Having a good keyboard that you can rely on is half the battle won on a virtual battlefield and Alienware is looking to get in on the game, literally with their new Alienware RGB AW410K mechanical gaming keyboard that comes with the requisite RGB lighting and more.
The Alienware RGB AW410K keyboard comes with Cherry MX Brown keys that blend tactile feedback and quiet-click keys with low actuation force. The keys are fully programmable for macros and the switches themselves are mounting directed on the metal top plate for easier cleaning.
Just to ensure that you’ll get your money’s worth, these switches are rated for a lifespan over 100 million keystrokes. That’s a lot of Modern Warfare: Warzone games, mind you.
Other features of note include dedicated audio controls, an integrated USB passthrough to plug your mouse or charge your phone without having to fiddle with your PC, a braided 2-metre long cable to hook up to your PC along with 3 height adjustment settings so you can get your setup just right. And yes, it has per-key AlienFX RGB lighting so you can tweak your aesthetics to be as immersive or as loud as you want it to be from your choice of a staggering 16.8 million colours
Alienware RGB AW410K keyboard price
There’s no official pricing yet for the Alienware RGB AW410K mechanical gaming keyboard but it was stated to retail for USD$129.99 which is about RM556. What is certain is that it will be available from 4th August 2020. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates as we get them and the Alienware Malaysia site too.
While most gaming notebooks are primarily branded under their enthusiast Alienware brand, the new Dell G7 15 7500 gaming laptop is takes to the stage under the main brand itself and sports a slim and sleek design aesthetic that is perhaps inspired in part from last year’s Alienware M17 R2 with its extended rear housing, strategic emphasis on rear port placement and angular look that’s just 18.3mm thin.
Depending on how deep your pockets go, you can kit the Dell G7 15 7500 with a host of high-end hardware.
Starting in from the ground floor, the base model for Malaysia gives you a 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz display with 300 nits brightness, a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H, 8GB DDR4 2,933Hz RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD and WiFi 6 802.11ax support. This base model sets you back RM6,499. This gives it enough pixel-crunching grunt to handle most games in the current market without issue including all the usual triple-A titles.
In theory, the Dell G7 15 7500 can be kitted out with up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q and 8GB GDDR6 VRAM graphics card, a 4K OLED UHD display with a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 16GB DDR4 RAM upgradable to 32GB out of your own pocket and a 1TB SSD though there’s no pricing or any official word if you can get this super tricked out variant locally.
In Malaysia, the Dell G7 7500 is slated to arrive this coming 14th July 2020 on Dell’s official website. Stay tuned for more details as we get them!
Notebooks intended for business are a different breed altogether from those intended for mainstream consumers as they have an entirely different emphasis in terms of their form, function and specifications. Notebooks intended for company use also tend to prioritise on security features and a more premium design that’s meant to impress management and clients alike.
While a host of notebook brands have come and gone over the years and a few have carved out some measure of recognition as business laptops, Dell’s Latitude range of convertibles and laptops have been pioneers in the field with close to a quarter of a century – that’s 25 years, mind – of crafting business-optimised gear that enables executives and professionals to get their job done without having to haul around the equivalent of a luggage case and a snake pit of cabling under foot.
Intended as a light, compact and high-performing laptop for executives, Dell’s current range of Latitude notebooks and 2-in-1s have a host of features that continue to endear them to the suit-and-tie crowd. In Malaysia, you have a variety of Latitude variants, including the 7400 2-in-1 and the newly released Latitude 7410 as well as conventional Latitude laptop form factors too. Recently, Dell loaned us a test sample of the Latitude 7400 2-in-1 to give it a whirl around the block to experience what the Latitude series was all about and it’s quite an interesting rig indeed. The unit we got packs the best hardware possible though it does not come with many of the listed security features save for a fingerprint reader that comes as standard for units in Malaysia. In terms of hardware, what we got was:
Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 Specifications
Display 14-inch Full HD touchscreen touchscreen Processor Intel Core i7-8565U 2.11GHz Memory 16GB DDR3 RAM/ 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Class 40 SSD OS WIndows 10 Pro Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620 Memory 52WHr 4-cell battery Size/Weight 319.77 x 199.9 x 14.89mm / 1.36kg
As specifications go, these seem a bit lackluster seeing the prevalence of 10th Gen Intel Core processors and a slew of affordable AMD Ryzen 4000 series CPUs making their rounds around the block but the key takeaway here though is that the Latitude series is intended for businesses and large-scale deployment in entire fleets so reliability and the availability of spare parts are also critical factors.
The requirements for a company laptop are different and it’s not so much about the specifications as it is about the additional logistics support, maintenance and security features that Dell has to offer though our test unit did not feature them.
Dell Latitude Build and Design
The latest Latitude lineup offers a level of build quality that matches the premium XPS notebook line; depending on the model, you have a choice of premium carbon fiber or aluminium options.
The use of higher quality materials also means that you get an immensely solid chassis that also proves to be surprisingly compact with a slim form factor to boot. Think of a conventional National Geographic magazine and you get the idea of the size of the top line models such as the Latitude 9000 and 7000 series, which Dell claims to be the smallest premium business PCs in their respective classes.
The premium lineups also come with extra sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass which offers up to 15 times better scratch resistance, twice the resistance to cracks and a 9% reduction in reflections onscreen over the older generation of Gorilla Glass
In terms of connectivity, they’ve added the latest Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) that delivers nearly 3 times faster speeds and next-gen security in both hardware and software not only to the laptops themselves but also to the neir networks too.
A wide variety of ports and having enough of them is often a key factor for executives which is where the Latitude series retains an edge.
Case in point – and we are drawing from experience with the previous generation Latitude 7400 2-in-1 that we took for a whirl around the block – connectivity is on point, literally so and ahead of the pack. The right side of the laptop has a 3.5mm audio jack, an SD Card reader, a Kensington lock, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port with PowerShare and, interestingly enough, a SIM card tray so you can bung in a card and use it away from WiFi networks and having to tether it to your phone.
The left side hosts a pair of Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C ports with Power Delivery and DisplayPort support, a HDMI 1.4 port and a matching USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port like the right side of the notebook. Talk about overkill, but in a good way. While it’s not something that’s usually listed in a review, Dell has taken significant effort in ensuring sustainability in all its products, including the packaging and Latitude that we tested. They’ve implemented low VOC waterborne paint on all painted parts and have ensured that 100% of the packaging of the 2-in-1 is recyclable, with material sourced from ocean-bound plastics (25%) and HDPE recycled plastic (75%). To date, Dell has reused more than 100 million pounds of recycled content, plastic and other sustainable materials in new products, achieving its 2020 goal ahead of schedule.
