Review: Dell XPS M2010 desktop replacement

Dell, better known for developing sturdy and rather mundane notebooks, has taken us aback with this visually stunning desktop replacement.

The XPS M2010 is a huge step forward as far as design is concerned; an innovative concept that's a hybrid of a desktop and notebook.

It certainly has a wow factor and impressed many, though not all, in our labs.

The Dell's unconventional structure houses a 20.1in widescreen monitor, which is attached to the base via a hinge bar. This leather-bound hinge also acts as a sturdy handle for carrying the laptop.

At 8.6kg, it’s far too heavy to carry around, even for short periods, but there’s no problem with moving it around the house or carrying it out to the car.

The base has a hidden slot loading dual-layer DVD burner and an array of touch-sensitive, backlit volume and media keys.

Unlike regular notebook TFT panels, the one attached to the M2010 can be tilted as well as moved up and down. It cannot, however, swivel from side to side.

The hinge raises it 2.5in above the base, so it’s positioned as standalone monitors normally are. This relieves neck strain caused by peering down at a notebook’s TFT panel.

The glossy screen is ideal for watching movies and taking advantage of the included Windows XP Media Center operating system.

The Intel Core Duo T2600, a first-generation dual-core processor, running at 2.16GHz powers this laptop. It's a fast processor, although the new Core 2 Duo models, due out on 28 August, will no doubt eclipse it.

An ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 is the supplied graphics card and, while there are better cards out there, it is certainly up to the task of mainstream gaming and media playback. It will also be capable of running the advanced GUI features of Windows Vista, which is due early 2007.

Various hard drive options are available. In our review model we had two 120GB hard drives in a mirrored Raid array - something we're certainly not used to seeing on a laptop.

Another feature that sets it apart from most other laptops is the audio provided by eight built-in speakers and an integrated subwoofer. Although a separate 5.1 or 7.1 setup is a must for true home entertainment buffs, the M2010's audio is far superior in quality and output when compared to the usual laptop quality.

Control of the PC is via a detachable wireless keyboard with a full range of keys and built-in trackpad. When closing the notebook, it slots into place very smoothly.

Other components include a 1.3-megapixel camera built into the monitor and a multiformat card reader. Four USB ports, one four-pin Firewire port, and a PCI Express slot are joined by a collection of media ports: digital audio, DVI-I, S-video, component, composite, microphone and headphone sockets. Bluetooth and Wifi connectivity is also provided.

Pricing starts at £1,999, although this review mode is a bit more expensive thanks to the two hard drives and 2GB of Ram.

Travelling with the XPS M2010 on foot really isn't feasible and is unlikely to appeal to the mass market, but this unique mobile entertainment PC is great for in and around the house.

Whether that's enough to persuade people to part with such a sizeable amount of cash remains to be seen.

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