Dell has attacked the budget premium laptop market head on with its new XPS 13, a model it clearly sees as a straight, no-frills competition to the all-new Mac Book Neo. Arriving as the most trim and lightweight XPS 13 yet at just fifty-five millimeters thick and approximately a kilogram, starting at six hundred ninety-nine dollars for most users and dropping to five hundred ninety-nine dollars for students (as well as most teachers and operators), it is priced well below the standard XPS 13s and offers more than a few features of the entry level Mac Book for less. Designed to be at the heart of the XPS 13 are the new Core Series 3 (Cores, plurala new generation of the same chip) from the Wildcat Lake family from Intel, running on a shiny thirteen-point-four inch two-point-five-K touch screen which can refresh at up to a hundred and twenty frames a second.
The aluminum build of the body is available in the sky and storm colors and there are usefully included features like a backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 7, several USB-C web interfaces, and a streaming battery life estimated to enable an entire day’s worth of lessons or meetings. Later in the year, the more capable of its finely designed series will feature more efficient Core Ultra chips, an increase in available memory, and a larger capacity of storage space.
Dell has rounded out its general consumer range with the AI-centric Dell 14S and 16S series as well as a more affordable Alienware 15 gaming laptop, making for a general spectrum wide enough to suit all casual needs. This positioning seems deliberate. The MacBook Neo was a digital Airstream, offering a refined experience without that premium price. Dell is will clearly respond with a Windows machine that prioritizes touchscreen, faster wireless and accessory connectivity, and the versatility of a conventional laptop ecosystem. Early hands-on reports prove that the XPS 13 feels premium and punches above its weighteven if the base memory and storage specs are relatively modest for today.
For students and professionals who want Windows apps, or who prefer more ports or a higher refresh rate display, the new XPS 13 makes a compelling counterargument to the Apple offering. While Dell is exploring the desk and the classroom, Casio has kept chugging away on the G-Shock, both in style and stature. After a glut of cheap and cheerful collaborations during the middle part of 2015, July has seen the dominant toughness and character continue to forge ahead with several new offerings. Some of the biggest to arrive include Pokmon anniversaries, the newGravityMaster pilot inspired line, some new G-Steel models, and a series of limited collaborations bringing streetwear aesthetics into the durable package. Equipped with Bluetooth, Tough Solar mains, and of course, the durable package which has come to define the collection for many years, new collection has provided everything from translucent resin cases to matt black affairs, including high-profile names tied to both sports and corners of culture.
Both watches come at a time when there is already a desire for a hybrid between the digital and the affordances of physical devices that can live in the ‘real world’. While a G-Shock is fit for travel, exercise and the everyday grind of going to work, the new Dell XPS 13 aims to be the sidekick that is light in your bag and powerful on your desk. The comparison is tempting. One is a subject of sophisticated portability and utility, and the other But, a statement of resilience and personality on the wrist.
