World’s thinnest laptop finally released

Dell Adamo XPS is also pretty fast

Dell has recently released the long awaited Adamo XPS, being the third in the computer’s giant ultra-portable Adamo series. It looks like Dell’s timing is just about perfect – just after the release of its direct competitor, Sony Vaio X (which is the world’s lightest laptop) yet just on time before Christmas. There is one thing we know for sure: Dell’s contestant will give MacBook Air a run for its money!

The new Adamo weights just 1.44kg and is a mere 9.99mm thick. This didn’t stop Dell from putting in some decent hardware. Ultra Low Voltage Intel Core 2 Duo CPU is a standard, however you will get an option to choose between 1.4 – 1.9 GHz clock speeds, depending on requirements and budget. Laptop will also be equipped with 4GB of fast, DDR3 800MHz RAM memory, Intel’s integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics chip and 128GB SSD storage. The screen is also very promising – 13.4 inch HD WLED display in 16:9 ratio should offer plenty of workplace when on the go.  Connectivity-wise, the machine comes with two USB 2.0 ports, built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi support and a dongle allowing you to connect Ethernet network cables. At the moment, Windows 7 in 64-bit edition is the only option for operating system. Overall, the base package system achieved 3.3 score in Windows 7, which is a very reasonable result.

On the other hand, Adamo’s battery life is disappointing. The 25Wh 3 cell battery only allows the computer to run for 2.5hrs. The good news is that unlike in MacBook Air, it is removable and that Dell gives you an option to purchase an extended life battery, storing enough charge for 4.5hrs of work.

Another interesting feature or perhaps even an innovation is Adamo’s unique opening mechanism. If you move your fingers over a heat sensor it releases the full-size aluminium keyboard and you can watch the laptop unfolding itself. This adds a lot of style (and typing ergonomics) to the machine, but could also be a little problematic to use, for example when on the train.

Finally, as every luxury in life, it doesn’t come cheap. The base package starts at massive $1799 and should be available around the world very soon.