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New Dell XPS 13 developer edition now available

• no_gravity 8y ago
  There is a lot to of good to be said about the XPS series. I love them for all my coding tasks. The only problem is that you cannot open the display up fully. They block at 160° or so. In many situations it would be super useful to have the laptop opened up 180°. In a plane for example. Or when it sits on a desk in a laptop stand and you use an external keyboard. Running a laptop comparison site myself (https://www.productchart.com https://www.productchart.com), I wonder if we should add '180°' to the filter list. It seems like an odd feature. It's super useful to me. Never heard anybody else talk about it though.
  • wongarsu 8y ago
    If 180° opening angle is an important feature for you it might be worth it to go towards the XPS 2-in-1 series which features a 360° opening angle. In a car, on a plane or on foot that can be an awesome feature to have.
    • no_gravity 8y ago
      I would love a 2-in-1! Especially if the keyboard could be disconnected. But then you don't have the option of a matte screen. And that is essential for me. I am waiting for the day we have matte touchscreens.
      • Shorel 8y ago
        You can search for "Antiglare Touch Screen Protector" in Amazon and some suitable products will appear. Why would you do such atrocity and how can you really keep clean a non-smooth surface which you constantly touch with your fingers are two issues that I better not think too much about.
    • macawfish 8y ago
      I'm waiting for the 2-in-1 with the camera on top
      • Shorel 8y ago
        On top of the screen? I am typing this comment using one of these.
        • macawfish 8y ago
          A 2-in-1 xps with the camera on top? What's the model number?
  • dsfyu404ed 8y ago
    I personally can't think of the last time I wanted to open a laptop 180* or more. Obviously both our experience is anecdotal but if it was driving purchasing decisions you'd see more laptops that can open 180 since the design trade-offs are relatively minor in the overwhelming majority of cases.
    • jandrese 8y ago
      On a plane is pretty much the only time for me. I've been on planes where my intention to get work done on the trip was shot because with the keyboard on the tray I wasn't able to open the screen far enough to get a good view. But typing on a vertical keyboard is probably not awesome.
  • wbkang 8y ago
    That's a cool website! Anyway, as a owner of an XPS, my question to you is what would you do with the 180 degree hinge on an airplane?
    • SteveCoast 8y ago
      I have an XPS 2-in-1 and I open to 180 degrees sometimes when laying down and using the touchscreen. It sometimes works in economy seats as you can rest the laptop on your lap and then the screen is kind of like a seatback IFE. But if you opened it flat on your lap, the screen can't open that far because of the restrictions of the seat in front of you. I also will put it in "tent mode" e.g. over 270 degrees open and the screen upside down on the tray table to watch a movie. About the only thing I don't do much is use it as a tablet as its kind of heavy, even though I have the Dell pen for it.
    • sbuk 8y ago
      I thought that, but on the near vertical laptop stands its increadibly useful.
  • limeblack 8y ago
    In addition to 180 I would add Thinkpad as a separate option to Lenovo. The security issues have been separate between the 2 systems and frankly I would never consider another lenovo but certainly a Thinkpad.
    • JadeNB 8y ago
      Lenovo also makes Thinkpads …?
      • limeblack 8y ago
        They are currently listed under Lenovo on the site. They own them now not sure who is the technical manufacturer.
  • felix_nagaand 8y ago
    Great idea for your site. Though im disappointed by how many laptops you're missing
    • no_gravity 8y ago
      My email is on the site. Feel free to get in contact and let me know which ones are missing!
    • laumars 8y ago
      In fairness, there are literally an infinite number of laptops out there (if you take into account the never ending cycle of new laptops being released). Cataloguing every make and model for a hobby project is simply not going to be possible.
  • berbec 8y ago
    Great looking site! Add trackpoint as an option.
    • amptorn 8y ago
      "...please."
      • berbec 8y ago
        Pretty please!!
    • equalunique 8y ago
      I second the motion to add TrackPoint/PointStick/TrackStick as a filterable attribute.
  • marcus_holmes 8y ago
    I bought an XPS15, and have had nothing but trouble with it. Every time there's a Windows update, the hard drive "can't be found" and it wipes GRUB on every reboot. I've been spending half an hour every morning getting it to a state where I can use it again, and had to mess around with firmware downgrades to get it usable (until the next Windows update). Never buying a Dell again. Their support were worse than useless, insisting that somehow installing Linux had caused the problem. I'm eagerly waiting for my first Purism laptop, then I can get 30 mins of my day back.
  • ti_ranger 8y ago
    > Running a laptop comparison site myself (https://www.productchart.com https://www.productchart.com), I wonder if we should add '180°' to the filter list. Taking into account the context of this story, does it make sense to add "Linux" to the OS list? With that, your site would be very useful to me, without it, not so much.
    • no_gravity 8y ago
      Yes, we hopefully get there at some point. I have categorized over 1600 feature requests so far. A 'Comes with Linux preinstalled filter' is not yet at the top, but it is in the top 5% of requested features.
• 40acres 8y ago
  ...but did they fix the coil wine? I was very interested in an XPS in 2017, my main criteria for a new laptop was a Linux machine, and yet during all my research quality concerns continued to rise up regarding to XPS, either it was coil wine, an icky track pad, poor keyboard, bad finishes.. you name it. I ended up snagging a non touch bar MBP and haven't looked back. The elite cell manufacturers have been able to bridge the gap between their hardware quality and the iPhone.. why hasn't Dell?
  • adorton 8y ago
    I have a pretty new one (9370 I think) and I love it. No coil whine, the build feels great, and I have no complaints about that keyboard or trackpad. My only real complaint so far is the bluetooth is flaky.
    • Boulth 8y ago
      Haha, I was just going to ask about Bluetooth. I've got 9350 and while single device Bluetooth works quite well (okay, today it broke but it usually works) connecting Bluetooth headphones and a Bluetooth mouse at the same time makes the connection super unstable. That's with the proprietary firmware. There are all kinds of issues in XPSes as far as I've seen. But generally it works well on Linux. I mean the same issues plague Windows too (I compared).
      • johnchristopher 8y ago
        I have given up on bluetooth ever being sane. If I don't connect my JBL, my xbox remote or anything bluetooth for more than a week then the connection is kapput and I have to delete and re-add the device. Windows, Linux, doesn't matter. It magically stops working when not used enough.
    • bamboozled 8y ago
      Does the Bluetooth connection just drop out between suspensions? I’ve have this issue across both XPS 13’s I’ve owned. It’s incredibly frustrating and seems to be a long running issue [1]. If you care about Bluetooth I wouldn’t recommend an XPS 13 1.https://www.dell.com/community/Linux-Developer-Systems/XPS-13-9370-no-bluetooth-after-suspend/td-p/6022892/page/10 https://www.dell.com/community/Linux-Developer-Systems/XPS-1...
• Tehchops 8y ago
  What's the generally hold-up with 32GB RAM being a standard option(or even possibility) in this form factor?
