Dell XPS M1530

It is 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 T7250and 2GB of memory partnered with a fast 7,200rpm 160GB hard disk. That might not look much on paper, but it goes together to earn the Dell a fine score of1.04 in our application-based benchmarks.

And, thanks to the accompanying Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics, there's even a modicum of gaming ability. It wasn't until we ran Crysis at 1,280 x 1,024 in Medium detail that frame rates dropped to a jerky 15frames per second.

Try as we might, very few serious criticisms can be levelled at the Dell. Perhaps the worst among them is that the glossy 15.4in display doesn't offer acres of desktop space - it settles for a modest 1,280 x 800 resolution - but even then the image quality more than makes up for it.

The panel is impressively bright and, thanks to good contrast, images are reproduced with incredible vibrancy. Pop a DVD in the slot-loading DVD drive, or fire up a game, and any worries about the resolution soon fade away.

Make no mistake, the Dell XPS M1530 is a simply fantastic laptop. 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 XPS M1530 is the finest 15.4in laptop we've ever encountered.

Author: Sasha Muller