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Dell XPS 13 Review

269 points by ismavis 12y ago

noja 12y ago
Does the left usb port support full power devices like hard drives? The 2013 model didn't.
jkot 12y ago
This laptop will most likely get official support for Ubuntu 14.04.
- dabeeeenster 12y ago
  14.04 is almost a year old?
  - rootbear 12y ago
    It is the most recent Long Term Support release and will be supported into 2019. I expect that is why they are shipping that version.
  - alexmunroe 12y ago
    14.04 is the LTS release, most corporate environments using Ubuntu that I've encountered jump between the LTS releases due to the five year support cycle. Being that a fairly large portion of the Dell's customer base it does make sense.
  - 72deluxe 12y ago
    The LTS one is the one to install if you want a system to use and do stuff with for an extended period of time. I don't miss the days of reinstalling the bleeding edge version of Fedora every so many months, only to find that they'd changed things and that the GNOME preferences in $HOME no longer worked or meant anything etc. How do others cope with the incessant wheels or progress/reinvention?
- listic 12y ago
  How does 'official support' for Ubuntu look like?
  - zanny 12y ago
    http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-laptop http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-lapt...
    - listic 12y ago
      Nice. I wish ThinkPads had that. I'm ok with the way Ubuntu works on my old X200s, but I'm uncertain about the device support for latest ThinkPad models. Do you know of similar official support for Ubuntu in other decent laptops? EDIT: Oh wow, ThinkPad X240s and X250, along with many other models, are certified. http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/models/?query=&category=Laptop&release=&level=Any&vendors=Lenovo http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/models/?query=&c... I wonder how am I supposed to use fingerprint scanner on my laptop?
      - zanny 12y ago
        https://system76.com/laptops https://system76.com/laptops I have a Galago Ultrapro personally, but if the XPS 13 2016 is any good (and they don't jump the shark like Lenovo is, what with the Intel bootguard DRM bullshit - hell if they put coreboot on any model XPS notebook I'd be all over it instantly like butter on toast).
        CalRobert 12y ago
        What do you think about it? I had an UltraPro for one day and returned it because the keyboard was so bad as to be essentially broken. The case was also about as solid as a warm stick of butter. Their support also tried to convince me I was typing improperly which broke any trust I had with them; it's a well-documented issue they eventually confessed to knowing about and ignoring.
        12y ago
bryanlarsen 12y ago
The interesting difference between this review and that of most others is that Anandtech endorsed Dell's claims of 15 hours of battery life. Reviews like at The Verge[1] measured the battery life at 6.5 hours. I trust Anandtech more than The Verge to conduct properly controlled tests, but it really does illustrate the point that usage has a far bigger impact on battery life on modern notebooks than it did in the past. 1: http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/13/8030821/dell-xps-13-laptop-ultrabook-review http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/13/8030821/dell-xps-13-laptop...
- jakevn 12y ago
  Apparently simply disabling Windows Indexing increased battery life from 7.5 hours to 9.5 hours in some tests.
  - thanksgiving 12y ago
    Perhaps a sane default would be to pause Windows Indexing by default when on battery? Defaults matter.
    - sliverstorm 12y ago
      That's not really ideal though... for example, Windows Indexing is responsible for indexing email in Outlook. If you've been mobile for the last two days, that's potentially a lot of email you can't search.
      - thanksgiving 12y ago
        Reminds me of a somewhat unrelated scenario in Android world. Auto backup of photos in Google+ Photos has a setting where you can have backup only happen when connected to power (and/or on Wi-Fi). Perhaps Microsoft could add something like this in their settings as well? Yes, I understand this could be seen as feature creep but I think if the savings in battery life are as much as the grandfather says then it is worth the extra complication of a setting. What do you think?
      - 12y ago
at-fates-hands 12y ago
As much as I love SSD's, is 256GB actually enough for power users? Or are they assuming the OS will be on the SSD and you can hook up an external HD for more space? Just curious.
- QuantumRoar 12y ago
  As a power user, I can live with a 256GB SSD. But I can't live with less than 384GB of RAM.
  - iak8god 12y ago
    > But I can't live with less than 384GB of RAM. Heh, that's a bit more than I expect from this form factor, but I can't believe Dell's calling this an "Ultrabook" and reviewers are calling it a "premium notebook" if the RAM maxes out at 8GB.
    - masklinn 12y ago
      > I can't believe Dell's calling this an "Ultrabook" and reviewers are calling it a "premium notebook" if the RAM maxes out at 8GB. The Ars review included a similar remark: > The year is 2015. 8GB of RAM should be the baseline, with 16GB as an option. 4GB is barely enough to run Chrome. but noted that the CPU supports 16GB, so unless the RAM is soldered you can reach 16GB aftermarket.
      - iak8god 12y ago
        > unless the RAM is soldered Is is according to ifixit's teardown: "Buyer beware: Just like in the MacBooks Air and Retina, the RAM in the XPS 13 is soldered to the motherboard, and cannot be replaced. When you're picking out your new laptop, configure what you think it'll need...forever." - https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Dell+XPS+13+Teardown/36157#s81012 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Dell+XPS+13+Teardown/36157#s... I'm not a fan of this trend.
        12y ago
siegecraft 12y ago
I'm surprised that Dell managed to get back to this point, but I think Apple is no longer a no-brainer if you want a "nicer" build quality, and you can start differentiating based on support. I never thought I would buy a non-Apple laptop again, but I've actually been eyeing the Dell XPS and a friend's recent experiences w/ AppleCare makes me want to take every effort to find an alternative hardware vendor, assuming they can hit close to the same quality.
- mrjatx 12y ago
  Man, I finally a few years ago got completely comfortable with OSX and scripted so much stuff that I can set myself up basically anywhere in 5-10 minutes. Now I'm stuck on a MBPr and get to watch all of these amazing new PC laptops come out that are so innovative. All of the hybrids, convertibles, detachable convertibles, rotatable convertibles. I'm so envious. Come on Apple, seriously.
  - rayiner 12y ago
    I've played around with a few of those devices, had a Surface for awhile, etc. Ended up moving back to a big-ass laptop (15" rMBP) and a big-ass phone (iPhone 6+). It's really hard to beat the combination of quad-core power, tons of RAM, giant battery, and lots of screen real estate.
