Dell - XPS 13 ultrabook exceeds sales

Dell says that XPS 13 ultrabook is selling well above expectations. "We can't build enough of them at the moment," said Sam Burd, vice president of Dell's Consumer and SMB (small and medium business) product group, speaking about the higher-end laptop announced back in January. "A little bit less than 3X the expected demand," he said. Burd declined to be more specific, saying Dell "never" discloses numbers.

He says PC makers and retailers need to get off the "$399 treadmill" by cutting back on the number of models and making more money off the ones that remain. "Look at the iPad. People are willing to pay $600 or $700 for something that gives them a great experience.

Something that looks good and makes them feel comfortable and confident," he said. The XPS 13 passes the good-looks test. And it's thin and light (0.71 inches, 3 pounds). But it's not cheap, starting at $999. So, why is it selling so well? "Half the sales of the XPS 13 are coming from enterprise [large corporate] customers. That's a lot of its success," Burd said.

And that's one of the bigger challenges for Dell -- to straddle the consumer and corporate markets with a single design. For those who haven't noticed, Dell is becoming more of a corporate enterprise-centric company and less of a consumer outfit. So, designs like the XPS 13 that appeal to both sets of customers are an imperative.