Dell XPS 12 Review: A Jack of All Trades Flipscreen Ultrabook
by Jarred Walton on February 22, 2013 2:13 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- Dell
- XPS
- Intel Insider
- Ultraportable
- hybrids
- Ultrabook
Conclusion: A Deliberate Balancing Act
While the XPS 12 isn’t flawless, it’s a very interesting laptop nonetheless. To my knowledge, no one else is really trying this flipscreen approach; that’s either good news or bad news, depending on why most companies take an alternative route. If they’re doing it because making a good flipscreen is too challenging, costly, and/or prone to breakage that would be bad. If on the other hand everyone else is merely playing it safe while Dell strikes out to find new and interesting ways of creating a hybrid laptop, we applaud such efforts. It’s tough to determine the precise reasons, but I’m inclined to think it’s more of the latter, perhaps with some disagreements on what approach is best thrown in as well.
Personally, I like plenty of aspects of the XPS 12 from the laptop perspective. The keyboard works well, it looks very nice, and if you ever need to use it as a tablet it can do that as well. I’ve used better pure laptops, but I’ve also used plenty of laptops and Ultrabooks that are far worse; I could definitely get by using the XPS 12 in place of other laptops. The tablet usage isn’t nearly as good, as I find a 12.5” tablet just feels unwieldy in most circumstances, and the fact that my primary tablet apps aren’t present (yet) with Windows 8 doesn’t help matters. In practice, even when trying to replace my regular tablet usage I found the design far more conducive to using it as a laptop. Still, as an all-in-one mobile device there will be some that like what Dell has created.
What I do like about the XPS 12 as a tablet is the performance: compared to my aging Tegra 3 tablet, the XPS 12 is blazingly fast. Web pages load quicker, the thing cold boots in ten seconds, and given time the apps aspect should improve as well. Still, I personally would rather have an Ivy Bridge tablet with a good keyboard dock (e.g. something like the ASUS Transformer, but with a Core processor) than a hybrid where you always have to carry the keyboard and additional weight around.
We had a chance to see Acer’s upcoming 7W IVB tablet at CES, which seems to hit all the right notes but it doesn’t actually have a keyboard dock that turns it into a pseudo-laptop. Of the options I’ve currently seen, the Lenovo Helix is probably closest to what I’m after, but even that might be a bit ahead of its time. Haswell is likely to be the inflection point where Intel’s Core processor will really start to find its way into pure tablets—with or without a dock. In the meantime, we have Dell’s XPS 12, which has a good display, a good keyboard, good performance, and okay battery life. It’s also rather heavy for a tablet (but only half a pound more than the lighter Ultrabooks), so keep that in mind.
There are a few areas where the XPS 12 feels a bit rough. The WiFi stack on my unit has an issue with periodic disconnects, and the Cypress touchpad definitely doesn’t work as well as I’d like. For a premium device, missteps like this can definitely mar the experience. Given that this review has been in the works for a while (it’s a long story…), the fact that no driver updates have come out to improve the situation is a bit disheartening. On the other hand, the workaround for the WiFi is simple (disable/enable/reconnect) and the touchscreen does shore up the weak touchpad performance, but these are still areas where manufacturers need to pay more attention. The same goes for the display colors; preloading a color profile into the hardware at the factory shouldn’t require much effort and it can make a world of difference. And finally, I definitely notice the lack of a flash card reader (SD support alone would be sufficient for most); as it stands, that would be one more item to tote around if I were to use the XPS 12 as my primary laptop.
Then there’s the question of pricing. Dell’s XPS 12 starts at $1200 and gives you basically the same set of hardware that you’ll find in the $999 Surface Pro—though it’s really more like $1129 since you’d have to buy the optional keyboard for Surface Pro, and then subtract $50 or so for the pen. $70 less for a lighter device that functions better as a tablet, comes with a pen, but has an inferior keyboard is what you’re looking at, not to mention even with the keyboard Surface Pro would weigh about a pound less. That’s certainly a viable compromise, and I could recommend either one depending on the intended use. But if you look at something like the Vizio CT14 that’s now going for $700 [Update: now $788], again similar specs but no touchscreen, you could buy one of those and a great tablet (e.g. 32GB iPad 4 or 32GB Nexus 10) for the same price. Dell’s pricing isn’t out of line with what other touchscreen laptops are targeting, particularly those with 1080p IPS displays and some form of hybrid functionality, but it’s still a lot more than most non-business users are likely to spend.