    - mrjatx 12y ago
      I'm the opposite, I loathe big laptops. I always used Thinkpad X's or the Vaio Z's connected to monitors. That way when I leave I just pop them off the dock and carry them out the door with my paperwork. Take 'em to a coffee shop or out on the porch and get some work done. On that note, I can't do the 11s though. I initially had an 11" MBA and that was way too small. I'll never do another 15" laptop!
      - rayiner 12y ago
        Fair enough. Though, my 15" rMBP is slightly lighter and 40% thinner than the 12" PowerBook G4 that used to be the height of portability not too long ago.
jbk 12y ago
It seems great, but I really need a 16GB RAM option. (At least they have the 512GB SSD) With a couple of VMs, and a webbrowser, 8 GB can get tiny, and those machines don't evolve, so I'd like to plan for a couple of years...
- julianz 12y ago
  Recently bought a Dell e7440 14" machine with i7, 16GB and then added a 1TB SSD. As developer machines go, it's pretty decent. Not as much battery life as I'd like (3-4 hours) but I haven't actually run it out yet. It's small and light enough that I can take it anywhere, but big enough that I don't need external monitors to get proper work done. Only real downside is that the video is a little underpowered (HD 4000) so no gaming.
  - ansible 12y ago
    I recently ordered a HP Omen gaming laptop. 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Nvidia 860m with 4GB VRAM, 15.6in 1080p IPS screen. It was $1700 USD from Costco, but it has taken three weeks to arrive. It is a little heavier than the e7440, but I really wanted a 15in screen.
- commandar 12y ago
  I don't think anyone's making machines in this class with that much RAM. They practically have to be built with on-board RAM to get this thin and there's just not enough demand to justify the logistics of building 16GB motherboards for them.
  - jbk 12y ago
    The MacBook Pro 13 has an option to get 512+16GB. It's a bit heavier, but not that much. The Asus Zenbook UX303LN has 12GB (it's better), but only 256GB of SSD. I don't mind the price, I need a powerful tool.
    - commandar 12y ago
      The MBP is a different class of machine. This thing is roughly the size of an 11 inch MBA.
jdonaldson 12y ago
I had been trying to find a decent developer's laptop for some time, and it led me to the xps 13 "developer edition" (the predecessor to this one). Keep in mind that I really wanted to like that laptop. However, in the end, I went back to my macbook air. There were just too many small headaches to deal with. I'll list them here. I'd like to know if there are any improvements this time around. I'd be curious to know if they're going to do another "developer edition" for this new model. 1) The touchpad sensitivity was way off in ubuntu, and I couldn't use normal configs to tune it properly. Sounds like they fixed it. 2) The wifi range was very poor compared to mba. 3) Battery life was not as good as mba. 4) Ubuntu wasn't very good at scaling high dpi resolutions on smaller displays. The mba I have doesn't have a high dpi, and I don't need it for my work. FWIW, the retina class displays in the mbp all are perfect. 5) The mba are better balanced. The xps13 was a little wobbly since the weight was not well distributed. It was also slightly harder to open and close. Honestly, all of these things add up. Darwin isn't a "true" *nix, but it's close enough for me. If I'm off the mark on these issues these days, let me know.
- robotic 12y ago
  > Darwin isn't a "true" *nix, but it's close enough for me. Yosemite is a registered UNIX 03 product. http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/ http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/
  - jdonaldson 12y ago
    Darwin to me is pretty much the poster child for "unix-like" operating systems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_%28operating_system%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_%28operating_system%29
  - masklinn 12y ago
    Hell, OSX has been UNIX03-registered since Leopard/Intel: http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm
- igravious 12y ago
whitecat 12y ago
This turned out to be a longer first post than I though it would be. I don't know why people are comparing these "good" laptops to Apple laptops in specs. Apple laptops really have not been better than the best laptops. For every MBPr that has come out there has been a better laptop by one of the tops Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer. The reason is I buy Apple is I need a stable operating system. The last 4 Windows based machine I owned crashed when I close/move/sleep/awoke it/plugged in another display (who would think that would crash a computer), the reason was drivers. I switched those laptops from Windows to try Linux and it was marginally better but again driver support did not fix those problems. I bought 4 non Apple laptops in hopes to get a good one. When I switched to Apple I still faced issues bug only 1/10 the time as when I was with other brands. I hate apple operating system lack of getting things I want. I wish I could have stayed with Windows, I am hampered by using silly work arounds to play video games I love. Linux is great if I didn't have so many configuration issues, installing the correct video driver is a pain (I'm looking at you intel video cards). The system works. I spent 20 years working on windows machines. The last 4 years Windows machines just have had more and more issues which pushed me to something that is stable and will work.
- artimaeis 12y ago
  This is a surprising comment to me. I've followed the laptop market pretty closely for years now and Apple consistently has offered the highest quality devices of everyone in my opinion. Most importantly to me is the sheer size/weight of the device while still maintaining features. In this way Macbooks have been superior for years - but I'm hoping there's just some lines I've missed. If you could point me to some laptops that match the specs of a Macbook for the year they were out and are as thin/light then I'd much appreciate it!
  - whitecat 12y ago
    Dell has been producing amazing spec'ed laptops since 2013. When they use the IGZO display. Dell and Fujitsu both produced a 3200 x 1800 display laptop. Samsung has their 9 and 5 series that are pretty nice spec'ed work horses. Apple Does not have any laptop with 32 GB of memory, and you cannot upgrade them. They have the i7 but only 1 of the 13 different possible specs. Given size it is a bit more difficult but there are laptops with higher display density than apple and faster processors.
emptybits 12y ago
Nice looking unit. I'm going to look seriously at it, instead of a MacBook Air 11, for a travel machine. Dell's claim of "a 13 inch display in the chassis of an 11 inch notebook" is reasonable: Dell 13: 304 mm x 200 mm x 9-15 mm Air 11: 300 mm x 192 mm x 3-17 mm And the weights are within 100 g of each other.
plg 12y ago
what about GNU/Linux compatibility? Are they going to release a version with GNU/Linux preinstalled?
simonebrunozzi 12y ago
