Dell Adamo XPS hands-on and final pricing

Dell just announced that its Dell Adamo XPS, a laptop that is only 9.99mm (4/10″) thin, will ship this month. The laptop that used to be shown behind closed doors as a “prototype” will now make its debut as a product for this holiday season. You’ve seen the leaks, the photos, the teasers, and now you’re finally getting the real price: Adamo XPS starts at $1799.

Dell has gone through a lot of trouble to design an ultralight that is thinner than the Macbook Air, its direct competitor and the incumbent in this category. The Adamo XPS is indeed thinner, but it has a similar weight (3lbs or so) to the Air. On the other hand, the Air has a faster CPU and graphics processor, plus a longer battery life (Apple claims 5hrs, while Dell claims 2h30 with the standard battery). The Adamo XPS can receive a bigger battery, but I haven’t seen what it looks like and I can’t imagine that it would be a good thing for the slim line of this laptop. The Adamo XPS has 4GB of memory, versus only 2GB for the Air, and memory can make a big difference, depending on what you do.

In the end, I think that it will come down to a battle of style over technical specifications and raw speed. If you buy an ultrathin, you’re probably not doing much computing anyway (web+email?). In practical terms, the battery life might become a critical factor in the final choice. Let’s not forget that Windows users might simply not choose a Mac… there are so many variables. Was Dell right in putting all its efforts into winning the thinness contest? Will the Adamo XPS unique shape be an advantage or a handicap? Add a comment to let us know what you think.