Dell has not only reworked its smallest, 13 inch scion from the business sector, it has also been put a radical diet. This leads to a mostly successful symbiosis of office laptop and ultrabook that will particularly appeal to students and business travelers.

 

The Dell Vostro family of notebooks has acquired an impressive reputation in the field of business notebooks and offers solid office performance at affordable prices. We confirmed these qualities a year ago when we reviewed the Vostro 3350. In this review, we will consider its successor, the Dell Vostro 3360. Our review will compare the new Vostro 3360 to not only its predecessor but also contemporary competition such as the HP ProBook 5330m.
 

The Vostro 3360 received a fundamental redesign from its predecessor. While the 13.3 inch display remains unchanged, the 3360 hosts new features that were not available in the 3350 – an energy-efficient ULV Ivy Bridge Core i5-3317U processor, 6 GB memory, and a 320 GB hard disk. On the other hand, the Vostro 3360 also lacks the optical drive and dedicated graphics card that were available in the predecessor.
 

While we do not know the exact retail prices, we can estimate that the above configuration will cost between 600 and 700 Euro ($750 to $880 USD). As is typically the case with Dell products, we expect that the notebook will have a wide array of options that can be selected via the online configuration tool according to each customer’s individual needs. At the time of this review, a reduced Vostro 3360 package featuring a Core i3-2367M, 4 GB RAM, and 320 GB hard drive is available from Dell at a cost of 499 Euro ($630 USD).
 

Case

At first glance, the Vostro 3360 suggests that Dell is moving the line toward the direction of ultrabooks. Anyone familiar with the preceding Vostro 3350 will be impressed by the Vostro 3360’s slim case. The Vostro 3360 weighs in at 1.67 kilograms (3.67 pounds), a 24% reduction from the Vostro 3350’s 2.19 kilogram (4.82 pound) weight. The thickness has also been reduced to less than 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) compared to the predecessor’s 30 millimeter (1.18 inch) thickness. These changes will certainly benefit any user who requires mobility.
 

Despite the case’s revision, the Vostro 3360 retains Dell’s business oriented design. The color palette remains a seemingly boring dark gray and silver but we have traditionally found these to be particularly easy to clean and dirt resistant. The appearance is still dominated by both aluminum and plastic surfaces and remains unobtrusive and restrained. The materials used provide a high-end feel which easily defies selective pressure and the Vostro 3360 has exemplary stability. The two minor exceptions to this are the keyboard’s right side which yields somewhat to pressure and the display’s lower edge. Aside from these two minor flaws, the entire notebook proves to be quite rigid.
 

The display unit can be opened with one hand thanks in part to the hinges which are slightly offset forward. Like its predecessor, the Vostro 3360 has a wide display bezel, measuring 18 to 25 millimeters (0.71 to 0.98 inches) wide. We would have liked a more modern, slimmer bezel that could have also allowed for a larger 14 inch screen to be installed.
 

In summary, the Vostro 3360 approaches the quality of more expensive ultrabooks such as the Dell XPS 13. While there remain small issues to nitpick, overall there is little to complain about. Only a select few notebooks, such as the HP ProBook 5330m, can compete.

 

Compared to its predecessor, the Vostro 3360 shows a minor reduction in connectivity. While it retains the three USB ports of the 3350, none of these ports are designed as a combination port for eSATA connectivity. Instead, all three ports now use the USB 3.0 specification. The rear left USB port is capable of the "Power Share" function, allowing external devices such as smartphones and MP3 players to charge using the USB port even when the notebook is turned off. While it will be at least one more Vostro revision before DisplayPort is available, the Vostro 3360 features both VGA and HDMI interfaces for external display connectivity.
 

Other connectivity features include a fingerprint reader and Kensington lock slot that will likely appeal to business customers seeking security, the typical Gigabit LAN, and an 8-in-1 card reader capable of reading, among formats, SD, MMC, and MSPro cards.
 