The single thing that prevents me from switching from a Macbook to a Dell XPS is the Apple trackpad. Think about it.
- sliverstorm 12y ago
  A nice little thought-terminating stance. Considering Dell computers can never have Apple parts.
  - siegecraft 12y ago
    Well the Apple touchpad really is that good, it's another one of those things that kept me from ever considering non-Apple laptops. Maybe one could use a magic trackpad paired to their Dell..
  - micv 12y ago
    If, after years of trying, OEMs still can't produce a trackpad on par with Apple's offerings, that's on them, not their potential customers who are turned off by the absence.
    - Artemis2 12y ago
      Maybe it's because of patents? https://www.google.com/patents/US8049736 https://www.google.com/patents/US8049736
      - 72deluxe 12y ago
        Very informative, thanks! I didn't realise how much I enjoy the trackpad (that is, don't fight it and curse at it) until I come to use a Windows laptop and pinch to zoom, swipe left/right etc. doesn't work. In fact, using a MacBook in Windows is a frustrating experience as the touchpad doesn't work as it does under OSX.
- ubercow13 12y ago
  But this laptop has a "precision touchpad" ie. one that doesn't have a 3rd party driver and interfaces with Windows directly [1] (it's maybe the first one to?). Reportedly it's much more like a Macbook in responsiveness. So maybe there are zero things now [1] https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn532239.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn...
vrodic 12y ago
It's strange that no 28W Broadwell-U machines have been reviewed yet. Since they have almost 2x of the power budget than the 15W ones, I expect them to be a whole different beasts for loads where you need both GPU and CPU to be active.
cies 12y ago
A Developer Edition (with Linux preloaded) will come at some point. Currently there are driver issues of which the non-working audio is most persistent. Most elaborate info on it here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1413446 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1413446 In this Reddit thread... http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/2u0jjd/linux_support_is_terrible_on_the_new_dell_xps_13/ http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/2u0jjd/linux_support_... ...you find comment from barton808, who identifies himself as the Team Lead of Sputnik (= XPS13 Linux), and gives away that they are waiting/working on the same issues (to be resolved). I think it will make a great laptop. I currently own an XPS13 old version, and think it is just a bit short of Apple hardware. I've heard this new one should be up to par with Apple's hardware while having an eventually more compatible hardware stack. It will probably be the most powerful Linux-preinstalled ultrabook on the market, when releaed. Fingers crossed it may be released soon. :)
- MetaCosm 12y ago
  I was excited until I read 8GB max... that can't be right can it? What modern developer machine would have an 8GB cap?
  - guelo 12y ago
    Same as a Macbook Air.
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
  - bwilliams 12y ago
    The 8gb model is 2x4gb, maybe the developer edition will see 2x8gb?
    - MetaCosm 12y ago
      One can hope, currently as my next portable, I am looking at the Asus UX303LN (great memorable Asus names...) but haven't found much info on putting Linux on it yet.
balladeer 12y ago
People I know, who have used this laptop (the previous avatar), never had a good thing to say about this laptop - from the extremely high prices to rampant overheating. 3 years back I went for an Air, and till date that's been my only iProduct - yes, the iPrice just doesn't make sense to me, price was the reason I didn't buy any other laptop but the Macbook Air. My needs were clear >= 4GB RAM, 100+ SSD being the prime needs along with extremely good battery life and extremely light-weight and solid machine (And I was indeed lured by the polished/pretty OS - but I do still love my xubuntu). Yes, Air delivered that. I am from India and at that time a comparable machine (wasn't one available really) was available for at least ~30% higher than the Macbook Air price and the that scenario is pretty much still the same (both the higher price part and "alternative not really available" part). (I guess it may not be the same in US or other western countries)
mmilano 12y ago
I ordered a XPS 13 in 2014 over the phone since there was a problem with checking out at the website at the time. I spent 15 hours (started logging hours after the 2nd) total fixing their mistake when I realized they didn't order me the developer edition. Those hours were also spent fixing the screw up of them sending it to the wrong address. I did end up getting the laptop. It was pretty nice except I could hear an electrical hiss coming from the bottom of the laptop when the room was quiet. I had a friend who had one and confirmed the sound was coming from his as well. I sent the laptop back and spent another 2 hours with their "support" for that. I'll never buy from Dell again.
nqzero 12y ago
> 16:9 not even once
wbsun 12y ago
Looks like Mac is still the best choice of a good quality *NIX laptop that works out-of-box. PC still has a long way to go.
mhomde 12y ago
I've had the high end version (i7 & hi-res touchscreen) for a couple of weeks as my primary development machine and so far is pretty satisfied The keyboard is more plastic than for instance the Zenbook but good. I've had no issues with the track pad, two-finger scrolling works perfectly. Best trackpad I've had on a PC laptop (don't know what The Verge was raving about, maybe pinch gestures aren't as good as mac?) As for battery issues, It does feel that it doesn’t last too long, like 3-4 hours tops (I run Bitlocker & Chrome though so that has some impact). I don't think this is as much the laptops fault really as it depends mostly on having a screen with very high resolution and depending on how you configure power saving options, what kind of work you do etc. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Xps "13 is the best PC laptop in this form factor right now until sharp releases the exclusivity on the screen in November, then Asus might give them a run for their money again. To their credit I vowed never to buy a dell laptop again but they proved me wrong. A 14"-15" version of this laptop with more ram would be the ultimate though, larger screen so you can use the resolution better, more battery volume for a little better longevity. I'm not so sure the hi-res version is the best option for developers because of the energy drain, especially if you need to work on battery for a whole day. The power pack buys you some time but very doubtful you'd last a whole day. Also matte screens is often better than glossy for development, at least when working outside or where's there's sun. Then again, you might need touch for development and the touch version with gorilla glass looks much better. Personally the feature I'm dying to get now that we have almost bezel free computers are Amoled screens. Bezelfree where the true blacks of the screen blends into the little bezel there is would be truly droolworthy
