14 DAY TRIAL // Dell's XPS 13 isn't bad as far as ultrabooks go, but it did leave people a bit annoyed with a couple of things, issues that have been fixed by the latest software updates.
Granted, that isn't a totally accurate way of saying things, since this isn't one of those automatic, over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
That's something that only tablets and phones get subjected to, with few exceptions.
In other words, in order to make their XPS 13 ultrabooks run, feel and sound as they should, owners have to put in some effort.
Not too much effort though. After all, there is no need for anything but downloading a couple of software packages and everything is all set.
A new BIOS can be downloaded from here, and users are in luck because they don't need prior experience with flashing kernels or anything of the sort.
All they need to do it click the download button and let the process complete.
The main purpose of the new BIOS is to make the system fan run properly. Until now, it had the habit of speeding up when it didn't need to.
This not only consumed battery energy unnecessarily, but also made sure the ultrabook was constantly noisy. Both problems are removed by the BIOS update, although the fan will still take off in case of system stress (as is expected). Not during video playback though, or any lightweight tasks for that matter.
The Cypress trackpad driver (go get the software here) improves accuracy and response. People might still find themselves wishing they had actual clickable buttons, but they'll get used to the “zones” at the bottom eventually.
Either that, or they'll just do what so many other people do, namely buy a small travel mouse and hook that up to the laptop instead.