  • dajohnson89 8y ago
    Seriously. This Dell would be perfect if we could get 32GB of ram. fwiw: I have a System76 ubuntu laptop with 32gb of ram. It's bulky, but the performance is good. I can't imagine making space for 32gb of ram would compromise the XPS form factor much.
    • nrclark 8y ago
      which System76 laptop? I've been toying with the idea of getting an Oryx during the next round of upgrades at work.
      • dajohnson89 8y ago
        Yeah I got the Oryx Pro 15". Default options, except 32G of ram. I'm generally happy with it because I do data-intensive java development, and it handles that well (+ multitasking with chrome etc). There are two cons you should be aware of: It's heavy, and the battery life isn't great at all. but if you use it like a desktop, or minimal carrying, it's good.
      • lovehashbrowns 8y ago
        I have the Galago Pro with 32gb of ram. Bad battery life, terrible speakers and trackpad. But overall decent. I like the build and PopOS makes me happy as pie as to how well it all works out-of-the-box. Great price, too. But I think I picked up a few Christmas discounts.
  • ambulancechaser 8y ago
    Totally agree. This is why I'm going to get a T480 thinkpad with 32GB for my next linux laptop next week rather than this.
• darkerside 8y ago
  Camera's moved to the top! That addresses what's been a common complaint over the years.
  • guntars 8y ago
    That was probably the main reason why I recently got a Precision instead of an XPS as a daily driver.
• jhack 8y ago
  If only they'd release a version of the XPS with a 16:10 or 3:2 ratio display. Getting work done on 16:9 is just so narrow and cramped.
  • I_am_tiberius 8y ago
    I currently have a 9350 and the 3-4 centimeters of potential screen real estate below the display which is unused, is more or less the only thing that bothers me. Plus, kernel 4.19 causes some wifi issues currently. But the hardware has been very reliable so far.
• terhechte 8y ago
  Maybe somebody on here knows. Is there a (mostly) Linux compatible laptop that offers the following? - 10-11 inch (preferably the size of the 11" Macbook Air or 10.5 inch iPad) - Good touchscreen (with Linux support) - Good keyboard with hinged display (2-in-one would be awesome, but I doubt that's possible given the other constraints I already have) - Solid CPU options (i.e. no Atom) I bought a Chuwi Surbook Mini and installed Linux on it but while the Hardware works fine, the touchscreen is so-so and the attached keyboard cover is awful. I'd buy a Microsoft Surface 10" but Linux on there doesn't support hibernation and that's a must for me (and I won't go with Windows. I tried that with the Chuwi, that OS is just not for me, I loathe it). I'd also maybe go with a Pixel Slate but 12.3 inch sounds too big for me and Google doesn't sell it here so I can't even preview it.
  • IE6 8y ago
    You mentioned the Slate - I have a Pixelbook and it meets your criteria above (although the i5-7Y57 might not be enough depending on your workload).
    • terhechte 8y ago
      Thanks, yeah I was tempted by the Pixelbook, but it is not being sold here so I can't just try it out in a store or try it out and send it back. I'll try to research it some more.
  • rwmj 8y ago
    I have the old Asus Zenbook, although it's a little larger than what you're looking for, plus apparently Asus stopped making the good version. It's fast with excellent touchscreen and fully works under Linux. It's a real shame that Sony stopped making the original Vaio (the one which was the size of a large paperback book). The GDP Pocket is supposed to be equivalent and may be more like what you're looking for - I have not tried one.
  • PascLeRasc 8y ago
    This model of XPS is only 0.18 inches wider than the 11" MBA, so it might be perfect for you.
• samcday 8y ago
  InfinityEdge display with top camera placement I wonder how many human-years of effort went into this improvement?
  • daenz 8y ago
    You mean you don't like the webcam at the bottom left of the display so your typing fingers occupy 50% of the image when you're typing and broadcasting? :)
    • freedomben 8y ago
      We had an office joke where those of us in this situation were called "Spidey fingers." It sounds dumb but once you see somebody typing on their laptop during a video conference, it becomes hilarious.
    • dnautics 8y ago
      I mean it's not like looking at someone from below, about 45 degree angle is just about the creepiest view you can get.
    • sliken 8y ago
      Heh, around here we call them nostril cams.
    • rbanffy 8y ago
      OTOH, they are a plus if your hair is getting thin.
      • buckminster 8y ago
        Unfortunately it moved into my nose.
  • ovi256 8y ago
    When aliens will invade with ships equipped with CRTs, they'll appreciate the fact that their new slaves are able to make them nice flatscreens, for sure.
• jbk 8y ago
  Is there a matte display option this time?
• wjoe 8y ago
  Sad to see the XPS 13 line going the same way as Apple and removing the USB A ports. On the plus side, it's at least possible to connect two monitors to the USB C ports now (the 2017 version I have has only one USB C port), but it's less overall ports now since the power jack is also replaced by USB C. The body seems the same size as previously, so the excuse of "more thinness" doesn't really apply. That said, the XPS 13 has been the best experience I've had with Linux on a laptop. The bundled Ubuntu install works out of the box, but even on other distros it's not difficult to set up, and I've not encountered any driver issues, which have been common on every other laptop I've installed Linux on. It helps that it's a great quality laptop in general - anecdotally in my office, we see far more hardware issues with the latest Macbooks than with XPSs.So I'd recommend it for anyone who wants a Linux or Windows laptop, or is considering switching away from Mac without compromising on hardware quality.
  • pdpi 8y ago
    Apple has the common decency to make all of their USB-C ports identical, and support just about every allowable feature I know of, so, in theory, there's no reason you'll ever plug a device into a Mac and have it not work because the port isn't compatible (even though it's physically the same). Great in theory, I just wish the ports were more reliable — I've now had two laptops with flaky ports. Dell dropped the ball by giving this laptop two TB3 ports and one that only does USB.
    • dag11 8y ago
      They're identical on the same machine, but the Macbook only has USB3.1 (+ Display Port) whereas the Macbook Pro is TB3. This isn't very obvious to users.
      • Dunedan 8y ago
        On the MacBook Pro 2016 and 2017 they weren't completely identical, as the TB3 ports on the right side only provided 20Gbit/s instead of the "full" 40Gbit/s. Check out https://www.macrumors.com/2016/10/28/macbook-pro-tb3-reduced-pci-express-bandwidth/ https://www.macrumors.com/2016/10/28/macbook-pro-tb3-reduced... for details.
• jcastro 8y ago
  Anyone have real-world experience with this killer 1435 wifi card in Linux? I'm hesitant to give up intel wifi's linux support.
  • shmerl 8y ago
    You can just replace it with Intel one.
    • anuragsoni 8y ago
      with the newer XPS 13s the wireless chip is soldered on.
      • shmerl 8y ago
        Ah, that's too bad. But it might have some mPCIe extension slots? So you can just plug in an additional card.
        • klardotsh 8y ago
          Nah. The 9370 is basically fully soldered down with no expansion - the only exception (if I recall) is the SSD, which I think can still be swapped for now.
          • shmerl 8y ago
            That's bad, especially for developer oriented laptop.
