Dell Adamo Pearl

The design of the model we tested is called “Pearl”. The gray brushed aluminum mixes therefore a glossy white plastic on the hood. Entirely aluminum, the Dell Adamo exudes quality. We can not help but compare it to the MacBook Air (MBA), adopts the same principle as the mono-block chassis in one piece. It remains for cons on volumes rather rectangular, and the style is quite easily recognizable Dell.

The machine is very thin, even more than the MBA, and its thickness is constant when the screen is closed. In fact, the connection is remote to the back of the machine. It’s aesthetic, but inevitably less convenient to access taken. We would have liked to see at least one USB port on each side of the machine, so plug in a mouse for example. Good point regarding the charger which is very small.

The finish is excellent, with a brushed aluminum look of the most beautiful effect. It’s simple and classy at once. It is unfortunate that Dell has chosen to put a shiny plastic box on top, because it easily retains fingerprints. All still leaves an impression of robustness. Nothing bent, the magnets that keep the screen closed is quite powerful, and the hinge seems solid.

The touchpad is very good: precise, very good slide, wide, multipoint, a true happiness. Too bad the scroll areas remain on the sides, since the multicast would have to use two fingers to scroll horizontally and vertically. Clicks are well integrated (no game), firm and responsive. The backlit keyboard has large keys and flexible. Typing is sweet and pleasant, especially since the fineness of the machine does not break the wrists. The typography of the letters is pretty special, but fits well with the general form of the machine. Located above the keyboard, touch-sensitive keys to control volume and playback of music or video.

Dell Adamo 13 webcamlive webcam delivers a good picture, smooth, with colors observed. It lacks a few cons resolution and sharpness. The mic is okay, but suffers from its location to the left of the keyboard. The machine is pretty quiet at rest, but a fan comes on periodically when the system is sought. It appears that the aluminum hull is not enough to remove enough heat, which is a shame because we could approach a passive solution and totally silent. The connection is mainly in the rear, with 3 USB 2.0 ports, one combo e-SATA, an RJ45, the electrical outlet and a DisplayPort output. For external displays without this interface, Dell provides a DisplayPort to DVI adapter. On the right side is the SIM card slot (3G/HSDPA modem), and the headphone jack.

The audio portion of Dell Adamo has unfortunately been sacrificed on the altar of finesse, since the speakers are deported to the rear of the machine. Needless to expect to sound convincing, except perhaps for the person in front of you. The headphone output is clean enough, which gives a little catching up.