Dell Latitude Performance
Setting up and getting a Latitude up and running required jumping through a few loops, especially if this is a company-issued laptop. In general, they are ideal for mainstream tasks (in some cases, extremely overpowered) like word processing, spreadsheets, email and the like but isn’t intended for video editing or heavier work. It is still capable of tackling retro gaming and mayhaps some recent titles on low 720P settings but that’s not what it was made for in any case. It’s also great for Netflix as flipping it around into display mode lets you prop it up on a desk so you can kick back and enjoy the show. Just don’t let the boss catch you doing it though.
Where the new top line Latitudes shine is the inclusion of what is called Dell Optimizer – a built-in artificial intelligence software that learns and adapts to your work behaviour and tendencies to create a smarter, more personalised and productive user experience.
It automatically improves application performance, battery run time and more in the background, so you have fewer disruptions no matter where you’re working. For example, unlocking and gaining access to the notebook is a tad easier with ExpressSign-in – a feature of Dell Optimizer – which combines facial recognition and a proximity sensor to lock the Latitude out if you’re away from the laptop for an extended length of time.
If you step away from your laptop, ExpressSign-in is smart enough to lock out your PC if you’re away on a short errand like making coffee and the like and will unlock it when you’re back at your desk. It’s a nice little extra feature to have and helps to address somewhat the security loophole of unattended laptops.
The convertible version of the Latitudes (read 2-in-1) provides versatility unlike other competing business notebooks, as the double hinges and wide variety of ports let you flip it around into a tablet or display whether you want to show someone a presentation up close over lunch, or hook it up to a large monitor or projector to show your plan for world domination to an entire boardroom.
The question about battery life is also fairly common with expert users – Latitudes are among some of the best on test on account of a built-in feature of Dell Optimizer called ExpressCharge, is able to help you get you up to an 80% charge in an hour. If you can’t charge your system right away, AI willsubtly adjust settings to preserve battery life, such as dimming your screen or turning off Bluetooth when not in use. This realistically gives you a good full working day with extra to last the better part of the next day.
Dell Latitude Available Configurations in Malaysia
As wereported last month, the Latitude 9510 is now available in Malaysia, along with its other siblings in the 9000 and 7000 series family. Designed for mobility and productivity, the new, premium portfolios are equipped with all the latest and greatest tech businesses would need – and even those they didn’t know they did – for their employees to perform their best work.
Joining the Latitude 9510 is its 14-inch sibling – the Latitude 9410 2-in-1 – and the Latitude 7000 series of laptops and 2-in-1s, throughout the 12-, 13- and 14-inch spectrum. All come in a variety of configurations for the Malaysia market depending on how deep you or your company’s IT budget goes. Prices start at slightly below the RM6,000 mark for the Latitude 7410, and can go as high as RM10,000+ for the top of the line Latitude 9510 2-in-1.
The final word on the Latitude series
If you are looking for premium business laptops with superior build and design quality blended with a measure of versatility in terms of ports, form factor options (tablet/display/notebook form factors), performance and battery life, the Latitude series of laptops and 2-in-1s are perfect to tackle any work scenario that a high-flying executive would encounter.
It’s refreshing to see Dell constantly refine every generation of the Latitude series with new technologies and features and we are definitely keen to see what they have for their next generation of Latitude devices which we heard will be arriving soon.
Finding a laptop that possesses high performance, excellent battery life and sufficient build quality to impress the suits in the boardroom is an elusive task. Save for a few specific models in the industry, there is usually some compromise or another that makes them fall short of greatness but in the last few years, Dell’s XPS 13 series has made a name for itself with a consistent, successive series of models that have become widely lauded as the epitome for ultraportable design. Their latest successor to this illustrious lineage, the Dell XPS 13 9300 for 2020 aims to embody all these qualities and much more.
We first laid eyes on the XPS 13 9300 on the showroom floor at CES 2020 and even talked to its creator Justin Lyles about the thought process and inspiration behind the iconic XPS series design and its 2020 refresh. Now, we’ve finally got our hands on the production model and it looks exquisite indeed.
What’s different from last year’s Dell XPS 13?
While there have been a few missteps along the way like the maligned ‘nosecam’ from the 2018 model, the Dell XPS 13 has gotten the fundamentals right and has consistently refined its mission profile of being the best consumer ultraportable that money can buy.
The new XPS 13 9300 for 2020 on the left and the 2019 XPS 13 9380 on the right. Note the slightly different keyboard layouts and the larger InfinityEdge display on the newer model.
On top of the obligatory upgrades this year to Intel 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake CPUs and the usual improvements in storage, the new Dell XPS 13 notably has a larger four-sided InfinityEdge display that manages to shaves down the bottom bozel all the way to its limits to effectively offer more screen real estate than its predecessor.
The Dell XPS 13 from 2019 had equally slim top and side bezels but retained a chunky bottom bezel. The best part? Even with Dell shaving these bezels all the way down to 4.6mm on each side, they’ve still managed to retain a 720P webcam in the top bezel.
The newer XPS 13 9300 moves the microSD card reader to the left side but retains the Type C 3.1 port
Combined, these minor savings on bezel size have allowed Dell to cram in a 13.4-inch UHD resolution touch display which is slightly but appreciably larger by 0.1-inches from the 2019 model. There’s also been a minor redesign of the keyboard with 9% larger overall buttons along with a 17% larger touchpad.
The left side of the Dell XPS 9300 has a microSD card reader and the second Type C 3.1 Display Port which is one less than the older model.
The good part is that the chassis and design of the new XPS 13 9300 is a straight-up improvement without any tradeoffs save for one minor detail, the removal of the USB Type C 3.1 port from the older model though it still retains both Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Dell XPS 13 9300 Unboxing and Design
In keeping with its distinguished pedigree, the Dell XPS 13 9300 has suitably impressive packaging. The notebook itself is ensconced within an ostentatious looking white box with a magnetically sealed flap. Flip the lid open and you’re greeted by the notebook itself wrapped in a plastic sleeve.
Just beneath the laptop are two compartments, with one holding a USB Type C to USB Type-A dongle while the other has the Type-C charging cable to charge the laptop. The charging cable and power pack itself is similar to last year’s XPS 13 and is essentially identical. Our test unit of the new Dell XPS 13 comes with its now distinctive Frost White finish which has an external chassis made of a semi-matte aluminium finish with Alpine White carbon fiber palm rests.
