Aussies get first batch of new XPS laptops

Dell today unveiled two new additions to its XPS family, breaking industry tradition and offering a new notebook and ultrabook to Australians in line with a global release.

The XPS 14 and 15 follow the March launch of Dell’s flagship XPS 13 ultrabook.

Dell has mostly kept the design of the XPS 13 model, including the aluminium coat, but ditched its carbon fibre base for a silicon bottom cover.

The 14in XPS is being marketed as a mobile device with an 11-hour battery life. It is 20.7mm thick with a 14in 400 nit HD display and backlit keyboard.

The ultrabook offers a 500GB HD and a 32GB mSATA card alongside Intel’s Rapid Start and Smart Response technology.

It carries 2 USB 3.0, ethernet and HDMI ports, as well as a Mini DisplayPort, and will be available in configurations up to Intel’s third-gen Core i7 processors.

It is available for purchase today from Dell’s website for $1299, and will also be available through Dell partners including JB HiFi.

The XPS 15 is being touted as an entertainment device thanks to its Nvidia GeForce 640m chip, 1TB storage and 32GB mSATA card.

The 15in notebook boasts a full HD 1080p 350 nit display with a quad-core Core i7 processor. It carries 3 USB 3.0, ethernet, and HDMI ports, and mini display port as well as an optical drive.

It will retail from $1499.

Dell said its customers had asked for an expansion of the XPS line. A Dell spokesperson told CRN over 50 percent of Australian XPS 13 sales had been to businesses.

As such, Dell has added optional enterprise-friendly features to its portfolio in a bid to attract IT departments.

On offer are Dell’s ProSupport specialists, Trusted Platform Module security as well as various customisation and configuration services. Dell is also offering business customers a Windows 7 Pro bundled package.