Dell's Inspiron range of laptops is almost a byword for solid, family-friendly machines that strike an entirely reasonable balance between price, performance and construction.

The latest refresh of the line, the Dell Inspiron 15z Ultrabook, continues this trend, and stands alongside the likes of the Acer Aspire S5 and the HP Envy 6 as an example of a middle-of-the-road laptop done right.

One of the main reasons for Dell's refresh is the presence of Windows 8. Unfortunately, the Dell Inspiron 15z doesn't come with a touchscreen as standard - it's an optional upgrade. Despite the update, our gut reaction is that if you have a family laptop less than a year and a half old, there isn't enough that's new here to merit a purchase.