The external finish itself is highly resistant to fingerprints and feels exceptionally premium on account of being machined from a single block of aluminium alloy for sturdiness. At 1.27kg, the XPS 13 9300 isn’t the lightest ultraportable out there but is still comfortably light enough to carry around all-day in a backpack.
The left side has a microSD card reader with a USB Type C 3.1 port for charging and data transfer at Thunderbolt 3 speeds and DisplayPort support. The right side has a similar Type C 3.1 port so you’re able to use either one based on personal preference. There’s also a 3.5mm combo audio jack as well nestled in the corner.
Flip the lid open and you get to lay eyes upon the four-sided InfinityEdge display. While it comes in a variety of configurations, our test unit was the highest end variant with a 13.4-inch UHD 4K touchscreen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio. Alternatively, you can opt for a more modest 1080P matte, non-touch display with a similar 16:10 aspect ratio along with several other possible touch-capable permutations if you’re looking to save a bit of cash. Up top, perched where it ought to be is a 720P webcam that one-ups its predecessor as it also has a Windows Hello infrared sensor so you can unlock your laptop with your face.
The keyboard itself is noticeably larger as well with bigger keys and a wider touchpad. Like its predecessor, the power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader as an alternative means to unlock the XPS 13 9300.
The one annoyance though is that they’ve moved the brightness shortcuts from the direction pad back to the function key area which makes reaching for it a chore rather than an intuitive task. Hopefully in future versions they plonk the brightness shortcuts back where it’s supposed to be.
The textured carbon fiber palm rests retain the same stain resistant finish and have excellent tactility without it accumulating crud, stains or other detritus.
The textured carbon fiber finish repels stains and has a unique cross-weaved texture
Overall build quality is excellent with a distinctive design that is unique to the XPS 13 series with its customary premium build quality that elevates it above the majority of chunky, plasticky lookalikes.
Dell XPS 13 9300 Specifications and Benchmarks
Under the hood, our test unit of the Dell XPS 13 9300 for Malaysia came with the following configuration:
Specifications Price RM8,498 Display 13.4-inch UHD+ InfinityEdge display (3,840 x 2,400 pixels) Processor Intel Core i7-1065G7 3.9GHz CPU OS Windows 10 Pro Graphics Intel Iris Plus Memory 16GB DDR4 3,733MHz / 1TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD Battery 4-cell, 52Whr Size/Weight 295.7 x 198.7 x 14.8mm / 1.27kg
These are the highest possible specifications that you can configure for the Malaysia market though there are some variants in other regions with more RAM, more storage and, of course, a much higher price tag.
On top of the better processor and increased storage, the latest generation of the XPS 13 benefits from improved Intel Iris Plus graphics over the stock Intel UHD Graphics solution. It still won’t match a laptop with a dedicated graphics card but it still offers enough pixel crunching grunt to tackle heavy spreadsheets, light video editing, photo editing and some retro gaming on low settings. That’ s not a knock against it though as this is exactly what the XPS 13 is designed to do though the addition of Iris Plus graphics makes it even more capable in its chosen role as a highly portable productivity platform.
Of particular note for the XPS 13 9300 is the addition of a much faster Killer WiFi 6 AX1650 (802.11ax) along with Bluetooth 5.0. Local Malaysia units also ship with the Microsoft Office Home & Student edition along with a 12-month subscription to the McAfee LifeSafe antivirus suite.
When dialled to the maximum performance setting, the XPS 13 9300 had the following performance benchmarks:
Cinebench R20 1,653 3DMark Time Spy Extreme 872 3DMark Time Spy 407 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra 540 3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme 984 PCMark10 Extended 3,641 SuperPosition 4K Optimised 657 SuperPosition 1080P Extreme 417
Overall benchmark scores are a modest margin ahead of last year’s model on account of the hardware that is mostly on account of the new 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake processor and Intel Iris Plus Graphics. You can check out the screencaps of the complete benchmarks below.
Under practical work conditions, the hardware on the XPS 13 9300 is more than sufficient to tackle almost any productivity related task and we managed to open two dozen tabs in Chrome without undue issues, handled paperwork on Google Docs and Open Office from written tracts to some modest spreadsheet work without any lag. Photo editing and light 1080P video editing wasn’t an issue as well on several open source video and photo editing apps.
The luscious 4K touch display is excellent with superb colour rendition on account of its rated 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut and excellent brightness even under daylight conditions. The additional screen real estate is appreciated here and lets you comfortably compare two documents side by side or two browser windows without much trouble. The responsiveness of the display is excellent and adds a new alternative to interactivity versus the traditional touchpad and keyboard.
Audio performance on the built-in 2.5W stereo speakers is on par with last year’s model with similarly good range and sound staging on account of their Dell CinemaSound 2.0 and Waves MaxxAudio Pro software but isn’t appreciably improved but that’s not a bad thing.
The XPS 13 9300 has a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader
Thermals are excellent this time around. Dell’s GORE thermal insulation along with the dual fans and heat pipe help to shunt heat away from key areas like the keyboard, palm rests and touchpad towards the rear and bottom. Heat was appreciably kept to manageable levels with the underside getting a tad warm after several hours of heavy use but it’s not unmanageable. On normal workloads, it’s cool enough to use on your lap without cooking off. The aforementioned fans proved to be whisper quiet even under ultra performance mode and intensive loads.
The revamped keyboard has 9% larger keys and a 17% larger touchpad over last year’s model. The increased size paid dividends especially to long-term typing comfort, speed and accuracy and we were able to get a decent 120wpm on average with the remastered keyboard.
The XPS 13 9300’s selfie camera also has Windows Hello to unlock the laptop
The most critical feature for the work from home crowd – teleconferencing is fortunately executed in a competent fashion here. The 720P webcam is serviceable while the bundled mike offered sufficiently clear acoustics for voice calls across Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Webex.
While it won’t beat a dedicated separate webcam or mike, having it all in a compact package with the webcam in the right position is still a bonus. Hopefully in future iterations the XPS 13 gets a better mike and higher resolution webcam, seeing the importance in telecommuting and video calls these days. In terms of battery life, the new XPS 13 9300 offered a solid 8 hours of battery life off the 52WHr battery with average screen brightness and a modest workload of web browsing, emails and half a dozen open browsers and WiFi.
