6 ms·

I recently had the choice between a macbook pro and a dell xps. Saw the dell xps had HDMI, USB-C _and_ USB-A and was sold. Its nice to be able to bring my lapto

I recently had the choice between a macbook pro and a dell xps. Saw the dell xps had HDMI, USB-C _and_ USB-A and was sold. Its nice to be able to bring my laptop in to a meeting room and just be able to plug in the hdmi cable without needing an adapter. Its also really nice to be able to use all my usb c accessories but without having to go usb C only. And its not noticeably thicker than the macbook either. I can understand the pursuit of thinness or at least weight reduction in mobile devices. If the iPad was any heavier, you wouldn't be able to use it while standing. But on a laptop there is a lot more room for weight and thickness. As log as its comfortable to carry, that's good enough.

Goosee 6y ago
I use to have the same thought process as you: instantly sold on devices with native hdmi, usb a & usb c. By that metric xps beats macbook. Recently I tried to convert to a windows laptop from my 16 inch mbp. Upon switching I was constantly annoyed by the fan noise & using my pinkie to press the 'control' key opposed to macbook thumb on 'command' key. The point is, I realized native port selection was not a metric to consider when purchasing a laptop. I am fine bringing an adapter to the meeting room. I guess it comes down to what you value. I am just trying to play 'devil's advocate' with my anecdotal experience compared to your experience.
- SilverRed 6y ago
  I found the fan noise to be horrific on the 13in i5 macbook I was using. The thing was overheating constantly and since I use linux and windows at home, having the cmd key different only while working was a huge annoyance for me. On my dell xps 15 I almost never hear the fans at all and there is usually only a quick burst of fan noise when running a webpack compile or something compared to non stop 80% fans on the mbp. There are far more things that made the dell xps a better choice and ports was just one of them but still a very important one. USB-C adapters are pretty cheap but USB-C hubs are $100+ and have been a constant source of frustration when they keep failing unless you buy the most expensive ones.
  - arcticbull 6y ago
    The M1's are dead silent, cold to the touch under all circumstances and dramatically faster. That was Intel, as it turns out, so if that was a big decision driver, I'd take another look!
  - mssundaram 6y ago
    Use Karabiner Elements on macOS to switch the command key to what you want. And actually, I'm pretty sure it's possible in the built-in macOS settings, but I've always used that app for complex programmatic mappings.
  - brailsafe 6y ago
    Aren't all good hubs quite costly though? I just use a shitty little USB-C adapter + usb cable, and my monitor acts as the hub. I agree about the fan noise.
  - mszcz 6y ago
    I recently upgraded/switched my dev machine from a desktop (Intel NUC Hades Canyon) to a Lenovo Legion 5-15 ARH "gaming" laptop with 32GB, 2xM.2 and Ryzen 4800H (more mobile, more pandemic friendly). It's a big laptop by XPS13 standards sure, but one that's appropriately cooled. I hadn't been aware, up to that point, how much the fans bothered me. This thing is quick but at the same time real quiet. After some time I turned the NUC on for some reason, the funs launched into overdrive and I suddenly got annoyed.
- fiddlerwoaroof 6y ago
  Yeah, also USB-C is pretty obviously the future: having a single connector for all my external devices makes it hard to go back to packing multiple connectors. And, instead of dongle adapters, I just buy cables with the appropriate connector pair: e.g. HDMI/USB-C for my TV
- ActorNightly 6y ago
  The thing with "windows" laptops is that you can install and run Linux seamlessly out of the box, even distros that Mimic the look of OSX, and remap the keys to your hearts content.
  - quesera 6y ago
    > even distros that Mimic the look of OSX, and remap the keys to your hearts content Sadly, they mimic the macOS UI very poorly, and it remains not-possible in Linux to universally remap keyboard shortcuts to match macOS built-in sanity.
    - DanAtC 6y ago
      https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto is pretty good on the keyboard front
    - airstrike 6y ago
      > to match macOS built-in sanity. Yeah, I really wish I could map Alt+Down to open files in Nautilus so that I can then use the Enter key to rename them like any sane person
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
    - rbreaves 6y ago
      You should really take a look at https://ubuntubudgie.org https://ubuntubudgie.org.. it does not mimic the UI poorly at all.. the welcome app easily gets you to a dark mojave looking theme and then you can change the layout to cupertino for the global menu. Also open up budgie-settings to set the overall system theme to dark and that is literally all you have to do.. Also use waterfox instead of firefox if you want the browser to give you a proper global menu, or use chrome.
