Dell XPS M1530 Notebook

Dell completed the overhaul of its XPS notebook line by introducing the XPS M1530. The system is one of Dell's few high-end 15-inch notebooks and is aimed at the same audience that would otherwise seek slim, stylized portables such as Apple's MacBook Pro: the minimalist system is 0.9 inches deep at its thinnest point and uses a slot-load optical drive (like the M1330) in place of the usual tray-loading option. A minimum 128MB GeForce 8400M GS graphics chip provides dedicated 3D acceleration even on the least expensive model, which also includes a 2-megapixel webcam and a fingerprint reader.

A base system starts at as little as $999 by using a 1.5GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB of memory, and a 120GB hard disk backed by a DVD burner. Buyers can custom-order the notebook, however, to use as much as a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo as well as 4GB of memory, 250GB of storage, a Blu-ray burner, and faster 256MB GeForce 8600M GT graphics. The M1530 can be colored with a black, red, or white outer shell and is available to order now, but should ship by mid-December. The price tag starts from $999 depending on the kit.

The specs of the XPS M1530:
* Display – 15.4” 1280x800 pixels
* CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo T5250/T5450 (1.5 GHz/1.66 GHz)
* DDR2 SDRAM 1 or 2 GB
* HDD - SATA 120/160/250 GB (5400 rpm)
* DVD+/-RW (DVD/CD read/write) with slot start up
* Video card - 128 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
* Wi-Fi Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g or Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N
* Bluetooth 2.0
* 2-megapixel web-camera
* Dimensions – 357x263x23.7-35.1 mm
* Weight – 2.62 kg
* OS - Windows Vista Home Premium