Dell XPS 18: Our Thinnest, Lightest and Most Versatile AIO

You may have seen the recent post on The Verge, and today we’re sharing details on the newest member of the XPS family, our new XPS 18. At under 5 pounds, it is the thinnest and lightest all-in-one desktop we’ve ever offered. The XPS 18 will be available on Dell.com in the United States and in select countries in Europe on April 16 starting at $899.99.

Our new AIO features a gorgeous 18.4” capacitive touch full HD (1920 x 1080) display. That means it offers nearly twice the screen size of Apple’s iPad which makes it great for all kinds of streaming media and gaming for families. It features much of the power you would expect from an AIO while still being surprisingly portable, so you can use it in many different rooms in the house. It works well as a streaming media device in the living room, viewing recipes or cooking videos in the kitchen, or as a homework machine in the kids room.

Update: For customers looking for more insight into what to expect from our latest AIO, click over to my XPS 18 review. As of May 13, the high-end i7 config that I tested is now available for order via Dell.com to customers in the United States.

Note: Click on the image below to see a larger version of it.

Dell XPS 18 All-in-One Windows 8 desktop

Compared to other machines like Sony’s Tap 20, the XPS 18 is over 6 pounds lighter and nearly double the battery life. In terms of hardware, the XPS 18 is built on Intel’s third-generation core processors, and the capacitive touch display means you can take advantage of all the touch capabilities that Windows 8 offers.

As many of you expect with a new member of the XPS family, we augment the hardware with some pretty slick design. It features an aluminum back with soft grip for traction and comfort. Overall craftsmanship and flexibility were two key focuses for our design team. You can use it in a number of ways: on an adjustable powered stand so it can be used with a wireless keyboard and mouse, on a desk or surface with flip-out feet so it can be set to a comfortable viewing angle, totally flat for collaborating or browsing, or even like a newspaper for reading.

Update: Here’s a preview video of the XPS 18:

The XPS 18 will also include the Dell Wyse PocketCloud application so users can easily build and manage their own “personal cloud” for both personal and work documents that can be shared to other iOS and Android devices. I’ll share more details down the road as we get closer to shipping it. For now, take a look at Dell.com/xps18 for or the press release for more information.

About the Author: Lionel Menchaca