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Add this to the list of Tax Day surprises: the Dell XPS 18 all-in-one is available for pre-order online one day ahead of schedule. The giant tablet / semi-portable desktop won’t actually ship until the first week in May, but you can add one of three configurations to your cart now. The entry-level model, with a Pentium processor and a 320GB hard drive, will set you back $900, while Core i3 and Core i5 versions are priced at $1,000 and $1,350, respectively. We liked what we saw when we went hands-on with the 4.85-pound PC: its flip-out feet let you transition between slate and desktop mode easily, and the 1080 capacitive touch display is very crisp. Admittedly, there is only a handful of tabletop Windows 8 slates, but the XPS 18 can hold its own against the Sony VAIO Tap 20 and Lenovo’s jumbo-sized Horizon Table PC. Click through to Dell’s US site for more details.
[Thanks, Tom]
Filed under: Desktops, Tablets, Dell
Source: Dell
Dell is pulling back the curtain on the XPS 18, its new portable all-in-one. This machine is a natural competitor to the Sony VAIO Tap 20, with a built-in battery rated for five hours of runtime, although it weighs a much lighter 4.85 pounds (versus a whopping 11.4). Still, though the XPS 18 can function as a tablet, it’s portable in the sense that it can move from office to living room; it’s not going to accompany you on daily subway rides.
With an 18.4-inch, 1080p display, the XPS 18 makes for a pretty enormous slate, and we were only comfortable holding it in our hands for a few minutes, though resting it on our lap worked well. The AIO sports flip-out plastic feet on its backing, and these can prop up the device vertically or at an angle. Of course, you can also use the XPS 18 as a tablet by simply laying it flat on a table or desktop, and this is the ideal mode for playing games and the like on the 10-point touchscreen.
You know how some of us have been advised to specialize in a particular field, simply because if you want to do something, make sure you go all out and do it without any hesitation, and be the best there is to it, too. Hybrid devices might prove to be the future, but right now, it is still in its infancy, as evident by the $900 Dell XPS 18 which functions as an all-in-one PC and an 18-inch tablet. Those who are in the know would most probably see this to be a direct competitor to the Sony VAIO Tap 20, where Dell’s XPS 18 will feature an integrated battery with five hours of runtime, and a design that allows it to work as a desktop or simply to lay flat.
As for its hardware specifications, your eyes will definitely appreciate the 18.4-inch display that does Full HD resolution, and when you translate it for tablet use, the 4.85-pound frame is not going to be too kind on your biceps. I suppose it will primarily be used as a desktop, and only once in a blue moon will you see it function as a tablet – as and when necessary, of course. The $900 base price will see a dual-core Pentium ULV processor run the show, accompanied by a 320GB hard drive.
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