All connectors and interfaces are located in the rear half of the notebook’s base unit, allowing for unobtrusive cabling. We found that the VGA port on the rear was convenient and would have preferred that the power port also be located on the rear as opposed to its designed location on the left. Nonetheless, the case’s compact dimensions allow the user to easily reach all interfaces. The small space between the ports on the left side – the power socket, two USB ports, and the HDMI port – may prove problematic when using larger connectors.
 

Front: No interfaces

Left: Power socket, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, vent

Rear: Kensington lock, VGA

Right: Headphone/microphone, USB 3.0, card reader, GBit LAN

HD webcam's picture quality

 

The Vostro 3360 features the Dell Wireless 1703 wireless card which is based on Qualcomm’s Atheros AR9485 chip. This is a frequently used entry-level chipset that supports IEEE 802.11b/g/n standards. One can likely select other wireless cards before purchase that will support the 5 GHz band and allow for higher data rates than the 150 MB/s maximum found in the Wireless 1703 card. The Vostro 3360 also includes support for the latest Bluetooth 4.0 standard and can be configured with an optional Wireless WAN (WWAN) module. While European customers will be limited to 3G networks, 4G connections are available in the United States via WiMAX.
 

An HD-ready webcam is built into the display bezel and can take pictures and record video at a resolution of 1280x720. While the quality of the camera is above average, the sensor fails to compete with modern phone-based cameras let alone point-and-shoot cameras or digital SLRs. The array microphone does a reasonably good job and features very low noise levels but could use more clarity in the high ranges.
 

Accessories

In addition to the usual leaflets, Dell includes a total of four discs for reinstalling the operating system, drivers, and software. As mentioned in the review of other similarly sized notebooks, this is an interesting choice as the Vostro 3360 lacks an optical drive. As a result, users will need an external DVD drive for recovering the system unless the internal hard disk hosts a recovery partition.
 

Apart from a few superfluous browser toolbars, the installed Windows 7 Professional 64-bit operating system is clean and largely devoid of trial version software. As is the case for Dell, all necessary drivers and programs come pre-installed.
 

Maintenance

The maintenance cover can be found on the notebook’s underside and is secured by a screw. Removing the cover grants access to the major hardware components.
 

As we had expected, both memory slots are occupied and at least one of the existing memory modules would have to be removed to reach the Vostro 3360’s official memory maximum of 8 GB. It is likely that 8 GB SODIMM memory modules will also work with the Vostro 3360 and hence a maximum of 16 GB is likely supported.
 

Aside from the memory banks, we also found the Wi-Fi card and, interestingly, a free mini PCIe/mSata slot was available. If the user selected to have a UMTS module installed for WWAN, the module would have been located here. Otherwise, the slot can be used for a small mSATA SSD. This is an important aspect as neither the 2.5 inch physical hard disk or the built-in battery can be accessed without completely disassembling the notebook.
 

Warranty

As is typical for Dell products, the Vostro 3360 will likely only have a one year manufacturer's warranty that can be extended for a premium. The previous generation carried a 120 to 150 Euro ($150 to $190 USD) premium to extend the warranty to three years. We found this premium to be reasonable.

 

As a result of the case redesign, the input devices have also been reworked. This may or may not prove advantageous for the Vostro 3360. The new chassis creates a two centimeter (0.79 inch) strip on both sides of the keyboard and accordingly limits the room for the key layout. To compensate, a few function keys were reduced in size slightly while the letter keys retain their 14 x 14 millimeter (0.55 x 0.55 inch) sizes. As was the case in the Vostro 3350, a backlit keyboard is optionally available. Our test model came with the standard splash proof keyboard.
 

In our tests, we immediately observed noticeable keyboard yielding during typing. The keys lacked a clearly defined pressure point, resulting in a somewhat spongy typing experience. Both the preceding Vostro 3350 and the HP ProBook 5330m performed better in this regard. While these flaws were annoying, one can eventually adapt to these traits and typing speeds certainly improved after the familiarization period. We should also mention that the keys themselves demonstrated low noise and excellent tactile feel. The keys did not jam or clatter when pressed from the side.
 

