Dell Inspiron 11z CULV laptop reviewed - trackpad not so hot

We’ve already seen the ASUS UX30 CULV ultraportable and our review of the Advent Altro will be published this week, but someone has beat us to Dell’s take on the ‘think and light’ laptop.

Notebook Review has reviewed the Dell Inspiron 11z and verdict seems to be much like our opinion of the ASUS UX30 — not bad. The specification isn’t quite as high (it uses the same Intel Celeron M723 processor as the Advent Altro), but it’s selling for a very reasonable £399 — the UX30 costs £999 and the Altro £600.

The only problem, it seems, is Dell’s decision to use an Apple MacBook Pro-style trackpad that combines the buttons with the touch-sensitive pad and as the reviewer says:

Dell decided to copy Apple by going with integral buttons under the touchpad surface, but didn't design the hardware or driver support correctly. On a MacBook if you have a finger resting on the touchpad surface to trigger the button while selecting text or moving around objects, it can tell the difference. It knows that finger shouldn't be recognized as a variable in the multi-touch movements or standard movements; the Elan touchpad can't.

The Dell Inspiron 11z is available in the UK, but only from Carphone Warehouse — either for £399 or free on a £35/month tariff.

[ Notebook Review]