Dell XPS 12 Convertible Ultrabook

Dell describes the XPS 12 as a ‘convertible ultra book’. Certainly, it ticks all the right boxes on the ultra book side of things. The smart black and silver case measures just 20mm thick and the XPS 12 weighs only 1.52kg, so it’s easy to carry around with you. It’s sturdily built, though, with a layer of tough Gorilla Glass.

The XPS 12 convertible Ultrabook™ works with the new Windows 8 operating system to deliver the latest apps for work and play in an enhanced touch-based experience — all without sacrificing PC functionality. The unique design element of Dell XPS 12 Convertible Ultrabook’s design is the rotating display. 

There are various iterations of the XPS 12 available, with three standard models available, The entry-level model runs on a 1.8GHz (up to 2.7GHz with Turbo Boost) Core i5-3337U and  2.0/3.1GHz Core i7-3537U variant is the most expensive. The entry-level XPS12 comes with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, while the most expensive model doubles both of these to 8GB and 256GB, respectively. That 12.5in touch screen is a real eye-catcher too. Its 1920x1080 resolution is very bright and sharp and looks great when watching HD video or browsing your photo library. The use of an IPS panel also ensures that it has really wide viewing angles – close to 170-degrees.

There's no optical drive, Ethernet port nor an SD card slot, which make it feature not in the supreme level. But it’s certainly one of the more successful attempts to create a hybrid mobile device that can function as both a laptop and a tablet.