The Dell XPS 13 always was a well-rounded Ultrabook but the 2015 versions with Broadwell are looking like no-brainers for people needing a highly mobile laptop. The entry-level price of $799 for a non-touch 1920×1080, a weight of 1.17 Kg (2.6 pounds) and a 54Wh put this at the top of a lot of lists. It looks fantastic too! Ultabookreview have just completed a full review of the new Dell XPS 13 and after reading the review you’ll probably have it on your wish list.

Back-lit keyboard? Check! AC Wifi? Check! Touchscreen option? Check!

Ultrabookreview have the Dell XPS 13 9343 Signature Edition (Microsoft no-crapware version) with full-HD matte display and a Core i5 CPU with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD which performed very well under  the tests.

Battery life is superb thanks to the 52Wh battery and, unlike Core-M based laptops it looks like entry-level desktop gaming is possible. Check out the review for performance figures for Dirt 3, Grid 2, Tomb Raider, NFS Most Wanted and Bioshock Infinite.

There’s good news on fan noise as it remains silent until put under load and there’s more good news from the keyboard and touchpad testing. It looks like Dell have everything right. Almost…

Screen brightness was raised as an issue and I’ve spoken to Andrei, the reviewer, about this. It’s possible that he’s got a faulty unit as other reviewers are reporting good screen brightness. We’ll have to keep an eye on this as other reviews come in.

Check out all the reviews and information in our Dell XPS 13 (2015) product page.

There’s some heat under load and a slow-charging issue to take note of too.

At under 1.2KG with 5-10 hours of true battery and this much processing power, for $899, it’s difficult to see anything coming close to the new Dell XPS 13 during the Broadwell lifespan, which could take us through most of 2015. If you’re getting close to choosing a new mobile laptop, read the review and bookmark our information page.

OK, maybe this post is a bit late as tech journalists count down the last few hours to press day at CES 2013 but it was something I put together last night as I thought about what Ultrabook i’d like to have if I had been there this year. I wonder how many bloggers and journos are already using Ultrabooks at CES. It would be very interesting to walk through the press rooms and take a straw poll. If you’re reporting from CES 2013 and have 30 seconds, let us know what laptop you’re using and plug your website.

2012 has been an exciting year for the Ultrabook. With the launch of Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors, and a little help from Windows 8, Ultrabooks gained massive momentum. There’s now Ultrabook offerings from every top PC manufacturer, and even many from second-tier manufacturers. Some, like Asus, have more than 10 Ultrabook models available! And there’s more to come with CES just around the corner (stay tuned January 8-11!). But before the year comes to an end, it’s time to pick our top Ultrabooks.

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Amazon.com have been running the $100 Gift Card Promotion on Ultrabooks for a while now but it ends on Saturday the 21st July. It’s a good week to buy though because there are some new 2nd-gen Ultrabooks in stock now. If you’ve been waiting, strike now!

Chippy’s Choice

I’ve spent some time going through the offers available and I’ve come up with a selection to suit different types of buyer. Take a look below… Here’s a link to all the Ultrabooks available in the promotion right now.

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Thanks-you for your 600+ votes in the recent ‘Favorite Ultrabook’ poll. The results are worth discussing. The top three remain the same as in November last year when we ran the same poll with only 5 Ultrabooks. The Dell XP 13 and HP Envy 14 Spectre enter at #4 and #5

[poll id="3"]

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We’re through CES and have now got details on all the (true) Ultrabooks that will be available before the end of Q1 2012. This is likely to be very close to the final count for Sandy Bridge-based (2011 architecture, Phase 1) Ultrabooks so it’s a good time to take a poll.

What’s your favorite Ultrabook? Which one is at the top of your list?

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We were told that 30-50 ultrabooks would appear at CES last week and while there was indeed a lot of buzz and news, there really are only two truly new models to consider today. Everything else was either already reported, a future, demonstrator or prototype Ultrabook. Some will make it to the shelves, most won’t. In total we added 9 devices to the database (along with a ton of links, images and videos) and there are a few more that may appear later in the year but let’s go over the important devices to be considered over the next month and mention a few brands that still aren’t in the game. After you’ve read the article, let us know what your Ultrabook shortlist looks like.

You can view all the current Ultrabooks and many Ultrabook  alternatives in our comprehensive Ultrabook product database.

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It’s crunch time. I’ve been without a decent notebook for months and with CES fast approaching, I need to make a decision. I have a short-list of Ultrabooks and because there’s no-one in this room to discuss it with, I’m going to talk to myself.

Why Ultrabook?

I’ve tested three devices on the ultra-low voltage 2nd-gen Core platform so far and I really like what I see. The dynamic range of processing is just what I need; Quick Sync Video is the solution for my on-the-go video crunching and upload tasks, 1080p video playback is going to be great for home use and at around the 1KG mark, it meets my portability requirements spot-on. 5hrs is the battery life target for average use although anything more than that makes a day on the road less stressful! The Ultrabook platform delivers the perfect balance that I need right now.

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