Dell XPS 1330---overall pleased with a few gripes---what say you?

Hi everyone,

after excessively researching every possible laptop that could fit into my budget and for my needs I finally went with the Dell XPS 1330. Upon receiving my order (after patiently waiting for weeks it seemed)-- I opened the box and realized there was no case or complimentary headphones. Only after researching a bit on the forums did I realize they were no longer included. After setting up the laptop and running some games--- and after almost 2 weeks of ownership I must say I am impressed.

pros-
-Laptop has a beautiful bright display
-can play most games i throw at it (for some strange reason Company of Heroes slows down considerably)
-slot loading drive
-relatively quiet (more on this on the cons)
-touch screen controls
-pretty quick start up
-extremely light weight---and aesthetically pleasing---looks like a beauty\
-surprising decent battery life---get over 3 hrs with each charge--and can be configured for more with dimmer screen.


cons-
-makes some strange noises when just doing ordinary tasks---it almost sounds like a ticking clock.
-keyboard is also loose and makes some bad noises when clicking on certain keys. Overall the keyboard is simply sufficient---but doesnt really meet up with the price paid.

overall-
I would say for the money 1215$ with 2 yr warranty is fairly unbeatable. An apple macbook was a consideration for a while---but Dells cant be beaten for the price-

overall I would say as a 1st time dell xps laptop buyer I am fairly happy. Only reason that i would consider returning it is for the crappy keyboard--and clicking noises. But i also feel lucky that my xps didnt ship with any worse problems.

So what do you guys think? are these problems standard--or am i simply nuts or sensitive as to my complaints?

 

The vostro 1400/1500 keyboard fits the m1330, and has a much crisper feel. I got mine off e-bay for $22 Canadian including shipping.

 

I've been thrilled with my m1330.

I've had it for about four months, taken it out of town several times, and it's been stable and runs fast.

The keyboard doesn't have a crisp feel to it, but mine doesn't feel loose, either. I use a wireless, external keyboard when not on the road (90% of the time) so it doesn't really bother me (I have the Logitech Wave wireless keyboard and mouse... they are great!)

One issue I had was the finger print reader only worked intermittently, so I didn't use it all that often. I just found (on another thread on these boards, search Dell XPS boards) an update to UPEK software, and it now works flawlessly... reads my fingerprints correctly EVERY TIME... so far, I've swipped my finger about 10x already, with the new software, and it hasn't missed yet!

The lightweight, excellent display, ability to play HL2, Team Fortress (cant' keep my son off of my computer playing Team Fortress ), slot loading dvd player, etc. has given me an overall experience that I'm really thrilled with. The computer is also MUCH lighter then my previous HP, as well as much faster.

Mine didn't come with the ticking clock, however! No strange noises, except when loading or ejecting an optical disk, which is no big deal.

 

on an 84m you can't expect the best results, but I believe you can improve performance noticeably by turning off dx10 shaders.

 

Don't know about the M1330 but the M1530 has a great keyboard with practically no flex and also has a nice sound to it.

 

i believe they're identical, barring potential connectivity differences, of course.

 

The M1330 keyboard is like your typical cheap $500 Inspiron keyboard. It's why I returned the XPS M1330 I bought.

 

because of the keyboard??? LOL

 

Seriously! It's like returning a Ferrari, because the steering wheel didn't feel expensive enough

I agree it's not the best out there, but you can "upgrade" it with a black keyboard which is more rigid and responsive.

 

Not when you're used to a D820 Latitude keyboard that I've been using for the past two years.

I don't play games. I don't watch movies. I got it cause of its portability, nice screen and snappiness. The keyboard disappointed - unacceptable when you're emailing, writing 40 page case-studies, working on excel, etc. Depends on your use.

Price-wise. I don't understand why they'd put such a shoddy keyboard.

 

Well, this is not from the latitude series then, is it?

I use it exactly the way use described it... No games, no movies. Mainly for teaching, writing, etc etc. Yes, the keyboard felt flimsy and cheap (at least for the price of an XPS laptop), hence the reason I replaced it with a different one (part# JM629).

I agree...

 

The one thing I prefer with my xps m1330 is the size and wight ,everything else is really doesn't mean anything with price 1500 USD .Especially it's heating like oven and a result it hang up, if it possible I'll try to return it since I bought it last 12 days ,but in my country I didn't thing so, because they wrote anything soled can not be returned .

 

Two big gripes for me would have to be the bulge in the middle of the keyboard causing it to touch the screen when the lid is closed. I have already dismantled the laptop 3 times and ran the wires correctly and it still did not fix this bulge. And the gripe is the bezel surrounding the lcd is not 100% fit correctly so I can see gaps around the bezel, got the bezel replaced and still the same problem. But other than those two problems, I think I got a hell of a machine for about $800.

 

wow well i have none of those bulge problems. I think I have the weak spot on the right hand side (near the enter key) where it flexes considerably. Also by backspace key makes a terrible noise when pressed---but luckily i dont use it but a few times a day.

Again i am very satisfied with the laptop. Having pretty decent gaming performance, slot loading drive, touch keys, and awesome led screen are really hard to let go. I even considered one of those 800$ HP's 14.1---but theyre so crappy compared to dells. Only thing I really hate is the keyboard---and afterall it is the most important imput device on a device i use heavily every day for note taking and case briefing in grad school. But as I have only 3 days left on my return----

i know that for 1200$ with a 2yr warranty i wont be to do much better.

Another quick question--what type of cases/bookbags do you guys use? im thinking one of those wengers-any good?>

 

Dynoboy--don't be so bashful. If you are having problems with the machine, Dell owes it to you to fix it for you. It's not your responsibility to cut down on your backspace usage. As a fellow grad student, I can tell you you'll be using it a lot.

I actually had several of the problems you described. Once the popping noise (I could hear it in the next room)--and then the keyboard problem on the replacement for the original. Both times, Dell customer service was very cooperative and quickly scheduled replacements (once for the machine, and once for the keyboard). I would recommend going through email to contact customer service, and I would also recommend asking them straight out for a keyboard replacement, etc. without beating around the bush. As long as you are still under warranty, this shouldn't be a problem.

 

if mine arrives with ticking, i'll send it back to get it fixed.

 

for the price you paid, you deserve the real deal.