  - boogies 6y ago
    The XPS line in particular has had Developer Editions with pre-installed Ubuntu, and IIUC significant effort by Dell to provide good Linux drivers, for years.
- deergomoo 6y ago
  > Recently I tried to convert to a windows laptop from my 16 inch mbp. Upon switching I was constantly annoyed by the fan noise Jesus, how loud was the Windows laptop? I just sold my 16" MBP for an M1 Air almost entirely because the fan noise on the 16" was unbearable.
philliphaydon 6y ago
Work gave me an XSP And I gave it back. One of the worst laptops. They used to be really good but the thing runs so hot and loud compared to my Lenovo. And still nothing beats Lenovo keyboard.
2muchcoffeeman 6y ago
I recently had the choice between a macbook pro and a dell xps. Saw the dell xps had HDMI, USB-C _and_ USB-A and was sold. Enjoy it while it lasts, the current XPS generation is USB-C only.
650REDHAIR 6y ago
My XPS 9550 had two batteries swell and the 2nd time it broke my upper case and trackpad. I replaced the case, trackpad, and keyboard, but Dell won't sell me a battery and their batteries have DRM so you can't use a 3rd party unit. My top of the line, i7, 32gb ram, 2gb gpu, 1tb nvme drive laptop is now no better than a paperweight. When plugged into shore power you can't get max CPU or GPU power and it's an annoying mess to deal with so it's just sitting. I now own an X1 Carbon 7th gen and a 2020 i5 MBP and love them both. I'm traveling more than ever (bought a camper van to get out of the city center) and they are typically more abused than the XPS ever was. No problems at all. Shit, my 8 and 10 year old MBPs are still running after giving them away to friends in need. I have a thin Anker dongle that has type a ports, ethernet, hdmi, and type c and a couple cheap backups in various bags. It's a small price to pay and all of our devices save the iPhone are type C now so I am slowing moving to one cord for everything. Anyway...I'll never buy another Dell for the rest of my life. End rant
- protomyth 6y ago
  Dell won't sell me a battery and their batteries have DRM so you can't use a 3rd party unit Dell is horrible for this type of stuff. Had to retire a server early because of this type of policy. I wouldn't recommend them at all.
- SilverRed 6y ago
  This is a horror story and its bigger than just dell. Replacing a macbook battery is virtually impossible as well. IMO this is a problem that needs government action. The right to repair laws should include that ALL consumer electronics which use a battery have a serviceable battery and that parts be sold for x years.
- InvaderFizz 6y ago
  > Dell won't sell me a battery and their batteries have DRM so you can't use a 3rd party unit. Are you sure you can't use a third party battery? Plenty of hits on Amazon for Chinese branded ones. I replaced a XPS 9570 battery with a Chinese one a few months ago, seems fine to me.
  - 6y ago
midrus 6y ago
I understand some people do need all these ports, but in my experience (and opinion) an XPS is worse in every other metric. The trackpad is terrible, the sound is terrible, the screen is worse, the webcam is not as good. I cannot use windows so I have to use Linux, which brings a good bunch of its problems such as external screen with different resolutions, having to setup scaling for many applications individually, and always being the last guy to join meetings because every day I have a different problems switching to my usb headset, etc. I ended up going back to a macbook pro. The XPS hardware might look as good in the specs, but it won't last for more than 2 years, it crackles everywhere and the paint (in the trackpad, for example) wears off pretty easily if you use it every day. So, yes, I'd love macbooks to have more ports, but by no metric that problem alone would lead me to prefer it over an XPS. Just my preference/experience anyway.
- nightowl_games 6y ago
  I have XPS's and MacBooks in my house. For the record, none of the XPS's have HDMI or USBA. They have for several years. That's a shame. But in addition, none of the other things you mentioned are worse on the XPS. I bought one cause I prefer Linux, my wife got one because it was 1k$ cheaper than the comparable MacBook. She's a designer and the screen is 100% Adobe RGB coverage. The XPS and MacBook, from a hardware perspective, are basically equivalent. Its a shame they both took the ports out.
darkwater 6y ago
> I recently had the choice between a macbook pro and a dell xps Which XPS? My XPS 13 9300 has just 2 USB-C ports and a micro-SD slot (I don't mind carrying a small USB-C to everything adapter TBH, you can even have ethernet and VGA with that)

