Notebooks Center

Cnet has a reviews of the Dell Studio XPS 1640 and writes, “While we’re still unsure of what Dell’s goal was when it combined the midrange Studio and high-end XPS laptop lines into the new (wait for it…) Studio XPS brand, but at least it means we’re finally getting a true 16:9 16-inch laptop from Dell, in the form of the Studio XPS 16.

The result is a smart-looking laptop that has some new features that distinguish it from a run-of-the-mill Inspiron, including a backlit keyboard and a superfluous leather trim on the back of the lid (we’re more positively predisposed to leather-clad wristrests).

We were pleased to see that the Studio XPS configuration was only about $100 more than the Studio 15 when configured as identically as possible, and the Studio XPS model offered options, such as a full 1,900×1,080-pixel LED-backlit display, not available on the regular Studio (non-XPS) line”.

The good:
Dell embraces the 16:9 aspect ratio display; upscale design with leather trim; backlit keyboard and edge-to-edge screen glass.

The bad:
The 1080p display costs extra; unimpressive battery life; new Studio XPS brand may get lost between the Inspiron, Studio, and XPS lines.

The bottom line:
Dell’s new 16:9 Studio XPS 16 adds upscale extras such as a leather trim and a backlit keyboard to a fairly standard set of components, without jacking up the price (too much).