airnomad 12y ago
I just don't understand why vendors limit max memory nowdays. I mean, I have 8GB in 8 years old T61.
grn 12y ago
Amazingly, Dell claims 15 hours 12 minutes of battery life, and on our Light test we hit exactly that. That sounds really impressive. Congratulations! I have mixed feelings when it comes to Dell. I use Dell U2713HM. Initially I got the first revision which had issues with a buzzing sound emitted when displaying a pattern on the screen. It completely died after a few weeks. I got a replacement (third revision) and haven't experienced any problems since. I haven't owned a Dell laptop. How good are they when compared to other PC laptops and MacBooks?
- noinsight 12y ago
  > I have mixed feelings when it comes to Dell. I use Dell U2713HM. Initially I got the first revision which had issues with a buzzing sound emitted when displaying a pattern on the screen. It completely died after a few weeks. I got a replacement (third revision) and haven't experienced any problems since. I have the same issue. You got it replaced? When I called Dell they sent me a refurb that had dead pixels and buzzed as well. I sent that right back. My brand new display also had a dead pixel from the start. And actually all you need to do to get that buzzing is to display a lot of text on the screen i.e. Wikipedia or something. It's super annoying when you're working in a quiet environment and all you can hear is BUZZZZZZ. I'm still kicking myself for not going with Eizo because Dell was $100 cheaper. I vowed... Dell, never again.
wldlyinaccurate 12y ago
I own a 2014 XPS 13 and I absolutely love it, but my next machine will be a Macbook. The reason is pretty simple: resale value. Upgrading to the latest and greatest Macbook is absurdly cheap since you can sell your old model for close to the original price. Whereas I'll be lucky to get half of what I paid for my XPS 13.
- mingmecca 12y ago
  Upgrading to the latest and greatest Macbook is absurdly cheap since you can sell your old model for close to the original price Oh how I wish that were true. I have a 2012 15" Macbook Retina (8gb/256gb) that I bought for $2200. The typical price on eBay is around $1200. So, I can get about half, which is your lament about the XPS 13.
  - nonuby 12y ago
    For a three year old, out of warranty, used, old laptop thats pretty impressive
    - 72deluxe 12y ago
      I forget that 2012 is now 3 years old. My MacBook is a mid2012 non-retina MBP (with all the ports on it) and it's still absolutely fine but I know in the fashionable computer world, it's ancient. Still fetches a good resale value though.
      - abrowne 12y ago
        That one is a weird case because it's still the latest model of "classic"/non-retina MBPs. And, probably, the last.
  - wldlyinaccurate 12y ago
    Yeah, I think the high resale value only applies to previous-generation machines. Basically, for a couple hundred dollars each year (plus the hassle of using eBay) you can upgrade to a brand-new machine.
CalRobert 12y ago
I own the generation preceding this (xps 13 9333) and use Ubuntu 14.10 on it. In general I'm pretty happy with it, though the coil whine is an annoyance. The touchpad is good, though if I'm being completely honest it's not _quite_ on par with that of the MBPr I use for work. 128GB hasn't actually been a problem, but I pretty aggressively offload all media on to owncloud so I'm not storing movies, pictures, etc. I bought a refurb on ebay so it wasn't terribly expensive, but at list price it would be a little difficult to justify compared to a MBA. I bought it because I wanted to use Ubuntu as my primary OS and am not completely thrilled about giving money to a company that loves walled gardens.
blinkingled 12y ago
For those looking for a Ultrabook form factor workstation with 16GB RAM capability - the HP ZBook 14 looks like a great choice. Anandtech review here - http://anandtech.com/show/8186/hp-zbook-14-review-mobile-workstation-meets-ultrabook http://anandtech.com/show/8186/hp-zbook-14-review-mobile-wor... . You don't get a ton of battery life out of it but there's a choice of bigger battery.
plq 12y ago
I got a custom built 13.3" Sony Vaio S. It's got 12GB ram, 1TB disk, Intel i7 at 2.9Ghz, 1600x900 display, Blu-Ray Reader/DVD-RW Combo, 3G modem, gbit ethernet, both VGA and HDMI output, 3 USB ports (2 of them 3.0) SD Card and MemoryCard and cost 987 GBP plus tax which I got back on my way out. Oh and it's got very good Linux compatibity out of the box. Resumes from ram without a hitch, I only reboot when I need to get something done with the kernel. I'm writing this while listening music via my bluetooth headset. Battery sustains around 2 hours of work, but it used to be better. It was leaps and bounds ahead of what Apple had to offer with its Macbook PRO line at the time at 2/3 of its weight, and I fear still is. I'm looking at Dell's machine and yes it's got a higher resolution display (but is it better at that display size? I hope!), and presumably an updated processor, but that's it. No nic, no disk spinner, less ports, no VGA, etc. Call me old-fashioned but I can't consider a laptop without a couple easy ways to get data on/off (e.g. ethernet ports, disk spinners) as a development workstation. Top that and I'll pay you. And shame on you, Sony, for not being able to properly sell today's market leader that you came up with two years ago. Shame on you.
- _pmf_ 12y ago
  > And shame on you, Sony, for not being able to properly sell today's market leader that you came up with two years ago. Shame on you. Unless you consider Japan. Sony has never been very keen on marketing their top stuff in the US and Europe; it's mystifying.
- morsch 12y ago
  And I'd call a computer with 2 hours of battery runtime a desktop with a UPS. :) I jest. That said, I think the Dell is okay in terms of connections. There's seemingly half a dozen video output plugs at the moment, including one that's been around since 1952[0]. I'd rather buy 4 adapting cables than have more than one video out on a subnotebook. Getting data on/off seems easy: there's wifi, there's 3 USB ports for everything else[1]. Spinning (optical) disks? Really? Might as well put a LTO tape drive in there. I'd have like Ethernet, too, but in those cases where you're most likely to need it (at home, in the office), it's easy to stash an adapter. [0] I'm not even kidding. http://www.dansdata.com/gz061.htm http://www.dansdata.com/gz061.htm [1] Also bluetooth. And there's an SD card reader, if your development process includes taking photos. External optical drives are like, 20 bucks.
mavdi 12y ago
Switched to Linux a few months ago after I got tired of running out of memory and CPU power on a 16GB i7 MBPr. My productivity has increased 2x. All those little customisations to OS that you end up doing when using Linux really do end up making your life a lot easier in the long run. I think Apple is on the same path as Microsoft was more than a decade ago. They are losing developers.
hobarrera 12y ago
It looks to me like a Macbook Air 13" is better in spec and at almost the same price range. Did I miss something?

