Dell XPS M1210 (Core Duo T2300)

XPS 1330 is the best laptop I can say available in the market and the performance is also great. Camparing to others at the same price lavel and at the same configration, xps give the best and the dell is well known for its service and durability. I have this for last 5 months and I am satisfied with the performance as the processors is the best part it has and the other things are better than Sony VIO and the HP which has capsule with it. if we compare this with Sony Vio and HP then only Dell is the best and also they are best in their services.

Xps colour is the another good value for this you can go with the colours what you like exactly. I have nothing negative to say here about XPS thats only the Dell have with it. Review is nothing negative. the another better part is to configuration of this if you go for online order atleast you can configure it as per your requirement and also another part is the design which can not be compared with any of the laptop available in the market now a days.

I bought this laptop with only lots of doubts in my mind like is it overpriced, will it deliver and all other stuff.But it turned out to be a decent good machine which proved its worthiness.

Dell did offer a various range of laptops . But the XPS do stand apart due to its unique stylind and also the power of machine. With a 3GB memory, 250GB hard disc and cpu of intel dual core T7250@2.00GHZ, its an ultimate gaming and work machine.

Before buying a notebook one should access whats his needs are what he is going to do with it. Once the need is accessed, go for the specifications. What I like in this one is the easiness to use, the sleek design, well integrated camera and mic and a very nice keyboard.It have 4 usb ports, one hdtv connector, DVDr+RW (option for blueray), remote contorl, wirless and also sdram access slots.

What we can find in dell site is the ease of configuration which other companys are not so succesful. Only thing I find in negative way is the fingerprint sensor and the way it is interlinked with vista. sometimes the sensor gets stuck and u need to enter the manual password.Also the USERS cannot login only the finger prints as system automatically ask the passwords too. But all this comes with wieght of 54, 000/-

But it answers back with its shear performance.so if u looking for a system with performance, u want to play more games( nvidia graphics card included), multiple tasks...go for it unless you have worries of money at the back of your mind.

I've had this laptop for nearly four months now and I've had quite the range of experiences with it. Since the standard Product Details boxes don't let me enter proper information I'll just list that here. I can't seem to be able to find the formatting tools, so you'll have to live with an unformatted review. Please read the last bit before buying though.

XPS M1330

Intel Core 2 Duo T8300

Windows Vista Home Premium

13.3" LCD Display (1280x800)

3GB DDR2 667MHz

160 GB 7200RPM drive [it was cheaper than the 250 GB 5400RPM drive by 1000 rupees :) ]

8x DVD-RW drive

NVidia GeForce 8400M GS (128MB RAM) but it also uses Main RAM when possible

Intel 4965 Wireless-N

Integrated Sound

Standard Dell bluetooth

6-cell battery

I got a free Bluetooth headset and some noise isolation earbuds too.

Pros

=

1. The 1280x800 resolution is just perfect for the 13.3" laptop, everything looks crisp and beautiful.

2. The GeForce 8400M GS plays the few games I have: Warcraft III, Battlefield 2 at very high settings without any pain. BF2 isn't great at all high settings, but it is definitely enjoyable.

3. The touch-sensitive controls on the media bar along the same line as the power and MediaDirect buttons are really nice.

4. The Wi-Fi card is really good, it picks up all sorts of networks. And the Bluetooth works just fine. I managed to get Skype to work but I messed it up now, so my Bluetooth headset now keeps connecting to my phone automatically. So can't tell that.

5. Slot-loading DVD drive is really cool.

6. Memory card reader works really well, I have a few SD cards lying around and now I just use the reader. It writes at >5MB/s according to the Vista file copying dialog

7. Sound output placed at the front, good place to put it.

8. Mine weighs around 2Kg. I think that's pretty good.

9. It has a HDMI port.

Cons

====

1. Screen is glossy, so very reflective in sunlight and hard to read there.

2. The laptop attracts dirt and fingerprints, use a standard cleaner to wash them away and an LCD cleaner on the screen (the Dell tech told me this).

3. I've noticed that at certain positions, you can get a light shock from the corner of the laptop. Part of it is aluminium, but the adapter is grounded so I don't see why this should happen.

4. It only has 3 USB ports, if you have a wireless USB modem and a mouse that's two gone.

5. It has no S-video out. Can't expect them to put everything there.

6. The touchpad is placed off-center. For people like me who use their right index finger on it, this is very annoying because your left palm will rest on the touchpad if you have your fingers on the home row (asdf).

