Dell has debuted its first ultrabook, coming in at just over 13 inches - the XPS 13 Ultrabook. The device is a departure from the large laptops of past, but is it worth buying over competitors such as the MacBook Air?

All versions of the ultrabook come with 64-bit Windows 7, though buyers can customize the laptop.

The laptop's slim design tapers from back to front (18mm to 6mm). The laptop has rounded edges, a silver lid and a black body. At the front is a white strip which dims when hibernating, charging or using the device. It weighs 1.3kg.

"According to Dell, the 13.3-inch screen is squeezed into a footprint that's 'similar' to an 11in. notebook. That's stretching the point a little, but the XPS 13's footprint is certainly dainty at 31.6cm wide by 20.5mm," ZDNet UK reports from its review.

While saying the device has a solid build, the review notes that the lid can be pushed in slightly which could cause damage to the LCD screen.

"The wrist rest is deep, accommodating a large trackpad with embedded button areas - identified by pale, minimalistic vertical lines. Despite being embedded into the trackpad, these buttons depress well: they don't go an awfully long way, but they do deliver a reassuring click," the review goes on to say.

Despite lacking multitouch, and reportedly being unresponsive, ZDNet says the trackpad works as intended.

On the keys, ZDNet says they are responsible and well-spaced.

"The keys themselves are well spaced, very slightly concave and responsive, allowing us to reach our normal touch-typing speed with ease. The bottom row of keys is very slightly larger than the main QWERTY set, which is unusual but didn't cause us any typing trouble. The cursor keys are small and the Fn row very shallow, but all are usable," the site notes.

The 13.3-inch screen has edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass. The review said that, while looking nicer than screens with bezels, it was quite reflective and is a fingerprint magnet.

The resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels, which was described as average. The MacBook Air supports resolutions up to 1440 x 900 pixels, at a 16:10 ratio.

Prices for the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook range from $999.99 to $1499, sans customization. The entry-level version comes with a 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM and a 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-2467M.

(reported by Jonathan Charles, edited by Surojit Chatterjee)