XPS One 27
The XPS One 27 is a different story entirely. It's a powerhouse in a very clean package. Just look at the front (here) and back (on the next page).
Dell arms its XPS One 27 with the same 10-point capacitive touchscreen. But imagine how tired you'll get raking your fingers over its 500 square inches. I predict this one will have you reaching for a mouse or touchpad pretty quickly. Of course, Dell's articulating stand allows the entire system fold flat against your table, so you're not stuck with the screen in one position all day long. Unlike the Inspiron One 23, the XPS One 27 does not appear to be wall-mountable, unfortunately.
I was told that the complement of available I/O, including four USB 3.0 ports around back, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI output, HDMI input, and S/PDIF output remain untouched in this refresh, and that the TV tuner is still an optional feature. Dell continues to use Intel's on-die graphics and Nvidia's GeForce GT 640M as graphics options, a couple of different 802.11n-capable wireless options, and Waves MaxxAudio 4 audio. The display's 2560x1440 resolution is particularly crisp, too.
The XPS One 27's Stand
Again, one of the biggest differences between the Inspiron One 23 and the XPS One 27 are their stands. From the back, we see the articulating monitor stand on the XPS that allows this big all-in-one to sit up perpendicular to your desk, just like every other monitor, or fold all the way down to lie horizontally.
In terms of aesthetics, the back panel is smooth and clean. We liked what Dell did with I/O on its S2340T, running it all out the stand's base. We don't get that here, though. Nevertheless, it's still possible to use the XPS One 27 with just a power cord running up to chassis.
At the upper end of the XPS One 27 line-up, you can get up to a 2 TB hard drive and 32 GB SSD for storage, 16 GB of DDR3-1600 memory, and a Core i7-3770S processor. That's not a bad combination of components for a thermally-constrained all-in-one.
Dell's XPS 10 Tablet, Docked
Attached to its keyboard dock, we probably wouldn't give the XPS 10 a second glance. But jiggle its release and this 10.1" tablet shows its pedigree as a productivity-oriented Windows RT-based device. Dell even preinstalls Office Home and Student 2013 to get you on your way.
The XPS 10 is powered by Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC and can be purchased with up to 64 GB of flash storage. Dual-band 802.11a/g/n and LTE radios address connectivity, while 2 MP front-facing and 5 MP rear-facing cameras are standard. The dock doubles as an extended battery pack, delivering what Dell calls all-day power. There are also two USB ports and HDMI output on the keyboard dock.
The XPS 10 In Tablet Mode
As a tablet, the XPS 10 definitely looks a lot sharper. Dell is selling the 32 GB XPS 10 for $500, or $680 with the keyboard dock. Stepping up to 64 GB increases those price points to $680 and $780.
Dell Remote
Dell had a media center remote control on display, too. Fairly run-of-the-mill, this thing stuck out like a sore thumb, looking a lot like what you'd find bundled with an HTPC-oriented chassis.
The KM713 Kit's Mouse
The KM713 Compact Wireless Keyboard and Mouse were being used in the suite. Nothing special. Just a three-button mouse and scroll wheel that takes a pair of AA alkaline batteries. Dell sells this mouse, along with the keyboard on the next page, for $45.
The KM713 Kit's Keyboard
The keyboard that comes in the KM713 kit, on the other hand, seems more identifiable as a Dell product.
Both the mouse and keyboard employ a 2.4 GHz RF nano receiver that employs 128-bit encryption. According to Dell, it's good from up to 33 feet away.
...But Also Some Design Incongruities
Perhaps as a consequence of mixing a minor refresh of an older line-up with some newer models, we see some incongruities from they keyboard fonts and designs from one model to the next.
A rounded-rectangle design theme is predominant, but slight differences in key sizes, shapes, what's painted onto the keys, and even the positioning of the fonts are a little distracting from otherwise-solid engineering. We know this nitpick is a minor one, but we do like to see consistency through a company's product portfolio.
Setting Up For An Exciting 2013
Most of the tweaks in Dell's consumer-oriented product line are cosmetically minor. However, they have big implications for how we'll use our hardware moving forward. Most significant are the number of devices with support for touch-based input.
Dell is looking to ease into touch support with its Inspiron and XPS families by addressing one of our primary concerns on the PC: the ergonomics of a device out in front of you. The company's articulating stand adds flexibility we've never seen before in determining how you situate a monitor, going so far as to make it lie down flat on a table.
Innovation is apparent in other areas as well. The XPS Duo 12's comeback is certainly welcome, particularly with its beefed-up internals. The XPS One 27 is also beautiful. Just because it's an all-in-one doesn't mean it sacrifices performance, either. High-end Core i7 CPUs, lots of memory, a small SSD, and an option for mobile GeForce graphics are all pretty compelling.
As far as overall value is concerned, the Inspiron 15z really caught my eye. It's packed with ports, includes an optical drive, looks stunningly good, and sells for a reasonable price, too.