7. The keys sometimes get stuck. Hit them a few times and they work fine again.

8. Slot loading drive only works if the laptop is in perfectly flat position. If you keep it slightly raised at the back (I use this to let it cool and because it is more comfortable for my hands) then the drive will make weird noises and not accept the DVD.

9. Wi-Fi finder is useless. Never found a good use for it.

10. Dell MediaDirect is junk, completely useless and when you replace your motherboard the thing won't even work properly.

Other stuff:

========

1. The notebook has an extra slot for a WWAN card. I asked at Technical Support and it appears that nobody in India offers a card for that slot yet. Disappointing.

2. MediaDirect doesn't offer you increased battery life, their tech said. It's utter junk, but you can't install something else over it or you'll lose software support.

3. To get your service tag, open Dell Support Center (it's preinstalled) and look at the information on top.

Things to watch out for:

====================

One really big problem with the XPS M1330 and the XPS M1530 is their use of the GeForce 8400M GS and the 8600M. Both these chips from NVidia are horribly faulty and you'll have all sorts of problems with them.My XPS M1330 came with the A09 BIOS, and in mid-August 2008 (I bought it in late June 2008) I started having trouble with the laptop. Pink and green lines started coming all over the screen and the machine would start shutting off at random times.If this happens to you, do two things:

(i) Quickly get your Service Tag (either from the BIOS or from the Dell Support Center).

(ii) Call Dell Technical Support.The GeForce 8400M GS has a huge problem with heating, and it fails really really quickly. This problem is more evident in the A09 BIOS. To hide the issue, later revisions of the BIOS (A11 and A12 atleast) have this brilliant method: The fans run much faster for much longer, thereby keeping the graphics processor cool but also ruining battery life. Other people have also said that this just delays the failure of the notebook.The graphics processor is integrated on the motherboard, so if it burns out everything goes out the window, you won't be able to boot your computer and Dell will send out a tech to replace your motherboard. He will probably try to use the same thermal paste on the new motherboard, get him to replace it.Also remember one thing, all notebooks with this graphics chipset have the warranty extended on the motherboard for 1 more year. This will not be listed in your warranty section anywhere and not on their website either. But fight for it if you have a problem. The official Dell blog lists this and I have asked on their official forums too. https://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspxIf you really want this notebook for all its other good things, buy a long warranty. This chip _will_ fail, it's only a matter of time. All laptops carrying that chip are affected.

UPDATE:

I have since changed my opinion on this laptop, mostly due to the poor quality of Dell support. While they were quick to replace the motherboard the first time it failed, the rest of their service is poor. Here are the reasons why:

1. They don't answer email.

2. They do not know enough about the system to talk about it: While the Dell website clearly talks about how to check your battery health using the button on its back, none of the tech support reps knew of this.

To compound this problem, Dell's batteries seem to fail incredibly fast. For someone who keeps his room usually between 27-30 degrees, it was a surprise to note that battery capacity had fallen below 60% (5 lights on the health meter) eight months from purchase.

While this laptop is still good, please know that it comes with the added baggage of Dell support. I have championed their cause when others have said that they were crap based on the last time they fixed my machine, but by god, they are awful.

I bought this DELL XPS 1330 in December 2007. Before buying it, I configured it in such a manner to use it in full extent and modified configuration is Core 2 Duo T7500(2.2 GHz, I think), 3GB RAM, 160HDD(7200rpm), nVidia 8400M GS graphics card, 9 Cell 85WHr battery, in-built web cam etc. And most important the weight you wouldn't feel. I am saying it because I used(and am using) DELL Inspiron 1505 which is quite heavy compared to XPS 1330. I liked this XPS. It came with pre-installed Microsoft Vista Home premium 32-bit Operating System.

The problem starts as soon as I upgraded it from Vista Home to Vista Ultimate 32-bit. I faced only one problem with video graphics driver/instrument, after 10 minute the display goes off and get black screen. So when you get black screen, essentially you dont have any other option and I have to shut it down by pressing the power button for 5 seconds.

I spent more than 72 hours with Customer Care over phone, they did all kind of experiment on the machine using their Dell Connect utility and finally, I had to send it back to DELL Garage for repair(in Texas, USA).

I guess that XPS is known for gaming but somehow, hardware/software screwed up in my machine and that gave me very hard time. I didnt use the machine for about 2 months now, because I am yet to receive the corrected and operational machine from DELL.

