The chassis isn't as chic as those in Dell's premium XPS range, but the metallic grey finish and rounded corners still look smart. The interior is refreshingly devoid of stickers, and the isolation-style keyboard has a white backlight that looks especially good in darkened surroundings. This isn't the most portable laptop in Dell's lineup though, and is more suited to life on a desk than on the road.
One of the hallmarks of any Dell machine is its usability, and the 15z is no different. The keyboard is very comfortable to use, with a decent amount of travel on each key. One surprising factor is that despite the 15-inch chassis, Dell hasn't included a dedicated numeric keypad. The centrally-placed touchpad isn't as wide as it could be either, although it was responsive to our multi-touch gestures.
Touch me not
The benefit of choosing a larger 15.6-inch laptop over a more portable 13.3-inch or 14-inch model is that you get more screen real estate. The Inspiron 15z has a bright, crisp screen, but only manages the standard 1,366 x 768 resolution, limiting you to 720p of the greatest importance if you're planning on buying this model.
It's difficult to find fault with the Dell Inspiron 15z as an everyday laptop. It fulfils all the basic requirements and is easy to use. However, trends are changing. Ultrabooks are, for the most part, more desirable and portable, and the introduction of Windows 8 has started to bridge the gap between laptops and tablets thanks to products like Dell's own XPS Duo 12.
Whether you want a hybrid, Ultrabook, tablet or laptop comes down to personal preference. While the Dell Inspiron 15z doesn't offer a full resolution display, masses of portability or an expansive hard drive (there's only 500GB on offer) it does offer good usability and an attractive price tag. If all you want is a new, Windows 8-running laptop for the family front room, then this is a safe bet.
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