| Today we will look at an exciting ultra-compact | | | | display. They are covered with grids and are directed |
| portable computer optimized for today’s life and | | | | right at the user. This placement is good because the |
| travels. The DELL Inspiron XPS system based on | | | | speakers won’t get obstructed with anything. |
| Intel Merom processor proved an excellent solution. | | | | The display hinges stick out of the notebook’s |
| Read more in our review! | | | | body, allowing you to unfold it by even more than |
| The life of a truly modern man is like a train that is | | | | 180 degrees as is shown in the following photograph: |
| steadily speeding up from its station towards an | | | | The Dell Inspiron XPS M1210 is equipped with a |
| unknown destination. It is getting faster and faster | | | | widescreen 12.1” display with a max resolution of |
| every moment, and there’s no stopping or even | | | | 1280×800 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10 |
| pausing this process. Living at a high speed, the | | | | (WXGA). The horizontal viewing angle seems to be |
| modern man regards time as a great value. Some | | | | large, but the vertical one is narrow even visually. |
| people are even dreaming about extra hours in the | | | | The glassy coating of the display makes colors more |
| day that would sum up into extra days monthly. To | | | | saturated (Dell TrueLife technology), but also |
| avoid floundering in such unreal dreaming, you can put | | | | produces flares under improper lighting and reflects |
| to good use those hours that you’d just waste | | | | every well-lit object behind your back. |
| otherwise. You only need a portable digital | | | | We measured the brightness and contrast of the |
| companion, a notebook computer. | | | | notebook’s display using a Pantone ColorVision |
| There is, however, a list of minimum requirements | | | | Spyder with OptiCAL version 3.7.8 software. We |
| this digital companion must comply with to satisfy its | | | | selected the highest possible brightness setting |
| owner. The notebook must be light and small, yet | | | | before this test but it would become much lower |
| easy to work with. It must have high-performance | | | | when the notebook switched to its battery, |
| but economical components so that it could last long | | | | automatically enabling power-saving measures. The |
| on the dell xps m1210 battery. A large selection of | | | | measured values of brightness are high, but the |
| wireless interfaces would also be welcome in a | | | | contrast ratio isn’t: |
| traveling notebook. A good graphics subsystem might | | | | AC power source: |
| also come in handy so that the user could relax a | | | | * 110.1cd/sq.m brightness, 27:1 contrast ratio |
| little at some game. | | | | DC power source: |
| You think it’s impossible? Not at all! The Dell | | | | * 90.9cd/sq.m brightness, 27:1 contrast ratio |
| Inspiron XPS M1201 is a vivid example of that. | | | | The notebook’s keyboard consists of 84 |
| Depending on the configuration, this 12” cutie (it | | | | silvery-colored keys with a soft movement and a |
| easily fits within the dimensions of the A4 paper | | | | somewhat rough surface. The Arrow keys are |
| format and thus into any briefcase or bag) can | | | | lowered below the keyboard’s baseline to |
| satisfy any person who is spending much of his life | | | | reduce the risk of your pressing them unintentionally. |
| traveling. Appearances are often misleading, and a | | | | The Fn button is located at the bottom left of the |
| cursory glance over the Inspiron XPS M1210 | | | | keyboard, next to the Ctrl key, which is in the |
| won’t disclose to you the fact that this | | | | corner. This is convenient for people who are used to |
| notebook has one of the most advanced of | | | | shortcuts like Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V. Numeric buttons and |
| today’s mobile CPUs coupled with a rather | | | | two Windows keys are available: the Context Menu |
| powerful graphics subsystem. Not all notebooks | | | | key is over one key on the left of the spacebar and |
| marked as XPS M1210 have a discrete graphics | | | | the Windows Logo is on the right of the spacebar. |
| solution on board, though. There is a version that has | | | | The functional buttons are smaller than others. PgUp |
| a tremendous computing power but is weak in 3D | | | | and PgDn are placed under the Enter. Home, End, |
| and gaming applications because it uses the | | | | Insert and Delete are in the same row with the |
