Dell XPS One 27 review

The Apple iMac has consistently been the most desirable and powerful all-in-one computer for years, but the Dell XPS One 27 could finally be a worthy contender. On Dell’s website this is sold as simply the XPS One 27, though the model number is actually 2710.

Its highlight is the gorgeous 27in panel, framed in edge-to-edge glass, which has a huge resolution of 2,560×1,440. It looks fantastic and, on a 27in screen, it’s hard to settle for anything less, as this gives you plenty of space to have multiple windows open simultaneously, or edit photos in fine detail. A 1080p (1,920×1,080) resolution on the same-size screen feels positively primeval by comparison. We found that the screen’s glossy finish made it quite reflective, but this was a minor complaint in the face of such crystal clear precision.

This bore out in our solid colour image tests. Reds, blues and greens were extremely bright and vibrant, and blacks and whites were deep and true. We did notice a very slight shadow in the bottom right hand corner of the screen as well as all the way across the bottom of the screen, but you wouldn’t really notice this on a day-to-day basis and the rest of the screen was near perfect. Its contrast and brightness levels were similarly excellent, with our high contrast test photos showing plenty of detail in both the light and dark areas of each image.

Our review sample also came with a touchscreen, but this optional extra will set you back an extra £300, over the standard model. This makes the Dell XPS One 27 feel rather expensive, as the hardware underneath is exactly the same regardless of whether you opt for a touchscreen or not.

Whether or not you need the touchscreen is up to you. As Windows 8 now fully supports touch and has a brand-new touchscreen interface, you may find it more useful. In fact, for the new Start Screen apps, a touchscreen is really useful and you’ll find yourself using it a lot.

The extra £300 also gets you an articulating stand, so you can tilt the screen up to 45 degrees backwards, making it even easier to use on a desk. At this angle, we found it more comfortable to use standing up, making touch controls by far the most natural way to interact with the PC. That said, a touchscreen’s not essential and the base model, at £1,399 including VAT, is excellent value, so you may want to save the money.

We found the bundled wireless keyboard and mouse were also very comfortable and easy to use, as all the Chiclet-style keys had plenty of bounce and tactile feedback, and the mouse was just the right size for our hands.