The Dell XPS M1210

The Dell XPS M1210 is a 12.1" screen portable notebook that includes the Intel Core Duo processor and an optional nVidia 7400 graphics card. The M1210 also offers the option of an integrated rotating web camera. Dual headphones, optional EVDO and front located media buttons make this an excellent portable media notebook experience. The next generation of ultramobile notebooks is here. Dell unveiled the new Dell XPS M1210 notebook designed for the mobile professional, with a host of features and blistering performance. Made of highly durable magnesium alloy frame, the XPS M1210 is RoadReady.

It's a bit larger than its predecessor (the Dell Inspiron 710m), but the Dell XPS M1210, measuring 11.7 inches wide, 8.7 inches deep (9.4 inches deep with the extended battery), and 1.4 inches thick, is slightly smaller and thicker than the Lenovo 3000 V100. Weighing an even 5 pounds 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 4.4 pounds. With its bulky two-prong AC adapter, our XPS M1210 test unit's total travel weight comes in at 5.8 pounds, making it light enough to carry for semifrequent travel.

Our XPS M1210 review unit cost $2,687 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 100GB capacity; and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated memory. The M1210 earned a very high score on performance benchmarks, making it exceptionally well suited for intense multitasking and even graphics-intensive tasks while on the move. The M1210's 4-hour, 24-minute battery life was above average for a laptop in its weight class.

The Dell XPS M1210 is will start at 4.37lbs in weight and features a durable magnesium alloy frame and a 12.1-inch widescreen display. Customers can configure the XPS M1210 with a communications-friendly audio-visual package that includes an integrated webcam, Skype Internet communication software and video chat software, noise-isolation ear buds and optional embedded mobile broadband.

In addition to the launch of the two new laptops, Dell has announced that it has teamed up with Skype to include Skype software with new models. The news comes on the back of an announcement from Dell and Google last week stating the company would begin bundling Google's software applications on all its PCs.

“Dell customers will be able to experience the benefits of Skype, optimized for their computing environment. This gives Dell customers a simple way to use the Internet to talk to their friends and family from home, in the office or on-the-go”, said Don Albert, Director of Business Development, Skype North America.

Specs for Dell XPS M1210

Screen Size	12.1 inches
Processor Type	2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600
Processor Speed	2.16-GHz
Bus Speed	667 Mhz
Hard Drive Capacity	Hitachi HTS7210G9SA00 100GB 7,200rpm
Installed Memory	1GB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz (2 GB max)
RAM Type	DDR2 SDRAM
Resolution	1,280x800 native resolution
Video Card Type	Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 256MB
Primary Optical Drive	8X DVD+R/8X DVD-R write speed
Bundled Os	Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2
Weight	4.5 pounds
Motherboard Chipset	-
Networking Connection	Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 WiFi 802.11 a/b/g,
Average Battery Life	4 hours (6-cell battery ) 6 (9-cell battery)
Price	About $1200 - $1.400

The Dell XPS M1210 is a new 12.1-inch screen portable laptop that features the Intel Core Duo processor, rotating 1.3MP web camera, built-in EVDO and an nVidia Go 7400 graphics card. The XPS M1210 features a new design for Dell laptops and offers possibly the best performance on the market for this sized laptop. Following is a full review of the XPS M1210. A lot of optional accessories are available - pinching your pocket more. An audio-visual communications package with 1.3 megapixel cam, earbuds and Skype is available, and then there's the mobile broadband connectivity with Cingular or Verizon. You can also plug in a TV tuner.

The XPS M1210 will replace the Inspiron 710m offering that was quite a popular seller for Dell. With the M1210 the latest Intel Core Duo processors will be offered, there will be no Core Solo, Celeron or ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) processor options. It's apparent that Dell wants to keep the XPS line as a performance focused series, whether it's big or small form factor.

Key Features of Dell XPS M1210

 

Notebook Specifications
Operating System	Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2
Average Battery Life	4 hours (6-cell battery ) 7 (9-cell battery)
Processor
Processor Name	2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600
Processor Type	Intel Core Duo T2600
Processor Speed	2.16 GHz
Bus Speed	677 Mhz
Storage Drives
Hard Drive Capacity	Hitachi HTS7210G9SA00 100GB 7,200rpm
Ram
Installed Memory	1GB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz (2 GB max)
RAM Type	DDR2 SDRAM
Motherboard
Motherboard Chipset	-
Display
Diagonal Screen Size	12.1" 1,280x800 native resolution
Screen Type	Transflective TFT (widescreen)
Maximum Resolution	1,280x800 native resolution
Video Card
Video Card Type	256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 TurboCache (64MB/ up to 192MB shared)
Video Memory	256MB of dedicated VRAM and borrows another 256MB from main memory
Networking
Networking Connection Type	Intel® 3945 WiFi 802.11a/g, Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g, Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g Dual-Band Mini-Cards, Internal Bluetooth (optional), Dell Wireless 5500 Mobile Broadband 3G HSDPA (Cingular US), Dell Wireless 5700 Mobile Broadband CDMA EVDO (Verizon Wireless US)
Dimensions
Weight	4.5 lbs