Your mileage will vary of course depending on how intensive you run it. At maximum screen brightness and resolution along with a heavy workload plus tweaking it to high Performance mode resulted in just under six hours or so of battery life. It’s on par with the competition and gives you enough endurance to last a work day out in the field.
Dell XPS 13 9300 Price and Verdict
At a princely RM8,498, the Dell XPS 13 9300 for 2020 with the highest specced configuration is not cheap. But what you get for your money is an immaculately crafted chassis that is as distinctive as it is beautiful, a gorgeous four-sided Infinity Edge display, a revamped and improved keyboard plus solid performance all around. If cash is no object, the XPS 13 is one of, if not the best 13-inch Windows ultraportable that money can buy.
What we liked Outstanding build quality and design, excellent UHD+ display, comfy keyboard, good battery life What we didn’t Not cheap, more ports would have been nice We say The new Dell XPS 13 for 2020 is a superb ultrabook in every respect from its immaculately machined chassis to its breathtakingly 4K beautiful touch display and powerful hardware. It doesn’t come cheap but that’s the price you pay for uncompromising excellence for the Bentley of ultraportables.
Review unit courtesy of Dell Malaysia. Available for purchase online at the Dell official website.
An eagle-eyed reader on Reddit managed to spot an image which has since been taken down that apparently shows a revamped version of the XPS 15 and a larger XPS 17 laptop.
Redditor u/WesolyKubeczek spotted the unusual image which that depicts four new laptops. It has been conjectured that the upper left and upper right laptops are the new XPS 15 and XPS 17 while the lower left are examples from Dell’s Precision series notebooks share some design commonality with the XPS series but which are a bit on the chunkier side.
The XPS 15 and XPS 17 laptops in the upper left and upper right bear aesthetics that were seen on this year’s XPS 13 9300 which we managed to preview at CES 2020.
Essentially, this means both new addition to 2020’s XPS range will have a slimmer, sleeker look with thinner InfinityEdge top, side and especially bottom bezels across the range than ever before in order to offer even more screen real estate.
On top of the larger displays which were also seen in the new XPS 13 9300, the new redesign looks like it packs 3.5mm audio ports, a slot for a full-sized SD card which will endear it to photographers as well as a quartet of USB Type-C ports. The chassis for both also look like it sports their increasingly favoured carbon fiber in its design as well.
Naturally, being just images, there’s not much to go on for specifications for the new XPS 15 and XPS 17 but by conjecture and past history, they’ll likely offer both in both Full HD and 4K resolution in both touch and non-touch capable variants. There’s no firm details on pricing or anything else but a glimpse of an official render like this in the wild means that it’s likely that they will make an official appearance sometime soon.
An eagle-eyed reader on Reddit managed to spot an image which has since been taken down that apparently shows a revamped version of the XPS 15 and a larger XPS 17 laptop.
Redditor u/WesolyKubeczek spotted the unusual image which that depicts four new laptops. It has been conjectured that the upper left and upper right laptops are the new XPS 15 and XPS 17 while the lower left are examples from Dell’s Precision series notebooks share some design commonality with the XPS series but which are a bit on the chunkier side.
The XPS 15 and XPS 17 laptops in the upper left and upper right bear aesthetics that were seen on this year’sXPS 13 9300 which we managed to preview atCES 2020.
Essentially, this means both new addition to 2020’s XPS range will have a slimmer, sleeker look with thinner InfinityEdge top, side and especially bottom bezels across the range than ever before in order to offer even more screen real estate.
On top of the larger displays which were also seen in the new XPS 13 9300, the new redesign looks like it packs 3.5mm audio ports, a slot for a full-sized SD card which will endear it to photographers as well as a quartet of USB Type-C ports. The chassis for both also look like it sports their increasingly favoured carbon fiber in its design as well.
Naturally, being just images, there’s not much to go on for specifications for the new XPS 15 and XPS 17 but by conjecture and past history, they’ll likely offer both in both Full HD and 4K resolution in both touch and non-touch capable variants. There’s no firm details on pricing or anything else but a glimpse of an official render like this in the wild means that it’s likely that they will make an official appearance sometime soon.
Before joining Dell Technologies, Dan Inbar has served as the CEO of N-trig until its acquisition by Microsoft and served in a number of key positions at SanDisk and M-Systems, e-Mobilis, Top Image Systems Ltd and NICE Systems Ltd, bringing to his role over two decades of experience in storage technologies.
Today, he’s sharing his insight on how technology has transformed almost every imaginable business into an IT-driven business with data storage as well as its access, implementation and application becoming ever more crucial. Here’s Dan’s thoughts on Accelerating Storage Innovation in the Next Data Decade.
Accelerating Storage Innovation in the Next Data Decade
Dan Inbar, president and general manager, Storage, Dell Technologies
Over the previous decade, technology transformed nearly every business into an IT-driven business. From farming to pharmaceuticals, these information technology developments have led organizations to reimagine how they operate, compete, and serve customers. Data is at the heart of these changes and will continue its transformative trajectory as organizations navigate the waves of technological progress in the next “Data Decade.”
In data storage – which touches every IT-driven business – the pace of innovation is accelerating, yet most enterprises continue to struggle with data’s explosive growth and velocity. Getting the highest use and value from their data is becoming ever more critical for organizations, especially for those with data stores reaching exabyte scale.
In order to have strategic value in the enterprise, storage innovation must cross the capabilities chasm from just storing and moving around bits to holistic data management.
In 2019, our Dell Technologies Storage CTO Council studied more than 90 key technologies and ranked which ones have the innovation potential to help storage cross that capabilities chasm in the next 5-10 years. This year, there are three key areas we believe will be difference-makers for organizations that are pushing the limits of current storage and IT approaches.
Let’s take a closer look.
Trend #1: Machine learning and CPU Performance unlock new storage and data management approaches
This year, we will see new approaches that solve streaming data challenges, including the use of container-based architectures and software-defined storage. There is a desire by customers in industries such as manufacturing, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, public safety and healthcare to build applications that treat data as streams instead of breaking it up into separate files or objects.
Ingesting and processing stream data has unique challenges that limit traditional IT and storage systems. Since streaming workloads often change throughout the day – storage capacity and compute power must be elastic to accommodate. This requires intelligence within the storage that can instantly provide autoscaling.