Bottom line is that though it is sleek and very sexy, but troublesome piece. My next machine wouldn't be XPS for sure instead I like Inspiron or Latitude, but no more DELL. I would rather go for Sony Vaio(though costlier than DELL) but more reliable - hmm. can't say that 100% because I used more DELL laptops compared to Sony, and this is the first time I am facing the EXTREME problem. But it is worth trying Sony models and Sony is the brand and I love its keyboard(it is my personal opinion).

I spent some INR 70K on the XPS, I wish that I could bought Sony Vaio instead.

I purchased a Dell XPS M1530 in April with a great configuration for 70k+ including taxes.

I was pretty happy with the perfrmance for few days but then a sries of trouble started coming up.

First my right side internal speaker stopped working. I complained for the same at XPS support and they sent a technician with a wrong part 3 times. Each time that guy came with the wrong part and each time he opened my laptop fully taking out all its components. Now imagine seeing your brand new computer being opened thrice in front of you and still the problem is not sorted out.

I again called XS support after a week and they said that they are sorry and will send the correct part within 2 days. Its been more than a week and I have not heard anything from their side at all.

But hey wait som new problems started popping up in the meanwhile. If I press the key 5 once, it appears 3 times and sometimes the mouse stops responding. There's even problem with CD drive. Sometimes you just cant put the CD in and seems like some some sort of blockage in the way. The CD drive is the slot-in model.

I was so happy when I purchased the model and waiting eagerly to get this model after reading so many reviews on different websites but now all my dreams are beginning to shatter. Even my folks tease me that will you still buy a Dell in future and I cant reply anything.

This review is for MS..been long time since I have got one uploaded..:) I was on the look out for a small screen, light weighted laptop for I travel a lot. My earlier one was bulky and so portable notebook is essential...

Checked out various brands, I ended up getting many tabloids in 12.1 inch range however tabloid didnt convince me for the price nor the rotating display, looked more like a Portable DVD player with a 12 inch screen.

Dell XPS M 1330 happened by luck, Ordered one on https://dell.com Its a refurbished peice however its price in India is at Approx 50K INR,

I have got 2GB Ram, 160 GB Sata HD, 13.1 inch screen, Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6Ghz processor @ 33kINR (delivered in U.S)

Its DVD drive is quiet unique unlike the ones I have seen, its not the stereo typed push n pull ones. Its inbuilt and non detectable without noticing it. Dvd slides in automatically when put inside the drive.

Quite a deal...pure white, preloaded with Windows Vista Home premium(though I would have preferred Windows XP).

This one is sleek, Neat and perfect for a business traveler. The onsite Support / Telephone support makes your life even more easy from DELL. I recommend this for the Looks, Support, Usability and Price. The nearest competitor which I liked is in the range of 1.1L (that of Sony vaio with 12.1 inch screen)

100 % Value for money - DELL.

Color of my laptop - White.

Cheers

Kv

After deliberating for a loooong time and much help from this forum, ordered Dell XPS M1500 yesterday with the following config:-

i've chosen the Dell XPS M1500. a 15.4". i bought this laptop cz I can occasionally carry n shudnt be much of a pain. like I shud b able to squeeze with n use it comforatbly in a car, or any other situation like dat.Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T7500 2.2 GHz, 4MB Cache, 800 MHz FSB

Windows Vista(R) Home Premium - with AERO experience

1-year XPS Premier Service with 1-year Complete Cover

1 Year Priority PC User 24x7 Support(Round-The-Clock Technical Assistance)

1 ExpressCard Slot, (DOES NOT SUPPORT PCMCIA CARD -S)

8-in-1 media card reader

Integrated 10/100 Fast Ethernet

Dell(TM) Travel Remote Control

Noise Isolation Ear Buds

External USB modem(WW)

RJ-11 Modem cable(AP)

Dell(TM) Keyboard with Touchpad(English)

15.4" Widescreen WXGA(1280x800) TFT Display with TrueLife(TM)

TY009 -Tuxedo Black LCD display with Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web cam

2GB(2 X 1024MB) 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM

Integrated Stereo Sound

256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 8600M GT

*160GB SATA Hard Drive

REALLY IT ROCKS.!

Aside from the redesigns to the notebook line-up,

Dell was also touting the multitude of colored lids that the new

laptops would ship with, allowing a bit of personalization by

customers. In addition, the XPS M1330 was touted as the thinnest 13.3"

notebook and boasted a radically new design for Dell, challenging

manufacturers such as Sony and Apple, who were traditionally viewed as

more 'stylish' companies, known for their design. There was substantial

press coverage for the launch as well as for the new product line,

something that hasn't been terribly common for Dell in recent memory.