The Dell XPS M1210

The Dell XPS M1210 is the ultimate notebook for consumers desiring mobility and uncompromised performance. Starting at 4.37 pounds, it is light enough to go virtually anywhere, and its durable magnesium alloy frame makes it RoadReady. Users can play games or enjoy multimedia content with powerful dual-core processors and optional discrete graphics in a 12.1-inch widescreen display. With the XPS M1210 you have a choice from a variety of variety of Core Duo processors including the Core Duo T2300E (1.66GHz), T2400 (1.83GHz), T2500 (2GHz) and T2600 (2.16GHz). The standard graphic offering is Intel GMA950 with 256MB GeForce Go 7400(optional). It support up to 4GB of DDR2 memory and comes with four USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire port, S/PDIF out, 5-in-1 media reader, two headphone jacks and 24x/10x/24x CD Burner/DVD combo drive (8x DVD burner optional).

Vo-IP junkies can also opt for the A/V Communications Package that includes 1.3MP webcam, a set of premium noise isolation ear buds, Skype VoIP, directional microphone and internal mobile broadband antenna.

Even with a nine-cell 84-Wh battery, the unit weighs a mere 5 pounds. (The AC adapter adds another 0.8 pounds.) You can opt for the six-cell battery and bring the unit's weight down to 4.2 pounds, but with discrete graphics and the power it consumes, I highly recommend going with the extended cell. The transreflective widescreen display measures 12.1 inches; with excellent contrast and color saturation, this screen is better suited for DVD movies and photo editing than a matte screen is. The screen's true beauty, aside from great movie play, is that the display opens up all the way even with a fully reclined seat in front of me.

The price for XPS M1210 starts at $1,300 which includes Core Duo T2300E processor, 1GB of memory, Intel graphics, 60GB 5400RPM hard drive and CD-RW/DVD combo drive and can go up to $2,750 which will include Core Duo T2600 processor, 2GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 graphics, 100GB 5400RPM drive, Bluetooth 2.0, 8x DVD burner, Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio and a Dell 5700 wireless card.We evaluated a high-end version of the Latitude D820 that costs $2,290--a good value for such top-notch components, including a top-of-the-line 2.16GHz Intel T2600 Core Duo processor, 1GB of blazing 666MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a big 100GB hard drive rotating at 5,400rpm, a swappable DVD burner, and a cutting-edge Nvidia Quadro NVS 120M graphics chip that has 256MB of dedicated VRAM and borrows another 256MB from main memory.

The ThinkPad Z60t costs $300 less and offers the same hard drive capacity though several lesser specs (previous-generation Pentium M processor, slower 533MHz memory, and integrated Intel 915GM graphics).

Design and Build

The build of the M1210 is very good. The casing is made of a magnesium alloy material and this notebook complies with the Dell Road Ready guidelines. The lid is very solid and offers great protection to the screen, push in on the back and you won't see ripples on the LCD. The hinges are nice, rigid enough to hold the screen in place but not overly stiff. The M1210 uses a latchless lid closing design, there is no use of magnets to keep the lid down but when it shuts you can hear it snap shut and spring tension holds the lid in place and closed very well. All of the buttons on the M1210 have a nice feel and are not cheap feeling. The touchpad mouse buttons are especially nice in terms of feedback and travel.

Performance and Benchmarks

The sheer power of the M1210 is amazing. Dell loads an 2.16-GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 processor, a 7,200-rpm hard drive, and the nVidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card into the portable's small frame. The M1210 scored higher on the SYSmark 2004 SE test than any ultraportable I've tested to date, surpassing the Lenovo ThinkPad X60s and the Sony VAIO SZ notebook (VGN-SZ170P). The Sony is a lot sleeker and runs a bit cooler, thanks to a weaker processor (the 1.83-GHz T2400) and a slower hard drive (5,400 rpm).

Let's look at some benchmarks to see how the M1210 stacks up against fellow notebooks (all benchmarks are done using the stock system setup, no Windows reinstall or removal of programs).