    • AdmiralAsshat 8y ago
      I tried to do that on my 9343 and pretty sure I ended up breaking one of the clips on the aluminum case. I got it back on and after reseating it a couple of times there's no longer a visible gap once I get all the screws it, but there's a spot on the back of the laptop where I can press down and here a slight clicking noise, like a latch is trying to catch somewhere but can't. Just saying, removing some of these things can be more difficult than the Youtube videos or internet guides would have you believe.
• aschampion 8y ago
  I split my development time between a 2015 rMBP and a Precision 5530 (pro model of the XPS 15). I still can not switch fully to the Dell because of a few issues: - The touchpad is just garbage compared to the MBP, to the point I have an even more keyboard centric setup on it than my desktop, because I want to drop it out of a window every time I use the touchpad. - Fans. I've accepted that most laptops will run active cooling more than any radiative chassis MBP, but the issues are that while the fans run constantly, they also change speeds constantly in both Windows and Ubuntu. They'd be far less annoying if they ran at a higher, but steady RPM by averaging response over a large time window. Manually managing fans feels like 1998. Also, for a $3.5K laptop that runs fans constantly, these are some of the jankiest, most rattling prone fans I've heard. Most colleagues with XPS 13/15 have sent them in for fan replacement at least once. A more niche gripe is that 16:9 is the wrong aspect ratio for a professional laptop. Pros: - Screen quality and brightness. - Keyboard (why I can't just get a new MBP). - Hardware configurability. - Many hardware issues at first, especially in linux, were quickly and effectively fixed by Dell driver and firmware updates.
  • JCharante 8y ago
    > A more niche gripe is that 16:9 is the wrong aspect ratio for a professional laptop. What aspect ratio is more fitting for a professional laptop? 4:3?
    • tjr225 8y ago
      Probably referring to 16:10 - which I also love. Another victim of the endless march towards cost cutting & manufacturing standardization.
    • aschampion 8y ago
      16:10 is great, although I did briefly trial run a Surface Book 2 and loved the 3:2 screen, as well as the rest of the hardware. Only decided against it because of the amount of compromises and maintenance when running Linux on it.
      • 8y ago
• berbec 8y ago
  I would totally buy one if it came with the pointy-stick (whatever Dell calls Track Point). The main reason I stay with Lenovo is eraser mouse. There's a nice HP (830 I think) but not much else.
• davidw 8y ago
  I've been using these for years and love them. I've had to use a MBP for work for the last few months and boy is it ever torture to use. You know why? Mostly it's just about what you're used to. The quality of both computers is pretty good, but the Linux computer is set up exactly the way I want.
• throwawayXPSke 8y ago
  Is the keyboard still wrong? Lenovo and Apple are the only companies that I know of that get Fn/Ctrl placement correct. Older XPS13 wouldn't let them be remapped (Fn is handled in hardware / Linux kernel doesn't see it). If they fix this I'd buy one. But as it is, the control key is further away from C, D keys than on a desktop keyboard. Unacceptable to me.
• nwlieb 8y ago
  Why is the 16GB RAM + FHD screen (1080p) variant not available in the US and Canada? It seems like this has been a long-standing issue since at least the 9360. This is very frustrating since I don't need the 4k panel (in fact I don't want it for resolution scaling reasons) however I absolutely do need the 16GB of RAM. Mind boggling.
  • zihaoyu 8y ago
    FHD + 8GB model can be upgraded to 16GB for $100 more.
    • sowbug 8y ago
      EDIT: ignore everything below. Here's the link that parent is referring to: https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/xps-13-developer-edition/spd/xps-13-9380-laptop/cax13w10p1c603subuntu https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebo... ====== I hope you're right, because I've tried and failed to create such a configuration on the website. Would you mind providing a link to a RAM-configurable 1080 model? For example, this one allows an i5/i7 choice as well as a 1080/2160 choice, but that's it -- no RAM/storage modifications: https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/xps-13-developer-edition/spd/xps-13-9380-laptop/cax13w10p1c706subuntu https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebo... EDIT: Found it, and you're right! You have to start with the i7 rather than the i5 on the product home page, but yes, it's there! This is awesome -- never really used the 4K or touch, and could definitely use the extra battery life. https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/xps-13-developer-edition/spd/xps-13-9380-laptop/cax13w10p1c603subuntu https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebo...
    • mamon 8y ago
      But for whatever reason you cannot choose 1 TB SSD, capped at 512GB
  • klardotsh 8y ago
    I believe it's configurable. The all-Type-C 9370 was also configurable to that spec (and I have one with it)
• jupp0r 8y ago
  16GB RAM? That's not going to work for many developers three years from now (I replace laptops every three years usually).
  • pjmlp 8y ago
    The large majority of laptops I have to deal with are still maxed at 8 GB, now if one needs to run the whole backend stack on the laptop, then it is another matter.
  • ericabiz 8y ago
    This is a MacBook Air competitor. The Dell XPS 15 supports 32GB RAM.
    • bunderbunder 8y ago
      But also lacks a developer edition. There's at least some value in that guarantee that you won't run into any driver issues.
  • nickthemagicman 8y ago
    Yeah I use 8 gigs in chrome tabs alone.
• mikenew 8y ago
  I really want to buy a "Linux laptop" like this because I want to vote with my money and I don't want to be paying for a Windows license that I'm not going to use. But why don't they sell an XPS 15 Developer Edition? Surely there's a lot of professional types wanting a bigger laptop right? Is there some hardware difference between the two that causes problems? What's the deal?
  • anuragsoni 8y ago
    Their Precision 5530 is the developer edition XPS 15. The same chassis with a different GPU and intel wireless instead of killer. Although those tend to be a lot pricier than the regular XPS 15's
    • mikenew 8y ago
      Did not know that. Honestly I would pay a bit more for Intel wireless vs. Killer. Thanks.
      • anuragsoni 8y ago
        I think some of the price increase is also because of the different CPU options. In general their Precision line should be a lot more configurable.
      • robocat 8y ago
        The price difference was an extra 50% when I looked - and only came with 16.04 when I looked in December.
      • mixmastamyk 8y ago
        Wait a bit, the new 15 should be announced shortly.
  • rhodysurf 8y ago
    Businesses just buy Precisions instead... same chassis and better internals
• CasperTol 8y ago
  What does NT and T after the resolution refer to?
  • anuragsoni 8y ago
    My guess would be NT => Non Touch, T => Touch
    • CasperTol 8y ago
      That makes sense, thanks!
• lunchbreak 8y ago
  >Not only that but the 8th generation developer edition supports Suspend-to-idle natively which allows the system to resume much more quickly from sleep. What's different about this from before? I have an xps9350 with fedora - and have noticed sometimes buggy suspending (it shuts down instead of suspending) - but it usually got fixed with kernel update
• sfkdjf9j3j 8y ago
  Does anyone know if they fixed the automatic brightness adjustment that you can't turn off? I have 5th and 6th gen XPS 13s and they both have this awful "feature" where the display readjusts brightness based on how dark/light the colors on the screen are. It's really obnoxious to scroll over a gif on twitter and have your brightness start cycling up and down with the image. Or to highlight a line of code in a text editor and see the screen noticeably dim. Everything else about these machines is great, but this is a complete show stopper for me. I would happily upgrade to a brand new $2500+ machine, but only if this is fixed.
