It’s easy to confuse the Dell Vostro V130 ($928 direct) with the Dell Latitude 13 ($860 direct, 3.5 stars), since they’re practically identical on the outside. The Vostro brand is geared toward small business professionals, while Latitudes are aimed at big corporations. Both have seductively crafted, well-executed ultraportable designs, created at the expense of performance—an unfortunate side-effect of razor-thin laptops. To help alleviate the performance burden, the Vostro V130 is the first of the two to get the latest Intel Core i5-470um processor, dropping the dated Core 2 Duos. It also adds an HDMI port and a third USB port—features that the Latitude 13 lacks. The potential deal-breaker is that Vostro 130 couldn’t squeeze in a bigger battery. As a result the 30WH battery lasted a paltry 3 hours—about 50 minutes less than the Latitude 13.

Deasign
Looking at the Vostro 130’s design, it’s as if Dell took out the rolling pin and flattened the average Latitude frame. The V130 sports the same 9.1-by -3 by-0.7-inch (HWD) dimensions as the Latitude 13, or what’s basically the equivalent of two magazines stacked on top of each other. It’s thinner than the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 and Sony VAIO VPC-Z1390X ($3,800 direct, 4 stars). If there’s any question about its brawn, the metallic top is made of a hardened magnesium alloy. Sturdier laptops, however, can be had with the Lenovo ThinkPad X201 ($1,625 direct, 4 stars) and HP Elitebook 2540p ($1,629 direct, 4 stars) (both of which are subjected to military grade torture tests). At 3.6 pounds, the Vostro V130 is lighter than its SMB counterparts: The HP ProBook 5310m ($899 direct, 4 stars) (3.8 lbs) and Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13 ($899 direct, 3.5 stars) (3.9 lbs). It’s even lighter than ultraportables that are smaller and more compact, like the 12-inch X201 (3.8 lbs) and 2540p (3.9 lbs). If you’re looking for the lightest 13-inch SMB laptop, the Sony VAIO VPC-1390X (3 lbs) and Toshiba Portege R705-P35 ($899.99 list, 4 stars) (3.1 lbs) fit the bill.

The 13.3-inch remains intact from its predecessor and is limited to the same 1,366 by 768 resolution. Higher resolutions can be had if you’re willing to pay the heavy premiums for the Sony Z1390X (1,600 by 900) and X301 (1,440 by 900). The screen is also matted, so it doesn’t have as much glare as the ones found in the R705-P35 and Toshiba Satellite T235-S1350. A full size keyboard is guaranteed on a 13-inch laptop, and the V130’s is comfortable and delightful to use. It’s a traditional keyboard, like the ones found in the Lenovo X201 and HP 2540p. A pair of soft mouse buttons is complemented by a wide touchpad, making the navigating experience one of the best in the world. A backlit keyboard would have been icing on the cake, but the Z1390X is the only one that has one in this group.

Features
The Vostro V130 adds a third USB port and an HDMI to what otherwise would have been a subpar feature set. All of the ports are delegated to the back of the unit, except for the SD slot (which is located on right side of the laptop). It doesn’t have the Latitude 13’s ExpressCard slot, which would have been nice to have around for expansion purposes. One of the Vostro 130’s USB ports double as an eSATA port, so you can reap the speeds of SATA with a compatible external hard drive. Not that you’ll need the extra storage, since this configuration comes with a fast-spinning, 7,200rpm 500GB hard drive. You get the gamut of wireless and wired connections, including Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G Mobile Broadband (with GSM or CDMA technologies). The only business essential that you won’t find is an internal optical drive—a feature that comes standard with the Sony Z1390X, Toshiba R705-P35, and HP 2540p.

Performance

The 1.33GHz Intel Core i5-470um processor is a major leap forward for the V130, easily trumping the aging Core 2 Duos found in the Dell Latitude 13 and HP 5310m. Along with 4GB of DDR3 memory, the V130 powered past the Latitude 13 in Handbrake (4:37) and PCMark Vantage (4,228) tests, but that’s what you’d expect from a new generation of processors. The Core i5-470um is part of the CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) family, which means it’s not nearly as powerful as the standard-voltage processors found in the Toshiba R705-P35 and HP 2540p.

CULV processors are more energy efficient than speedy, but can’t perform miracles if a laptop ships with a small battery. Dell calls the sealed-in battery a 6-cell, but its Watt-Hour rating is a mere 30, or the equivalent of a small netbook battery. The battery (and every internal part) is held together by 8 screws, which can’t be removed without voiding the warranty. All the other business ultraportables have removable batteries that can be pulled out by sliding a pair of latches. The Vostro V130 lasted 3 hours 2 minutes in MobileMark 2007, which is far less than what you get with the Latitude 13 (3:52). For an ultraportable, 3 hours of battery life is not a lot these days and won’t cut it in most professions. Ultraportables like the Lenovo X201 (9:36), HP 2540p (8:02), and Toshiba R705-P35 (7:01) come with bigger batteries and are better suited for the road.

The Dell Vostro V130 is the kind of business ultraportable that can shave serious weight off your cabin baggage, while captivating onlookers with its thin, seductive frame. Fans of its predecessor and the Latitude 13 will like the extra horsepower that comes with the Core i5 processor, as well as the extra USB port and HDMI. In the process, though, the tiny 30WH battery suffered from the additional power draw, and 3 hours of battery life is simply not enough for a business ultraportable. You’ll get better mileage and a lot more power from the Toshiba Portege R705-P35—our Editors’ Choice for the ultraportable category.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
Check out the test scores for the Dell Vostro V130

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Dell Vostro V130 with several other laptops side by side.

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