Super Pi
Super Pi is a program that forces the notebook processor to calculate Pi to 2-million digits of accuracy. The XPS M1210 took 1m 11s to calcuate this value with its 2.16GHz Core Duo processor, here's how it stacked up to other notebooks:

Wireless Communications

Dell has pulled out all of the stops in making the XPS M1210 wireless capable.
Here's a quick rundown of the wireless options:

• Wi-Fi Choices: Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g, Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g

• IrDA

• Bluetooth (Dell Wireless350 BlueTooth internal wireless card)

WWAN (Cellular Broadband internet access) Choices:

• Dell Wireless 5505 Mobile Broadband 3G HSDPA (Vodafone UK, France, Germany)

• Dell Wireless 5500 Mobile Broadband 3G HSDPA ( Cingular US)

• Dell Wireless 5700 Mobile Broadband CDMA EVDO ( Verizon WirelessUS)

The broadband cellular communication addition to the M1210 is much welcomed. Dell provides the option of configuring your M1210 with an internal antenna for either EVDO or HSDPA. My review unit M1210 came configured with the Dell Wireless 5700 EVDO modem. Dell puts the cellular antenna in the screen, no ugly antenna sticking out. One important consideration, if you choose the web cam AV communications package (about a $100 option), but don't choose EVDO service at the time of purchase, you can upgrade and add WWAN later since it's just a mini-PCI card you'd need to plug in.

EVDO via Verizon is a real treat, if you have an existing Verizon wireless account it's $60 a month for unlimited data transfer and if you don't then the cost is $80 a month. You also have the option of paying $15 for 24 hour access to the Verizon EVDO network. If you're a highly mobile person EVDO can be a real blessing and keep you from fretting about where you'll find the next hotspot.

Speaking of finding wireless hotspots, Dell has included a unique feature called "Wi-Fi Catcher" located on the left side of the notebook. You can use this switch to turn off all wireless radios by putting it in the Off position, but far cooler than that, push it all the way forward and it will blink green as it searches for a Wi-Fi network and if one is present it glows solid green, if none is found it shows orange. This Wi-Fi Catcher works whether the notebook is on, off or in standby mode. So there's no need to boot up and search for wireless networks, just push this button to find out.

Battery

Instead of running battery benchmark tests I used a real world battery drain test. At 100% charge I set the screen to half-brightness and pulled the plug on the XPS M1210. I then performed various tasks such as downloading and installing Half Life 2 and playing it for a bit, surfing the web, downloading and installing 3DMark05, watching 10 minutes of a DVD, edited some photos for this review and also turned off wireless and just let the M1210 idle for some time. In doing all of this the 9-cell battery ran down to 5% charge and Windows shut the notebook down at 2h 58 mins of usage. Since the M1210 here is configured with a dedicated graphics card and faster processor and I left wi-fi on, that time isn't bad. If you had integrated graphics, wi-fi off and set your screen brightness lower you could easily achieve 4.5 hours. My test was pretty abusive in terms of using demanding programs while on battery power.

Conclusion

I've had just a ton of fun with the M1210. I get to play with a lot of notebooks with the work I do, and believe it or not that can actually get tedious when you see one laptop after the other that's just kind of the same. The M1210 is different though, it's a 12.1" laptop that's designed to be powerful and fun. You can game on it, comfortably watch and listen to movies on it, use it to record video, be highly mobile and connected with the EVDO option and to top it all off the look is really great.

All things considered, the Dell XPS M1210 is a fabulous little notebook that has many of the essentials for long-distance travel. The battery life is not the best I've seen from an ultraportable, but I feel that mobile-performance seekers will find plenty here to love.

I love the black lid and blue accent lights. It's certainly one of the thicker 12.1" notebooks out there, but the goal was not to be the thinnest and lightest in the category, but rather the most functional and well equipped. I think Dell accomplished that, the XPS M1210 offers the most fun and most possibilities in a 12.1" screen form factor of any such notebook on the market.
Pros :

• Dedicated nVidia Go 7400 graphics in a 12.1" screen form factor makes gaming a possibility

• Optional EVDO built-in is a very nice option

• Excellent rotating web camera and software gives you many possibilities for usage, not just recording yourself

• Great design! Build is also overall good

• Excellent selection of ports available, 4 USB 2.0 ports for this sized laptop is great

• Good touchpad and mouse buttons

• Nice screen

Cons :

• Keyboard flex on the right hand side detracts from the typing experience and overall feel

• Very thick for a 12.1" screen notebook, not exactly "ultraportable" since it's 4.5 lbs + with the recommended 9-cell battery

• Can get a bit warm when gaming

Video:    80 Out of 100
Gaming: 85 Out of 100
Music:   80 Out of 100
Photo:   80 Out of 100
Value:   85 Out of 100
Design: 85 Out of 100
Mobility: 85 Out of 100
Security: 87 Out of 100

Total Score: 83.37 Out of 100 (Spectacular)