The 13-inch Vostro V13 is essentially a business laptop in the shell of the slim and stylish Dell Adamo. It has a sturdy aluminum body, curved angular edges, and polished exterior which looks and feels very elegant and premium. The Dell Vostro V13 AC adapter twin metal hinges aren't situated on its spine (where the screen meets the rest of the chassis), but a little inside. This allows the spine to be used as a handle of sorts -- great example of thoughtful design.
For Windows 7 and a Core 2 Duo ULV, the price rises in the range of mid-to-high $600, which is still really good compared with its closest competitors, the HP Pavilion dm3 and Asus UL30A-A1. The Vostro V13 will support up to 4GB of RAM, and can be optionally upgraded with 3G mobile broadband.
The spine acts as a handle of sorts. The location of the screen gives the notebook more strength and changes its centre of gravity. It feels beautifully balanced; when the notebook is lying flat on a desk, the screen can be lifted using only one hand (it doesn't have a latch). The hinges have just the right amount of resistance to allow precise adjustments.
The Dell Vostro V13 is beautiful thin brushed aluminium laptop with a quality professional appearance for those who wish to have an attractive stylish laptop for business or personal use. The price is very good and by not resorting to glossy plastic and bright glowing lights, it gives the impression of a much more expensive laptop, being actually very reasonably priced.
The Vostro V13's Windows Experience Index (WEI) of 3.2 (out of 7.9) was brought down by the graphics subsystem. Both Graphics (desktop performance for Windows Aero) and Gaming Graphics (3D business and gaming graphics performance) scored 3.2. Processor (calculations per second) was rated at 3.9, while RAM (Memory operations per second) got 4.9. The highest score, 5.9, went to Primary hard disk (Disk data transfer rate).
In what is obviously a cost saving move, Dell hasn't extended the aluminum casing under the lid, and instead the deck is covered in black, matte plastic. The full size keyboard, while comfortable to our digits, has a bit too much bounce and flex to it. We should also mention that we happen to like the clickyness of the keys, but those that prefer a quieter typing experience may not dig the Dell 0449TX battery typing experience. Honestly though, it would be hard for a ULV laptop's keyboard to best that on the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13 -- we're still madly in love with it.
Our configuration of the Vostro V13 cost $991, but its starts at $449. At that price, you get a 1.3-GHz Intel Celeron M ULV 743 processor, Ubuntu Linux version 9.04, 2GB of RAM, a 5,400 rpm, 250GB hard drive, and 802.11b/g wireless. It also lacks one-year next business day on-site service. Another preconfigured model ($619) comes with a 1.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor, Windows 7 Home Premium, 2GB of RAM, a 7,200rpm, 320GB hard drive, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.
In fairness, there's not a huge price difference between the top-end V13 and our review model – only $90 in fact, and we'd argue that's well worth it. For the extra cash you get the same beautiful design and build quality, plus an entire extra processor core and 4GB of RAM instead of 2GB, which gives a more practical level of Dell T1G6P battery performance for those who want a laptop that performs well in a variety of situations.
In the Battery Eater Readers test (maximum possible battery life) the Vostro achieved 326 mins away from a power socket. In the Dell Vostro V13 battery Eater Classic test (minimum possible battery life) it only survived for 114 mins, just under two hours. On the other hand, in the more realistic wireless internet surfing test, with 80% screen brightness and the W-LAN module enabled, we reached 239 minutes which is a very respectable time. And the notebook will last long enough in most cases when playing films from the hard drive, as in our test it only failed after 176 minutes, around the three-hour mark.
Power users – those who need the latest graphics processing techniques or a fast enough system for running multiple applications and maybe a compiler or two – will find that the V13 is still adequate. In our tests, running about six applications including the Ekiga softphone client and several business apps, the V13 hummed along quite nicely without choking on a paltry allotment of RAM.
The VGA port on the back is the only 'serious' disappointment - we'd have preferred an HDMI port, but those business types like VGA to hook up their presentation projectors to. The meagre external features are rounded off by a media card reader compatible with SD, MMC and Memory Stick cards, and an ExpressCard 34 slot.
Annoyingly, the 6-cell Dell T1G6P battery which powers the machine also resides under that aluminium baseplate we mentioned earlier—so there is no way to swap in a spare. Also, on test we found the Dell 0449TX battery to be no more than average in performance (3-4 hours), so if you need a laptop that can survive for a full working day in meetings or on the road this may not be the best option.
The far left empty, while the right side only a Memory Stick slot and ExpressCard/34 memory card reader and SD compatible. Sit on a plate is difficult to obtain due to the left and right edges of the inside of the slope. This provides an elegant, but prevents access. The front edge of the box is a pair of audio jacks. There is no optical drive, which can be a deal breaker for some business users.
Yet when it comes to the screen Dell have certainly not held back, the 13.3inch screen isn’t coated with the glossy coating that causes numerous reflections and annoyingly acute viewing angles and is easy to use when reading documents or watching films.
We should also note another aspect of the Dell Vostro V13: RAM. Dell specifies a maximum of four GB DDR3 (1066 MHz) RAM. The Intel GS45 chipset, which is used in the Vostro V13 only offers a single RAM slot. This Dell Vostro V13 adapter should not be obstructive, as Dell's data sheet only mentions 32-Bit operating systems so far. Two GB, should be sufficient for office applications under Windows 7 anyway. As alternatives Windows Vista or Windows XP (downgrade) or Linux Ubuntu are also supported.
The V13 incorporates a 13.3” LED backlit HD enabled display which is HD compatible. The screen is literally wafer thin and almost feels as if it’s not there at all; this can be attributed to its LED backlighting. Dell also chose to include anti-glare technology which we must admit is surprisingly effective with regards to reducing light pollution onscreen.
Ports and Webcam Port selection is average. There is a USB port, an eSATA / USB combo port, Ethernet, VGA, an ExpressCard slot, 5-in-1 memory card reader, headphone and microphone jacks. The keys are a bit noisy when pressed. The touchpad measures 3.2 x 1.7 inches and is great for a notebook of this size. The touchpad surface is slightly recessed and offers the right amount of friction.
Despite its business-oriented facade, we can see the Vostro being used by students or as a replacement for a netbook, though its non-removable Dell Vostro V13 battery and low battery life may limit its attractiveness. Dell's Vostro V13 is an enjoyable, well constructed machine. Its port options are limited, as is its performance, but for the asking price it fits the bill nicely.
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