New Dell XPS M140 Released (specs)

New Dell XPS M140 Released (specs)

By abaxter, NotebookReview Staff  |  Wednesday, October 26, 2005  | 30558 Reads

         

Dell has released the Dell XPS M140 14.1-inch widescreen display notebook.  The M140weighs about 5.5 pounds and starts at $999.  The Intel Pentium M 700 series of processors are used in the M140 and it can be configured with XP Home, Pro or Media Center Edition.  There is a TV tuner option, but it is external not built-in.  Orders can be placed now but shipments of the M140 will not start until November.

XPS M140 Specs:

• Processor: Intel Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz) - 770 (2.13 GHz)
• OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition / Home / Pro
• Screen: 14.1-inch WXGA or TrueLife WXGA (+$25)
• Memory: 512MB SDRAM standard, expandable to 2GB
• Hard Drive: 40GB 4200RPM standard, 60GB (7200RPM) and 60GB - 100GB option (4200 RPM)
• Optical Drive: CD/DVD Burner
• Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 900
• Battery: 6-cell / 9-cell option
• Wireless: Intel PRO Wireless 2200 (802.11 b/g) or 2915 (802.11 a/b/g)
• Ports: 4 USB 2.0 ports, headphone, microphone, monitor out, s-video out, ethernet, modem, FireWire
• Slots: ExpressCard, 5-in-1 Media Card Reader
• External TV Tuner Option (+$130)
• Dimensions:
• Warranty: 1-year standard (upgradeable)
• Product Page and Ordering: Dell M140 Product Page

The XPS M140 appears to be a replacement for the existing Inspiron 600m notebook as both are 14.1" screen models.  The HP dv1000 and Compaq v2000 will be direct competitors to this notebook (both are 14" widescreen multimedia notebooks).  Some were hoping for a nice graphics card to be included with the M140 so that it would be a competitor with the Sony VAIO S or Asus W3V 14" series laptops that allow for gaming with their dedicated graphics cards, but alas, Dell has gone the route of integrated Intel graphics so this is not a gaming notebook.  This is somewhat surprising given the fact the XPS branding has been associated with high-end gaming machines in the past.

For what it is and the price though the M140 seems like it's at a fairly sweet spot for consumers and might be popular with students who want to be mobile and still have a large enough screen to be productive.  5.5lbs is fairly light, but not the lightest available 14" screen notebook, but the price of $999 for the base system (Intel Pentium M 740, 512MB RAM) isn't a bad asking price.

Some of the specs are still sketchy on this notebook, the Dell site indicates there is an ExpressCard slot but no PCMCIA slot, which is going to be limiting because many accessories are still not available in the ExpressCard format (such as an EVDO card etc.).  Also, some news releases indicate there is a 5-in-1 multi-card reader but the Dell site currently does not -- we assume there is as this is a multimedia notebook

specs are still