Dell’s 2016 line of XPS 13 thin and light laptops are now available. The new models feature Intel Kaby Lake processors and slightly bigger batteries than their predecessors.
But otherwise the new Dell XPS 13 laptops are a lot like the models Dell has released for the past few years: they’re thin, they’re light, they have affordable starting prices, and there are even a few models that come with Ubuntu Linux instead of Windows 10.
The new XPS 13 laptops were unveiled a few weeks ago, and now they’re available from Dell.com for $800 and up.
The laptop measures about 0.6 inches thick and weighs about 2.7 pounds, features a carbon fiber and aluminum body, and has super-slim bezels, allowing Dell to put a 13.3 inch display on a notebook that’s closer to the size you’d expect from a 12 inch model.
An entry-level model features a 1920 x 1080 pixel display, an Intel Core i3-7100U processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of solid state storage, and a 60 Wh battery.
But Dell also offers models with up to a Core i7-7500U CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of solid state storage. Some higher-priced models also have 3200 x 1800 pixel touchscreen displays.
Each laptop has two USB 3.0 ports, a Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 Type-C port, an SD card reader, and a headset jack as well as a 720p webcam, 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.1.
Note that the Ubuntu Linux models are considered Dell’s “Developer Edition” laptops, so they’re not necessarily cheaper than their Windows counterparts. In fact, the most affordable 2016 Dell XPS 13 available with Linux is a $950 version with a Core i5-7200U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.
Of course, you could always buy a cheaper Windows model and load the GNU/Linux distribution of your choice, but sometimes it’s nice to just pay for something that comes with the software you want to use pre-installed, no tinkering required.
via Barton George
