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When using a laptop, there is a criterion that often comes after questions of power or performance and yet it is a crucial point. It’s about ease of use. For this third feedback, we asked our Reader-Testers to look into the matter!
Input comfort: a 20/20 for our testers
Quite unanimously, our testers found the input very comfortable: the keyboard, the touchpad, the backlighting… Everything seems perfect for working comfortably. Including in special conditions, as was the case for Guillaume, who offers us feedback in the situation.
Indeed, taking advantage of a school outing with his son, he wanted to “challenge” the PC a little more! “Today, I am going on a school outing under the sign of sport with my son for the whole day. The PC being lighter and less bulky than the picnic, I took it with me. While the young people were doing their sports tournament, I was able to work from the edge of the field, because this Dell XPS 13 is really comfortable to use in all circumstances”he explains.
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Pro Readers-Testers – Guillaume
But let’s get back to typing itself, and more specifically to the keyboard. Lucas is conquered: “The comfort of command is very significant, the long-stroke keyboard goes against the current of what is done nowadays. We like it or we don’t like it, but I find it more pleasant when you have to type long reports”.
Same feeling for Guillaume. “Keystrokes are relatively hard, allowing for quick typing. The pressure point provides good feedback. The backlight is controlled by a dedicated key in four modes: off, on and three brightness levels. In mode automatic, the backlight will automatically turn back on when you use the keyboard or trackpad again.”
Regarding the touchpad, Lucas has some reservations: “The touchpad is a good size, a pity however that the buttons are only located at the bottom right and left, and therefore do not cover the entire pad. It is all the more appreciable that a reduction in the size of the touchpad could have been considered given the touch function of the screen, but which probably not everyone uses.”
For her part, Stephanie finds the wrist rest “very soft and pleasant and above all, it does not heat up”. The touchpad is also satisfactory, according to her, since she explains to us that she “never use a mouse, because the touchpad responds perfectly”. Finally, she uses the screen’s touch function by flipping the PC flat and using it as a tablet. She specifies: “The display hinge doesn’t move an inch when used in tablet mode and neither does the position of the computer. The touchscreen responds really fast”.
No eyestrain even after a day’s work
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Pro Readers-Testers – Stéphanie
To complete this test, we wanted to know if the visual comfort was there. For Stephanie, “The screen is not glossy and bright enough even in bright light conditions. I often work outdoors or in my car, and everything is very readable with very little glare”. She adds that “the definition of the screen allows good visibility, very clear. I did not feel any discomfort or visual fatigue”.
Similar observation for Guillaume, who explains that “The screen is amazing in all circumstances, even in bright sunlight, like when I’m out with the kids.”
To work, in particular, our testers use the webcam. What did they think of the one integrated into the Dell XPS 13? For William, “The camera allows video conferencing in good conditions.” Lucas explains for his part that “The quality is good, without being excellent. The absence of a camera cover is regrettable. Respect for privacy is increasingly important, respect for professional life too, I think.” Finally, the verdict is good for Stéphanie, who specifies that the webcam is efficient with very good definition.
Connectivity on the move
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Pro Readers-Testers – Lucas
“In terms of connectivity, the computer being equipped with three USB-C ports, one can easily connect the PC to an external display, an external memory or charge it”, rejoices Lucas. Same enthusiasm for Guillaume: “On the connection side, the essential is there given the incredible finesse of the machine. In order to maximize compatibility with all kinds of external peripherals, Dell has chosen to add two Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB-C ports. They therefore support both charging, a possible external graphics card, a multiport hub… or all at the same time. On the right side, we find the headphone output, a USB Type-C with DisplayPort and a microSD card reader. used to retrieve the teacher’s photos at the end of the school trip, without the need for an additional adapter. It was very practical”. For Stephanie: “All the connections work with great simplicity, such as Bluetooth and wifi. Using the adapter, I was able to connect an external hard drive and broadcast the content via HDMI on a television. The best for meeting presentations”.