  • Absor 8y ago
    On xps 13 9360 you can disable adaptive brigthness with an update that is available for windows. On xps 13 9370 you can disable adaptive brightness through bios if your bios is new enough.
• mediocrejoker 8y ago
  Has anyone been able to find the link on the Canadian site?
• wildmindwriting 8y ago
  I have a 2017 13" XPS running Solus Linux. I have come to abhor this machine. I can't tell you the amount of times I've had to reboot the computer due to frozen or halting apps. I only have 8GB of RAM so that might be it but I can't run Slack app or the Google Play app at the same time without definitely causing problems. I have a desktop with Solus and 16GB at home and never run into any issues with it. I don't recommend this laptop anymore to anyone.
  • rehemiau 8y ago
    I am guessing here but Solus Linux isn't probably officially supported by Dell on the Developer Edition of this laptop (you have the Developer Edition, don't you?)
    • wildmindwriting 8y ago
      I do have the Developer Edition. It may not be officially supported but everything works out of the box. I've got a personal IdeaPad laptop from years ago that has a worse configuration but doesn't freeze like this Dell.
      • sowbug 8y ago
        It sounds like not everything works out of the box.
  • zepearl 8y ago
    I had a (first version?) XPS 13 running first Gentoo and then later Linux Mint and I never had problems with it. Once I even let it run for 2 months without rebooting and making it go into suspend-to-RAM from time to time and it never crashed. But then I still sold it because I could never get used to its cursor keys and absolutely hated the impossible-to-deactivate-embedded-automatic-brightness-control.
  • rashkov 8y ago
    Do you have a swap partition? If you don't have a swap partition enabled, then your computer will freeze when your RAM fills up. I have the XPS 16" and this happens to me under Arch Linux, but thankfully not very often because I have 16GB of RAM. If you really have to break out of the freeze, then you can try switching to another terminal window (eg. ctrl-alt-F3 or some other function key), then try to kill the offending process. It might take a minute for your keyboard inputs to take effect, but it generally can be done.
• ausjke 8y ago
  anyone develop on the little 13" screen these days? I assume it will always be hooked to a few monitors(2) for any coding tasks? also what about the power consumption for linux, i bought a XPS13 for a family member and have not turned it to ubuntu for him as linux always eats up batter faster.
  • pjmlp 8y ago
    I do on a EEE PC 1215B, the last of the netbook's generation, but only when travelling, or weekend coding at some coffe shop, nothing serious. Basically do the same as I always did since fvwm days, a couple of virtual screens, with each one having a maximized application and then I just switch among them.
  • saagarjha 8y ago
    > anyone develop on the little 13" screen these days I almost exclusively prefer 13" displays for development. I feel lost on larger displays.
  • sbov 8y ago
    Its not so bad if you make good use of your hotkeys. E.g. on Ubuntu the "windows key" + number will switch to that program in your dock. I have it setup like this: win+1 = IDE, win+2 = terminal, win+3 = test browser, win+4 = documentation, win+5=notes. Then you can easily run everything on fullscreen and not worry about alt-tab-hell.
• dnautics 8y ago
  Does anyone know if the linux-can't-handle-multiple-displays-when-one-of-them-is-4k-and-the-others-aren't issue has been resolved, either formally or informally? I've heard this from several folks, (and seen it firsthand once) and it's keeping me from upgrading my linux laptop for now (I don't have 4k monitors as a part of my work setup).
  • klardotsh 8y ago
    On Wayland it's generally a solved problem (at work I use Sway, with my internal panel - 13" 1080p, at 1.25x scale, and my external panel - 34" 3440x1440 - at 1x). Especially with Firefox nightlies bringing native Wayland support, it's only going to get better from here, but it's already pretty good. In Xorg, it's as bad as it ever was, mostly for tech debt / protocol reasons. It can be alleviated somewhat with xrandr hacks, but they're gnarly.
  • neals 8y ago
    Running latest Ubuntu on a 4k and a 1280x1920 screen. Not ideal, but I can work with it. Some apps still have issues, either to large on the small screen, or to small on the big one... I feel like they're 1 or 2 version away from it being good. Fractional scaling (125%) is not available. There is a workaround, but I couldn't get it to work.
    • paulie_a 8y ago
      I had plenty of issues with going back and forth. Finally I just got a Dell 4k monitor. I think it was 700 at the time but I am pretty sure they are closer to 350 now or less. That solved docking and so many other issues like restarting applications, etc.
• satysin 8y ago
  Tempting but how is the coil whine on the new model? I had a 9370 for two days last year but the coil whine was irksome to the point of returning it. Also what is the point of 4K on a 13" laptop? Honestly the 1080p model needs scaling to at least 1.25 as 1.0 is just painful even with perfect vision. Am I missing something obvious or is it just so Dell can tick the 4K marketing check box? Providing it has no coil whine the only potential issue I see is the crappy SOLDERED(!) Killer wifi card. Damn shame you can't get it with an Intel one.
  • kevinherron 8y ago
    4K has got to be marketing driven. The ideal high DPI resolution for a screen of this size would be 3200x1800, allowing an effective resolution of 1600x900 with even 2x integer scaling.
  • eikenberry 8y ago
    I'm curious about the Killer wifi cards as I've never heard of them and I've always had issues with the Intel wifi cards in my Thinkpads. I went so far as to buy USB wifi for those times when the Intel one wouldn't work. Basically I'm saying that when I first saw it I was happy to see it wasn't Intel, but you are saying it's worse? [edit] Oh... and you can get the 16G model without the 4K display. Just select the i7/8G model and upgrade it.
  • kowdermeister 8y ago
    > Also what is the point of 4K on a 13" laptop? Nothing, that's pointless, I have the 1080 version and luckily no coil whine.
  • tamrix 8y ago
    The coil whine is per device not per model. You can get lucky and have no coil whine or unlucky and have it loud af on the same model laptops produced at the same time.
    • craftyguy 8y ago
      I must be incredibly unlucky for having owned several XPS 13 systems over the last 5 years, each with the coil whine.
• gao8a 8y ago
  I was looking at purchasing laptop but then I saw this: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-briefly-teases-new-XPS-13-laptop-with-Ice-Lake-at-Intel-keynote.393461.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-briefly-teases-new-XPS-13.... Does this mean a newer version of this will be out in a few months?
• jsiepkes 8y ago
  Does it come without LoJack ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoJack_for_Laptops https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoJack_for_Laptops ) ?
• ericfrederich 8y ago
  Is the hardware exactly the same as the non-developer version? ... meaning, could you order one with Windows 10 and then later down the line decide to run Linux on it and not have any issues?
  • sliken 8y ago
    In the past dell has changed the wifi chip and GPU on the linux variants they sell. I'd check for those differences whenever you buy. In particular the intel wifi has a much better linux driver than anything else dell sells in laptops.
  • deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  • jhasse 8y ago
    No, AFAIK they remove the fingerprint sensor on the developer edition (as there's no Linux support for it).
• pandemic_region 8y ago
  meanwhile, i'm still waiting for Ubuntu 18 on my 9370....
  • nmstoker 8y ago
    What's the hold up? YMMV but on my earliest XPS13 it came with 14.04 LTS I think and 16.04 LTS was just out, so I just installed fresh and it was fine with absolutely no issues: everything just worked.
    • pandemic_region 8y ago
      As far as I understand it's a customized version of Ubuntu with some special drivers for the hardware. I was kind of expecting a system upgrade like Android or iPhone does, totally managed by the hardware provider.
• equalunique 8y ago
  I appreciate being able to get Ubuntu GNU/Linux on a sleek Dell laptop, but without a TrackStick/TrackPoint/PointStick, it's no "developer laptop" for me.
• gioele 8y ago
  Why does a "developer edition" notebook come with a glossy screen? I sort of understand why computer makers like glossy screens: because they just look better to the causal shopper. OK. But in a laptop that is aimed at professionals? People that stare at the screen all day long are sophisticated enough to know that a matte screen is just better. I'm often on the train and I do not envy the poor souls that work on an enterprise-bought laptop with a glossy screen and that have to swing their heads the whole time to avoid reflections from the train window. BTW, a thorough (p)review of the 9380: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/24336-dell-xps-13-9380/ https://www.ultrabookreview.com/24336-dell-xps-13-9380/
  • eropple 8y ago
    I used to have this reaction, but these days I go between matte and gloss screens without really noticing. Apple's got the best one, and a backlight on the ones I've got doesn't bother me at all. Dell's are also okay (though there are other reasons I don't like the XPS line).
  • coldtea 8y ago
    >Why does a "developer edition" notebook come with a glossy screen? Because developers like sharp text (as opposed to smudged due to the diffusion filter) and better color and saturation too. Not all of us work under back lights we cannot avoid... I mean, it might be a personal preference, but it's not like some objective law that developer === matte screen (like eg. 3D artist === discreet GPU).
    • mixmastamyk 8y ago
      Well, this is an ultra-portable, not a workstation screen in a darkened studio. Color saturation might matter for developers at a vfx house, the vast majority are looking at text. A matte screen should be default for this one.
  • sliken 8y ago
    I can somewhat understand glossy on a desktop display where you at least have a decent chance of some control over the lighting. However on a laptop it seems silly. Last thing I want to see in my new expensive screen is my ugly mug reflected back at me.
• bubblethink 8y ago
  Any word on various performance/throttling issues that have plagued recent laptops due to Intel's DPTF ? My impression from what I read was that it's some kludge that only works on windows (and chromeos possibly) causing standard linux's performance to suffer unless you patch things.
• timeattack 8y ago
  I do own XPS 13 9360 and there are number of issues: - coil whine under load; - poor heat sink, under little load i7 goes to 100C and CPU throttling kicks in; - sometimes 'w' button seems to be 'stuck' in pressed state even when it's physically un-pressed; seems to be a firmware keyboard bug, since I've seen same problem on another XPS 13; - I've had to replace Killer WiFi card, because RTT for packets spiked up every time card was scanning for networks; - that 'spidey-fingers' webcam; - that 'Content Adaptive Brightness Control' when gamma-level goes off every time you switch from black to white image on the screen; - unable to replace battery, since even when I've ordered battery from authorized service center they gave me non-official third-party battery which was not accepted by laptop; - connecting 4K@60Hz is kinda problematic, since you need to find USB-C adapter which supports it;
  • cies 8y ago
    > sometimes 'w' button seems to be 'stuck' in pressed I've had several XPS13s with keyboard issues. I honestly cannot consider it a "developer edition" when the keyboard is wonky. Contacted HP support every time, found them trying to ignore the issue while whole support forums where mobbing up in anger over the issue. Finally they admitted, but nothing happened. I'm on a T420 now, while I really-really wanted to support suppliers that provide Linux-out-of-the-box machines.
    • meddlepal 8y ago
      You contacted HP support for a Dell laptop... That might be the problem ;)
      • capdeck 8y ago
        PEBKAC classic. But I have to second the keyboard sentiment. I can't rely on it to be decent on anything but lenovo these days, may be not even... I have HP probook where you can replace the keyboard easily. When I got the machine with "premium" keyboard, a few keys were wobbly, made different squeaky sounds and had overall inconsistent feel to them. I went to HP website and ordered a replacement -- it came with other keys being bad. I called HP and they sent me replacement for replacement -- the same story -- their keyboards are just so cheaply made and quality control so lacking, that you have to be very lucky to get one with all keys working consistently. Keyboards are the worst part of the laptop these days.
• mscrivo 8y ago
  Why are they still using Killer WiFi NIC's on these things. They are absolutely terrible. We have a bunch of XPS 13 and 15's at our office (9360's up to 9570's) and every single one of them has random connectivity problems on our office WiFi and people's home networks. We've had to replace all of them with Intel 9260's and the problems instantly disappear. I don't know how this is not a customer support nightmare for them, and why they continue using them given the relatively low cost of the Intel cards.
  • bwat49 8y ago
    yeah on my 9360 I replaced the killer wifi with an intel 8265. The killer chip was giving me issues in both windows and linux. Otherwise it's been a great machine though
  • colemickens 8y ago
    The card in the 9370 is not replaceable, and despite having bought a card and opened it with the intention of replacing it after I bought it, it hasn't actually been an issue for me in my apartment or dozens of wifi networks across Seattle.
  • robocat 8y ago
    It is a real shame they use the Killer (Atheros) WiFi. The developer edition used to have an Intel WiFi - have they changed that? That said, I haven't seen any issues with Killer WiFi (XPS 15 9570 with Ubuntu 18.04.01), but I do have an Intel WiFi card if the Killer needs to be replaced. Also I do use a USB3 to Ethernet adapter at work (I have always prefered a wired connection for work when available).
    • Macha 8y ago
      The Killer WiFi issues to me seem to have been related to the Windows driver. Never had any issues on Arch, and an update last year (not suggested by the Dell update tool, check the website) fixed it for Windows.
  • jhasse 8y ago
    I have a 9370 and never had any problems with the WiFi. I've connected it to lots of home networks, coffee chops, etc. Reception is perfect, even better than the Intel card my previous latptop had. (running Fedora Linux out-of-the-box btw)
• oweiler 8y ago
  Only 16GB RAM max?
  • rettori 8y ago
    yeah, that's a bummer. 2019 notebooks with the same max memory of 3-4 years ago.
