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New Dell XPS 17 3D Laptop and Alienware M17x Take Center Stage

Dell revived the XPS brand of notebooks in late 2010 with the XPS 13 and XPS 15 multimedia notebooks, but arguably the most impressive entertainment experience comes from the new 17-inch XPS 17 3D laptop with built-in 3D display (using NVIDIA Nvision 3D glasses, sold separately). The new 3D capable XPS 17, like the rest of the XPS lineup, features JBL-branded sound, an integrated subwoofer and glossy high-definition screens

This is the first Dell laptop with native support for 3D in both the display as well as the graphics card. The XPS 17 with 3D display comes equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M graphics card to provide the rendering muscle needed to generate stereoscopic 3D images at fast enough frame rates for HD video playback. The XPS 17 3D laptop also features NVIDIA 3DTV Play software, allowing movie lovers and hardcore gamers to connect their XPS laptop to a compatible 3D HDTV and enjoy 3D Blu-ray disc playback or play PC games in 3D. Dell will also be including the newest generation of Intel Core i7 processor options from the Intel Sandy Bridge platform.

Our initial impressions from the show floor at CES pretty positive: Despite naturally being thicker and heavier than the smaller 15-inch XPS 15, the new XPS 17 is pretty thin and light for a 17-inch multimedia notebook with 3D capabilities. The keyboard in the demo systems feels firm and enjoyable to use. The JBL speakers sound nice, but we'll have to see if the placement in the palm rests was a good idea. Sound is directed up and toward the user but since the speakers are right where your wrists naturally fall, I suspect at least a few people will find the audio muffled from time to time.

We'll hold our judgment until we've had enough time to fully test the new XPS 17 in our lab.

Dell "Stage" On All Dell Notebooks and Mobile Devices
It's no surprise that most consumers use a variety of electronic devices for staying connected. The average American home may have a desktop PC, a notebook or netbook, a media tablet, and a smartphone--any one of which might be used for watching video and listening to music. Dell realized this and has announced it is extending its "Dell Stage" software across the company’s entire consumer portfolio. The software is intended to make it easier and faster to transfer your favorite music, photos, movies and TV shows between multiple devices.

The team on our DesktopReview.com site first saw the Dell Stage software last year on touch-screen models of the Inspiron One all-in-one desktop. The software also appears on the Inspiron duo convertible tablet. Stage uses a tile-based user interface that works on both touchscreen and non-touchscreen devices. Later this year, Dell plans to add the sync capability via software update to all Stage-equipped devices allowing the same photos, videos, music, documents and other files to be synchronized across Dell PCs, tablets and smartphones.

Updated Alienware M17x promises the "most powerful" 3D gaming experience so far
Dell's Alienware team has been hard at work on developing the next generation of its popular 17-inch gaming notebook: the M17x. We first stumbled upon leaked photos of the new M17x last month, this third revision of the M17x or (M17x R3) raises the bar by using the latest Intel Core i7 quad-core processor technology from Intel's Sandy Bridge platform and combining that with the NVIDIA GeForce 460M and a built-in 3D display.

In the same way that the XPS 17 is a first for Dell, the new M17x is Alienware’s first out-of-the-box 3D-capable gaming laptop. The Alienware team promises this notebook has more than enough power to offer realistic, lifelike, mobile gameplay on the 17-inch display. If you want the new 3D functionality then you must purchase the M17x with the optional 120 Hz with 3D Bundle WideFHD WLED LCD display and NVIDIA 460M graphics card. Full pricing on the 3D configuration will be available on Monday, but the new Alienware M17x will have a starting price of $1499.

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