Dell XPS 13 Review

269 points by ismavis 12y ago

noja 12y ago

Does the left usb port support full power devices like hard drives? The 2013 model didn't.

jkot 12y ago

This laptop will most likely get official support for Ubuntu 14.04.

dabeeeenster 12y ago
14.04 is almost a year old?
- rootbear 12y ago
  It is the most recent Long Term Support release and will be supported into 2019. I expect that is why they are shipping that version.
- alexmunroe 12y ago
  14.04 is the LTS release, most corporate environments using Ubuntu that I've encountered jump between the LTS releases due to the five year support cycle. Being that a fairly large portion of the Dell's customer base it does make sense.
- 72deluxe 12y ago
  The LTS one is the one to install if you want a system to use and do stuff with for an extended period of time. I don't miss the days of reinstalling the bleeding edge version of Fedora every so many months, only to find that they'd changed things and that the GNOME preferences in $HOME no longer worked or meant anything etc. How do others cope with the incessant wheels or progress/reinvention?
listic 12y ago
How does 'official support' for Ubuntu look like?
- zanny 12y ago
  http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-laptop http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-lapt...
  - listic 12y ago
    Nice. I wish ThinkPads had that. I'm ok with the way Ubuntu works on my old X200s, but I'm uncertain about the device support for latest ThinkPad models. Do you know of similar official support for Ubuntu in other decent laptops? EDIT: Oh wow, ThinkPad X240s and X250, along with many other models, are certified. http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/models/?query=&category=Laptop&release=&level=Any&vendors=Lenovo http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/models/?query=&c... I wonder how am I supposed to use fingerprint scanner on my laptop?
    - zanny 12y ago
      https://system76.com/laptops https://system76.com/laptops I have a Galago Ultrapro personally, but if the XPS 13 2016 is any good (and they don't jump the shark like Lenovo is, what with the Intel bootguard DRM bullshit - hell if they put coreboot on any model XPS notebook I'd be all over it instantly like butter on toast).
      - CalRobert 12y ago
        What do you think about it? I had an UltraPro for one day and returned it because the keyboard was so bad as to be essentially broken. The case was also about as solid as a warm stick of butter. Their support also tried to convince me I was typing improperly which broke any trust I had with them; it's a well-documented issue they eventually confessed to knowing about and ignoring.
        12y ago

bryanlarsen 12y ago

The interesting difference between this review and that of most others is that Anandtech endorsed Dell's claims of 15 hours of battery life. Reviews like at The Verge[1] measured the battery life at 6.5 hours. I trust Anandtech more than The Verge to conduct properly controlled tests, but it really does illustrate the point that usage has a far bigger impact on battery life on modern notebooks than it did in the past. 1: http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/13/8030821/dell-xps-13-laptop-ultrabook-review http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/13/8030821/dell-xps-13-laptop...

jakevn 12y ago
Apparently simply disabling Windows Indexing increased battery life from 7.5 hours to 9.5 hours in some tests.
- thanksgiving 12y ago
  Perhaps a sane default would be to pause Windows Indexing by default when on battery? Defaults matter.
  - sliverstorm 12y ago
    That's not really ideal though... for example, Windows Indexing is responsible for indexing email in Outlook. If you've been mobile for the last two days, that's potentially a lot of email you can't search.
    - thanksgiving 12y ago
      Reminds me of a somewhat unrelated scenario in Android world. Auto backup of photos in Google+ Photos has a setting where you can have backup only happen when connected to power (and/or on Wi-Fi). Perhaps Microsoft could add something like this in their settings as well? Yes, I understand this could be seen as feature creep but I think if the savings in battery life are as much as the grandfather says then it is worth the extra complication of a setting. What do you think?
    - 12y ago

at-fates-hands 12y ago

As much as I love SSD's, is 256GB actually enough for power users? Or are they assuming the OS will be on the SSD and you can hook up an external HD for more space? Just curious.

QuantumRoar 12y ago
As a power user, I can live with a 256GB SSD. But I can't live with less than 384GB of RAM.
- iak8god 12y ago
  > But I can't live with less than 384GB of RAM. Heh, that's a bit more than I expect from this form factor, but I can't believe Dell's calling this an "Ultrabook" and reviewers are calling it a "premium notebook" if the RAM maxes out at 8GB.
  - masklinn 12y ago
    > I can't believe Dell's calling this an "Ultrabook" and reviewers are calling it a "premium notebook" if the RAM maxes out at 8GB. The Ars review included a similar remark: > The year is 2015. 8GB of RAM should be the baseline, with 16GB as an option. 4GB is barely enough to run Chrome. but noted that the CPU supports 16GB, so unless the RAM is soldered you can reach 16GB aftermarket.
    - iak8god 12y ago
      > unless the RAM is soldered Is is according to ifixit's teardown: "Buyer beware: Just like in the MacBooks Air and Retina, the RAM in the XPS 13 is soldered to the motherboard, and cannot be replaced. When you're picking out your new laptop, configure what you think it'll need...forever." - https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Dell+XPS+13+Teardown/36157#s81012 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Dell+XPS+13+Teardown/36157#s... I'm not a fan of this trend.
      - 12y ago

siegecraft 12y ago

I'm surprised that Dell managed to get back to this point, but I think Apple is no longer a no-brainer if you want a "nicer" build quality, and you can start differentiating based on support. I never thought I would buy a non-Apple laptop again, but I've actually been eyeing the Dell XPS and a friend's recent experiences w/ AppleCare makes me want to take every effort to find an alternative hardware vendor, assuming they can hit close to the same quality.

