Dell XPS M1210
Notebook Reviews > Dell XPS > M1210

Review Date : 12th July' 2006

With a transreflective 12.1 Inch widescreen and weighing 5 pounds, the XPS M1210 falls somewhere between Ultra-Portables and Thin & Light notebooks.

Not only is it heavier than most ultra-portables, it is also thicker. Not by much though. The extra weight and thickness, however, are quite justified and allow the XPS M1210 to offer much more than most ultra-portables out there.

You get a 9-Cell 84Whr battery that lasts up to 4.5 hours, an integrated optical drive (Combo or DVD writer) which is usually left out on ultra-portables, and a dedicated nVidia 3D graphics card with a fan cooling system.

You also get a full sized noise-free Keyboard for comfortable typing, although some might say the keyboard is a tad on the soft side but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The touchpad is very responsive with mouse buttons that are a comfort to use.

The built-in speakers that come with the XPS M1210 offer more than sufficient clarity at high volumes that you can save yourself the hassle of carrying external speakers around when on the move.

Speaking of built-in features, you'll be pleased with the included 1.3 megapixel webcam that sits on top of the XPS M1210 screen. The camera and its microphone both rotate at 180 degrees, what's more the microphone is of the "hypercardioid" type which means it is designed to tune out noise from the rear and immediate sides allowing it to pick up sounds to the front of it very clearly.

But the Dell XPS M1210 is not just all bells and whistles; this notebook is a serious performer. With an Intel Core Duo Processor (1.66GHz - 2.16Ghz), ample DDR2 RAM (512MB-4GB) and the aforementioned dedicated NVIDIA 3D graphics (GeForce Go 7400), performance is no issue for this notebook. In addition to all that, you have the option to go for a 7200rpm hard drive, which, as far as notebooks go, is at the cutting edge of hard drive technology.

Another area where the XPS M1210 shines is wireless connectivity; this notebook features a WAN cellular modem using Verizon's EV-DO service offering the kind of wireless broadband connectivity that's so far been limited to high end business laptops. The XPS M1210 also has a unique feature called the "WiFi Catcher" which allows you to locate WiFi hotspots without even booting up the notebook.

Overall the Dell XPS M1210 is a good performer, light weight (although not ultra-portable) notebook that's pleasing to the eye and comfortable to use. With dedicated 3D graphics you can easily play games on the move. You'll also enjoy watching DVD movies on its widescreen with its excellent contrast and color-saturation.