The Dell Inspiron 14z-5423 ($899 direct) brings third-generation Intel Core procressor, discrete AMD Radeon 3D graphics, and an ultrabook form factor to the sub-$1,000 laptop buyer. For an ultrabook, the system is fast and has very good 3D graphics capabilities , but on the whole the system is a little heavy and has less than stellar battery life. It's a decent choice for the user who values multimedia and 3D performance over battery performance, but overall it comes up short of our class leaders. At $899, it's more expensive than other ultrabooks, but what you're apying for is the extra 3D and multimedia performance. This is a safe, middle-of-the-road choice, and definitely a good choice for back to school, but ultimately other ultrabooks are more distinctive.
Design and Features
The Inspiron 14z looks very much the part of a new ultrabook, with its "Moon Silver" coloring on the main chassis and lighter silver ring surrounding the system. (The "Fire Red" colored panels will be available later this year.) The system comes with a full-sized, island-style keyboard, which has a decent typing feel. The keys have a slight indent, and the arrow keys in the lower right hand corner have contrasting feel. The up/down keys are convex and the left/right keys are concave, so you should be able to use them while touch-typing. The system has three backlit quick launch keys between the keyboard and the hinge, which gives you quick access to system settings, audio settings, and a quick launch app of your choosing. The touchpad is multi-touch with separate left and right mouse buttons in case you don't like using tap to click.
The system's 14-inch panel has a resolution of 1,366 by 768, which is good enough for 720p HD video (1080p HD will have to be scaled down). The ultrabook weighs just over four pounds (we measured 4.08 pounds without the power adapter), so it's fairly easy to tote around. That said, the class leading ultrabooks are almost a pound lighter. It's notable that the system has a built-in tray-loading DVD burner, which you likely wouldn't get in a 13-inch or smaller ultrabook, subnotebook, or sleekbook.
The system comes with two USB 3.0 ports, one exposed on the right, and one on the left hidden under a drop-down panel. The system's HDMI port is under the same panel, plus a full-size Ethernet port under door next to the HDMI port. The left-hand side USB 3.0 port is a PowerShare port, which can charge an external device (like a smartphone) while the lid is closed and the system is off or asleep. A 3-in-1 memory card reader and Kensington lock port round out the external connectors.
The Inspiron 14z comes with a 720p HD webcam and pre-loaded Skype for video conferencing. Audio is a highlight, with Waves MaxxAudio 4.0 processing and Skullcandy branded speakers. An updated version of Dell Stage greets you upon launch, and you can use the Dell Stage launcher to get into your multimedia.
Storage isn't too much of a concern. The Inspiron 14z comes with a 500GB hard drive with a 32GB mSATA cache drive for speed. The system was quick to sleep and wake, as per the ultrabook specifications. There is a bit of extra software and services accessible thought Dell Stage, including Facebook, Flickr, Shutterfly, CinemaNow, Hulu, Napster, RadioTime, Noisey, Blio, and the Cozi family calendar. The Inspiron 14z comes with Intel WiDi software pre-loaded , though you will have to use your own WiDi monitor or adapter. There are a few shortcut icons on the desktop, including eBay, My Identity Protection, and Play Games (Wild Tangent games). On the whole not too bad, but bloatware does make its presence known.
Performance
Its Intel Core i5-3317U processor helped the 14z-5423 gain speedy performance at the multimedia tests like Handbrake (1 minute 58 seconds) and Photoshop CS5 (4:35). The Editors' Choice for ultrabooks, the HP Folio 13-1020us ($899.99 list, 4 stars) trailed the Inspiron 14z at all of the multimedia tests (which scored 2:29 in Handbrake, 5:24 in CS5), as does the 2nd-generation Intel Core powered Dell XPS 13 ($999.99 direct, 4 stars) (which scored 2:40 in Handbrake, 5:23 in CS5).
The one test in which the Inspiron 14z doesn't shine is one of the most important: battery life. It scored 6:06 at the MobileMark 2007 battery test, a little disappointing. That's almost three hours behind the HP Folio 13-1020us, which received a class-leading 8 hours 47 minutes (its brother, the HP Folio 13-1029wm, got 8:40). Next up is the Toshiba Portege Z835-P370 ($1049.99 list, 4 stars) at 7:21.
Though the Dell Inspiron 14z-5423 has a larger screen than our current EC, the HP Folio 13-1020us (which has a 13.3-inch screen) and somewhat better performance on the multimedia and 3D tests, the fact that the HP 13-1020us is lighter, cheaper, and has almost three hours better battery life lets the latter hold on to its title. Both systems have 1,366 by 768 resolution screens, so all you get is slightly larger letters and images. Those who are 3D junkies are better off with a more powerful system anyway, since the Inspiron 14z gets you to "just barely playable" frame rates rather than "fully playable." Buy the HP Folio 13-1020us if you want all-day battery life from your laptop. But if you want better performance and want to finish a task quicker, take a look at the Inspiron 14z.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Dell Inspiron 14z-5423 with several other laptops side by side.
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