M6900 - What specs are you hoping for?

I noticed that there are two docking methods listed in the blurb above. "E-dock" and "next generation wired docking". All of the machines support the latter, but only the first three support "E-dock." I think "next generation wired docking" would be a funny way to phrase a traditional docking setup.

Speculating that "E-dock" is what we're used to and these machines will work with current "E-port" and "E-port plus" docking stations... And that "next generation wired docking" is simply a Thunderbolt-attached dock (which I think would be just fine, if a bit different).

 

Aaron, that is my thinking also about the E vs Wired docking. I'm trying to remember what they call the current generation docking solution used for the m3800? Was it called "Wired Docking" or something else? If the wired dock is what we think it is, I would like for it to have a power on/off button to power on a closed laptop without first having to open it's lid to do it. But that would be just a minor inconvenience.

So far I'm really pleased with what I'm seeing. I'm leaning toward an m7710 or m7510... but I wouldn't mind the m3510 either since it can accomodate 32GB ram for my VMs and looks very capable and light for traveling. Tough decisions

 

Would be nice to get an adapter that could do E-Dock to a thunderbolt port. It would allow the use of older docks even with the M3800's successor. Still, thunderbolt docking will definitely be better than USB3.0.

 

The article got me “worried” about a switch to chiclet, too. (Not that I care personally, so long as my M4800 works.) The author speculates that “normal end customers” could get these as Inspiron and XPS models. Maybe baselessly?
The images are hopelessly small to draw any definite conclusions.

 

Anyways, the switch to a model numbering in line with other Dell laptops may portend making Precisions just another Dell line.

 

Say it ain't so.


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Personally, I am not convinced these are the exact true specs. A lot of it seems quite vague.

Hopefully we will get to see the full specs and config options for each model soon.

At the moment it is the M7710 and that new M3xxx that interests me.

 

The "chiclets" appear to be on the m3510 (just as they are on the current m3800), not on the m7710 or m7510. If you zoom in super close you can see they are not chiclets on the m7710/7510. And I wouldn't put a whole lot of weight in that "article". Rather it is someone who got hold of the leaked page and the rest is just speculation. *I'm very grateful for the leaked page/images.

In my opinion, a mobile xeon workstation with quadro m5000m, 64GB RAM, dual PCIE/NVME SSDs wont be "just another Dell". Dell would be bonkers to dumb down the quality of their top of line workhorse. It is possible they may mirror/share some things with other dell models (ie xps 15 based off the m3510), but that shouldn't change the quality or build specs of the Precisions.

*EDIT: now that I'm looking again I can't say for certain what kind of keyboard is on the m7710/7510 in the photo. I think it is not chiclet but I just don't know. Sometimes chiclet aren't all bad. But I'd prefer fullsize key caps.

 

I called out the potential for the chiclets because they've started to appear in other Dell business laptops (namely the 2015 7xxx series Latitudes). To be fair - if the key cap design is done properly I don't mind them that much (see ThinkPads with convex chiclets vs Apple scrabble tile).

I still think the Precision keyboards feel like utter crap next to my ThinkPad. That's one area that I hope is improved in the new machine.

 

An improvement would be great, whatever the design is. Yeah, not all "chiclet" keyboards are bad, my macbook keyboard has been fine. And I have not heard of any major complaints about the Dell m3800 keyboard. I have an older precision (m6500) and I've liked the keyboard on it. I always prefer to use my mouse with a wired fullsize cherry mx brown switch keyboard whenever I can (I usually work with my laptops off to the side of my desk). I've not tried thinkpad keyboards recently (my last thinkpad was back in the IBM days with 4:3 display).

I'm anxious to learn exactly what the new precision specs and design will be with detailed photos. Soon!