By treating everything as a data stream, event data can be replayed in the same way we watch a live sporting event on a DVR-enabled TV, where the program can be paused, rewound and replayed instantly. Until now, application developers have been limited in their ability to address use cases that can leverage data as streams for capture, playback and archive. Enabling these capabilities with data will make it easier to build applications that allow new use cases that were never thought of previously.
Dataset Management helps solve the data lifecycle problem
In the realm of data management, 2020 will usher in new approaches for organizations wishing to better manage the data that is distributed across many silos of on-prem and cloud data stores. Data growth has been outstripping the growth of IT budgets for years, making it difficult for organizations not only to keep and store all their data, but manage, monetize, secure and make it useful for end users.
Enter Dataset Management – an evolving discipline using various approaches and technologies to help organizations better use and manage data through its lifecycle. At its core, it is about the ability to store data transparently and make it easily discoverable. Our industry has been very good at storing block, file and object data, sometimes unifying these data in a data lake. Dataset Management is the evolution of a data lake, providing customers with the ability to instantly find the data they want and make it actionable in proper context across on-prem and cloud-based data stores.
Dataset Management will be especially useful for industries (i.e. media & entertainment, healthcare, insurance) that frequently have data stored across different storage systems and platforms (i.e. device/instrument generated raw data, to derivative data at a project level, etc.). Customers want the ability to search across these data stores to do things such as creating custom workflows. For instance, many of our largest media & entertainment customers are using Dataset Management to connect with asset management databases to tag datasets, which can then be moved to the correct datacenters for things such as special effects work or digital postprocessing, then to distribution and finally to archives.
Traditional methods for managing unstructured data only takes you so far. Because of new technological advancements like machine learning and higher CPU performance, we see Dataset Management growing further in prominence in 2020, as it offers organizations a bridge from the old world of directories and files to the new world of data and metadata.
Trend #2: Storage will be architected and consumed as Software-defined
We can expect to see new storage designs in 2020 that will further blur the line between storage and compute.
Some of our customers tell us they are looking for more flexibility in their traditional SANs, wishing to have compute as close to storage as possible to support data-centric workloads and to reduce operational complexity.
With deeper integration of virtualization technologies on the storage array, apps can be run directly on the same system and managed with standard tools. This could be suitable for data-centric applications that require very storage- and data-intensive operations (i.e. analytics apps, intense database apps). Also, workloads that require quick transactional latency and a lot of data.
This isn’t HCI in the classic sense, but rather about leveraging and interoperating with existing infrastructure and processes while also giving a greater degree of deployment flexibility to suit the customer’s specific environment and/or application. It could open up new use cases (i.e. AI ML/analytics at edge locations and/or private cloud, workload domains, etc.); it could also lead to lower cost of ownership and simplification for IT teams and application owners that don’t always have to rely on a storage admin to provision or manage the underlying storage.
Software-defined Infrastructure no longer just for hyper-scalers
Software-defined infrastructure (SDI) is also becoming a greater consideration in enterprise data centers to augment traditional SANs and HCI deployments. Long the realm of hyper-scalers, traditional enterprises are ready to adopt SDI for the redeployment of certain workloads that have different requirements for capacity and compute than what traditional 3-layer SANs can provide.
These are customers architecting for agility at scale and want the flexibility of rapidly scaling storage and compute independently of each other. It’s for the customer that needs to consolidate multiple high performance (e.g. database) or general workloads. As enterprises consider consolidation strategies, they will bump up against the limits of traditional SANs and the unpredictable performance/costs and lock-in of cloud services. This is where SDI becomes a very viable alternative to traditional SANs and HCI for certain workloads.
Trend #3: High-performance Object storage enters the mainstream
As Object moves from cheap and deep, cold storage or archive to a modern cloud-native storage platform, performance is on many people’s minds.
One of the reasons we see this trending upward this year is demand for it by application developers. Analytics is also driving a lot of demand and we expect to see companies in different verticals moving in this direction.
In turn, the added performance of flash and NVMe are creating tremendous opportunity for Object-based platforms to support things that require speed and near-limitless scale (i.e. analytics, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), IoT, cloud-native app development, etc.). Side note: historically, Object storage hasn’t been fast enough for ADAS workloads, but all-flash is changing that conversation.
Flash-based Object storage with automated tiering to disk offers a cost-effective solution, particularly when a customer is talking about hundreds of petabytes or exabyte-scale. It allows you to move the data you need up to the flash tier to run your analytics and high-performance applications and then move the data off to a cold or archive tier when you’re done with it.
As Object becomes tuned for flash and NVMe, we expect a higher level of interest in Object for things that have traditionally been stored on file-based NAS, such as images, log data, and machine generated data.
As the pace of technology innovation accelerates, so too will the possibilities in storage and data management. We are standing with our customers at the dawn of the “Data Decade.”
If the last ten years brought some of the most dramatic changes in tech, just imagine what’s next.
[Article courtesy of Dan Inbar, president and general manager, Storage, Dell Technologies]
We now live in uncertain times. Recent events are up-ending all our traditional perceptions of work, temporarily cancelling the traditional idea of a 9-5 working day and has changed the way we all work, at least for a while. Now, many knowledge workers are embracing a new normal as many work from home to limit exposure to the coronavirus.
While it used to be a privilege doled out due to pressing circumstances, the current pandemic means that it’s a necessity for many organisations. Where the office environment has everything needed to get your job done, including liberal amounts of coffee, fast Internet and an IT team in case anything goes south, you’re on your own with the cat (or dog, we don’t judge) at home. Here’s a few tips on how to best work from home and be a bit more productive.
#1 Act like you’re going to the office
People are creatures of habit and rapidly forming a new routine helps get your brain in gear and cement the fact that you’re working and on the clock. Wake up early like you’re going to work and if necessary, dress up for the part. Some need the full get-up – office suit and all – but over time I managed to pare the whole thing down to donning a black baseball cap associated solely with work just to get the ritual started. Once you have a work routine settled, telecommuting should be much easier with a darned lot shorter commute.
Telecommuting is just like going to the office, just with a super short commute!
#2 Pick a dedicated work space in your home
Part of forming a new routine to effectively work from home is also establishing a work space that’s solely dedicated to your trade. Carpenters need a work table and a workshop. Potters need a pottery wheel. Fortunately, as knowledge workers we mostly need a solid notebook and a stable Internet connection which means we have the luxury of setting up shop almost anywhere in the house.
