressCard slot and a five-in-one media card reader that recognizes Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and xD formats. Networking options include modem, Ethernet, and 802.11a/g Wi-Fi; Bluetooth and WWAN are available for an additional cost. An integrated DVD burner rounds out the feature set.

Our XPS M1210 review unit ran Windows XP Media Center Edition and comes tagged as Windows Vista Capable. Dell also includes a copy of the Corel WordPerfect word processor, a 15-month subscription to McAfee SecurityCenter, and the expected disc-burning apps. Also, like most of the other models in the XPS and Inspiron lines, the XPS M1210 features Dell's MediaDirect software, which plays CDs and DVDs and lets you access photos and other media files stored on your hard drive without booting up Windows first.

Performance And Battery Life
Our XPS M1210 review unit cost S$2,725 (US$1,935.92) for a mix of high-end components: a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 1GB of fast 667MHz RAM; a blazing, 7,200rpm hard drive with 80GB capacity; and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated memory. The M1210 earned a very high score on CNET Labs' performance benchmarks, making it exceptionally well suited for intense multitasking and even graphics-intensive tasks while on the move. The M1210's 4 hours 24 minutes of battery life was above average for a laptop in its weight class.

Service And Support
Dell offers a one-year next business day onsite warranty which covers parts and labor. The company's support Web site contains a knowledge database for basic troubleshooting and downloading of updated drivers. Optional warranty options include extended three-year warranty, HelpDesk, onsite service during nights and weekends, and Plus Phone support can be purchased together with the system. Plus Phone support extends the technical phone support to include Saturdays. HelpDesk coverage provides a 24-hour phone support to an expert who can help with any problems related to Dell hardware and peripherals and even some third-party software from major vendors like Microsoft Office. The full package, which includes all the optional warranty options, will cost S$468.56 (US$332.88).

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Dell XPS M1210 (Core Duo T2600 Processor 2.16GHz, 1GB RAM)

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User Reviews

tankokloong

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good machine but quite buggy

Oct 11, 2006

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Very good)
Pros: good screen, small size, professional and fast responde helpdesk support,
Cons: machine doesn't come with latest patch, quite heavy, not very good cam.
Opinion:
After installing the whole package of Mcafee Security Center(bundle with M1210), the machine become very unstable. Called up dell technical helpdesk and they don't seem to be able to resolve my problem. I have to do a factory recovery in order to get rid of the issue. The web cam need to operate in a very bright environment else the quality will be bad. Machine doesn't come with latest wifi patch, have to DL manually to patch the system so that it able to get connect to my latest Linksys Wireless Router.(else will need to use the original window utility to get connected).
Conclusion, after sort out all the issue above. I find this machine pretty solid. Dell have a very fast responde time on its helpdesk and delivery.

 

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