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Multitasking Mini - Dell Inspiron XPSM1210

Posted by Todd Gold

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Fire up photoshop, an instant messenger program, and listen to an mp3 - all at the same time, and many older ultraportables cry out in a thick Scottish accent. "I canna get the power, Captain!.....If we don't shut down now, the engines are gonna blow!" Thankfully Intel's new core 2 duo technology is making an appearance in a new breed of ultraportables, which should put an end to Scottyesque protests from our laptops. Read Todd Gold' short review to learn more.

Image of the Dell XPS M1210 ultraportableDell'sultraportable member of the XPS line up has been available for awhile now. If you've been holding off buying one because of therecent exploding laptop debacle let me suggest that chances are, itwasn't Dell's fault - Honest Guv!. The explosion was allegedlydue to faulty Sony Li-ion cells, and hats off to Sony for takingit on the proverbial chin by issuing a press release to thateffect. After the resulting PR nightmare, the quality controlchecks now in place mean that there's probably never been abetter time to buy a Dell laptop.
Movingswiftly on, there are 3 excellent reasons you should give thesleek XPS M1210 a peek - Core 2 Duo. Yes Intel's next developmentin dual core processor technology has arrived, and promises to bea 12 percent improvement over Intel's first core duo mobileprocessor Yonah. Thehighest configuration of the Dell M1210 XPS is built aroundIntel's T2600, firing at 2.16GHz. This cutting edge processorleverages 2 cores on one chip making multitasking on this mininotebook a dream.

The M1210 metallic chassis can be packed with up to 4GB of DualChannel 667MHz DDR2 RAM, allowing you to push performance on thisultraportable to the max. However that memory configuration wouldbe mighty costly, so unless your boss is picking up the tab, optfor the 1 or 2GB memory. This XPS laptop is also packed withloads of features, including an integrated optical drive, a 120GB5400RPM SATA hard drive, a built in 1.3 mega pixel web cam thatrotates 180 degrees, and a 12.1 inch WXGA display with a sharp1280x800 resolution.

Weighing around 2kg this Inspiron is stocky for an ultraportable, butdefinitely compact enough for all but the most demanding collegestudent, frequent flyer or road warrior. Light as it is, the XPSM1210 is not light on ports, boasting the usual suspects found onbigger laptops including a 5-in-1 removable memory card reader,one express card slot, and 4 USB 2.0 ports.

Build quality is solid. Granted this Dell Inspiron is not inrugged Durabook or Toughbookleague, but new RoadReady technology makes the M1210 stand out asone sturdy dude in the ultraportable crowd. Dell are definitelytaking note of the public's penchant for tougher machines.Indeed, in a recent laptop durability study carried out byVeriTest, a Dell D610 performed admirably againstcompetitors in a free fall drop test (14 inches and 29inches).

Standard battery life is adequate, enough to watch a dvd or two.With the optional 9 cell battery, upwards of 6-7 hours isachievable. Wireless connectivity is covered with a bluetoothoption, and an internal Intel PRO/Wireless 3945. Also if you'realways on the road and need access to the web, no need to beshackled to a hotspot. The M1210 is mobile broadband ready withan integrated antenna that can access Verizon's EV-DO network.The Inspiron XPS M1210 ships with Windows XP Media Center Editionand is ready for Windows Vista when that much heralded OS isfinally released.

There are lighter ultraportables on the market, and definitelycheaper ones. But the XPS M1210 with it's blazing core 2 duoprocessor, and sturdy build quality offers a lot of versatility.Indeed, this portable XPS laptop is suitable for business,multimedia, and all but the most demanding of games.

Extreme laptop gamers should probably take note of the M1210'ssmall 12.1 inch screen, and consider that the NVIDIA GeForce Go7400 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated memory, is not thebest on the market. Maybe you'd be better off aiming for the M1710, whichnow ships with a core 2 duo processor, and the GeForce Go 7900GTX, with a monstrous 512MB of dedicated graphicspower.

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