Pick a spot like a guest room with a door that you can preferably close during work hours and which is as quiet as possible. Failing that, or if you’re living alone, pick a spot away from the TV, PlayStation or other forms of entertainment and also away from your bedroom. You’re here to work after all. A kitchen countertop works in a pinch but may result in more snacking than usual. Work from home pro tip – pick somewhere with a window when you work from home so that you your body clock can also adjust to the routine.
Pick out a dedicated work space at home thats relatively free of distractions – a window is a bonus and plenty of plugpoints for all your gear.
#3 Stick to a Schedule and Form a Routine
When you’re working from home, there’s a lack of the social impetus of a group as a whole to stay motivated and to be held accountable for productivity. Time tends to blur and you’re left without a focus with impromptu lunch hours, with distractions taking up your time and you end up losing focus. Set up a personal work schedule using something like Google Calendar and stick to it with a break for lunch or dinner in between. Once you’re off the clock, unless it’s a major crisis, leave it for the next work day.
Emails sorted. Paperwork sorted. Work discussion on Skype sorted. Modern Warfare Warzone match after work booked.
#4 Separate work from your personal life on your devices
If you work from home, it becomes all the more important to separate your work life from your personal life. That also extends to your devices as well. It’s well worth the effort to create separate work and personal profiles in your web browser to minimise distractions and to avoid having your Modern Warfare teammates ping you during the workday for a scrum.
Another way to separate your work from your personal affairs is to use separate browsers and apps. If your office is relying on Edge and Outlook to get work done, you can try using Chrome or Gmail. If that isn’t an option, you can try using an app or extension that ensures you don’t waste time browsing erronous tripe like WasteNoTime for Chrome as an extension and Safari.
This also extends to synching your devices. Take extra special care that you don’t back-up and sync your personal emails and photo galleries with your work accounts and vice versa. If needed, use a separate phone or set apart a Work profile that creates a separate, selectable partition on your phone that’s different from your personal account. That or get a separate work phone.
If you’re given the option to pick your own phone or you’re privately employed, Galaxy S-series phones like the Galaxy S10, the Note series like the Note9, Note10 and the new Galaxy S20 all have Samsung’s own defence-grade Knox protection that ensure enhanced protection of company data. You’re also able to get home delivery along with bundled in-store Irresistable Deals from Samsung when you order their new Galaxy S20 series that include a free wireless charger and 128GB microSD card so it’s well worth a gander.
#5 Stay off social media during work hours
Social media is a timesink. Whether you’re wandering around on TikTok, scrolling through feeds on Facebook or just paging through Instagram, you’ll notice a bizarre temporal anomaly which results in what was originally a few minutes of wasted time turn into a few hours burned into the ether. That’s a serious productivity killer when you work from home.
The word – logout of social media when you’re at work on your work PC and temporarily turn off notifications for your social media apps. Unless your day job is actually managing social media in which case that’s an entirely different kettle of fish. When you clock off for the day, you can turn it all back on or like the previous tip, switch back to your personal profile on your PC and your phone.
#6 Take a Break When You Can
It’s good to take a break now and then in between your designated work hours. Take a breather, make a cup of coffee and see the scenery for a few minutes. Some also advocate a 20-minute power nap, a practice many Mediterranean countries observe. The trick here is doing it in moderation. To measure out your breaks, try and keep some tokens – glass beads or even Lego minifigs will do – each of them for a quick non-work related 15-minute break and then cash them out through the course of the day. Not including your lunch break, portion out 2-3 break tokens. And no, they don’t rollover to the next day.
You can portion out your daily breaks with tokens that each denote a 15-minute quick break but we don’t advocate eating them. Except In this particular case. Antioxidants FTW.
#7 Collaborate with the Power of Tech
Collaborating with fellow colleagues that are geographically split apart all across the map or rather the globe would have been a challenge in the last decade or so but improved internet connectivity and a host of collaborative apps have made it a darned lot easier to work from home.
All services stated below are free, which is a godsend for freelancers and SMEs though larger enterprises will likely already have their own solutions in place to tackle all these needs.
To manage projects with a team, you can try Trello. For group discussions with colleagues, you can try Zoom which can handle large teleconferences or multiple-presence group chats or Skype for small group conference calls and one-one on discussions.
To collaborate on a document, you can try Google Docs which has robust live collaboration functionality – you can actually see edits happen and track every change – but it doesn’t quite format Word .docx files perfectly and you’ll need to be fairly careful with configuring sharing permissions lest private data leaks out into the wild.
Top teleconference topic with colleagues “Did you catch see that Kingdom zombie flick on Netflix?” Note- Simulated scenario only. Please do not really do this in a company teleconference.
#8 How to Work From Home Effectively – Get the Right Technologies for the Job
You need the right tools and technologies to get the job done if you’re looking to effectively work from home. While battery life is less of a concern seeing as you’re mostly stuck in one place, you’ll need a notebook that has the right form factor, size and specifications to fit your job scope.
If you’re a content creator like a video editor or a graphic artist, you’re going to need a notebook or desktop PC with a graphics card paired with a large, colour-calibrated display. Viable alternatives include powerful, portable rigs like the Alienware M17 R2 or the Illegear Onyx Pro, both of which have massive colour-accurate displays, beefy graphics cards and powerful processors too. The fact that they’re also extremely capable gaming machines is an added bonus.
The Illegear Ionic (left) and Onyx Pro (right) have been specifically designed for creators with beautiful, sRGB compliant displays, beefy processors and extensive battery life.
If you’re a writer, programmer or other mobile knowledge worker dealing mostly with text or code, you’ll need a decent processor and a keyboard with good key travel. While not mandatory, lightness and portability go a long way as they’ll be able to accompany you on work meetings outside of home once the ongoing eventually MCO lifts. If you’re one of those who can’t stand staying in one place to work for extended periods of time, the lightness is a definite plus when you move locations around the house to work in from the couch, the desk, the dining room to the laundry room (guilty as judged).
Solid examples include the Dell XPS 13 9300 that was recently released in Malaysia, the Illegear Ionic, the HP Spectre and the Acer Swift 5. For those looking for a business-oriented convertible, the Dell Latitude 9510 is also a viable proposition.
It goes without saying that regardless of the job scope, the more RAM and the more storage you have the better. Of course, it also falls down to either your personal budget or that of the company’s IT department but the above selections represent a good range to shop around for.
