Hands On With the Dell XPS 14: New Design, Super Sound, Skype HD Webcam

Today Dell announced its redesigned XPS line of notebooks, which features JBL speakers, Skype HD-certified webcams, and a new look. We went hands-on with the 14-inch XPS 14, which, for $899,  gets you an Intel Core i5 460M processor, 4GB of RAM, Optimus-enabled Nvidia GT 420M graphics with 1GB of memory, and a 500GB, 7200 RPM hard drive.

Given the XPS’ history as a family of premium laptops, it’s odd that in its latest incarnation, it looks a lot like the company’s entry-level Inspiron series. Not that that’s a bad thing, per se. Both have a sturdy chassis ringed with a thin strip of metal, and a screen that’s planted closer to the keyboard, leaving more of the hinge exposed behind it.

We wish the area above the keyboard were less cluttered. In that narrow space, you’ll notice twin JBL speakers, which flank the power button and a series of large LED lights, indicating Wi-Fi signal and battery life, along with three touch-sensitive buttons.

However, the space left for the speakers was worth it. When playing music or videos, it not only showed off a high range, but was loud enough so that we felt comfortable keeping the audio below the median level.

The 2-MP webcam takes 1600 x 1200 photos and 720p video, and, in a first for notebooks, is Skype HD-enabled. Although our images were well-lit and sharp and our 720p video was smooth, the colors appeared faded. We like the included Dell Webcam Central software, though.

The XPS 14 has 2 USB ports, as well as a USB port that doubles as an eSATA port. It also has HDMI output, a FireWire 800 port, an Ethernet jack, dual headphone ports, a mic jack, and a 4-in-1 memory card reader. Unusually, many of the ports, including one of the USB ports, and the HDMI, FireWire, and AC ports, are located on the notebook’s back side.

Overall, we really liked the style, performance, and audio quality of the XPS 14, and for $899, it represents a good deal. Stay tuned for our full review.