Dell’s official entry into the Ultrabook mobile scene – the Dell XPS 13 – has finally been launched in the Philippines.

And boy, it’s gorgeous!

Clad in aluminum and carbon fiber with an edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass-protected 13.3-inch 720p display packed in an 11-inch notebook’s body, this is, without question, one of the better looking ultrabooks out now. And yes, my shortlist includes the Asus Zenbook, HP Folio 13, and Acer Aspire S3.

Clockwise (beginning from top left): Carbon fiber bottom, backlit keyboard, LED status light on the front, battery life indicator on the side

Interested buyers have three variants to choose from- a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 with 128GB SSD onboard storage, 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 with 256GB SSD onboard storage, and a 1.7GHz Intel Core i7 with 256GB SSD onboard storage.

All variants come with 4GB RAM, Intel HD 3000 graphics, a 1.3MP HD webcam, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, a mini DisplayPort, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity, and preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium as its OS.

Its drool-worthy design comes with a price though, a hefty price to be exact.

The Intel Core i5/128GB SSD model is retailing for Php59,590, just a tad bit cheaper than Samsung’s Core i7-powered Series 5 Ultrabook and Asus’ 1.7GHz Core i5 Zenbook.

The one souped up with 256GB SDD storage, meanwhile, retails for Php71,990.

And the top of the line Intel Core i7 XPS 13? It’s going for Php79,990. Ouch!

So much for the saying that “the best things in life are free” (or at the very least, affordable).

Look for this ultrabook in stores this month if it isn’t available yet .

Allan David

Online, Allan’s got you covered as far as news (and some reviews every now and then) goes. Offline, you’ll see him either sweating it out in the badminton courts or dining out in one of the new restos around town. His favorite noodles: cold soba.

email: allan@technoodling.netwebsite: http://oasis1.wordpress.com