The new Dell XPS 13 series combine a beautifully machined chassis with exceptional performance and endurance
#9 Seamless Device Interactivity is key
Smartphones are an intrinsic part of our lives. They’re also, at least in the context of being productive, major distractions with a constant series of pings, beeps and other notifications streaming in from emails, whatever social media you’re hooked up to, games and texts from friends, family and colleagues. Compound that by two when you’re juggling a work and private account unless you silence your phone which can also be counterproductive when you miss an important call or text.
Dell Mobile Connect works best with Dell laptops and PCs of recent vintage and with Android or iPhones.
Transferring content whether it’s photos, documents or more between a notebook and a laptop can also be a chore too which is where smart integration applications like Dell Mobile Connect come into play. Dell Mobile Connect is installed by default on many Dell notebooks after 2018 and lets you transfer content from images to documents while allowing you to mirror your smartphone home screen straight on your notebook’s desktop.
You’re able to read and triage texts at a glance onscreen and take files straight off your phone too, which reduces the time spent picking up and looking at your phone and makes working from home a bit more effective. The latest update for Dell Mobile Connet now lets it work with both Android and Apple iPhones too.
Huawei’s Multi-screen collaboration mode lets you mirror and transfer content back and forth from your Huawei devices to your MateBook in a fast and seamless fashion.
Huawei’s latest Mate series and P series phones also have their Huawei Multi-screen collaboration modes that offer the same thing on their own MateBook notebooks in a wireless fashion while Samsung also offers their DeX mode as well which works via a USB type-A to type-C cable plugged into any Windows PC.
#10 Accessorise!
Nothing’s perfect and to get the most out of your work from home experience, you may want to consider augmenting your home office with some accessories that make working easier or more efficient. This is outside the scope of this article but you may want to consider getting a more comfortable or ergonomically sound office chair, a USB hub so that you can dock, charge and connect with more devices and possibly get a wireless mouse or a notebook stand.
The Huawei FreeBuds 3 wireless earbuds also offer active noise cancelling and long battery life
If you have to work in an environment with a lot of background noise (screaming progeny, loud traffic, neighbour playing ludicrously loud heavy metal music) , consider investing in a pair of active noise cancelling headphones to work from home effectively. Failing that, you can opt for headphones or earbuds with good sound insulation such as the Huawei Freebuds 3 which as active noise cancelling, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ which has two drivers in each earpiece or if your budget is a bit more pedestrian, the Edifier TWS1and the Realme Buds Air are good options.
While working at home means less need for wireless connectivity, picking a wireless pair of earbuds or headphones also means freeing up the inevitable cable tangle on your desk though you have another item to charge up at the end of the work day. Ultimately, you get what you pay for and a higher quality accessory will pay dividends in productivity over time.
Do you have any productivity tips to work from home? Shoot us a message and let the Hitech Century team know and we’ll add it to the list!
At Dell Technologies Summit 2019 last year, Dell Technologies shared more about how the organisation is looking ahead towards the next decade, which we are now in and what they will be devoting their efforts to in order to advance human progress. The entire summit has visionaries that included Michael Dell himself, Chairman and CEO of Dell taking the stage to share his vision as well as Jeff Clarke, COO and Vice Chairman of Dell Technologies. You can refresh your memory via this handy page which summarises all the key notes.
Now that we’re in the new decade, Jeff Clarke has penned his thoughts on what’s to come for 2020 and how the world we will live in will look like over the course of the next 10 years as data becomes ever more important in how we work, live and play. Here’s Jeff Clarke’s 2020 Tech Predictions on ‘Paving the Way for the Next Data Decade’.
Paving the way for the Next Data Decade
It’s hard to believe that we’re heading into the year 2020 – a year that many have marked as a milestone in technology. Autonomous cars lining our streets, virtual assistants predicting our needs and taking our requests, connected and intelligent everything across every industry.
When I stop to think about what has been accomplished over the last decade – it’s quite remarkable. While we don’t have fully autonomous cars zipping back and forth across major freeways with ease, automakers are getting closer to deploying autonomous fleets in the next few years. Many of the every-day devices, systems and applications we use are connected and intelligent – including healthcare applications, industrial machines and financial systems – forming what is now deemed as “the edge.”
At the root of all that innovation and advancement are massive amounts of data and compute power, and the capacity across edge, cloud and core data center infrastructure to put data through its paces. And with the amount of data coming our way in the next 10 years – we can only imagine what the world around us will look like in 2030, with apps and services we haven’t even thought of yet.
2020 marks the beginning of what we at Dell Technologies are calling the Next Data Decade, and we are no doubt entering this era with new – and rather high – expectations of what technology can make possible for how we live, work and play. So what new breakthroughs and technology trends will set the tone for what’s to come over the next 10 years? Here are my top predictions for the year ahead.
2020 proves it’s time to keep IT simple
We’ve got a lot of data on our hands…big data, meta data, structured and unstructured data – data living in clouds, in devices at the edge, in core data centers…it’s everywhere. But organisations are struggling to ensure the right data is moving to the right place at the right time. They lack data visibility – the ability for IT teams to quickly access and analyse the right data – because there are too many systems and services woven throughout their IT infrastructure. As we kick off 2020, CIOs will make data visibility a top IT imperative because after all, data is what makes the flywheel of innovation spin.
We’ll see organisations accelerate their digital transformation by simplifying and automating their IT infrastructure and consolidating systems and services into holistic solutions that enable more control and clarity. Consistency in architectures, orchestration and service agreements will open new doors for data management – and that ultimately gives data the ability be used as part of AI and Machine Learning to fuel IT automation. And all of that enables better, faster business outcomes that the innovation of the next decade will thrive on.
Cloud co-existence sees rolling thunder
The idea that public and private clouds can and will co-exist becomes a clear reality in 2020. Multi-cloud IT strategies supported by hybrid cloud architectures will play a key role in ensuing organisations have better data management and visibility, while also ensuring that their data remains accessible and secure. In fact, IDC predicted that by 2021, over 90% of enterprises worldwide will rely on a mix of on-premises/dedicated private clouds, several public clouds, and legacy platforms to meet their infrastructure needs.[i]
But private clouds won’t simply exist within the heart of the data center. As 5G and edge deployments continue to rollout, private hybrid clouds will exist at the edge to ensure the real-time visibility and management of data everywhere it lives. That means organisations will expect more of their cloud and service providers to ensure they can support their hybrid cloud demands across all environments. Further, we’ll see security and data protection become deeply integrated as part of hybrid cloud environments, notably where containers and Kubernetes continue to gain momentum for app development. Bolting security measures onto cloud infrastructure will be a non-starter…it’s got to be inherently built into the fiber of the overall data management strategy edge to core to cloud.
