Dell XPS 13 Returns With Kaby Lake, Ubuntu, Rose Gold Finish

Dell joined the Intel Kaby Lake party and announced that the latest update to its XPS 13 notebook PC will feature the new 7th generation (Kaby Lake) processors. The company will also offer a developer version of the lightweight laptop that comes loaded with Ubuntu, and the XPS 13 received a new color option in the form of Rose Gold.

The Dell XPS 13 is the company’s thinnest and lightest laptop offering, weighing in starting at 2.7 lbs. and coming as thin as 9mm. The machined-aluminum and carbon fiber chassis, along with the display’s Corning Gorilla Glass, gives the device a durable, yet sleek construction.

Intel’s Kaby Lake processors have been making their way to a variety of vendors and devices, and Dell is following suit by offering the Intel Core i3-7100U, Core i5-7200U and Core i7-7500U as options in the new XPS 13. The laptop can be configured with 4, 8 or 16GB of LPDDR3-1866, and storage options include a 128GB SATA-based SSD or 256GB, 512GB and 1TB PCIe SSDs.

The 13.3-inch display comes in two different flavors: an FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge anti-glare screen or a QHD (3200 x 1800) InfinityEdge touchscreen. Dell also upgraded the battery to a larger, 60 Watt-Hour version that offers increased longevity away from the wall. The battery provides up to 22 hours runtime on an FHD display or up to 13 hours on a QHD version.

The XPS 13 sports a new Rose Gold finish option. Although this color variant has been a favorite of many manufacturers recently, it’s the first time Dell is offering the luxurious tone in the XPS 13. However, the Rose Gold finish will only come in two variations, with either a 7th generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, both with 8 GB of memory and a 256 GB PCIe SSD. The i5 version features an FHD display; the i7 has the QHD touchscreen.

Furthermore, Windows 10 won’t be the only OS option for the XPS 13. Dell is offering a developer version of the laptop loaded with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, giving Canonical enthusiasts a powerful (on paper) option for their Linux-based workloads and applications.

The Dell XPS 13 will be available starting October 4, starting at $799. The Developer Edition (Ubuntu) starts at a steeper $949.

Product	Dell XPS 13
Processor Options	- Intel Core i3-7100U - Intel Core i5-7300U - Intel Core i7-7500U
Memory Options	- 4GB LPDDR3-1866 - 8GB LPDDR3-1866 - 16GB
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 620
Display Options	- 13.3” FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge - 13.3” QHD (3200 x 1800) InfinityEdge Touchscreen
Ports	- USB 3.0 x2 - Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) - SD Card Reader - Headset Jack
Networking	Killer 1535 Wireless AC 2x2 w/ Bluetooth 4.1
Audio	1-Watt Speaker x2
Webcam	720p Widescreen w/ Dual-Array Digital Mics
Dimensions	7.88 x 11.98 x 0.33-0.60 inches
Weight	- 2.7 lbs. - 2.9 lbs. (Touchscreen)
Operating System Options	- Windows 10 - Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Starting MSRP	- $799 (Windows 10) - $949 (Developer Edition)

How to Unlock More Options on the PS4 Quick Menu

One existing tool that received a tweak is the Quick Settings menu. Before the update, this menu included a few power options and quick controls to adjust headset volume mix or quit your game. In Update 4.0, this menu now only takes up the left side of the screen and is revamped to include more frequently used options.

The defaults include toggling your online status and viewing online friends, but you can add even more to this menu to make it better for you. To do so, hold down the PS button for a few seconds to open the Quick Settings menu, then scroll down to Customize. Choose Menu Items to add more options.

Here, you’ll be able to add a few additional options to the menu. These include Party for quickly joining or managing a party and Accessibility to access options such as making the font larger or customizing button inputs. Social players can also add quick access to Communities and the ability to Broadcast for those times when you want to start streaming right away.Can't Get Viewers on Twitch? You're Playing the Wrong Games Can't Get Viewers on Twitch? You're Playing the Wrong GamesTrying to build an audience on Twitch feels like hosting a party that you forgot to send out invitations for. If you want to boost your traffic, consider these questions when you pick a game.READ MORE

You can also remove any choices you don’t need quick access to from this menu, if the defaults don’t suit you. Once you’re done, be sure to use the Sort option to get everything in a logical order.