Dell's XPS14z. Photo / Supplied
Tablets may be hogging the limelight, but there's still a healthy market for notebooks, whose QWERTY keyboards and optical drives still make them a stand-out choice for anyone interested in producing and consuming a full range of digital content.
Dell has long been a player in this space, and has built a steady buzz around its XPS line of notebook PCs, particularly over the last 12 months.
Having recently reviewed the XPS 15z, (and been impressed), I was looking forward to checking out the more recently released (and more petite) XPS14z.
You'd be forgiven for thinking Dell could've done the obvious and soaked an XPS15z in warm water to shrink it down and plunked a 14" sticker on the box. But the US computer giant has actually crafted a pretty tasty PC that fills a niche that's long been poorly served by PC makers thanks to compromises on functionality for the sake of portability.
Dell's boffins appear to have put in the hard yards to make the XPS 14z a near zero compromise notebook, making it compact, yet grunty enough to do almost anything.
Under the hood
Specifications-wise, there's a lot going on under the 14z's hood. You get the choice of an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, there's pots of RAM (8GB) and it uses NVIDIA Optimus technology (which pairs a NVIDIA GPU for graphically demanding tasks with Intel's more energy efficient integrated graphics hardware for less demanding chores, delivering greater battery life). Add to this a speedy 750GB 7200RPM hard drive or the option of an even faster 256GB Solid state drive, as well as an eight-cell battery and a built-in slot loading DVD+/- RW drive and you're cooking with gas.
Clearly there isn't much on the specifications front lacking with the 14z. Fully specced, the 14z is able to give a typical desktop PC a real run for its money, with the added bonus of slipping into a small laptop bag and being carried without visits to the chiropractor, thanks to its sub 2kg weight.
Look and feel
Much like the XPS15z, The 14z is a good-looking and well-constructed bit of hardware with a striking petite form factor, at only 23mm thick.
Looks-wise, The 14z's design is largely a smaller iteration of the 15z. it's alloy chassis combines a usable backlit keyboard, a decent trackpad and an overall style that speaks a very similar design language to what Apple has long been talking with the hugely successful Macbook Pro.
In a nutshell, Dell has achieved the near impossible task of taking a minimal 14" notebook PC chassis and making the machine its own with very few compromises to performance or usability.
The keyboard is a great example of this, and proved a joy to use, making switching from a full-sized desktop keyboard a pain free process. Equally nice was the trackpad which earned serious brownie points by not being small and having separate left and right buttons.
You'd be forgiven for thinking I am besotted with the XPS14z (which I am), but one feature gave me pause for thought. For some bizarre reason, Dell decided to make the XPS14z's battery non-removable.
Sure the battery is an 8-cell monster that gives astonishing battery life, but when it eventually wears out, you're faced with two choices - either keep the XPS14Z plugged into a wall socket (which defeats the whole point of owning a notebook PC) or sending the entire notebook back to Dell for a replacement battery, which is costly and more than a little inconvenient).
Apple kicked off this brain-dead trend, and it seems to have been being picked up by other manufacturers, even though it annoys the bejesus out of many buyers, most of whom wouldn't have been too bothered with a slight increase in bulk or even a small price increase if a removable battery was included.
Aside from it being stuck with the in-built battery, the XPS14z delivers in spades once liberated from the wall socket. After unplugging from its power brick and subjecting it to typical notebook PC chores, it lasted for just under six hours before demanding a mains feed.
Also when it comes to integrated peripherals, connectivity and portability, the XPS shines. With its lid down, the XPS14z looks a whole lot smaller than other 14" notebook PCs. A big factor figuring in this is the inclusion of an LG Shuriken display, which squeezes the 14-inch screen into a spot normally used by 13-inch displays, thanks to super-narrow screen bezels.
Dell has also gone to town on included peripherals, and have thrown in a slot-loading DVD writer. Along its left side, the laptop sports an SD card slot, headphone jack and 3.5mm audio inputs. Spinning the XPS14z around also reveals a bevy of ports on its rear (which thoughtfully helps to minimise cable clutter in office environments). Rear facing ports include ethernet, HDMI, a mini-DisplayPort, two USB ports (of which one is USB 3.0), a power adaptor and a lock slot.
Verdict
Whilst only one or two small issues stopped me from declaring the XPS14z the best 14" Wintel notebook I've ever seen, it easily leads much of the notebook PC pack in this category on both design and spec.
SPECS
Dell XPS14z notebook
$1399-$2699 (dep on spec)
CPU: Intel Core i5 or Core i7
RAM: 8GB of DDR3 RAM
Display: 14.0" LCD (1366x768, WLED backlit, glossy)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M (1GB); Intel HD Graphics 3000 with NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching; 1.3MP webcam
Storage: Western Digital 750GB (7200RPM) HDD or a 256Gb SSD, 8x CD/DVD +/- writer; 7-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader
Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, Ethernet 10/100/1000, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
Display outputs: HDMI 1.4, Mini-DisplayPort
Audio 3.5mm Headphone/Mic Inputs
Battery: 8-Cell Li-ion Battery (Non-Removable, 2.0AHr)
Dimensions: (HxWxD): Height: 23mm/335mm/234mm
Weight: 1.98 kg