• colemickens 8y ago
  Heads up, after I installed the 1.6.x BIOS update on my 9370, it takes multiple minutes to POST, every (re)boot. After the initial update, the first boot took nearly 15 minutes, I thought it had been bricked. I've reinstalled firmware, I've downgraded, I've factory reset and it still does this. They've offered to service it (I contacted them a week before my warranty expired) but it's not quite annoying enough to be without it for days. Just a heads up, I have a lot more to complain about the XPS13, but it's basically exclusively BIOS issues [1]. I think they also need to improve the heatsink/paste, but maybe they have for the 9380 model. [1] The BIOS releases are not always in increasing version numbers. They're repeatedly re-released versions, or released versions from different old servicing branches, etc. Someone commented that they thought Dell was sort of doing wide-scale A/B testing by releasing different versions and collecting feedback. Seems a bit presumptive but it's been in my head.
  • sowbug 8y ago
    This is a long shot, but have you tried disconnecting the battery for a few minutes? My son's XPS 13 got into a situation where it was permanently throttled at 400MHz, and a random angel on the internet had tracked it down to a hardware safety that had triggered and could be reset only by disconnecting the power to let some low-level thing clear itself out. Since you have a newer model, they might have BIOS-level throttling that the OS knows how to override, which would mean that booting would be super slow. Worth a try -- good luck.
  • devereaux 8y ago
    Looks like a raminit problem. In the bios, there is often a module to do that. Your [1] comment raise the possibility that some mixup happened. I would suggest trying some "re released" version, ideally the same one as you had initially.
  • colemickens 8y ago
    Funny coincidence, as I was writing this post, someone else was sharing a Dell anecdote. https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/aj46fz/xps_9570_not_charging_after_bios_170_update/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/aj46fz/xps_9570_not_c... I partially do this to hopefully raise awareness -- if Dell would bring their BIOS in house, I would be a very, very vocal advocate of the XPS 13 for any non-Chromebook-level user. edit: wow, Dell's BIOS vendor must have really butchered the last batch, here's another one: https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/aiwj7u/do_not_use_dell_g7_180_bios/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/aiwj7u/do_not_use_del...
• jypepin 8y ago
  Any reason why they'd still be using Thunderbolt and only put 1 usb-c instead of full usb-c like macbooks? With even apple dropping thunderbolt, isn't it a sign of death for those ports?
  • TacticalTable 8y ago
    The vast vast majority of laptop users still have USB A peripherals. Apple was a decade too early (to their detriment) going full USB C. They're helping the USB C ecosystem, at the cost of dongle hell for their users.
  • ken 8y ago
    "Apple dropping Thunderbolt"? Out of their 7 different Mac models, there's only 2 that don't have full 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 on every USB-C port -- and they're the two that have been the longest since an update (2017 MacBook, 2013 Mac Pro). What does "full USB-C" mean?
    • jypepin 8y ago
      oh my bad, I thought Thunderbolt meant the dongle type, as in, the shape of the plug. My macbook only has 4 USB-C plugs.
• bunderbunder 8y ago
  Can anyone recommend a comparable notebook that supports more than 16GB of RAM? As great as this computer looks, I find myself doing doing more and more data crunching work that would benefit hugely from having more memory. But I also travel enough that a desktop (or desktop replacement laptop) just won't cut the mustard.
  • chx 8y ago
    If this laptop has SO-DIMM slots then it supports more than 16GB RAM. 32GB RAM sticks are available and compatible even if Intel doesn't claim they are. Campuspoint tested them with the Lenovo ThinkPad T480, for example.
    • erikdared 8y ago
      This is an ultrabook so chances are the memory modules are soldered on.
    • eikenberry 8y ago
      You can buy a T480 from Lenovo with 32GB of RAM.
      • chx 8y ago
        Yes but it works with 64gb.
  • ehmish 8y ago
    The Dell precision 5520 supports 32 GB of RAM, I'm presently running it in that configuration at the moment, it has an nvidia graphics card unfortunately which I had a couple of issues with until I uninstalled the nvidia drivers and just ran it off the Intel GPU
  • nofunsir 8y ago
    ThinkPad X1 Extreme. See my other comment.
  • tbronchain 8y ago
• usaphp 8y ago
  I would rather get same priced new MacBook Air, better touch pad, better screen, better OS and better battery life.
• lwhi 8y ago
  'Easier to open' .. should this really need to be an improvement?
  • sowbug 8y ago
    If it's identical to consumer hardware, then there's no reason to design it to be easy to open. But a developer laptop will be opened. (I might be attacking a strawman, but I detect in your question a suggestion that more consumer hardware should be user-serviceable. There's a difference between being hostile toward serviceability and simply optimizing the design for manufacturability, aesthetics, cost, and reliability, any of which can conflict with other metrics such as serviceability.)
    • mixmastamyk 8y ago
      Believe it is about opening the lid, not the case.
      • sowbug 8y ago
        Oh, duh. Yes, I totally misinterpreted that. Thanks.
• charliebrownau 8y ago
  Dell REFUSES to allow Linux preinstalled outside USA + CA
• Klonoar 8y ago
  Anyone have any idea why these dev-focused machines top out at 16GB of RAM? Even Apple finally caved and bumped it on newer MBPs to 32GB max...
  • mixmastamyk 8y ago
    13" ultraportable limits from Intel.
• sowbug 8y ago
  Anyone know whether this model will work with USB-C phone chargers (or at least any chargers that provide less than 45 watts)? And does anyone have first-hand knowledge whether the Killer wifi card is non-replaceable, as was the case with the 9370?
  • jhasse 8y ago
    I have a 9370 and charge it with a 45 watts phone charger from Inateck, works perfectly :)
    • sowbug 8y ago
      Same here (9350). I'm looking for info about chargers designed for phones or otherwise advertising less than 45 watts, as they're substantially smaller and more prevalent than the ones providing 20V @ 2.25A and above.
      • arccy 8y ago
        I have a 9350, it charges with 30w from an Anker one (that apparently only comes included with the 26800 pd battery pack) and 30w/45w (not sure) with an Innergie 60c
• markstos 8y ago
  I've switched to a Pixelbook and like it for many tasks. The Pixelbook is lighter and has a taller 3:2 screen, both positives. The Chrome OS security model seems stronger than Ubuntu out of the box. My development environment now runs in the safety of a VM. I had the XPS 13 9333 and later replaced it with the XPS 13 9730. It's about a year old now and is currently back with Dell to repair two USB-C ports that stopped working about the same time-- around the time I got the Pixelbook. The Crostini software and integration on the Pixelbook still needs polish, but overall I'm happy with the Pixelbook as an XPS 13 alternative for a Linux development environment.
  • krn 8y ago
    I hope that Pixelbook 2 will be released soon with smaller bezels and more up-to-date hardware. Then switching from a Thinkpad running Fedora / Ubuntu to a Pixelbook will be a no-brainer to me. I think that ChromeOS is the most secure OS at the moment, and a Pixelbook is like an iPad Pro and a Macbook Air combined. Which is exactly what I want for work and leisure.
• chrismaeda 8y ago
  I've had a Dell Precision M7520 for about a year. It can have up to 64GB ram and runs Ubuntu 16 LTS. I think it came with a Windows 10 license but I threw it away. The only downside is that the standard power brick draws too much current to work on airplane power outlets. It also makes you stronger because it's so heavy (~7 lbs).
