The addition of the Dell Vostro 1310 ($1,258 direct) to the Vostro line is almost like bringing a supermodel into a team of geeks. Don't get me wrong—the other Vostros are far from underachievers, but they lack the style and the travel-friendliness that today's small-business users tend to look for. Dell created its Vostro line to address the needs of small business users and has succeeded at that by simplifying the purchasing and setup process. A Vostro laptop is basically an Inspiron minus the bright colors, the "bloatware," and the enterprise-level jargon. The 1310 adds design sense and portability—it's a lightweight 13-inch laptop that comes with a wealth of configuration options and appeals to regular Joes as much as to the newest dot-com start-up.

The Vostro 1310 measures 9.5 by 12.6 by 1.5 inches (HWD). Its design, with its pitch-black lid covered in gloss and faintly drizzled with shiny speckles, is not overly conservative, like the Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Widescreen. It doesn't strike you as a consumer model, either, which means Dell did a terrific job in designing for the middle ground between consumer and business. At 4.8 pounds, it's easily the lightest Vostro in the lineup and should be an overwhelming favorite for users with a hectic travel schedule. The 13-inch widescreen has an antiglare finish similar to the one on the ThinkPad T61 Widescreen, which contrasts with the glossy finish found on a couple of Dell's smaller laptops (the Inspiron 1420 and the XPS M1330). While shinier screens are better suited to multimedia environments, the 1310's matte screen delivers a pleasant movie and photo experience, something that's increasingly becoming a must-have in the SMB system. It's available in two resolutions, 1,280-by-800 and 1,440-by-900; my configuration had the former.

The full-size keyboard isn't as comfortable as the one on the Dell XPS M1330, but it's well made nonetheless. The touchpad is responsive, and the mouse buttons don't make an annoying clicking sound like the ones on the Fujitsu A6120 and others. The touch-sensitive media buttons with LED backlighting—playback controls, volume, eject, and the like—that are located beneath the power button on the bezel are a sign that Dell is attempting to bridge the gap between small-business and consumer models. The single speaker on the left-hand side of the bezel, on the other hand, works against this move, as the speakers sounds tinny when the volume is cranked all the way up.

Integrating a slot-loading DVD burner also helps Dell bridge the consumer/small business gap (we've seen a similar slot-loading drive on the luxury-class Dell Inspiron M1330). The four USB ports and one FireWire port should handle all of your external peripherals. The 1310 doesn't have an S-Video or an HDMI port. After all, Dell had to draw the line somewhere—it's still basically a business laptop. VGA-out is your only video-out connection. Unlike the Dell Latitude D630, the 1310 comes with a 4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, and MS Pro). A 1.3-megapixel webcam is a welcome addition for videoconferencing, and the fingerprint reader makes logging into Windows Vista Business a breeze (it also has a TPM module for added security). The 160GB hard drive isn't as impressive as the 250GB one on the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510, but the beauty of the Vostro line is that everything can be upgraded for a nominal fee. The only thing missing from the travel-friendly 1310 is an option for an internal cellular modem from carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.

With a Vostro, you don't have to worry about "trialware" or "bloatware"—junk software that can bog down your system over time. Instead, Dell gives uses the option of configuring the system without bloatware at purchase. I've been begging for a policy like this across all systems, not just with Vostro models. Tools like an online backup account (10GB), a network assistant, and "PC Tune-Up" software are still available free of charge, but they're optional thanks to this no-junk software policy. Dell is also one of the few companies that offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, with no restocking fees for returns.

One of the things I really like about the Dell Vostro 1500 is that it is affordable and highly configurable, with a wide selection of parts. These are also among the 1310's fortes. My configuration comes with a 2.0-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, which is upgradable. The 2GB of RAM is plenty for handling Vista Business, but you can bump it up to 4GB if you feel the need. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this system is that it comes with an option for discrete graphics. My review unit loaded an nVidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics card—a good choice if your daily routine involves light 3D rendering and casual gaming. If not, you can save yourself $75 and opt for integrated graphics.

The Vostro 1310 didn't fare as well on the SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall scores as did the Fujitsu LifeBook A6120 and other systems that load the new Intel Penryn processors. My test system used a previous-generation Merom core, though adding a Penryn core is just a click away on the Dell Web site. In the interest of future-proofing the 1310, I would recommend upgrading to the Penryn-based 2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100. Battery scores weren't mind-blowing, but its time of 3 hours 39 minutes on MobileMark 2007 was respectable for a six-cell battery. Alternatively, you can purchase an extended nine-cell battery to get over 5 hours on a charge.

With the constant demand for lightweight systems, whether for business or pleasure, the Dell Vostro 1310 was exactly what the Vostro line needed. It's geared toward maximizing mobility and features a brand-new industrial design. The unit is a far cry from the first-generation Vostro laptops, which come across as bulky and plain-looking. While this laptop doesn't wrest the Editors' Choice from the ThinkPad T61 Widescreen, its multiple configuration options and a trialware-free policy are things the competition should pay attention to. Best of all, this configuration costs $1,258, which is affordable for most anyone, especially a tight-budgeted business start-up.

Check out the Dell Vostro 1310's test scores.

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