mrjatx 12y ago
Man, I finally a few years ago got completely comfortable with OSX and scripted so much stuff that I can set myself up basically anywhere in 5-10 minutes. Now I'm stuck on a MBPr and get to watch all of these amazing new PC laptops come out that are so innovative. All of the hybrids, convertibles, detachable convertibles, rotatable convertibles. I'm so envious. Come on Apple, seriously.
- rayiner 12y ago
  I've played around with a few of those devices, had a Surface for awhile, etc. Ended up moving back to a big-ass laptop (15" rMBP) and a big-ass phone (iPhone 6+). It's really hard to beat the combination of quad-core power, tons of RAM, giant battery, and lots of screen real estate.
  - mrjatx 12y ago
    I'm the opposite, I loathe big laptops. I always used Thinkpad X's or the Vaio Z's connected to monitors. That way when I leave I just pop them off the dock and carry them out the door with my paperwork. Take 'em to a coffee shop or out on the porch and get some work done. On that note, I can't do the 11s though. I initially had an 11" MBA and that was way too small. I'll never do another 15" laptop!
    - rayiner 12y ago
      Fair enough. Though, my 15" rMBP is slightly lighter and 40% thinner than the 12" PowerBook G4 that used to be the height of portability not too long ago.

jbk 12y ago

It seems great, but I really need a 16GB RAM option. (At least they have the 512GB SSD) With a couple of VMs, and a webbrowser, 8 GB can get tiny, and those machines don't evolve, so I'd like to plan for a couple of years...

julianz 12y ago
Recently bought a Dell e7440 14" machine with i7, 16GB and then added a 1TB SSD. As developer machines go, it's pretty decent. Not as much battery life as I'd like (3-4 hours) but I haven't actually run it out yet. It's small and light enough that I can take it anywhere, but big enough that I don't need external monitors to get proper work done. Only real downside is that the video is a little underpowered (HD 4000) so no gaming.
- ansible 12y ago
  I recently ordered a HP Omen gaming laptop. 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Nvidia 860m with 4GB VRAM, 15.6in 1080p IPS screen. It was $1700 USD from Costco, but it has taken three weeks to arrive. It is a little heavier than the e7440, but I really wanted a 15in screen.
commandar 12y ago
I don't think anyone's making machines in this class with that much RAM. They practically have to be built with on-board RAM to get this thin and there's just not enough demand to justify the logistics of building 16GB motherboards for them.
- jbk 12y ago
  The MacBook Pro 13 has an option to get 512+16GB. It's a bit heavier, but not that much. The Asus Zenbook UX303LN has 12GB (it's better), but only 256GB of SSD. I don't mind the price, I need a powerful tool.
  - commandar 12y ago
    The MBP is a different class of machine. This thing is roughly the size of an 11 inch MBA.

jdonaldson 12y ago

I had been trying to find a decent developer's laptop for some time, and it led me to the xps 13 "developer edition" (the predecessor to this one). Keep in mind that I really wanted to like that laptop. However, in the end, I went back to my macbook air. There were just too many small headaches to deal with. I'll list them here. I'd like to know if there are any improvements this time around. I'd be curious to know if they're going to do another "developer edition" for this new model. 1) The touchpad sensitivity was way off in ubuntu, and I couldn't use normal configs to tune it properly. Sounds like they fixed it. 2) The wifi range was very poor compared to mba. 3) Battery life was not as good as mba. 4) Ubuntu wasn't very good at scaling high dpi resolutions on smaller displays. The mba I have doesn't have a high dpi, and I don't need it for my work. FWIW, the retina class displays in the mbp all are perfect. 5) The mba are better balanced. The xps13 was a little wobbly since the weight was not well distributed. It was also slightly harder to open and close. Honestly, all of these things add up. Darwin isn't a "true" *nix, but it's close enough for me. If I'm off the mark on these issues these days, let me know.

robotic 12y ago
> Darwin isn't a "true" *nix, but it's close enough for me. Yosemite is a registered UNIX 03 product. http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/ http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/
- jdonaldson 12y ago
  Darwin to me is pretty much the poster child for "unix-like" operating systems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_%28operating_system%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_%28operating_system%29
- masklinn 12y ago
  Hell, OSX has been UNIX03-registered since Leopard/Intel: http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm
igravious 12y ago

whitecat 12y ago

This turned out to be a longer first post than I though it would be. I don't know why people are comparing these "good" laptops to Apple laptops in specs. Apple laptops really have not been better than the best laptops. For every MBPr that has come out there has been a better laptop by one of the tops Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer. The reason is I buy Apple is I need a stable operating system. The last 4 Windows based machine I owned crashed when I close/move/sleep/awoke it/plugged in another display (who would think that would crash a computer), the reason was drivers. I switched those laptops from Windows to try Linux and it was marginally better but again driver support did not fix those problems. I bought 4 non Apple laptops in hopes to get a good one. When I switched to Apple I still faced issues bug only 1/10 the time as when I was with other brands. I hate apple operating system lack of getting things I want. I wish I could have stayed with Windows, I am hampered by using silly work arounds to play video games I love. Linux is great if I didn't have so many configuration issues, installing the correct video driver is a pain (I'm looking at you intel video cards). The system works. I spent 20 years working on windows machines. The last 4 years Windows machines just have had more and more issues which pushed me to something that is stable and will work.

artimaeis 12y ago
This is a surprising comment to me. I've followed the laptop market pretty closely for years now and Apple consistently has offered the highest quality devices of everyone in my opinion. Most importantly to me is the sheer size/weight of the device while still maintaining features. In this way Macbooks have been superior for years - but I'm hoping there's just some lines I've missed. If you could point me to some laptops that match the specs of a Macbook for the year they were out and are as thin/light then I'd much appreciate it!
- whitecat 12y ago
  Dell has been producing amazing spec'ed laptops since 2013. When they use the IGZO display. Dell and Fujitsu both produced a 3200 x 1800 display laptop. Samsung has their 9 and 5 series that are pretty nice spec'ed work horses. Apple Does not have any laptop with 32 GB of memory, and you cannot upgrade them. They have the i7 but only 1 of the 13 different possible specs. Given size it is a bit more difficult but there are laptops with higher display density than apple and faster processors.

emptybits 12y ago

Nice looking unit. I'm going to look seriously at it, instead of a MacBook Air 11, for a travel machine. Dell's claim of "a 13 inch display in the chassis of an 11 inch notebook" is reasonable: Dell 13: 304 mm x 200 mm x 9-15 mm Air 11: 300 mm x 192 mm x 3-17 mm And the weights are within 100 g of each other.

plg 12y ago

what about GNU/Linux compatibility? Are they going to release a version with GNU/Linux preinstalled?

simonebrunozzi 12y ago

The single thing that prevents me from switching from a Macbook to a Dell XPS is the Apple trackpad. Think about it.

