For example, the XPS 13 was a 12 inch form-factor with a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 display-the same size and resolution Apple used in its 13-inch Air.ĭell’s pioneering use of carbon fiber allowed the XPS 13 to be lighter and run cooler than many other ultrabooks. The XPS 13 took a considerably different, more adventuresome tack than products designed to simply copy Apple. The first generation XPS 13 was Dell’s first ultrabook but earlier notebooks, like the Studio and Adamo showed the company was already shifting gears. Intel and others went all-out with new components, pricing schemas and promotional efforts, including the “ultrabook” campaign that aimed to inspire OEMs to new, innovative heights. That didn’t mean that an industry selling about a million PCs per day was throwing in the towel.

Both were miles apart from conventional notebooks to the point that then-CEO Steve Jobs declared that the “post-PC era” had arrived.Īdd in how PC makers and their partners were struggling with the global financial crisis and the market was set for disruption. Remember that the year before the XPS 13 launched, the Wintel PC market was in a state of shock partly due to two Apple products the Macbook Air launched in 2009 and the 2010 introduction of the iPad. Testing the latest generation XPS 13 leads me to believe that Dell’s efforts in notebook innovation continue on-track. Over the past half-decade, a strategic shift that began with Dell’s 2012 introduction of the XPS 13 enabled the company to revitalize its entire portfolio. My work provides regular opportunities to test notebook PCs and to consider how vendors are faring in terms of competitiveness, creativity and design.

Dell xps 13 2012 trackpad replacement