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The Dell XPS 14z. Skinny. Pretty. Like a supermodel, but way less high-maintenance.
UPDATE: Huge congrats to our winner, Ruqiya Mohamud of Hamilton, ON (and our apologies for going off on Christmas break before announcing who’d been selected!) Many thanks to all for the great comments — we wish we had computers to give away to everyone. But stay tuned to the Canoe Tech Blog, as we’ve always got something cool that we want you to have!
When it comes to notebook computers, much of the chatter right now is about so-called Ultrabooks – thin, light PCs that strike a nice balance between power and portability.
But power is a relative word. While Ultrabooks definitely pack a punch for their size, there are still people out there who need a little more under the hood. Those are the folks Dell is appealing to with the new Dell XPS 14z.
The XPS 14z follows on the heels of May’s release of the 15.6-inch XPS 15z, which is a great machine for its somewhat robust size. The XPS 14z, though, is more of a best-of-both-worlds proposition. It’s built on a 13-inch laptop chassis (the high-def, 1,366 x 768 pixel screen has a very thin bezel) and weighs just two kilograms, meaning it’s very easy to tote around.
But this slim design doesn’t mean a lack of power. The XPS 14z comes with either 6 GB or 8 GB of memory, an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor and a hard drive ranging from 500 GB to 750 GB, depending on the model. It also has an internal DVD drive and (on the two higher-end models) a separate NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics chip with 1 GB of memory. While you won’t necessarily be rocking Modern Warfare 3 on the highest visual settings, it’s certainly more of an all-around workhorse and multimedia machine than most notebook computers its size.
I’m really picky when it comes to minor details like keyboards and trackpads – hey, when you spend a good portion of your day writing, these things matter – and the XPS 14z does well in both regards. The backlit (yay!) keyboard feels great, the trackpad is responsive and the overall design is clean and functional, sexy without being showy.
The optical drive (which naturally includes DVD writing capabilities) strikes me as a bit of a curiosity. Dell obviously thinks – or more likely knows, through market research – that there’s a segment of the population that still requires DVD drives in their portable computers. Personally, I can’t remember the last time I needed an optical drive in my laptop. Everything is downloadable or streamable or digitally distributed these days, and I’d happily give up the DVD drive for a savings in size and weight. But that’s just me.
The Dell XPS 14z is available now from www.dell.ca for $999.99 to $1,299.99, depending on configuration. But the folks at Dell Canada would like to give you the chance to win one. For free! (With the holidays right around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better, eh wot?)
What’s even cooler is our giveaway is the top-of-the-line version of the XPS 14z that’s not yet available in Canada, with an Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics chip and a super-fast 256 GB solid state hard drive. Fancy!
HOW TO ENTER TO WIN
To get your chance to make this slick new notebook your own, simply leave us a comment telling us why you want to win this Dell XPS 14z and how you would use it.
Fine Print:
Contest is open to any resident of Canada, 18 years or older, except residents of Quebec.
The contest begins at 12:01AM ET, Saturday December 17th, 2011 and closes at 11:59PM ET Tuesday December 20th, 2011. No purchase necessary, but reader must log in to post a comment.
Only one entry per person. We cannot be responsible for lost entries.
Winner will be drawn from eligible entries received and must answer a skill-testing question. Winner will be notified by email to the address supplied, within 24 hours and has 48 hours to respond. If no response, another winner may be selected.
Winner will receive a Dell XPS 14z with a retail value of $1,599.99 US, donated by Dell Canada, and will also allow his or her name to be published.