Goosee 6y ago

I use to have the same thought process as you: instantly sold on devices with native hdmi, usb a & usb c. By that metric xps beats macbook. Recently I tried to convert to a windows laptop from my 16 inch mbp. Upon switching I was constantly annoyed by the fan noise & using my pinkie to press the 'control' key opposed to macbook thumb on 'command' key. The point is, I realized native port selection was not a metric to consider when purchasing a laptop. I am fine bringing an adapter to the meeting room. I guess it comes down to what you value. I am just trying to play 'devil's advocate' with my anecdotal experience compared to your experience.

SilverRed 6y ago
I found the fan noise to be horrific on the 13in i5 macbook I was using. The thing was overheating constantly and since I use linux and windows at home, having the cmd key different only while working was a huge annoyance for me. On my dell xps 15 I almost never hear the fans at all and there is usually only a quick burst of fan noise when running a webpack compile or something compared to non stop 80% fans on the mbp. There are far more things that made the dell xps a better choice and ports was just one of them but still a very important one. USB-C adapters are pretty cheap but USB-C hubs are $100+ and have been a constant source of frustration when they keep failing unless you buy the most expensive ones.
- arcticbull 6y ago
  The M1's are dead silent, cold to the touch under all circumstances and dramatically faster. That was Intel, as it turns out, so if that was a big decision driver, I'd take another look!
- mssundaram 6y ago
  Use Karabiner Elements on macOS to switch the command key to what you want. And actually, I'm pretty sure it's possible in the built-in macOS settings, but I've always used that app for complex programmatic mappings.
- brailsafe 6y ago
  Aren't all good hubs quite costly though? I just use a shitty little USB-C adapter + usb cable, and my monitor acts as the hub. I agree about the fan noise.
- mszcz 6y ago
  I recently upgraded/switched my dev machine from a desktop (Intel NUC Hades Canyon) to a Lenovo Legion 5-15 ARH "gaming" laptop with 32GB, 2xM.2 and Ryzen 4800H (more mobile, more pandemic friendly). It's a big laptop by XPS13 standards sure, but one that's appropriately cooled. I hadn't been aware, up to that point, how much the fans bothered me. This thing is quick but at the same time real quiet. After some time I turned the NUC on for some reason, the funs launched into overdrive and I suddenly got annoyed.
fiddlerwoaroof 6y ago
Yeah, also USB-C is pretty obviously the future: having a single connector for all my external devices makes it hard to go back to packing multiple connectors. And, instead of dongle adapters, I just buy cables with the appropriate connector pair: e.g. HDMI/USB-C for my TV
ActorNightly 6y ago
The thing with "windows" laptops is that you can install and run Linux seamlessly out of the box, even distros that Mimic the look of OSX, and remap the keys to your hearts content.
- quesera 6y ago
  > even distros that Mimic the look of OSX, and remap the keys to your hearts content Sadly, they mimic the macOS UI very poorly, and it remains not-possible in Linux to universally remap keyboard shortcuts to match macOS built-in sanity.
  - DanAtC 6y ago
    https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto is pretty good on the keyboard front
  - airstrike 6y ago
    > to match macOS built-in sanity. Yeah, I really wish I could map Alt+Down to open files in Nautilus so that I can then use the Enter key to rename them like any sane person
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
  - rbreaves 6y ago
    You should really take a look at https://ubuntubudgie.org https://ubuntubudgie.org.. it does not mimic the UI poorly at all.. the welcome app easily gets you to a dark mojave looking theme and then you can change the layout to cupertino for the global menu. Also open up budgie-settings to set the overall system theme to dark and that is literally all you have to do.. Also use waterfox instead of firefox if you want the browser to give you a proper global menu, or use chrome.
- boogies 6y ago
  The XPS line in particular has had Developer Editions with pre-installed Ubuntu, and IIUC significant effort by Dell to provide good Linux drivers, for years.
deergomoo 6y ago
> Recently I tried to convert to a windows laptop from my 16 inch mbp. Upon switching I was constantly annoyed by the fan noise Jesus, how loud was the Windows laptop? I just sold my 16" MBP for an M1 Air almost entirely because the fan noise on the 16" was unbearable.

philliphaydon 6y ago

Work gave me an XSP And I gave it back. One of the worst laptops. They used to be really good but the thing runs so hot and loud compared to my Lenovo. And still nothing beats Lenovo keyboard.

