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Like everyone else, I saw all of the positive press the Dell XPS 13 received during CES 2015. Since the XPS 13 was made available for ordering right after it was announced, and since I needed a new laptop to replace my failed Microsoft Surface Pro 3 experiment, I decided to take a plunge and buy the latest and greatest thing. I like the Surface Pro 3, but I need a laptop that has good performance + a good keyboard + long battery life. So far the XPS 13 appears to have answered all of my prayers. Here are some of my quick thoughts on the device thus far: ✔ PROS: - Beautiful "bezel-less" screen. Wide viewing angles. Can be viewed in direct sunlight - Thin screen bezel allows this 13" laptop to fit within an 11" laptop size chassis - Build quality is solid. There's no flex in the keyboard or the bottom of the device - Thin, light weight, and ultra-portable. Its soft touch carbon fiber material looks and feels premium - Performance is good for a low power, Intel core processor - You can opt to save money and battery life and get the 1920x1080 non-touch screen model, or you can upgrade to the 3200 x 1800 touch screen model - HD Video looked good and worked as you expect it to - While researching Ultrabooks, I found many to have trackpad issues. The XPS 13 doesn't have this problem. Its trackpad is accurate and nicely sized - The trackpad allows you to perform some gestures (scrolling, pinch and zoom, etc.) that will help you miss the touch screen less, should you go with the non touch screen model - It includes 802.11ac dual band Wi-Fi for maximum wireless performance. Bluetooth 4.0 is included as well - It has a backlit keyboard - Battery life is great. Plus you can add a small external battery to increase battery life even further - Low starting price, although I would suggest that most upgrade to the i5, 8GB ram unit. - It has a full size SD card slot, which should make photographers happy. Note that 1/3 of the SD card protrudes from the slot - Includes a display port. Optional Dell adapter allows you to add HDMI, VGA, and Ethernet ports. Or you can get a cheap HDMI adapter - Optional docking station supports up to three external monitors, including 1 4K monitor - The PCIe M.2 SSD drive is upgradable. Unless you need 512GB, the Dell $100 upgrade to 256GB is a good value. - You can plug the AC adapter into the optional external battery, then plug the external battery into the XPS to charge the XPS and external battery simultaneously. ✔ CONS: - The fan kicks in when you are taxing the system. If you use the High Performance power setting, the fan seems to run constantly - The screen on the touch-screen version is very glossy. I don't mind glossy but some people will. - Key travel on the keyboard is a tad bit shallow. It's not bad but it's worth noting. - Due to the thin bezel, the web cam is under the screen. As a result, your fingers may show up on the webcam while you type during webcam sessions - The body can get warm, although I have yet to experience uncomfortable warmth - Air vents are on the bottom so be careful about resting the XPS 13 on your bed or rug - The speakers are on the sides instead of the front and sound tiny - The low entry price increases quickly once you add a few upgrades - No HDMI port, although you can add one via an optional Dell Adapter - No Stylus pen support. - No 4G option as of this writing - Don't expect to play 3D games with this laptop as its integrated graphics can't handle it ✔ TIPS: - Just like with all Windows Computers, before you begin using your XPS 13, run Windows Update. Repeat running Windows Update until there are no more updates available. - If you have the Ethernet equipped Dell adapter accessory, consider using the Ethernet port to speed up the update process. - If you encounter a failed update, restart your computer and try again. Another thing to try is a clean restart before performing the update. (Google: windows 8 clean restart) - I find that I get the least amount of fan noise when I use the default Dell Power Settings. In High Performance mode, the fan runs constantly. - Unless you need 512GB of storage or more, get the Dell $100 256GB SSD upgrade. It's more economical than an after market upgrade to 256GB (unless you can sell the 128GB PCIe M.2 SSD drive you are replacing) ✔ ACCESSORIES I HAVE: - The Dell Power Companion 12,000 mAh external battery works great. Plus you can charge it and your XPS 13 with the AC Adapter at the same time - The Dell Adapter adds these ports to the XPS 13: HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, USB 2.0. I got it primarily to add VGA and Ethernet ports. ✔ TOUCH SCREEN vs NON TOUCH SCREEN: Non Touch Screen + Cheaper! :-) + 15 hours of battery life + Matted Screen minimizes glare - Will not be able to use touch centric, Metro apps - Lower resolution (1920x1080 vs 3200x1800), although, I doubt most people will miss the bigger resolution Touch Screen + Fully compatible with touch centric, Metro apps + Higher resolution screen (3200x1800 vs 1920x1080) - More Expensive - Glossy screen leads to more glare - Less battery life (12 hours) than the other model (15 hours) ✔ Dell XPS 13 vs Lenovo LaVie Z HZ550 Yes, the LaVie is very light but the battery life is only 6 hours. If you are always near a power outlet, this may not be an issue for you. Personally I don't see the point in having a light and portable laptop that only gets an OEM rated 6 hours of battery life. Real world battery life will likely be less. The LaVie also has a higher starting price than the XPS 13 ($1299), although, I generally recommend getting at least the $1299 XPS 13. Note that you can often save on Dell laptops via coupons, cash back offers, and finance deals. The LaVie's high price coupled with the smallish battery makes me think the XPS 13 is the clear winner in this battle of early 2015 Ultrabooks. ✔ BOTTOM LINE: Between work and personal laptops, I've probably used over a dozen laptops over the years. This includes the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 that was supposed to replace laptops but missed the mark (at least for me). Without a doubt, the Dell XPS 13 is my favorite of all time. It's beautifully designed, it's light and thin, and it has a solid build. It's both functional and cool. Depending on whether or not you need the upgrades, it can be had for relatively cheap ($799 minus coupons, cash back offers, and other deals). My favorite feature is the combination of long battery life, and the ability to further extend its longevity via an optional, small external battery. I purchased this thing for its ability to handle long travel days, long meeting days moving from conference room to conference room without a power cable, and long work sessions at Starbucks. So far, the XPS 13 has worked well for my personal use cases. There are a few compromises to be aware of, such as the glossy screen, webcam location, and tiny speakers. Also, 3D gamers should definitely choose something else. If these issues do not matter to you, I suspect you will love the Dell XPS 13. It's a premium device and probably one of the best mainstream laptops Dell has released in years. ✔ DELL COUPONS: 2RRVTDD4TVJMCM - $100 off $999 (expires 1/30/2015) VPJ1MHN3Z6T6V3 - $75 off $799 (limited time) D98VWMJMXTZCVZ - 10% off accessories (limited time) 78M4SHHJ4JC9WW - Extra 10% off accessories (limited time) H3P95KRH?KF5VH - 50% off Dell 12,000 mAh Portable Power Companion - PW7015M (expires 1/30/2015 7am) ** Did you find this review helpful? I hope so! If you have questions about the XPS 13, please post a comment. **