| integrated graphics core Graphics Media Accelerator | | | | functional buttons (you should press them along with |
| 950. | | | | Fn to access their additional functions). The letters |
| It’s the latter version of the notebook that | | | | are painted in black; the functional keys are blue. |
| we’ve got for our tests. The Dell Inspiron XPS | | | | Testbed and Methods |
| M1210 is based on a Merom-core CPU with the Core | | | | The notebook’s hard drive was formatted in |
| micro-architecture. The Merom differs from the | | | | NTFS before the tests. Then we installed Microsoft |
| previous core Yonah in a few respects. First, the | | | | Windows XP Professional SP2 with DirectX 9.0c, |
| Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 has a 4MB L2 cache. The | | | | system drivers (from the included disc), and |
| execution pipeline is almost the same length in all | | | | Windows Media Encoder 9.0 with Windows Media |
| CPUs with the Core architecture, yet it is longer by | | | | Player 9.0. We also installed Windows Media Player |
| two stages in the Core 2 Duo. The most notable | | | | 10.0 for such tests as PCMark 2005 and SYSMark |
| improvement is the support of Intel’s 64-bit | | | | 2004 SE. |
| extensions to the x86 architecture and the so-called | | | | The following settings were used for the tests: |
| Intel Wide Dynamic Execution that means that the | | | | * Power-saving services – Off |
| CPU core now has more decoders and execution | | | | * Audio subsystem – Off |
| units. The processing of SSE and floating-point | | | | * Network services – Off |
| instructions has been accelerated. With all these | | | | * Maximum screen brightness |
| innovations, the Merom core has a typical heat | | | | * Maximum display resolution (1440×900) |
| dissipation of 34W as opposed to the Yonah’s | | | | * Windows Taskbar is Unlocked |
| 31W. The rest of the components of the Napa | | | | * Windows Taskbar hides automatically |
| platform are left unchanged and the CPU socket will | | | | * Classic Desktop theme |
| remain the same until the upcoming transition to the | | | | * No background image on the Desktop |
| Santa Rosa platform. | | | | * No screensaver |
| The stickers they put on the notebook case are the | | | | * Low security level |
| same too, except that the Intel Core 2 Duo Inside | | | | * Pop-ups blocking disabled |
| sticker now has the number 2 that stands for | | | | There were two exceptions: we returned to the |
| Merom. The Centrino Duo logo doesn’t allow | | | | Windows XP desktop theme for PCMark 2005 since |
| telling which exactly CPU resides inside the notebook. | | | | the program required that. And for SYSMark 2004 SE |
| Our tests will show how such crucial parameters of | | | | to work normally, we had to roll each parameter |
| notebooks as battery life and performance have | | | | back to its default (as they are set right after you |
| been affected by the technical innovations. But first | | | | install Windows). |
| we’ll examine the Dell Inspiron XPS X1210 | | | | Two power modes were used. First, we selected the |
| carefully from all the sides. We’ll also take an | | | | Always On power mode for maximum performance |
| ASUS W5F notebook as an opponent to the Inspiron. | | | | and the shortest battery life. Then we switched to |
| The notebook from ASUS has a similar hardware | | | | the Max Battery mode for the maximum battery |
| configuration, but a different CPU with a different | | | | run-down time. |
| clock rate. The Inspiron XPS M1210 is based on a | | | | Our tests: |
| Merom-core processor with a frequency of 2.33GHz | | | | 1. Performance benchmarks: synthetic (SiSoftware |
| while the ASUS W5F has a Yonah-core 2.0GHz CPU | | | | Sandra 2005, SiSoftware Sandra 2007, PCMark 2004 |
| (it is the highest CPU frequency among all the Intel | | | | 1.3.0, PCMark 2005 1.2.0), office and multimedia |
| Core Duo processors we’ve ever tested in our | | | | (SYSMark 2004 SE, Business Winstone 2004, |
| labs). | | | | Multimedia Content Creation Winstone 2004), and |
| Design and Ergonomics | | | | games (3DMark 2001SE Pro, 3DMark 2003 3.6.0, |
| The first thing you become aware of in the Dell | | | | 3DMark 2005 1.2.0, 3DMark 2006 1.0.2, Quake 3, |
| Inspiron XPS M1210 is its smooth outline. The front | | | | Quake 4, Unreal Tournament 2003) |
| part is rounded off a little, giving the notebook a | | | | 2. Battery life tests (Battery Eater Pro 2.60) |
