Dell XPS One preview

Downsides
The base specification for the XPS One ships with a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 CPU, 2GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive running at 7,200rpm, an Intel GMA 3100 graphics card and an 8x DVD rewriter drive. All-in-all, it's pretty humdrum specification given the £999 asking price -- which leads us to believe Dell is "doing an Apple" and demanding a premium for the design. There's further evidence to support this theory when you consider similarly equipped XPS Ones and iMacs sell for approximately the same price.

There's one area in which the XPS One and iMac can't be compared: customisation. In our experience, Dell offerings can usually be tweaked within an inch of their mechanical lives, but that's not the case with the One. Whereas Apple has a range of iMac all-in-ones that come with a variety of screen sizes, CPU speeds, memory and hard drive options, there's absolutely nothing you can do to customise this Dell.

Your only option if you want a slightly faster XPS One is to plump for the (PRODUCT) RED version. Not only does it have a -- you guessed it -- red backside, but it also ships with a faster 2.33GHz E6550 Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, a 500GB, 7,200rpm hard drive, and a 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400 graphics card -- of the sort you'd find in a mid-to-high-end laptop. For this you pay an extra £300, which is steep, but about £40 of the total transaction goes to the RED anti-aids fund. We're told that's equivalent to more than six months of anti-retroviral treatment for one person.

Both versions of the machine sport a 20-inch TFT panel with a native resolution of 1,680x1,050 pixels. That's not quite enough pixels for 1080p video, but it's high enough to deliver 720p and higher video and is of a good enough standard for most tasks. Our only gripe is the fact it has Dell's glossy TrueLife Display technology, which makes it too reflective in direct sunlight. This is fine for the most part, but if you work opposite a south-facing window it might become annoying.

Outlook
The XPS One will appeal mostly to those who value style over substance. If it's style you're after, you're probably better off getting an Apple iMac. Not only is it better looking, but it's also far more customisable.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday