Dell has joined Lenovo and Acer in revealing pricing and availability details for its Windows 8 launch lineup. The most interesting of these machines is undoubtedly the XPS 12 with Compatible Parts, which we saw at IFA along with some other Windows 8 PCs. It's an Ultrabook that converts from a laptop into a tablet, but unlike the complex sliding and flipping mechanisms we've seen from other manufacturers, it uses a flippable touchscreen and magnets to enable the functionality while also saving space. We had a chance to go hands-on with the new PC, which starts at $1,199.99 and begins shipping on October 26 alongside Windows 8.
Pushing the screen with sufficient force will flip the screen around, allowing you to close the lid and use the computer as a tablet. In the review unit we examined, the magnets seemed strong enough to prevent accidental screen flipping, but not so strong that they made flipping the screen difficult.
Other convertible laptops we've seen use various sliding and swiveling mechanisms to flip their screens around, to mostly mixed effect. In some, like Sony's VAIO Duo 11, the mechanism takes away some of the space normally reserved for the Dell Keyboard and trackpad. In others, like Toshiba's Satellite U925t and Lenovo's ThinkPad Twist, the acrobatic hinge adds additional bulk to the laptops compared to regular Ultrabooks, and things like exposed ribbon cables can give the laptops a certain unfinished look.
Because everything that makes the Duo's screen flip is actually stored around the LCD rather than in the hinges and body of the laptop, it's able to flip over and close with less effort than most of the other offerings we've seen, and it's also a bit thinner and cleaner-looking. The device with Dell Keyboard Cover is still chunky compared to iOS and Android tablets, but its tablet mode implementation doesn't interfere with its laptop mode--it doesn't look or feel much different from the company's XPS 13 Ultrabook, which is generally a good thing.
The XPS 12 is still chubby compared to an iPad, Nexus 7, or even standalone Windows 8 tablets, but its transforming mechanism is more elegant than that of the competition.Andrew Cunningham
This similarity continues to many of the system's other specs, which include Intel Ivy Bridge processors, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Mini DisplayPort. Its touchscreen is covered by Gorilla Glass, and sports an impressive 1920×1080 pixels despite its 12? diagonal measurement. The keyboard and multitouch trackpad are both also identical to what the company is using in the rest of its XPS lineup. Dell Keyboards are pretty straightforward, with no anomalous key sizing or layout choices. Key travel is good and they don't have the mushy feel of some of the cheaper models we've looked at.
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