Dell XPS 10 Pro Reviews

For £629 – the cost of a 64GB XPS 10 and the dock – you expect a very well made and powerful bit of kit, and the Dell doesn’t disappoint. The screen performs better than the written specification would lead you to believe, but the bonkers battery arrangement will make for some moments of profound annoyance when you want your undocked tablet to work but it won’t for lack of battery charged. The problem with Windows RT is that it doesn’t offer anything that Windows 8 proper doesn’t – quite the contrary – which makes me feel it should be rather cheaper than it is, even if the hardware feels up to the price point. I rather like the XPS 10, but I’d like a Windows 8 Pro version for the same price even more.

The XPS 10 is a decent implementation of a Windows 8 RT hybrid tablet, though that isn't necessarily saying much. The run time with the dock is simply spectacular, however, and the versatility of the two-part design could make up for other shortcomings. Other than that, it's down to whether the form factor is right for you and whether the apps and software you want are available for RT.

It's a tough time to be a Windows 8 RT tablet. Sales seem to be slow, or even negative, for products using this 'lite' version of Windows 8. If Samsung's recent withdrawal of Windows RT products from the European market is any indication, these products are competing with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner for rockiest maiden flight. What, if anything, can the Dell XPS 10 tablet do to sell itself when its category could be dying? Its saving grace could be its innovative design, which features batteries in both the tablet and dock. When the two halves are married, the XPS 10 delivers a stellar 16 hours of run time--a major selling point if you're commuting internationally. The unit is also handsome in a conservative way, and tactilely appealing thanks to Dell's soft touch paint on the exterior.

The Dell XPS 10 Windows RT-equipped convertible tablet will truly last all day and most of the night (and certainly cover the longest flight in the world). It has a very small-capacity C: drive, but if your digital life is truly in the cloud, the XPS 10 can totally be the everyday computer that you carry everywhere.

A Windows RT tablet with ample battery life, but some build quality concerns

The Dell XPS 10 is an interesting tablet PC, which has many impressive qualities. The great workmanship of the tablet and seamlessly installed glass touchscreen will delight the user. The touchscreen is an easy-to-use input device. The optional keyboard dock and good system performance of the 10.1 inch tablet are nice extras. The long battery life grants the user a great degree of freedom, especially as the keyboard dock includes an additional battery which further extends the run time. The tablet also deserves praise for keeping temperatures at a max of 33 degrees Celsius (warm) and running silently. Although benchmarks record average performance on the Dell tablet, the tablet will not disappoint the user. In all tested Apps, the reaction time and tempo was good. Regardless whether the user is surfing the web, searching Windows Store, playing multimedia files, changing system settings or editing Word and Excel files, s/he will be satisfied with this tablet. On-the-go, the Dell XPS 10 is as fast as the Asus Vivo Tab RT TF600 or the Microsoft Surface RT. We did not like the 5 MP camera as although it offers decent picture quality, it can not stay focused while recording and thus ruins the joy of recording video. Be warned: the XPS 10 can only run Apps from the Windows Store and that is currently not very large. The high price (with the keyboard dock) of 749 Euros speaks against the purchase of the tablet, as the competition is far cheaper. However, without the keyboard dock, the tablet falls in an acceptable region - the cheapest of the 3 configurations costs 579 Euros. This places it in the same price range as the Microsoft Surface RT.

The Dell XPS 10 starts at $500 for just the tablet and runs you $680 for the tablet and keyboard with 32GB of storage. While it's a fine alternative, at those prices it can't match the value that Surface RT offers. However, those looking for a more laptoplike experience may find the XPS 10 a worthy purchase.