Design
The Dell XPS 14z shares much of its design with its desktop replacement predecessor, the Dell XPS 15z (Microsoft). It has the same streamlined curves, sheathed in aluminum and reinforced with magnesium alloy. The chassis measures 0.9 inches thick, and even with the addition of four chunky shock-absorbing feet the laptop sits less than 1-inch high when closed. Though it sports a 14-inch display, the surrounding bezel is so slim that the dimensions (0.9 by 13.19 by 9.21-inches, HWD) put it closer to a 13-inch laptop. That's roughly the same size as the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Thunderbolt) . The whole package weighs 4.36 pounds, which is lighter than the MacBook and the Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) , both of which weigh 4.5 pounds.
The Dell XPS 14z shares much of its design with its desktop replacement predecessor, the Dell XPS 15z (Microsoft). It has the same streamlined curves, sheathed in aluminum and reinforced with magnesium alloy. The chassis measures 0.9 inches thick, and even with the addition of four chunky shock-absorbing feet the laptop sits less than 1-inch high when closed. Though it sports a 14-inch display, the surrounding bezel is so slim that the dimensions (0.9 by 13.19 by 9.21-inches, HWD) put it closer to a 13-inch laptop. That's roughly the same size as the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Thunderbolt) . The whole package weighs 4.36 pounds, which is lighter than the MacBook and the Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) , both of which weigh 4.5 pounds.
The Dell XPS 14z has inherited one of the finest keyboards found in current laptops, the same full-sized chiclet keyboard on the Dell XPS 15z. The sculpted keys curve comfortably beneath your fingertips, and an automatic backlight provides illumination as needed, sensing the ambient light and adjusting the keyboard brightness accordingly. The accompanying touchpad is large—4.5-inches from corner to corner—and the separate right and left mouse buttons are quiet and comfortable when clicked.
The 14-inch display is nearly edge-to-edge, thanks to a slim bezel that measures less than 0.5 inch. The widescreen layout looks good with standard 1366-by-768 resolution, and a glass layer helps it look even sharper. Just above the screen you will also find a 1.3 megapixel webcam, with dual-microphones for clearer sound while video chatting or recording video. On either side of the keyboard, you'll find two stylized speaker grills with the same eye-catching design found on the XPS 15z. The upward facing speakers pump out superb audio, enhanced with Waves MaxxAudio 3 software. The sound quality is strong and clear, and even provides relatively good bass, though, any decent speakers with a subwoofer will outclass it. If you want better audio while watching a movie, the XPS 14z also puts out 5.1 surround sound through its HDMI output.