Touchpad

The touchpad remains largely unchanged and retains the 82 x 45 millimeter (3.23 x 1.77 inch) dimensions, absolutely sufficient for a laptop of this size. As in the previous generation, the touchpad retained first-rate glide traits, near perfect accuracy, and multi-touch support for pinch-to-zoom, rotate, and scroll. A practical feature was added that automatically disabled the touchpad when a palm was placed on the touchpad.
 

In our review of the Vostro 3350, we criticized the mouse keys for their loud click noise. In the current model, these are now much quieter and no longer have a key drop. We felt that the touchpad demonstrated high quality workmanship and reflects the general high quality, business-oriented purpose of the Vostro family.
 

Keyboard

In our recent review of the Asus UX32VD, we stated that Asus set a new standard for the entire 13 inch class with its first-rate Full HD display. On the other end of the spectrum, Dell has chosen to limit the Vostro 3360 to the typical 1366x768 WXGA resolution and 118 dots per inch (dpi) for its display. This display appears justified for a notebook in this price range although many users would likely appreciate the larger desktop space of a higher resolution.
 

The weak comparison to the UX32VD does not end only at resolution. In fact the Vostro 3360’s brightness, which averaged a low 177 cd/m2, clearly falls behind that of Asus’s admittedly more expensive ultrabook and replicates the weak performance of the previous generation’s Vostro 3350. Fortunately, illumination was observed to be largely homogenous with a brightness distribution of 83%.

 

Information

Gossen Mavo-Monitor

Maximum: 193 cd/m²

Average: 177.2 cd/m²

Brightness Distribution: 83 %

Center on Battery: 175 cd/m²

Black: 1.11 cd/m²

Contrast: 158:1

ICC File (X-Rite i1Display 2)

 

Distribution of brightness

We observed a rather disappointing black value of 1.11 cd/m2, demonstrating that the AUO B13XW3 screen used in the Dell Vostro 3360 is a simple twisted nematic (TN) display. The high black value and aforementioned low brightness resulted in a poor contrast ratio of 158:1. It should be noted that such low contrast ratios are common for entry-level notebooks, and even some more expensive laptops such as the HP ProBook 5330m suffer from equally low contrast ratios.
 

While brightness and contrast may not be major issues for professional customers, the Vostro 3360’s limited color spectrum and inability to cover both the AdobeRGB and sRGB spectra completely ultimately makes the 3360 incompatible for graphic design and image editing. Users outside of these fields will likely not notice this drawback subjectively and we were unable to observe weak or unnatural colors.
 

Vostro 3360 vs. AdobeRGB (t)

Vostro 3360 vs. sRGB (t)

Vostro 3360 vs. 3350 (t)

Vostro 3360 vs. ProBook 5330m (t)

Vostro 3360 vs. UX32VD (t)

 

Outdoors

In light of the Vostro 3360’s improved mobility, the display’s feasibility for outdoor use is of heightened importance. The display’s matte surface ensures that the user will not be subjected to distracting reflections that would make outdoor use impossible, but the LED display’s low brightness falls short of ensuring the readability of screen contents in direct sunlight. As a result, users will likely need to find shade for many if not all outdoor tasks.

Viewing angle stability is a typical weakness of TN display technology and as such is noticeably weak in the Vostro 3360. Deviations of only a few degrees from head-on in the vertical direction cause extreme image fading and color inversion. As a result, the screen’s tilt will require continuous adjustment to suit the user in practical use. While deviations in the lateral direction are a bit more generous, the display cannot compete with an IPS or VA screen in any way.
 

The notebook’s VGA port provided a nearly perfect output signal and is worth mentioning. We noticed virtually no blurring or flickering on an external 24 inch test screen even at a resolution of 1920x1200. This, combined with the possibility for digital output via HDMI, ensures that the Vostro 3360 can deliver excellent picture quality to an external display.