sliverstorm 12y ago
A nice little thought-terminating stance. Considering Dell computers can never have Apple parts.
- siegecraft 12y ago
  Well the Apple touchpad really is that good, it's another one of those things that kept me from ever considering non-Apple laptops. Maybe one could use a magic trackpad paired to their Dell..
- micv 12y ago
  If, after years of trying, OEMs still can't produce a trackpad on par with Apple's offerings, that's on them, not their potential customers who are turned off by the absence.
  - Artemis2 12y ago
    Maybe it's because of patents? https://www.google.com/patents/US8049736 https://www.google.com/patents/US8049736
    - 72deluxe 12y ago
      Very informative, thanks! I didn't realise how much I enjoy the trackpad (that is, don't fight it and curse at it) until I come to use a Windows laptop and pinch to zoom, swipe left/right etc. doesn't work. In fact, using a MacBook in Windows is a frustrating experience as the touchpad doesn't work as it does under OSX.
ubercow13 12y ago
But this laptop has a "precision touchpad" ie. one that doesn't have a 3rd party driver and interfaces with Windows directly [1] (it's maybe the first one to?). Reportedly it's much more like a Macbook in responsiveness. So maybe there are zero things now [1] https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn532239.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn...

vrodic 12y ago

It's strange that no 28W Broadwell-U machines have been reviewed yet. Since they have almost 2x of the power budget than the 15W ones, I expect them to be a whole different beasts for loads where you need both GPU and CPU to be active.

cies 12y ago

A Developer Edition (with Linux preloaded) will come at some point. Currently there are driver issues of which the non-working audio is most persistent. Most elaborate info on it here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1413446 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1413446 In this Reddit thread... http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/2u0jjd/linux_support_is_terrible_on_the_new_dell_xps_13/ http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/2u0jjd/linux_support_... ...you find comment from barton808, who identifies himself as the Team Lead of Sputnik (= XPS13 Linux), and gives away that they are waiting/working on the same issues (to be resolved). I think it will make a great laptop. I currently own an XPS13 old version, and think it is just a bit short of Apple hardware. I've heard this new one should be up to par with Apple's hardware while having an eventually more compatible hardware stack. It will probably be the most powerful Linux-preinstalled ultrabook on the market, when releaed. Fingers crossed it may be released soon. :)

MetaCosm 12y ago
I was excited until I read 8GB max... that can't be right can it? What modern developer machine would have an 8GB cap?
- guelo 12y ago
  Same as a Macbook Air.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
- bwilliams 12y ago
  The 8gb model is 2x4gb, maybe the developer edition will see 2x8gb?
  - MetaCosm 12y ago
    One can hope, currently as my next portable, I am looking at the Asus UX303LN (great memorable Asus names...) but haven't found much info on putting Linux on it yet.

balladeer 12y ago

People I know, who have used this laptop (the previous avatar), never had a good thing to say about this laptop - from the extremely high prices to rampant overheating. 3 years back I went for an Air, and till date that's been my only iProduct - yes, the iPrice just doesn't make sense to me, price was the reason I didn't buy any other laptop but the Macbook Air. My needs were clear >= 4GB RAM, 100+ SSD being the prime needs along with extremely good battery life and extremely light-weight and solid machine (And I was indeed lured by the polished/pretty OS - but I do still love my xubuntu). Yes, Air delivered that. I am from India and at that time a comparable machine (wasn't one available really) was available for at least ~30% higher than the Macbook Air price and the that scenario is pretty much still the same (both the higher price part and "alternative not really available" part). (I guess it may not be the same in US or other western countries)

mmilano 12y ago

I ordered a XPS 13 in 2014 over the phone since there was a problem with checking out at the website at the time. I spent 15 hours (started logging hours after the 2nd) total fixing their mistake when I realized they didn't order me the developer edition. Those hours were also spent fixing the screw up of them sending it to the wrong address. I did end up getting the laptop. It was pretty nice except I could hear an electrical hiss coming from the bottom of the laptop when the room was quiet. I had a friend who had one and confirmed the sound was coming from his as well. I sent the laptop back and spent another 2 hours with their "support" for that. I'll never buy from Dell again.

nqzero 12y ago

> 16:9 not even once

wbsun 12y ago

Looks like Mac is still the best choice of a good quality *NIX laptop that works out-of-box. PC still has a long way to go.

mhomde 12y ago

I've had the high end version (i7 & hi-res touchscreen) for a couple of weeks as my primary development machine and so far is pretty satisfied The keyboard is more plastic than for instance the Zenbook but good. I've had no issues with the track pad, two-finger scrolling works perfectly. Best trackpad I've had on a PC laptop (don't know what The Verge was raving about, maybe pinch gestures aren't as good as mac?) As for battery issues, It does feel that it doesn’t last too long, like 3-4 hours tops (I run Bitlocker & Chrome though so that has some impact). I don't think this is as much the laptops fault really as it depends mostly on having a screen with very high resolution and depending on how you configure power saving options, what kind of work you do etc. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Xps "13 is the best PC laptop in this form factor right now until sharp releases the exclusivity on the screen in November, then Asus might give them a run for their money again. To their credit I vowed never to buy a dell laptop again but they proved me wrong. A 14"-15" version of this laptop with more ram would be the ultimate though, larger screen so you can use the resolution better, more battery volume for a little better longevity. I'm not so sure the hi-res version is the best option for developers because of the energy drain, especially if you need to work on battery for a whole day. The power pack buys you some time but very doubtful you'd last a whole day. Also matte screens is often better than glossy for development, at least when working outside or where's there's sun. Then again, you might need touch for development and the touch version with gorilla glass looks much better. Personally the feature I'm dying to get now that we have almost bezel free computers are Amoled screens. Bezelfree where the true blacks of the screen blends into the little bezel there is would be truly droolworthy

airnomad 12y ago

I just don't understand why vendors limit max memory nowdays. I mean, I have 8GB in 8 years old T61.