Long term, I think we’re going to see tablets creep up in terms of performance and features and thus force laptops and hybrids to come down in price. In the meantime, there’s still a niche market for hybrids like the XPS 12. Until we can somehow have it all—which isn’t always practical when you consider the various elements people would like to have—people are either going to have to give up something and go with a hybrid or they’re going to need multiple devices. As convenient as a tablet or a smartphone can be at times, I for one just don’t see myself giving up a larger display area and a dedicated keyboard when I need to write. Make the XPS 12 a bit less bulky (closer to 2 pounds and 15mm thick) and give me a calibrated display from the factory, then boost battery life closer to 10 hours and it would have just about everything I could want from an ultraportable/hybrid. We’re probably a year or two away from that being feasible, but this is one of many steps in that direction.
With the XPS 12, Dell has made some conscious decisions about what features they're going to include and omit, as well as where to spend money and where to cut corners. The materials and build quality are very good, but a few of the components would benefit from some additional TLC (e.g. please use a Synaptics touchpad and drivers next time, or at least ElanTech or Alps). The dimensions and weight are another area Dell chose to go a bit bigger rather than cut battery capacity or keyboard travel. In the end, the XPS 12 works quite well in most areas, but I'm not convinced $1200+ touchscreen Ultrabooks are going to sell as well as the OEMs might like. Vizio's Ultrabook offerings seem to prove that prices well south of $1000 are possible, and that's what we're likely to recommend.
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JarredWalton - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
There's a specific application I use on my Android tablet (that is also available on iOS) that has text versions of several thousand books and magazines, and it's all linked together (e.g. you'll see a reference to an article and you can click it to go there). All of the content is freely available on the Internet, but instead of staying within a unified full-screen app (with the ability to make notes and highlight material), you end up having a bunch of web pages open (which requires an active Internet connection) and you can't take notes directly or highlight passages, nor can you have any notes sync between devices.The best you can find in the Windows Store right now is an app that only has about five books, none of the magazines or other manuals, etc. I'm pretty sure the group that makes the apps for Android and iOS will have a Windows Store app in the future, but it might be a year or two (or it might be a month or two -- who knows?).
When I use the XPS 12 as a laptop, none of the above bothers me much, but in tablet mode the fullscreen apps are far more important. I don't want to open web pages and type URLs if I don't have to; I don't always have Internet either. I don't have a GPS in the XPS 12, which makes getting turn-by-turn navigation directions impossible (sometime I can get on a $200 or less Android tablet).
AncientWisdom - Wednesday, February 27, 2013 - link
" Maybe it was all in my head, but those extra couple inches make a big difference. " (Page 3)Sure made me laugh :-)
IndyJaws - Wednesday, February 27, 2013 - link
I have a 15z, and while I've been happy with it overall, the Cypress touchpad is proof Satan exists. I'd have hoped they got their act together in the 2 years since I got my machine, but the issues Jarred describes are very similar here, but to an even worse degree. I've only recently found a driver for another Dell laptop that has made it semi-usable, but for the most part, I find myself using a wireless mouse instead.vectorm12 - Sunday, March 3, 2013 - link
I keep wondering where the sub 700 € ultrabooks powered by AMD hardware went?There was loads of talk about how OEMs would design one Intel "Premium" ultrabook which would then filter down into more affordable and probably similarly performing ultrathins with AMD hardware inside?
Right now I'm looking to replace my wife's 13" Macbook Pro with something halfway decent, but considering the small difference in price and the unfortunately high amount of shortcomings I'm still inclined to think spending a couple of hundred more on an Air is the smarter choice given the standard she's used to from the MBP.