2muchcoffeeman 6y ago

I recently had the choice between a macbook pro and a dell xps. Saw the dell xps had HDMI, USB-C _and_ USB-A and was sold. Enjoy it while it lasts, the current XPS generation is USB-C only.

650REDHAIR 6y ago

My XPS 9550 had two batteries swell and the 2nd time it broke my upper case and trackpad. I replaced the case, trackpad, and keyboard, but Dell won't sell me a battery and their batteries have DRM so you can't use a 3rd party unit. My top of the line, i7, 32gb ram, 2gb gpu, 1tb nvme drive laptop is now no better than a paperweight. When plugged into shore power you can't get max CPU or GPU power and it's an annoying mess to deal with so it's just sitting. I now own an X1 Carbon 7th gen and a 2020 i5 MBP and love them both. I'm traveling more than ever (bought a camper van to get out of the city center) and they are typically more abused than the XPS ever was. No problems at all. Shit, my 8 and 10 year old MBPs are still running after giving them away to friends in need. I have a thin Anker dongle that has type a ports, ethernet, hdmi, and type c and a couple cheap backups in various bags. It's a small price to pay and all of our devices save the iPhone are type C now so I am slowing moving to one cord for everything. Anyway...I'll never buy another Dell for the rest of my life. End rant

protomyth 6y ago
Dell won't sell me a battery and their batteries have DRM so you can't use a 3rd party unit Dell is horrible for this type of stuff. Had to retire a server early because of this type of policy. I wouldn't recommend them at all.
SilverRed 6y ago
This is a horror story and its bigger than just dell. Replacing a macbook battery is virtually impossible as well. IMO this is a problem that needs government action. The right to repair laws should include that ALL consumer electronics which use a battery have a serviceable battery and that parts be sold for x years.
InvaderFizz 6y ago
> Dell won't sell me a battery and their batteries have DRM so you can't use a 3rd party unit. Are you sure you can't use a third party battery? Plenty of hits on Amazon for Chinese branded ones. I replaced a XPS 9570 battery with a Chinese one a few months ago, seems fine to me.
- 6y ago

midrus 6y ago

I understand some people do need all these ports, but in my experience (and opinion) an XPS is worse in every other metric. The trackpad is terrible, the sound is terrible, the screen is worse, the webcam is not as good. I cannot use windows so I have to use Linux, which brings a good bunch of its problems such as external screen with different resolutions, having to setup scaling for many applications individually, and always being the last guy to join meetings because every day I have a different problems switching to my usb headset, etc. I ended up going back to a macbook pro. The XPS hardware might look as good in the specs, but it won't last for more than 2 years, it crackles everywhere and the paint (in the trackpad, for example) wears off pretty easily if you use it every day. So, yes, I'd love macbooks to have more ports, but by no metric that problem alone would lead me to prefer it over an XPS. Just my preference/experience anyway.

nightowl_games 6y ago
I have XPS's and MacBooks in my house. For the record, none of the XPS's have HDMI or USBA. They have for several years. That's a shame. But in addition, none of the other things you mentioned are worse on the XPS. I bought one cause I prefer Linux, my wife got one because it was 1k$ cheaper than the comparable MacBook. She's a designer and the screen is 100% Adobe RGB coverage. The XPS and MacBook, from a hardware perspective, are basically equivalent. Its a shame they both took the ports out.

darkwater 6y ago

> I recently had the choice between a macbook pro and a dell xps Which XPS? My XPS 13 9300 has just 2 USB-C ports and a micro-SD slot (I don't mind carrying a small USB-C to everything adapter TBH, you can even have ethernet and VGA with that)