grn 12y ago

Amazingly, Dell claims 15 hours 12 minutes of battery life, and on our Light test we hit exactly that. That sounds really impressive. Congratulations! I have mixed feelings when it comes to Dell. I use Dell U2713HM. Initially I got the first revision which had issues with a buzzing sound emitted when displaying a pattern on the screen. It completely died after a few weeks. I got a replacement (third revision) and haven't experienced any problems since. I haven't owned a Dell laptop. How good are they when compared to other PC laptops and MacBooks?

noinsight 12y ago
> I have mixed feelings when it comes to Dell. I use Dell U2713HM. Initially I got the first revision which had issues with a buzzing sound emitted when displaying a pattern on the screen. It completely died after a few weeks. I got a replacement (third revision) and haven't experienced any problems since. I have the same issue. You got it replaced? When I called Dell they sent me a refurb that had dead pixels and buzzed as well. I sent that right back. My brand new display also had a dead pixel from the start. And actually all you need to do to get that buzzing is to display a lot of text on the screen i.e. Wikipedia or something. It's super annoying when you're working in a quiet environment and all you can hear is BUZZZZZZ. I'm still kicking myself for not going with Eizo because Dell was $100 cheaper. I vowed... Dell, never again.

wldlyinaccurate 12y ago

I own a 2014 XPS 13 and I absolutely love it, but my next machine will be a Macbook. The reason is pretty simple: resale value. Upgrading to the latest and greatest Macbook is absurdly cheap since you can sell your old model for close to the original price. Whereas I'll be lucky to get half of what I paid for my XPS 13.

mingmecca 12y ago
Upgrading to the latest and greatest Macbook is absurdly cheap since you can sell your old model for close to the original price Oh how I wish that were true. I have a 2012 15" Macbook Retina (8gb/256gb) that I bought for $2200. The typical price on eBay is around $1200. So, I can get about half, which is your lament about the XPS 13.
- nonuby 12y ago
  For a three year old, out of warranty, used, old laptop thats pretty impressive
  - 72deluxe 12y ago
    I forget that 2012 is now 3 years old. My MacBook is a mid2012 non-retina MBP (with all the ports on it) and it's still absolutely fine but I know in the fashionable computer world, it's ancient. Still fetches a good resale value though.
    - abrowne 12y ago
      That one is a weird case because it's still the latest model of "classic"/non-retina MBPs. And, probably, the last.
- wldlyinaccurate 12y ago
  Yeah, I think the high resale value only applies to previous-generation machines. Basically, for a couple hundred dollars each year (plus the hassle of using eBay) you can upgrade to a brand-new machine.

CalRobert 12y ago

I own the generation preceding this (xps 13 9333) and use Ubuntu 14.10 on it. In general I'm pretty happy with it, though the coil whine is an annoyance. The touchpad is good, though if I'm being completely honest it's not _quite_ on par with that of the MBPr I use for work. 128GB hasn't actually been a problem, but I pretty aggressively offload all media on to owncloud so I'm not storing movies, pictures, etc. I bought a refurb on ebay so it wasn't terribly expensive, but at list price it would be a little difficult to justify compared to a MBA. I bought it because I wanted to use Ubuntu as my primary OS and am not completely thrilled about giving money to a company that loves walled gardens.

blinkingled 12y ago

For those looking for a Ultrabook form factor workstation with 16GB RAM capability - the HP ZBook 14 looks like a great choice. Anandtech review here - http://anandtech.com/show/8186/hp-zbook-14-review-mobile-workstation-meets-ultrabook http://anandtech.com/show/8186/hp-zbook-14-review-mobile-wor... . You don't get a ton of battery life out of it but there's a choice of bigger battery.

plq 12y ago

I got a custom built 13.3" Sony Vaio S. It's got 12GB ram, 1TB disk, Intel i7 at 2.9Ghz, 1600x900 display, Blu-Ray Reader/DVD-RW Combo, 3G modem, gbit ethernet, both VGA and HDMI output, 3 USB ports (2 of them 3.0) SD Card and MemoryCard and cost 987 GBP plus tax which I got back on my way out. Oh and it's got very good Linux compatibity out of the box. Resumes from ram without a hitch, I only reboot when I need to get something done with the kernel. I'm writing this while listening music via my bluetooth headset. Battery sustains around 2 hours of work, but it used to be better. It was leaps and bounds ahead of what Apple had to offer with its Macbook PRO line at the time at 2/3 of its weight, and I fear still is. I'm looking at Dell's machine and yes it's got a higher resolution display (but is it better at that display size? I hope!), and presumably an updated processor, but that's it. No nic, no disk spinner, less ports, no VGA, etc. Call me old-fashioned but I can't consider a laptop without a couple easy ways to get data on/off (e.g. ethernet ports, disk spinners) as a development workstation. Top that and I'll pay you. And shame on you, Sony, for not being able to properly sell today's market leader that you came up with two years ago. Shame on you.

_pmf_ 12y ago
> And shame on you, Sony, for not being able to properly sell today's market leader that you came up with two years ago. Shame on you. Unless you consider Japan. Sony has never been very keen on marketing their top stuff in the US and Europe; it's mystifying.
morsch 12y ago
And I'd call a computer with 2 hours of battery runtime a desktop with a UPS. :) I jest. That said, I think the Dell is okay in terms of connections. There's seemingly half a dozen video output plugs at the moment, including one that's been around since 1952[0]. I'd rather buy 4 adapting cables than have more than one video out on a subnotebook. Getting data on/off seems easy: there's wifi, there's 3 USB ports for everything else[1]. Spinning (optical) disks? Really? Might as well put a LTO tape drive in there. I'd have like Ethernet, too, but in those cases where you're most likely to need it (at home, in the office), it's easy to stash an adapter. [0] I'm not even kidding. http://www.dansdata.com/gz061.htm http://www.dansdata.com/gz061.htm [1] Also bluetooth. And there's an SD card reader, if your development process includes taking photos. External optical drives are like, 20 bucks.

mavdi 12y ago

Switched to Linux a few months ago after I got tired of running out of memory and CPU power on a 16GB i7 MBPr. My productivity has increased 2x. All those little customisations to OS that you end up doing when using Linux really do end up making your life a lot easier in the long run. I think Apple is on the same path as Microsoft was more than a decade ago. They are losing developers.

hobarrera 12y ago

It looks to me like a Macbook Air 13" is better in spec and at almost the same price range. Did I miss something?