After years of building my own computers, I decided to give Dell a try

and ordered the XPS M1330.

My laptop config

Intel Core2Duo Processor T5250 (1.5GHz)

1GB RAM,

160GB SATA HArd Disk (25GB is Dell recoevry partition, 4 GB is Media Direct)

Windows Vista Home Premium

Pros:

Integrated optical drive.

Discrete graphics. Video

editor's hard drive. EV-DO Rev A option. Various colors to choose from.

Cons:

HDMI-Out but no Blu-ray option. Nine-cell battery can turn it into a mainstream-weight laptop.

Battery life is approx 2 hours (default 6 cell battery)

No Modem (Internal or External)

The palmrest feels comfortably hot when kept on charging for more than 45 min.

Shitty after-sales support.

All-in-all -score 2 out of 10

If you have extra cash in hand go out and drink a beer. But do not buy this.

DELL XPS M1210 LAPTOP.

I am a Toshiba fan however this time I decided to go in for a Dell laptop because I wanted a gaming laptop (read "a laptop that could play Battlefield 2 without stuttering"). There aren't many laptops available in India with dedicated video cards and even fewer laptops with 256 mb video cards (which is a BF2 requirement). In addition to this, I wanted to move to a smaller laptop - I've been using a Toshiba 2450 - A742 laptop which has a 15" screen and is simply too heavy.

I travel a lot and the Toshiba laptop constantly threatens to dislocate my shoulder! I did some research on the net and I found that only the Dell XPS M1210 (amongst the laptops available in India) matched my requirements. I must have read dozens of reviews and all of them agreed that this was one hell of a laptop!Dell allows you to "build" your own laptop - so you choose which processor you want, how much ram you need, what software you want installed etc etc.

My configuration is as follows: 2.0 Ghz Core Duo processor (T7200), 2 Gb ram, Nvidia 256 mb video card (Geforce 7400) windows vista (ultimate), 100 gb SATA 7200 rpm hdd, 12.1" glossy screen (WXGA Widescreen 1280x800), DVD-RW, 4 usb ports, 1 firewire port, Ethernet, wireless access, bluetooth, modem, built in webcam (Logitech 1.3 mp) etc. It's truly amazing how much Dell has been packed into this tiny laptop! I haven't tested the battery life (I opted for the 9 cell battery as against the 6 cell battery because the reviews said that the former lasts for 4-5 hours).

I have been using the laptop for 10 days and I am thrilled to bits. It is exactly what I was looking for - so far I've played BF2, BF 2142 and similar 3D games without a problem. There is no lag at all - the frames are smooth and the quality is good. I'm not impressed by Vista and finally ended up dual booting with XP (drivers available on the Dell website). The core duo processor lives up to its reputation (behaves like two independent processors so you can happily run a virus scan and burn a CD at the same time without a drop in performance).

The laptop is very attractive and the screen is comfortable to look at. I was worried that I would have to squint to read stuff on the small screen but I was delighted to find that the "Truelife" screen is nothing short of spectacular. Words are crystal clear and the screen is unbelievably bright. However, due to its glossy nature, the screen does reflect more than a matte screen. Its not something which affects me. Weighing in at 2.4 kgs, the M1210 is heavy for a 12" laptop. But with the high performance parts, you need extra cooling power hence it is a bit thick and heavy. The keyboard is full sized so I have no trouble typing. The laptop crunches through programs and is a pleasure to work on.

Yes, I do a bit of work on it as well! The logitech camera can be swiveled 180 degrees and is reasonable. The quality is acceptable for a web cam and you should not expect pictures similar to present day digital cameras. Sound quality is average and the speakers are just about acceptable. The casing is made of a magnesium alloy material and the build is solid. The M1210 reeks of quality justifying to an extent its high price. This is a laptop built to satisfy even the most critical user!

I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an exceptional laptop which doubles both as a gaming machine and a workhorse, all in a nice little package.The Dell XPS range is considered to be a "high end" product - supposedly these are computers built for customers who demand the very best. What that means in reality is that the computers are expensive! I had to shell out just under 1 Lakh and the price did make me wince. If you are strapped for money then this is not the laptop for you.

NOTE:Dell has replaced this model with the XPS M1330 - the specs are better, the laptop is sexier, GeForce 8400M GS....I am drooling already! The M1330 has great reviews so I cant think of a single reason NOT to buy it! I am talking about YOU....me...I am happy with my M1210. And no it has nothing to do with the fact that Im broke!