  • snazz 8y ago
    The “laptop workout” works better with a messenger bag or briefcase than a backpack in my experience since it puts more weight on your arms than your back.
• blunte 8y ago
  Never again a Dell. XPS 15 was such a huge disappointment, not the least of which was capped by the near constant CPU voltage throttling down to 0.8GHz despite reasonable temperatures. Specs are awesome. Reality over 1.5 years was way below according expectations. Apple may make really annoying decisions regarding function keys, RAM limitations, ports, etc., but their stuff largely works as promised (ok, keyboard aside).
• wil421 8y ago
  >In the 9370 the camera is located directly below the screen. In the new 9380 the camera has been moved to the top, providing a much more flattering view of the user while still maintaining the system’s sleek, compact design. They put the camera below the screen? Am I understanding this right? Why on earth would someone let this fly.
  • jhasse 8y ago
    Because there's not much space left with a bezel-less design. I never actually use the webcam, so I don't mind for example and appreciate the thinner top bezel instead.
• RomanPushkin 8y ago
  > Up to 16GB of LPDDR3 memory at 2133MHz "Up to 16GB" in 2019 means it's not upgradable, and not worth buying, because developers like hardware that they can upgrade in 2-5 years if needed.
  • dmix 8y ago
    Anyone know why this is the case? Using a limited motherboard or something? 16gb should be standard these days for a developer laptop... with expansion to 32gb.
    • mixmastamyk 8y ago
      Ultraportable limits are generally courtesy of the Intel chipset.
      • Latteland 8y ago
        This would be a way for amd to make headway into the laptop market, if they made it easy to get 32+ gb.
  • alexott 8y ago
    For developers it should be 32 out of box, plus upgrade to 64... And they have already models with 32Gb in 2017th
  • Flip-per 8y ago
    Absolutely. My more than 7 year old X220 now has 12GB RAM and would support up to 16GB afaik. Moreover it has a non-glossy screen, and a replaceable battery.
  • tomp 8y ago
    Indeed. Not supporting 32GB is a disgrace for both Dell (“developer edition” LOL) and Apple. The main reason I’m skipping laptop upgrades this year...
  • JoshuaRLi 8y ago
    Agreed, and it's unfortunately still soldered. Talk about planned obsolescence...
• AceJohnny2 8y ago
  Wonderful! I was excited when they announced they had finally moved the camera to the top, and was hoping for a Dev Ed soon. Didn't expect it so quickly! Good job Barton & team! Weight-wise, it's under the Macbook Air... Feature-wise (and pricewise), it's closer to the MBP. Starting weights: * XPS13: 2.7lbs/1.23kg * MBA: 2.75lbs/1.25kg * MBP (13.3"): 3.02lbs/1.37kg Screen resolution: * XPS13: 13.3" 3840x2160 (or 1920x1080) * MBA: 13.3" 2560x1600 * MBP: 13.3" 2560x1600 Ports: * XPS13: 3xUSB-C 3.1 (TB3, PD, DP USB3.1 Gen??), headset, MicroSD * MBA: 2xUSB-C 3.1 (TB3, PD, DP, USB3.1 Gen2), headset * MBP: 4xUSB-C 3.1 (TB3, PD, DP, USB3.1 Gen2), headset And pricing (for closest equivalent HW I could find, not quite equal, XPS with 4k screen, 8GB RAM, 256 SSD): * XPS13: i7-8565U (GPU Intel UHD 620): $1590 (+tax) * MBA: i5-8210Y (?) (GPU Intel UHD 617): $1400 (+tax) * MBP (no Touch Bar): I5-7360U [1] (GPU Intel UHD 640): $1500 (+tax) And with 16GB Ram, 512 SSD (max for XPS13): * XPS13: $1840 * MBA: $1800 * MBP (no TB): $1900 [1] https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/specs/macbook-pro-core-i5-2.3-13-mid-2017-retina-display-no-touch-bar-specs.html https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/specs/macbook...
  • RobLach 8y ago
    Excellent breakdown for comparison. Thank you.
  • SlowRobotAhead 8y ago
    >they had finally moved the camera to the top, Now I know where to put the tape! ;) For the rest of the specs, seems to make the MBA look like a pretty fair deal so long as you like the Apple ecosystem.
    • gerberus 8y ago
      The i5 version of the XPS is 70% faster than the i5 in the MBA (8250u vs 8210y) so it seems you are getting a whole lot more for your money in the XPS (or even the MBP)
    • Scaevolus 8y ago
      XPS13 i7-8565U is a 15W part running 4C/8T @ 1.8-4.6GHz, MBA i5-8210Y is a 7W part running 2C/4T @ 1.6-3.6GHz. That's a significant performance difference.
• rishabhsagar 8y ago
  I have the (now) older model XPS and this has been the best laptop I have owned in a long time. Very reliable, nice keyboard with backlight, good battery life, lightweight and came with almost no bloatware. My only slight issue was the camera placement and looks like that has been resolved now too. Very pleased.
• AnabeeKnox 8y ago
  "Non-vPro processor". Can someone help with a (dumb) question? Does this mean that you can't run VirtualBox on this laptop?
  • jhasse 8y ago
    No, you can. For running VirtualBox you only need Intel VT-x.
  • kralos 8y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_vPro https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_vPro Intel vPro technology is an umbrella marketing term used by Intel for a large collection of computer hardware technologies, including Hyperthreading, Turbo Boost 3.0, VT-x, VT-d, Trusted Execution Technology (TXT), and Intel Active Management Technology (AMT). ~~It means it doesn't have VTd / VTx hardware acceleration on the CPU. You can run VirtualBox however it will be slower. When I first saw "Developer edition" I thought; that must just mean it's got Virtualization hardware acceleration and loads of RAM for running VM's etc... This branding makes no sense to me.~~ I just looked up the 15W parts on Intel ark (i7-8565U, i5-8265U, i3-8145U) and they say they do have VT-d and VT-x...
• deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
• chrisfinazzo 8y ago
  (Puts on old man hat) XPS is a gaming machine. Save the No BS hardware for the Latitude line - which has subsequently gone to shit, last I checked.
  • kkarakk 8y ago
    hey old man, devs can have hobbies outside of learning more about development so i don't know why you're making a dig at gaming. a quick 15minute session of fortnite in the middle of the day is quite nice
    • chrisfinazzo 8y ago
      Truth be told, I'm in my early 30's, but for the longest time, XPS was gaming oriented (probably b/c of the Alienware acquisition) and Latitude was for the business crowd. Seeing the roles reversed - esp. as Latitude H/W has seemingly gone downhill, because keyboards - is quite strange.
• alexeiz 8y ago
  So what's the difference between the normal XPS 13 and the developer edition, except for the preinstalled Ubuntu? Can I buy the normal XPS 13 and then put the same Ubuntu image on it?
• wmf 8y ago
  All you people asking for matte and USB-A (and Ethernet), this just popped up from Japan: https://www.anandtech.com/show/13890/dynabooks-g-series-laptops-19-hours-under-2-pounds https://www.anandtech.com/show/13890/dynabooks-g-series-lapt... Too bad about the 8 GB RAM though.
