Dell XPS M1530

The Dell XPS M1330’s near-perfect combination of powerful performance, stylish design, and go-anywhere mobility elevated it to one of our favorite notebooks of 2007. Now Dell follows up that gem with the XPS M1530, which packs in everything that we liked about the M1330 (mobile broadband, discrete graphics) and adds a larger display and a Blu-ray drive. In short, the XPS M1530 one-ups its excellent little brother, giving Dell yet another killer machine in its stable.

Featuring an attractive Tuxedo Black soft-touch finish (also available in Alpine White and Crimson Red), the Dell XPS M1530 is stylish enough to show off in your local coffee shop but not too flashy for the boardroom. Flipping the lid of this 6.2-pound system, you’ll encounter an absolutely gorgeous 15.4-inch (1440 x 900-pixel resolution) display that looked marvelous whether we were surfing the Web, checking e-mail, or watching The Warriors: Ultimate Director’s Cut disc using the slot-loading Blu-ray drive (a $500 add-on).