Dell XPS M1530: Newcomer in the XPS series

After the XPS M1330 and XPS M1730, Dell has brought out the XPS M1530 to expand it's XPS range. The Dell XPS M1530 maintains the same metallic finish and stylish chassis that made the M1330 so adorable. The system is optimal for workaholics who bind themselves to their work place and for home theater fanatics who fancy things like luxury hardware.

The M1530 can be considered as a desktop replacement while still being light enough for short trips at 6.2 pounds—and that's with a nine-cell, 85-Wh battery. With a standard six-cell battery reducing the system's weight to 5.9 pounds, it becomes less of a burden. The XPS M1530 is sleek and is available in three colors: Tuxedo Black, Alpine White, and Crimson Red.

Unlike the XPS M1330, the M1530 doesn't provide you with an option for an LED screen. (LED options will be available early this year). The benefits of LEDs include slimmer profiles and long-lived battery life. The fluorescent lighting in the M1530's screen adds to the overall thickness of the system; it doesn't, however, take anything away from its brightness or quality of the viewing experience. It offers you a resolution of 1,440-by-900.

The M1530 is one of the first notebooks ever to sport a slot-loading (not a tray-ejecting) Blu-ray burner. With all the Blu-ray movies popping up lately, the 15.4-inch widescreen is more than capable of accommodating a decent high-definition experience. This system has three USB ports and a single Firewire post. There's also an HDMI-out port that'll let you run a cable over to a larger display, so you can view your Blu-ray content n your big-screen HDTV. You'll need to purchase a separate HDMI cable, though. The 2-megapixel webcam grants you good face time with friends and family.

The M1530's energy swallowing levels won't earn it an Energy Star sticker in the near time, but the system's raw horsepower seems to be quite notable. This notebook comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2 GHz) processor and 2GB of RAM. The XPS M1530 loads Windows Vista Home Premium.

Undifferentiated from the M1330, the M1530 loads discrete graphics for high-definition enthusiasts who are also part-time gamers. The bundled nVidia GeForce 8600M GT is a tier higher than the nVidia GeForce 8400M GS found on the XPS M1330. Both sets have nVidia's PureVideo engine, which offers hardware decoding for high-definition playback and cranks up frame rates when playing the latest 3D games.

Priced at $2,174, the Dell XPS M1530 is the newcomer in the XPS series, featuring a 15.4-inch widescreen, awesome performance scores, and one of the first ever slot-loading Blu-ray burners. It's design elements and raw horsepower make it a great choice for guys who are seeking to replace their desktops.