Dell XPS M1530

Daniel Long | Jun 13, 2008 12:56 PM
Dell | http://www.s2d6.com/x/?x=c&z=s&v=1261009&k=PCA-review-URL
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RRP: $1775 (time of review)
Performance:  4
Features & Design:  6
Value for money:  5
Overall Rating: 
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Form and function meet in the middle in one supremely well-made package
Dell’s XPS brand was once synonymous with futuristically tailored, high-performance gaming systems. But with the acquisition of Alienware in 2006, Dell sought to steer the XPS name away from its specialist heritage and usher in a new, luxurious, design-led range.

The first product of that change was the radical, briefcase-sized desktop replacement, the Dell XPS M2010. Since then, Dell has added the 13.3in XPS M1330 and, now, the XPS M1530 has arrived to fill the 15.4in-sized hole in the line-up.

While the M2010 was remarkable, it wasn’t until the arrival of the M1330 last year that the XPS range found its true identity. It was, and still is, the finest-looking laptop Dell has ever produced, so it’s no disappointment to find that the M1530 shares its fine sense of style.

In a refreshing departure, Dell hasn’t made recourse to the glossy black cliché. Instead, the lid is adorned with a single block of colour, interrupted only by chrome-effect Dell and XPS logos, and flanked neatly in grey.

Our review model was finished in an attractively subtle, muted shade, dubbed Midnight Blue, but depending on your tastes there’s the choice of Crimson Red and Tuxedo Black. Whichever you choose, the MicroSatin paint that Dell uses makes sure the M1530 feels as good as it looks, with a wonderfully tactile, silky-smooth finish.

It isn’t often that practicality and fine design converge, but you only need spend a little time with the M1530 to see that its creators thought long and hard about every facet of its design. Tilt the lid back on its strong, stiff hinges and the Dell’s interior continues to impress. The brushed-aluminium wristrest looks and feels luxurious, and provides a supremely comfortable typing position. Even the omission of lid catches is forgivable – those strong hinges won’t allow the lid to flop open in a bag.

And turning on the M1530 is another pleasure. Depress the silver On button and the row of touch-sensitive buttons to its right strobe into life with a gentle blue glow. They look lovely and work well, too: all it takes is a light press of the finger to mute the volume, or pause a track, each button illuminating and then gently fading away.

Price Check: Check out the latest prices for the Dell XPS M1530 at www.dell.com.au.

See the rest of this review on page 2...



The M1530’s sterling build quality is equally impressive. Its sheer solidity makes it feel heavier than it is, but at 2.62kg it’s far from overweight. Even under extreme pressure its base failed to exhibit any flex. The 15.4in display is more pliant, but we had to prod and poke with excessive force before we noticed any distortion on the displayed image.

The resilient build pays dividends in terms of usability, too. The wide chassis gives the keyboard room to breathe, and apart from the slightly compressed Shift keys the layout is sensible. In use, each of the full-sized keys gives a crisp, positive action.

The trackpad is equally good, despite being small, and its responsiveness is complemented by the light action of the accompanying buttons.
It’s testament to the M1530’s ergonomic excellence that it’s easy to forget about the components beavering away underneath it all. The model Dell sent us came with an array of sensibly chosen parts: an Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 and 2GB of memory partnered with a fast 7200rpm 200GB hard disk. Together these earned the Dell a fine score of 1.04 in our application-based benchmarks.

And thanks to the accompanying Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics, there’s even a modicum of gaming ability. Only when we ran Crysis at 1280 x 1024 in Medium detail did frame rates drop to a jerky 15fps.

Few serious criticisms can be levelled at the Dell. The glossy 15.4in display doesn’t offer acres of desktop space, but the image quality more than makes up for it. The panel is bright and, thanks to good contrast, images are reproduced with incredible vibrancy.

The Dell XPS M1530 is a simply fantastic laptop at a great price. If portability is high on your agenda then its more petite stablemate, the XPS M1330, is a better choice, but with its fine combination of ergonomics, power and design the M1530 is the finest 15.4in laptop we’ve ever encountered.

Price Check: Check out the latest prices for the Dell XPS M1530 at www.dell.com.au.

This article appeared in the June, 2008 issue of PC Authority.