Dell, HP, Asus and the other OEMs should be able slam Apple on price/performance but in this case they are more like equals.
At least I'm happy to see highres displays starting to show up on these machines.
Honestly I feel a 13" MBP equipped with the retina display would be solid value. User-upgradeable battery, RAM(2 SO-DIMMs instead of the stupidly soldered primary SO-DIMM) and SSD/HDD. Would kill all competition even if it was priced similarly to the 13" "MBP with retina display".
CeriseCogburn - Monday, March 4, 2013 - link
It's the proletariat crap consumerism we have nowadays.Then we get the insane bottom dollar acquisition talks about Apples production takeover strategies, and what's left is the crap sandwhich everyone pretends to hate until they buy one, then the love never ends.
If anyone does produce the correct device that isn't a crap sandwhich, the first and only thing anyone ever hears is it's a ripoff.
Instead, we get a crap sandwhich, and an on the spot economics lesson by the posting would be CEO, who notes that 50 cent a bom is 50 million bucks.
So expect many crap sandwhiches, forever.
JasonJ65 - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - link
This Dell XPS 12 is by far the worst device that I have ever purchased. Touch screen stops working all the time, constantly unable to connect the wifi, cannot find hot spots, crashes at least once per week. Dell's solution is to continue reinstalling the drivers. Not what I expected for $1700. I've gone back to my $300 HP2000 which has turned out to be a much better purchase.simonmarksmith - Sunday, April 21, 2013 - link
If the touchpad or touch screen stop working on your XPS try touching the metal casing with your other hand... Here's a video of what I found happened with mine.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3fWIEtOFfk
sheehanje - Monday, April 22, 2013 - link
I know I'm a bit late to the party with this review comment - but I would first like to point out that prices have started coming down on the XPS 12. I got an 8GB i7 model with 250GB SSD for $1300, and they are dropping even further.As a Network Analyst/Engineer/Duct Tape Master, I am constantly in wiring closets, in meetings, and on the go. The XPS is what I would call a perfect blend of Laptop/Tablet. For MY purposes, it works better than any other hybrid out there. One reason the flip screen works so well is for documentation - I can use it in full tablet mode, or just flip the screen around easily go through large PDF's in either portrait or landscape using the base (keyboard) as a prop. It is sturdy, unlike most tablet stands, were I can navigate without worrying about the unit flopping over.
There are some glaring omissions on what could be a grand slam of the jack of all trades laptop. GPS is not included, which is disappointing to me. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but the cost of adding GPS is negligible these days in a modern device. Also, as mentioned, there is no digitizer pen capability with the XPS 12. I don't find that as crucial. It would be nice, but it does reduce the sensitivity of the touch screen - which the XPS is one of the best touchscreens I've ever used. I just ordered a Jot Pro for note taking - but even that will be used sparingly.
My last con is the touchpad - it is ill conceived to say the least. I've had all the mentioned issues - and it has horrible response. Button presses often go amiss. One thing I will say, it has gotten me used to the touchscreen, because I'm now constantly trying to use gestures on my non touch screen Mobile Precision laptop.
I highly recommend this hybrid to anyone that needs flexibility between a laptop and tablet. Especially IT pro's that need to between the office and the field. (The field being wiring closets or datacenters). To me, Dell hit a triple with this. It is so close to being a home run, but I'll take it given the current generation of Tablet/Laptops hybrids.
rburnham - Wednesday, May 8, 2013 - link
I don't mind the price of this because the specs are really good. However, the bulk worries me. In order to get a tablet with 256 gigs of storage and a 1080p screen, it seems like just about everything I can find are these sort of thick hybrid/convertible units. Sony's Duo slider unit comes to mind.What I would really like to see is something with a detachable keyboard, like Samsung's 700T tablet, which has the perfect style, but with 256 gigs of storage.
I have not found the perfect Windows 8 tablet yet, but the XPS 12 come really close.