News on Haswell based mobile Precision M6800 ?

Uh, I think my touchscreen and digitizer M6600 has been invaluable. I use it for patient data entry; I mark up research pdfs with it; I write all my notes in OneNote with it; I do fine editing and cloning in Photoshop with it; I draw on it; I illustrate ideas with it; I click on and adjust controls in my digital audio workstation with it. On and on.

 

Touch screen are great for accessing data, and pointing the direction to the food court, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to work like that.

Thereby lowering the line to mediocrity? Reminds me of the C class Mercedes: did Precision line really need another performer Dell?

 

The last 2 generation XPS 15 had been plagued with issues, so a fresh start isn't that bad.

More option is always better imo.

 

You need to get your people to start using trackballs. If they are not using them and suffer these issues they must not be aware of trackballs. If they are aware trackballs will solve this for them, they cannot complain.

Yes, it is awkward at first. Yes, they will be just as fast as before. Yes, they will probably be even faster since their hand is no longer 16" away from keys, it is 2.5" (I just measured...I set mine right below where my right hand would be since I am a touch typist). I travel and CAD engineering documents. Logitech m570 allows me to work anywhere I can sit.

I have 17in 1920x1200 laptop with full keyboard. If it gets too hot on your lap, just put on backpack, shirt, folding tray table. Can work in airplane economy, while waiting for plane, couch, bed, hammock.

 

My apologies, I group them in the mouse category and we have a couple primary CAD users for mechanical detailing who prefer the Evoluent.
The ID and surfacing gurus all seem to prefer whole hand movement - probably in their DNA.
Our fashion and cut & sew designers are the ones who won't give up their tablets.

When 3dconnexion first launched their portable SpaceTraveler solution (2006?) we begged them to offer a virtual mouse mode (standard planer X-Y, pitches for buttons, yaw for zoom, etc.) but they wouldn't and we couldn't make our own API work. I believe their drivers now do have something like this but haven't tried it or their newer SpaceNavigator.

More on topic - I do not advocate anyone giving up their primary interface device...use what works for you.

In contrast to those who feel that touchscreens do not belong on laptops, I do want Dell to offer them as purchase options, functioning as a supplemental secondary / backup input option built in to the laptop.

I agree touchscreens are not ideal on a laptop for primary input and would never choose to use it that way, but for my work, the same could be said for the touchpad and pointing stick which I leave fully disabled unless I am in a situation where a mouse (my preferred input) is unavailable.

Why disabled - I use my laptop keyboard extensively and no matter the settings, I get a lot of unintentional inputs from the touchpad without even touching it, and I have had a few pointing sticks fail with a constant input (i.e. mouse always tracks to lower left) without ever having touched it once in the products lifetime.

 

I can tell you right now there will be no touchscreen option for the 15" and no IPS screens for either one...

 

Is it because you don't use trackpoint/pad? From your list, only drawing would be somewhat efficient when using a touchscreen vs trackpoint/pad/keyboard. I've been using tablets pretty much from the inception and consider myself to be very efficient with them, but would always prefer a proper keyboard for typing. It's many times faster and if you are good with the trackpoint (I always set it to max sensitivity), that means you never remove your hands from the keyboard which maximizes the efficiency.

just my 2 cents

 

Ah, no, most of what I was referencing was my use of the N-trig active digitizer. Sorry if I wasn't clear. Most touchscreens won't have a digitizer. Oh, pounding on a drum synth via the touchscreen is fun too!

 

Haha, now that makes a lot more sense!

 

Eh, I have the specs for the m6800... some changes for sure; I hope you have good eyesight...