Design
Weighing 3.3 pounds and measuring 0.95 by 12.5 by 8.6 inches (HWD), the XPS 12 meets Intel's standard for convertible ultrabooks, and it's just a bit on the heavy size among ultrabooks (convertible or otherwise).It also has a design more in aligned with laptop sensibilities than tablet, with a slightly tapered chassis. This works well on a laptop, as seen on the laptop-only Inspiron 13z, but with a tablet the lack of uniform thickness is a little awkward. Unlike the Sony Duo 11, however, it is comfortable to hold, with rounded edges and soft touch panels across the underside. When using it as a tablet for watching movies or browsing the Web, it's comfortable enough, but you'll probably keep it in landscape mode, as the wedge profile puts the screen at a slant when in portrait mode.
Despite the limitations imposed by the narrow confines of the convertible ultrabook form-factor, Dell has included a fair selection of ports and connectivity options into the XPS 12. On the right edge of the tablet are two USB 3.0 ports (one with Sleep and Charge), a power connector, and a button that lets you check the battery power level on an adjacent indicator. On the left, you'll find a headset jack, volume up and down buttons, a screen rotation lock button, and a sliding power switch.
Notably absent, however, is an Ethernet port, meaning that the 802.11n WLAN connection is your only option for getting online, and Bluetooth 3.0 adding wireless pairing for peripherals. You'll also be missing any ports for video output. Without any sort of VGA or HDMI output, the only ways to get your content onto a TV is through either a mini DisplayPort (which requires an adapter for HDMI) or via Wi-Di, which will require either a Wi-Di equipped TV or adapter, like the Netgear Push2TV. This model is aimed at consumers, but an enterprise-focused configuration will be available with Windows 8 Professional and will include BitLocker Encryption with Trusted-Platform Module (TPM).
Features
The XPS 12 is also outfitted with a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). As of now, 256GB is probably the highest capacity SSD you'll see offered in consumer systems, so it's hard to complain. Spinning hard drives offer larger capacity, but are prone to damage when dealing with vibration and movement, both of which are abundant when using a tablet. The XPS 12 has no optical drive, but in this form-factor, it won't be missed.
Along with the inclusion of Windows 8, and the accompanying default tiles found on the Start Screen, Dell has added a few of its own, such as a direct link to the Amazon Store, Amazon's Kindle app, a preview of Microsoft Office 2013, Microsoft Live Essentials 2012 (Photo Gallery & Movie Maker), and the new Windows 8 Skype app. Dell also includes some resources for users, like the "Getting Started with Windows 8" app, Dell Shop, My Dell Support Center, Dell Backup & Recovery. Anti-virus protection comes in two forms: the default, Microsoft's Security Essentials, as well as a 30-day trial of McAfee's Windows 8 security app. Dell covers the XPS 12 with a one-year warranty, which includes parts and labor, accidental damage service, and a year of premium telephone support.