Typically any manufacturer’s entry into the category of portable or ultrathin laptop sacrifices something in the name of ‘small form factor’ – it usually happens to be an optical drive or the screen size. Many observers in the industry hold this apparent ‘truth’ to be self-evident; they argue that is it the price one must pay for portability.

Dell, however, is hoping to change this with their new XPS 14z laptop which only weights 4.3 pounds and is less than an inch thick. Thin and powerful – or in hashtag nomenclature #thinandpowerful – Dell has managed to pack a 14-inch screen in a 13-inch form factor along with second-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M with 1GB of graphics memory, a superfast 7200RPM hard disk storage, from 500GB up to 750GB (256GB SSD drive option) of storage, and a battery that lasts up to six hours and 42 minutes.

“The XPS 14z delivers what professionals want – raw power paired with a stunning, sophisticated design that signals ‘I’ve arrived’,” stated Phil Bryant, general manager, Consumer, Dell Canada in a press release. “The XPS 14z is specifically engineered to help our customers do more in their personal and professional lives – and it advances our industry-leading vision for thin-and-powerful solutions that deliver performance without compromise.”

Dell plans to launch the XPS 14z in Canada at a price point of $999 on November 1.