Top Spring Break Destinations

What is spring break to the average American college student? Is it a nice-relaxing vacation to a warmer environment or an opportunity to indulge in excessive consumption of alcohol and partying? The answer is it depends on who you ask but the one constant variable is the most popular destinations from year-to-year. The list of potential destinations for students across the country is generally short and this year I will be attending the 5th most popular destination, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Without further adieu here is the top ten spring break destinations for collegiate students:

1. Cancun, Mexico
2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
3. Miami, Florida
4. Panama City Beach, Florida
5. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
6. Acapulco, Mexico
7. Montego Bay and Negril, Jamaica
8. Nassau, Bahamas
9. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
10. Las Vegas, Nevada

I am not sure about all of you out there but this list doesn't exactly shock me. When the discussion for potential destination comes up it is always the same conversation. Which city in Florida or Mexico do we want to go to? However, the biggest surprise to me was the inclusion of Las Vegas to this list. Now I know that it is a popular vacation destination but it is generally looked at as a premium priced excursion for collegiate students. The city of Las Vegas has countered this perception by offering unbelievable hotel deals to help cut costs and I wouldn't be surprised to see Las Vegas rise in the future, it is truly one of a kind.

I have been excited about my impending trip to Puerto Vallarta and I will be joined by students from at least five other universities across the country. This week is a time to put learning on the back burner and allow students, like myself, time to blow off steam to get ready for the final push. I'll see you guys in a week! Adios!

Dell Closing the Gap

Dell has recently worked to close the competitive gap between themselves and the almighty Apple. News of the release of Dell's XPS 13 has provided them with a platform to compete with Apple's MacBook Air. This is a big step in the right direction moving forward for Dell and only time will tell if this move will prove to be worthwhile.

When compared to the 13 inch MacBook Air the XPS is roughly $300 cheaper (offered at $999) and contains similar specs (4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD). The XPS has a 1.6GHz Intel core i5 processor while the 13 inch MacBook Air has a 1.7GHz processor. Another difference between these two models is the pixel resolution for the display. The XPS has a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels while the MacBook Air offers 1440 by 900. After comparing these two 13 inch machines the competitive edge seems to lie with Apple but when the XPS is compared with the 11 inch MacBook Air consumer perceptions could very easily flip. These two machines have the same starting price point ($999), as well as, the same 1.6GHz Intel core i5 processor. However, the 11 inch MacBook Air offers only half the memory (2GB) and storage space (64GB).

Further specs for the XPS include a backlit keyboard, Gorilla Glass display, and aluminum and fiber construction, as well as, a super-skinny design at 18mm with a weight at just under 3 pounds. As you can see the XPS provides users with a sort of hybrid between Apple's 11 and 13 inch MacBook Air's. The processing capability differences of the 13 inch aren't significant but the difference in resolution may be seen as a bigger issue. The lower price point of the XPS is a plus and when compared to the 11 inch MacBook Air the XPS seems to compete at an effective level. Only time will tell if this move will pay off for Dell and from a technical standpoint it appears that they have positioned themselves favorably.

Article: Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook challenges MacBook Air
Link: http://www.itworld.com/hardware/254246/dell-xps-13-ultrabook-challenges-macbook-air