| very neat appearance. The lid is coated with black | | | | There are three test modes in Battery Eater: |
| plastic and has a silvery band with the name of the | | | | * Classic (the system is under a high and evenly |
| series near the display hinges. On the front panel | | | | distributed load) |
| there is a small chromium-plated ledge to make it | | | | * Reader’s test (the pages are browsed through |
| easier for you to lift the lid up. The sides of the lid | | | | each 15 seconds) |
| are by half painted silver to match the top part of | | | | * Idle mode |
| the notebook’s body. The rest of the body is | | | | We used the first two modes as they are in Battery |
| painted black. | | | | Eater, but in the Idle mode (when the test utility |
| The manufacturer put its logotype into the center of | | | | doesn’t put any load of its own on the |
| the lid. | | | | notebook) we played a DVD movie. |
| Before opening the notebook, you can take note of | | | | Conclusion |
| the three connectors in its front part. One is a | | | | Michael Dell’s team has done a good job again, |
| microphone input and the other two are identical | | | | coming up with an exciting ultra-compact portable |
| headphones outputs. Not a very common solution, | | | | computer optimized for today’s life and travels. |
| this allows enjoying the multimedia capabilities of the | | | | The only significant drawback in the configuration of |
| Inspiron XPS M1210 battery together with your friend | | | | the Dell Inspiron XPS M1210 that we tested is the |
| while on a plane, for example. | | | | lack of a discrete graphics card that would certainly |
| Above those connectors there is a block of | | | | make it even more appealing. Well, the model we |
| multimedia buttons highlighted in blue when the | | | | actually tested is quite ready for the nomadic way of |
| notebook is turned on. These buttons include (from | | | | life many of us have to lead. We called the ASUS |
| left to right): | | | | W5F with its Yonah-core CPU a mobile intellectual in |
| * Mute On/Off | | | | our earlier review, but the Dell Inspiron XPS M1210, |
| * Volume Down | | | | even with its integrated graphics, is much smarter |
| * Volume Up | | | | without a doubt! |
| * Play/Pause | | | | This year will show us the Merom from other |
| * Previous Track | | | | aspects, too. This CPU core is going to have higher |
| * Next Track | | | | frequencies and to work within the framework of |
| * Stop | | | | the Santa Rosa platform together with an improved |
| We don’t think these buttons are really | | | | integrated graphics core. This sounds to us like yet |
| necessary for an ultra-compact model unless you are | | | | another performance leap! |
| going to use it as a player. Due to the small size of | | | | Highs: |
| the notebook, you will almost surely touch the | | | | * Superb ultramodern design |
| multimedia buttons unintentionally with your wrists | | | | * Excellent performance in office applications (and not |
| while you’re using the touchpad. | | | | limited to them if the configuration includes a discrete |
| The display lacks a lock as is typical of notebooks of | | | | graphics card) |
| that form-factor. Mechanisms built into the hinges | | | | * Abundance of wireless interfaces (including support |
| press the lid down to the notebook’s body, and | | | | for SIM cards) |
| you have to exert some strength to lift it up. The | | | | * Exclusive TrueLife technology for better image |
| color scheme is all silvery inside, including the | | | | quality |
| magnesium case, keyboard, touchpad, and the | | | | * Appealing and competitive price |
| screen bezel. There are rubber pads on that bezel for | | | | * High-resolution widescreen display |
| softer contact between the display and the | | | | * Relatively long battery life |
| notebook’s body. Centered beneath the display | | | | Lows: |
| is the Dell logotype. | | | | * Mirror-like display |
| The Dell Inspiron XPS M1210 may come with an | | | | * Low performance in games |
| optional 1.3-megapixel web-camera that can turn | | | | * Inconvenient placement of the multimedia buttons |
| around by 180 degrees. It resembles the one installed | | | | * Optical combo-drive |
| on the ASUS W5F. Our notebook didn’t have | | | | * Rather too noisy |
| that camera, though. | | | | * Dense placement of USB ports (but it’s good |
| Besides the manufacturer’s logo, there are two | | | | that there are as many as four of them here! |
| sonorous stereo speakers on the bezel, below the | | | | |