• nofunsir 8y ago
  ThinkPad X1 Extreme (15.6") is light and powerful for its size. (Small bezels) I was worried that I'd have buyer's remorse reading this article, but I don't. It supports up to 64GB RAM, 2x Thunderbolt (with PD), 2x USB A 3.1. Fast charging. Bluetooth 5. 4K touch w/ wacom pen support. Infrared camera. Folds flat. Mouse nub. Sweet, sweet ThinkPad keys. Look for discounts through your work. I should add: DDR4 RAM and TWO (2) m.2 NVMe/PCIe slots!
  • mixmastamyk 8y ago
    Should be compared with the XPS 15, the 13 has a lot more compromises.
• rubicon33 8y ago
  UHG. I just wish you could make iOS apps on non-mac devices. I really want to move to an XPS 13, but I need to be able to develop for iOS.
• tmpfs 8y ago
  For what it is worth, I purchased an XPS13 and have had terrible problems with the touchpad and keyboard. The touchpad likes to jump around every once in a while and the keyboard sticks from time to time. I only found reports of this after the purchase and it is clear others have had the same problem. I think it is a hardware problem and as such would not recommend buying into the XPS ecosystem. Bad quality control, will never buy a Dell again.
• robocat 8y ago
  Pluses and minuses of the 9570 (XPS 15, bought Dec 2018) - some of the following apply to XPS 13 too (use common sense). Pluses: - Linux works well (needs some tweaks, but they are easily findable) - Fast laptop CPU (i9-8950HK) and 32GB (for VMs) - 4k screen has great readability (need some tweaks) - USB-A 3 on both sides - I've had two firmware updates through Ubuntu (great Linux support by HP). - I haven't had any problems with the drivers (for the hardware I use - I haven't yet tried video and I don't use the fingerprint sensor) Minuses: - No DisplayPort - Glossy (all the touch-screen models are glossy, the non-touch models are matte) - Killer WiFi (works, but I've read it is unreliable. Hopefully can replace if I have to) - No hard PgDn/PgUp/Home/End keys (very very annoying) - Linux is not "officially" supported (Windows tax) although I think the Linux support is good for a laptop. - No Ethernet port (I prefer a hard wire) - Screen colours are too orange
  • okl 8y ago
    > Screen colours are too orange Here are some pointers on how to change that: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ICC_profiles https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ICC_profiles
• cfstras 8y ago
  I had an 9360 for a few months and found it awful. Firmware bugs (some with Windows, a lot with Linux), maddening coil whine, flimsy power plug. The Linux TB3 support was sadly not really „ready“ (mainline Kernels April~July 2018) in that there were constant panics when hotplugging/unplugging monitors or the docking station.
• agrippanux 8y ago
  I love the Dell XPS 13 developer edition I bought over the summer, and it has been a better value store than the Bitcoin I sold to buy it with.
• jbredeche 8y ago
  I literally just got a new Dell 9380 today, running Windows. My plan was to wipe and install Ubuntu. After I do that, will there be any functional differences between my laptop and this newly announced developer edition?
• mancerayder 8y ago
  I'm torn between this and the X1 and the T4xx to dual-boot Linux and Windows. How's Linux and its drivers on the latest Lenovos?
• throw2016 8y ago
  The deal of the year, or last 5 years, for a nice Linux laptop has to be the Huawei Matebook D Ryzen edition [1]. It is at $620 and was going as low as $420 a month ago, and Ubuntu works out of the box. Don't let that price fool you, its sleek and the build quality and performance is up there with expensive ultrabooks. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exLg45Up5b4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exLg45Up5b4
• Schnitz 8y ago
  No 32GB RAM option?
• jordache 8y ago
  how is the trackpad on the xps w/ ubuntu? Is the dell + linux combo equivalent to Apple's trackpad in performance?
• beilabs 8y ago
  I bought a Dell XPS 13" back in 2008 and had nothing but problems with it. The graphics card was known to overheat and melt on the board. Dell instead of implementing a recall ended up figuring it was cheaper to send a repair man to replace the entire motherboard each time. It happened to me three times. On top of that, the screen failed, the trackpad failed and the keyboard failed. The charger burned a hole in my carpet and the motherboard running only Linux and an IDE burned my table. I haven't bought a Dell laptop since. Has things improved with the XPS 13 developer editions?
  • sudden 8y ago
    Same story here.
• bhaisaab 8y ago
  Has anybody seen/used the new HP spectre x360 gem-cut? Any feedback on spectre x360 vs XPS13 for developers?
• IloveHN84 8y ago
  It's a pity there's no 32/64 GB RAM configuration.
• bonestamp2 8y ago
  The $739 starting price is really nice... I was tempted to pick one up just for fun, but then I saw upgrading to 8gb of RAM is another $300.
• cellover 8y ago
  1 year and a half after I bought my Dell XPS13 9360 developer edition, issues started: trackpad seems to be unsticking the underlying surface, plus some strong hiss noise appeared. This is so disappointing when you invest around 2'000 USD in a laptop. Hopefully this edition fixes those issues for good!
  • schmrz 8y ago
    I would offer another anecdote because I really believe this to be a very high quality laptop. I have bought my Dell XPS13 9360 around the same time and have never been happier with a laptop (running Fedora flawlessly, 10 hours of battery). And it cost me around 1250€ (~1420 USD).
• jopsen 8y ago
  Lost me at 16G of ram... I use chrome + vscode and is regularly out-of-memory on my X1 Carbon. Give me 64G, why not? Also last I tried XPS I had to send it back due to electrical noise.. particularly under Linux (didn't really try Windows). Has Dell gotten better at this over the past 3 years?
  • DougBTX 8y ago
    Are you having problems due to running out of memory? If memory isn’t full then the OS isn’t putting it to best use, so overall memory usage isn’t a great metric.
    • jopsen 8y ago
      You could possibly blame chrome and vscode... And modern web apps in general.. But yes, I run my swap full and can't launch apps because I'm out of memory.
• funkythings 8y ago
  I never understood, why Dell only offers a FHD and UHD model. FHD just looks shitty after using more high def displays, and UHD sucks the life out of this thing. Otherwise, perfect laptop.
• warp_factor 8y ago
  I have a XPS 13 9370 with the 4K screen. I installed Linux on it and it is the best experience I have had in a long long time for a developer product. I was on a mac for two years before that (and Linux even before) and I would not go back to Mac. If you are a developer, you have a lot to win to fully embrace Linux!
• Double_a_92 8y ago
  How is this different from blatant advertising?
• leibnitz27 8y ago
  I seriously considered an XPS13 for a month or so (9370), but coil whine was an issue on 3 of the 4 examples I looked at. Pity, as it's a lovely notebook. Instead, I went with a Samsung Notebook 9 13", and ... it's amazing. https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/notebook-series-9/notebook-9-13-3--np900x3t-k01us/#specs https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/noteboo... 2.2lbs, and I've gone from charging every day to once a week.