The Dell Adamo

From its sleek packaging to its ultra-slim body, the Dell Adamo radiates luxury. But does it offer the power and price to finally edge the Macbook Air as the ultimate portable machine? Unfortunately, the Adamo falls short with its lack of processor power and consumer-friendly pricing. Starting at $2000 for a 1.2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, it costs even more than the Air with substantially less processing power.

So what might make the Adamo appeal to the high-end consumer over the Air?

1) It is TECHNICALLY thinner than the Air at 0.65 inches, but it maintains the thickness throughout the entire body whereas the Air is tapered to give the illusion that it is very slim. The difference of thickness isn't quite substantial between the two, but the Adamo is technically thinner.

2) 13.4 inch 16:9 widescreen display. The display is very much like the current Macbooks with edge-to-edge glass but it may appeal to some who prefer the 16:9 screen rather than Apple's 16:10 displays.

3) It comes in 2 colors: silver aluminum and black. Extra options never hurt.

4) It supports up to 4GB of DDR3 memory while the Air currently supports 2GB.

However, every product has its drawbacks:

1) The screen is incredibly glossy. In Engadget's unboxing of the Adamo, the screen is practically a mirror. Even the Macbooks aren't this glossy from what could be seen from the video.

2) High price + low power. Seriously, if anything wants to compete with an Apple product in this era, it almost has to be cheaper but more feature-packed. The Adamo has optional Mobile Broadband but it's not enough to outweigh the obvious technical contrast.

3) Heavy compared to other portable computers. It weighs 4 lb vs. the Air's 3 lb.

4) It runs Windows Vista. This is very subjective to the user but generally, many people have found bugs and other issues with this version of Microsoft's operating systems.

Other things to note:

1) The Adamo is constructed out of brushed aluminum and a distinctive spirally trackpad that is not textured. It does have the left and right click buttons.

2) All the ports are located in the back with the exception of the headphone jack and Mobile Broadband slot.

So, is the Adamo the Macbook Air killer? Many would say that its specs and pricing are inferior to the Air, but others would say the Air is not worthy of a product being compared to. Respective to its features, the Adamo is a very streamlined and solid computer that has enough power to keep up with the needs of the average consumer. However, its pricepoint is really the killer as it starts at $200 more than the Air with more subdued features. The Adamo's slim body and striking design will be sure to catch the eye of many looking for a portable, high-end computer, but its exhorbitant pricing and lack of speed will faze the gazes of those looking for a powerful yet portable computer.