I also would have liked to see an actual on-off switch for the Wi-Fi on the exterior of the case (not just an indicator light). Instead, to turn it on or off, you have to open the lid to access a function key. Another function key controls a backlight for the island-Chiclet keyboard, which is a bit mushy compared with keyboards on other Dells I've tested. It's a full-size keyboard, though, and I've typed on worse. The gesture-enabled touchpad was also fairly responsive.

Below the right side of the keyboard is an integrated fingerprint reader; an included biometric security app registered my print in only a few swipes (these things are definitely more user-friendly than they used to be). The Vostro 3350 also supports Bluetooth for easy connections to peripherals such as printers and mice.

I like the industrial design of this Vostro generation. The silvery aluminum case (also available in red and bronze) feels sturdy without looking clunky; inside, atop the keyboard, you get three buttons for easy access to Dell's customized Windows Mobility settings, Dell support, and an application of your choosing.

The included software bundle is minimalist: Dell even lets you choose whether to get the free Starter edition of Office 2010 or an antivirus package. My review unit came with Roxio Creator Starter (for the DVD burner), CyberLink PowerDVD 9.5 (for playing movies), Skype, a couple of basic Dell utilities (including software for Dell's backup service), and not much else.

Overall, I'd happily recommend the Dell Vostro 3350 to general business users who travel a lot and like a compact laptop, but who would rather shoulder an extra pound of notebook weight than spend several hundred dollars more for a sub-4-pound ultraportable with no optical drive. The Vostro 3350 does a nice balancing act between portability, features, and power: It may not excel at any of them, but it delivers quite adequately on all of them.