Hands On: Dell Inspiron 14z Ultrabook

The Dell Inspiron 14z is Dell's first Inspiron-branded ultrabook, meaning it's aimed at the mainstream user instead of the early adopters who would've bought the earlier this year.

The Insprion 14z starts at $699 for the entry-level model with an Intel Core i3 processor, 6GB of memory, and integrated Intel HD 3000 Graphics. However, Dell sent us the mid-tier, $899 Inspiron 14z-5423 model with a third-generation Intel Core i5-3317U processor, 8GB of memory, and discrete AMD HD 7570M graphics. Both will be available for ordering today; here are our first impressions.

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 colored silver ring surrounding the system. "Fire Red" 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 1,366-by-768 resolution, which is good enough for 720p HD video (1080p HD will have to be scaled down). The system weighs just over 4 pounds, so it's fairly lightweight. It's notable that the system has a built-in tray-loading DVD burner, which is rare in smaller ultrabooks.

The system comes with two USB 3.0 ports, one exposed on the right, and one on the left under a drop-down door. The system's HDMI port is under the same door, plus a full-sized 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. 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. 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.

Space isn't too much of a concern: the system 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.

The Inspiron 14z comes with Intel WiDi compatibility, though you will have to use your own WiDi monitor or adapter.

That's it for now, but stay tuned to PCMag for the full review once we complete our testing.