Dell Adamo laptop review

It also ups the price to £1,899 including VAT, which doesn't really jump out as an attractive deal. The two are identical other than those core specs, so you're stuck with integrated graphics that pretty much rule the Adamo out of post work hours gaming sessions. The £1,155 ex VAT base package is more appealing, and puts it on a par with the dearer of the two available MacBook Airs.

It's a very close call on most counts. There's less than a millimetre between them for thickness, but the Dell weighs around 400g more – not that this dampened the gushing appreciation it received in the IT PRO office.

Where the Dell can't quite match its rival is away from the mains. The Adamo managed two hours less than the Air in our light-use test, running out of steam just past five hours – a figure that also falls behind the excellent Sony VAIO VGN-Z31VN/X. Both the Adamo and the Air have fully enclosed batteries – so there’s no chance to buy a new one or fit a larger-capacity unit.

If you’re after a stunning machine that’s been designed from the ground up to make a statement, few will outdo the Adamo, a blissful marriage of superb ergonomics and striking design. It may not be as instantly cool as its Apple equivalent, but Dell has proven it's capable of coming up with a laptop that’s every bit as stylish and desirable.

While the Dell Adamo may not pack the punch of the Sony Z31, given its vastly lower price it's a much more realistic purchase for most. It's light, slim and as gorgeous as a slab of black aluminium has any right to