Laptop manufacturers continue to invest much of their energy in hybrid machines, either tablet Surface clones or convertibles that fold all over themselves. I can understand the temptation; Windows 10 works just as well in tablet or laptop configurations, so why not build a machine that's the best of both worlds?

In practice, though, I hate this strategy. In my testing most hybrids end up being the worst of both worlds; a low powered laptop and a clumsy, chunky tablet. I'd much rather a dedicated laptop for work, and a separate tablet free from work, that I can relax with on the couch or load up with movies for a long haul flight.

Which brings me to the new Dell XPS 13, which was first previewed at CES earlier this year. This is a laptop lover's laptop; an incredibly capable machine packed into the smallest possible shell, without any of the compromises that come with convertibles.

The XPS has the familiar wedge-shaped design of its predecessors, but is thinner, lighter and smaller than the models it replaces. For comparison, it's a few millimetres thinner than the current MacBook Pro, and about the same weight. But side by side, the difference is dramatic, thanks to the tiny bezels surrounding the display.

Dell calls this an InfinityEdge Display, and while I normally cringe at those kind of marketing names, I'll pay it here. The screen really does go right up to the edges of the laptop's shell. You can find bigger bezels on some current flagship phones. This reduces the XPS footprint considerably, leaving it looking closer to an 11-inch laptop, so it will fit comfortably on even the smallest tray table.