What you get is what you pay
One of the biggest hurdles for IT decision makers driving transformation is resources. CapEx and OpEx can often be limiting factors when trying to plan and predict for compute and consumption needs for the year ahead…never mind the next three-five years. SaaS and cloud consumption models have increased in adoption and popularity, providing organisations with the flexibility to pay for what they use, as they go.
In 2020, flexible consumption and as-a-service options will accelerate rapidly as organisations seize the opportunity to transform into software-defined and cloud-enabled IT. As a result – they’ll be able to choose the right economic model for their business to take advantage of end-to-end IT solutions that enable data mobility and visibility, and crunch even the most intensive AI and Machine Learning workloads when needed.
“The Edge” rapidly expands into the enterprise
The “Edge” continues to evolve – with many working hard to define exactly what it is and where it exists. Once limited to the Internet of Things (IoT), it’s hard to find any systems, applications, services – people and places – that aren’t connected. The edge is emerging in many places and it’s going to expand with enterprise organisations leading the way, delivering the IT infrastructure to support it.
5G connectivity is creating new use cases and possibilities for healthcare, financial services, education and industrial manufacturing. As a result, SD-WAN and software-defined networking solutions become a core thread of a holistic IT infrastructure solution – ensuring massive data workloads can travel at speed – securely – between edge, core and cloud environments. Open networking solutions will prevail over proprietary as organisations recognise the only way to successfully manage and secure data for the long haul requires the flexibility and agility that only open software defined networking can deliver.
Intelligent devices change the way you work and collaborate
PC innovation continues to push new boundaries every year – screens are more immersive and bigger than ever, yet the form factor becomes smaller and thinner. But more and more, it’s what is running at the heart of that PC that is more transformational than ever. Software applications that use AI and machine learning create systems that now know where and when to optimise power and compute based on your usage patterns. With biometrics, PCs know it’s you from the moment you gaze at the screen. And now, AI and machine learning applications are smart enough to give your system the ability to dial up the sound and colour based on the content you’re watching or the game you’re playing.
Over the next year, these advancements in AI and machine learning will turn our PCs into even smarter and more collaborative companions. They’ll have the ability to optimise power and battery life for our most productive moments – and even become self-sufficient machines that can self-heal and self-advocate for repair – reducing the burden on the user and of course, reducing the number of IT incidents filed. That’s a huge increase in happiness and productivity for both the end users and the IT groups that support them.
Innovating with integrity, sourcing sustainably
Sustainable innovation will continue to take center stage, as organisations like ours want to ensure the impact they have in the world doesn’t come with a dangerous one on the planet. Greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation will accelerate – hardware becomes smaller and more efficient and built with recycled and reclaimed goods – minimising eWaste and maximising already existing materials. At Dell Technologies, we met our Legacy of Good 2020 goals ahead of schedule – so we’ve retired them and set new goals for 2030 to recycle an equivalent product for every product a customer buys, lead the circular economy with more than half of all product content being made from recycled or renewable material, and use 100% recycled or renewable material in all packaging.
As we enter the Next Data Decade, I’m optimistic and excited about what the future holds. The steps our customers will take in the next year to get the most out of their data will set forth new breakthroughs in technology that everyone will experience in some way – whether it’s a more powerful device, faster medical treatment, more accessible education, less waste and cleaner air. And before we know it, we’ll be looking forward to what the following 10 years will have in store.
[i] IDC, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Cloud 2020 Predictions, October 2019
[Article contributed by Jeff Clarke, Chief Operating Office and Vice Chairman, Dell Technologies]
Originally unveiled as part of their CES line-up, the new remastered Dell XPS 13 for 2020 – designated as the XPS 13 9300 – is now available for purchase in Malaysia. With prices starting from RM6,899, it comes with 10th Gen Intel Core processors, a stunning 13.4-inch InfinityEdge display and an incredibly stylish and light chassis hewn from a single block of aluminium.
We’ve had plenty of experience with the Dell XPS 13 series and year after year, Dell continues to refine and enhance it in measured steps. Bar the one time they relocated the webcam down at the base of the display, resulting in some rather bizarre video calls for users, the XPS 13 series has retained its pride of place as the de facto choice for those looking for a no-compromise, high-performing ultraportable.
Dell XPS 13 9000 Series (Model 9300) notebooks are now available in Malaysia
The latest generation of the XPS 13 makes the bezels on the display even thinner than before and stretching out to all four directions while retaining the webcam in its proper place just above the display. The new 4-way InfinityEdge display measures in at 13.4-inches diagonal which is 6.8% more than its immediate predecessor while having a humongous 91.5% screen-to-body ratio.
It’s not just a specifications upgrade here as the boffins behind the XPS 13 9300 have managed to shave the size of the notebook down without compromising performance such that it’s 14.8mm thin while being 2% smaller than the 2019 model.
How much is the Dell XPS 13 9300 in Malaysia?
Prices vary depending on configuration with four broad variants with price tags clocking in from RM6898.99 and up for the entry-level model all the way to the highest end variant which retails at RM7,798.99. The entry-level variant gets you a13.4-inch FHD+ non-touch display with 8GB DDR4 RAM and an 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor with a 512GB SSD as well as Intel Iris Plus Graphics as standard. The top of the line variant of the XPS 13 9300 maxes things out with a 13.4-inch UHD+ Infinity Edge touchscreen which effectively means you’re getting an ultra compact 4K touchscreen with 500-nits brightness that you can shove into your backpack, double the amount of RAM at 16GB DDR4 RAM and a huge 1TB SSD.
An example of the craftsmanship that goes into creating the XPS 13 series with the chassis crafted from a single block of aluminium
Aesthetically speaking, the XPS 13 9300 for Malaysia is available in a shade of machined aluminium with matte platinum silver palm rests done up in carbon fiber, though you can also score it in an incredibly sexy shade of white with Frost white palm rests too (though the latter colour variant is only available for the highest end variant of the XPS 13). To peruse the XPS 13 on their official page saunter on over here.
The new XPS 13 9300 continues the illustrious pedigree of its predecessors with a premium finish and carbon fiber as well as a four-sided Infinity Edge display
While at CES, we also had an exclusive interview with Justin Lyles, Vice President, Consumer Design of the Dell Experience Design Group and the man behind the sleek design of the XPS 13 series, to discover the thought process behind Dell’s wunderkind.
