Does anyone own one of the new XPS laptops by Dell? They look like the only real competitor to the MacBook Pros, but I have never seen one in the wild. Are you happy with it? Any complaints?
Aside from battery life and maybe weight, I don't know if they're all that similar. My brother an XPS 13. It's pretty small in form factor compared to the MacBook Pro. It's more like the size of a MacBook. CPU and RAM are pretty similar between both, gbut you can say that about a lot of computers in that price range. The display on the XPS 13 is much better (at least with the best model) than the Retina MacBook Pro. Overall the XPS 13 is pretty nice. Very portable just like an ultrabook should be. If I was in the market for a Windows PC, I would definitely get the XPS 13 or 15 because of their portability and battery life which are the two biggest things I need.
I am trying to wait out for the 2016 MBP releases, but every day that passes it seems to be less likely for an October announcement.
I've been waiting for a while for the announcement. Skylake has been out for a while and Apple still hasn't announced these. My 2009 MBP officially cannot even upgrade to OS Sierra (although I found a workaround to it). I'm looking to upgrade to the new one whenever it comes out, but I've been growing impatient for a while. I was expecting October, but now I don't know when they're going to do it. There were a bunch of rumors out there that there would be a slight re-design to this model too, but that seems unlikely now. I'm just hoping it's thinner, lighter, and has more battery life.
I didn't realize Apple hadn't released Skylake yet. I think aesthetically their systems are great I just think it's interesting how they still refresh at their own rate vs the rest of the market and they've been able to maintain it. I think mainly because of their OS and marketing. I mean it's not like they have any special hw inside, it's just less hassle to run windows on Mac, than getting a normal pc running Apple's OS and then trying to maintain it. As far as xps goes, pretty nice system and it's easy to put an aftermarket M.2 drive in. Could basically have 2 ssd's if you wanted. Or an M.2 and a normal drive (whatever you prefer). I don't own one but haven't heard any complaints from people I know that do own one. I know someone who bought one with just ssd (2.5),then reloaded windows on m.2 drive like I mentioned.
Im in the same boat...waiting for MBP and considering XPS 13 or 15. Last I had heard, the MBP would be announced on the 27th, I believe. If it doesnt get announced then, I will go with the XPS. Even if it does get announced, I might still choose the XPS. Anyone know how gaming is on the XPS? I will also be video editing, so hopefully no issues in regards to the XPS.
Surfacebook. If you want a real competitor to MacBook Pro. Haven't regretted this purchase at all. Works wonders in every facet of my computing and entertainment needs.
As much as I like the Surfacebook, the price difference is pretty hefty compared to the XPS 13. The configuration with i7 processor (XPS is 7th gen while Surfacebook is 6th, I believe), with 8 gb RAM and 256 GB SSD...$1,299 for the XPS while it's $2,099 for the Surfacebook. Depending on what I would use it for, Im not sure if it's worth the $800 mark up in price.
It didn't sound worth it to me once upon a time either. But the "convertible" screen detaching is probably one of the most beneficial things I've ever come across in a computer in my day-to-day life. Additionally, the pen and touchpad on this thing are nothing short of amazing. It's personally so beneficial to be able to do demanding data science work on this thing and then turn it around and use it to take notes or completely detach the screen to share presentations super easily on the go wherever I need. I can't stress the importance it provides me as an all-in-one to do a multitude of different tasks in regular laptop mode, detached mode, and screen flipped mode. Of course, I just read that there are rumors the xps line will have that same feature included. If so, sounds like one hell of a deal and I'd jump all over that.
The Dell XPS series are pretty damn nice. They've won a ton of awards and have excellent reviews. I'd buy one if I was in the market.
Seems like Apple will announce the Macbook Pro in about a week...how long does it usually take from when they announce until they are on the shelves? If the answer is less than 2 weeks, Im in...otherwise, going with the XPS or Asus ZenBook Pro.
I might have to avoid the MacBook Pros...base model of the 13 inch with the new touch display (i5 and 8 GB RAM) is $1799. The 15 inch starts at $2399. Not enough bang for my buck there. I'll probably be getting the XPS unless someone can convince me otherwise.
I'm with you. (On the price, not on going Windows. Ewww...) I was considering selling my year old Mid 2015 15 inch MBP and upgrading to the new one. The minimum config that I would go with is priced at $2600 for a 512gb SSD, $3k for 1TB. That's approaching Mac Pro territory.
whats the main draw of macbooks again? i don't mean to start a flame war...but am i right that a lot of the appeal is the photo/video editing on macs...just super simple/easy for that type of stuff?
For me it's MacOS. The operating system being super light weight and the bang for my buck that I've gotten out of my 2009 13" MBP that I probably otherwise may not have gotten with any other computer. MacOS to me is pretty easy to use similar to what iOS is for most mobile users. You can definitely argue its a little overpriced, but to me if I can get another MBP that will last me another 8 years, I'll be happy with paying the price these new ones are going for.
Yeah, I just prefer macOS. And for audio engineering and music creation it just clicks for me. I have way less driver, latency, and compatibility issues than I had on Windows. And it just seems to always work. My time spent troubleshooting has basically been lowered to zero. When I collab with people who use Windows rigs it just makes me wonder how I ever did. Their software crashes, programs and plugins load like molasses. It's like night and day.
you guys mind elaborating on the OS X > windows? i've not used any mac pc's since wayy back in the 90's. if i'm a windows user that doesn't use photo/video software...what am i missing out on?
I am in the same boat, right now. These prices are several hundred more than I was expecting, but I understand they have some cool new features that are not free. I really like OS X, and I am happy with the integration it provides with my iPhone etc. But **** me if I want to replace two MacBook Pros with these price increases. Especially since I cannot easily upgrade the SSD and Ram like in my current MBP.
Ok, so after thinking about it some more, I think I might just pony up and get the MacBook Pro. Question for everyone, since Im relatively clueless when it comes to specs. The base model of the 13 inch is an i5 with 8 GB RAM. If I want to upgrade one of these, which is more important...going to 16 GB RAM or upgrading to an i7 processor? I will probably be doing some video editing, but mostly just want to make sure it's as future proof as possible (relatively speaking).
