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Performance And Battery Life
Our S$3,047.36 (US$2,141.80) review unit held a Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz processor, 2GB RAM and 200GB of storage space (10GB of which is reserved for the recovery partition). The system sits on the Windows Vista Ultimate Edition which has all the features and powers that Microsoft can put in its latest operating system. The basic configuration starts at S$2,398.94 (US$1,686.07) and offers a 2GHz chip, 2GB RAM and 160GB hardisk. At this price, it compares very well with the S$2,398 (US$1,685.41) Acer Aspire 5920G which possesses a weaker Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics chipset. Our spruced-up review unit is even cheaper than the S$3,452 (US$2,426.20) MacBook Pro, though the latter has only a 128GB Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT card. The Apple system, however, does have a backlit LED screen with a higher 1,440 x 900-pixel resolution.

Though MobileMark refused to install properly on the XPS M1530 despite our best efforts, we can safely say that short of running hundreds of spreadsheets or gigabytes worth of RAW image files this system eat most productivity tools for lunch and still has room for dessert.

Fortunately, we were able to run the gaming benchmark. The 3DMark06 test, which stresses the graphics chipset like no other, reported an exceptionally high score of 4,290. This was bested only by the XPS M1730 with its dual video card and was much higher than the Acer Aspire 5920G which used to sit in the number two spot. Though running Crysis on full details and resolution is still a pipe dream for any notebook, the XPS M1530 should be more than competent for most of today's gaming titles.

On our DVD battery life test using The Incredibles movie, the XPS managed to play 1 hour 28 minutes of the show before running out of gas. If you intend to use this XPS as a portable DVD player, best bring the charger along. However, if your needs are restricted to simple word-processing or brief Wi-Fi surfing, you can expect the machine to go unplugged for longer periods. If you really need longer battery life, there is a nine-cell option which will increase the price by S$46.01 (US$32.34).

Service And Support
Dell XPS machines come with one-year XPS Premier Service and one-year CompleteCover. The former offers 24-hour telephone and online service by technicians specializing in XPS machines. Unlike most warranties, CompleteCover replaces or fixes the machine even if it's due to accidental damage like spills or drops. Only fire, theft and wear-and-tear issues are not eligible for replacement. The coverage period can be bumped up to three years for an additional fee.

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