At CES 2008 last week Dell announced an update to the high-end XPS M1530 laptop. Now if I did need a notebook, the current late-2007 edition of the Dell XPS M1530 would actually do me fine. This model is the 15 inch version of the Dell XPS M1330 notebook, and has been described by CNET as “the best-looking 15-inch laptop we’ve seen in a long time”.

The M1530 is available in a choice of colors: Alpine White, Tuxedo Black, Crimson Red and Midnight Blue - though somehow I would go for the Black or maybe the Midnight Blue.

Now, the important stuff. The M1530’s technical specifications include a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor, 2GB RAM (upgradeable to 4GB), NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics with 128MB or 256MB Video RAM and a hard drive which can be configured from 120GB to 200GB. A 64GB Solid State Drive (Flash Memory) is also available instead of the hard drive. It has slot-loading dual-layer DVD writer, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, integrated media (card) reader and my favorite, a biometric finger-print security system.

Then there is Dell “MediaDirect” for one-touch access to movies, pictures and music without booting up Windows. Cynics may dismiss this as turning a Notebook into an expensive Portable DVD Player, but this is one feature I know I would use. The touch-sensitive media buttons also look cool.

Posted on January 14th, 2008 by mervyn