What Dell Has to Do to Keep XPS Laptops Ahead!

If Dell were to leak a new XPS laptop prior to Montevina's release, Id think it would be these:

1 - A totally new, revolutionary design that gives the sleek feel moreso than the current line of XPS and, I cant believe I'm saying this... "budget" laptops. Yes the M1530 is sleek, but if Dell is audacious enough to bring the same style to the Inspiron.... XPS should get something more unique.

2 - Upper end options: High end processor, graphics card (9000 series anyone?), 7200 RPM hard drives, perhaps 500GB capacity?

3 - Possible 2nd dock to have a second hard drive or a second battery

4 - Unsoldered graphics card! Allow us to be able to physically upgrade the graphics card inside of it.

5 - LED Backlit Keyboards, and the blue backlit "XPS M1540" above the area of the keyboard.

6 - LED Backlit ring around the Dell logo on the back of the notebook that can have color change options.

7 - LED Backlit displays for ALL resolutions including the resurrection of WSXGA+ in LED backlit glory!

8 - Synaptics Touchpad, or even better... multitouch?

9 - eSATA port!

10 - Tabbed version of Dell Dock thats on the Studio!

Feel free to add on or comment.

 

Your post pretty much sums up all the features of what you can get from Apple or Alienware . A redesigned M1530 could be really interesting, but since Dell redesigned the case last year I don't think they'll do it again.

 

Yes #5 & 7 LED Backlit Keyboards/Backlit displays....would love it

Cin'

 

First of all I agree with #5 to #10 but your logic for the first 3 points doesn't make sense. Yes it would be nice if Dell re-designed the m1530 although it's still one of the best-looking laptops on the market so I don't think it's necessary yet. I mostly agree with your second point however if Dell started putting in high end processor like the x9000 etc or high end video cards like the upcoming 9800, they would have to sacrifice a nice design (and probably come up with something as bulky and therefore unattractive as the m15x... just my opinion) not to mention there would be heat problems and you'd constantly be distracted by loud fans that keep all the high-end parts from melting. If they started putting in a 2nd hdd into their 15" laptops those laptops would get HUGE. I don't really care about putting in unsoldered gpu's especially since you wouldn't be able to buy them and even if you could they would be too expensive.

My main point is that if they started putting in the most top-of-the-line components and two hdds, they would absolutely have to sacrifice the nice and sleek design they have now not to mention the price for this "monster" would go up. I do agree with your last 6 suggestions though.

 

Not sure I understand why Dell would want to build upper-end, top-notch gaming machines when the company already owns AW. Seems to me that would produce unnecessary competition amongst its own products. Not being in the business, I don't know that that really is a bad idea, but it doesn't, on the surface, seem logical to me.

Seems to me, Dell should be making more of its resources and know-how available to AW in order to correct problems like those seen in the m15x. But, again, I'm not in the business, so may be way off base.

 

My point exactly. Why give up a very well balanced, beautiful laptop like the m1530 for yet another m15x?

 

I agree. Since it is the 'high end' laptop, make it high end. The Studio can take the place of what the current XPS is.

Do you think the new XPS line will be in a similar price range? I think the base will be closer to $2k.

 

And what about the size? If they want to pack up all this features on their XPS lines, M1330 and 13" wont be possible though. I mean heat issues and similar ones....

 

1 - Sure why not

2 - By 9000 series do you mean like 9800GTX? or like 9600GT? As someone else said, there would be heat issues with higher end gpus.

3 - Modualr bay to replace cd/dvd/brd with another HDD, or a battery would be nice

4 - MXM would be nice, though even if they implement it, how many people would actually use it; most probably wouldnt really trust themselves to do it, and probably wouldnt want to pay someone else to either in case of accidents or cost.

5, 7-10, - Yes

6 - No; i find lights like that annoying; like people who dont turn off the lights of their Asus G1S when they play games, it bothers me to no end.

 

personally i feel the next XPS laptop (M1540 sounds cool) will implement the touch screen features of Windows 7 much like the Latitude XT does now.

 

Instead of adding MORE features, I think they need to improve the build quality of their current line. I waited almost a year and I still read too many complaints about uneven hinges or grainy screens or loud CPU whine or loud DVD, etc etc. So much so that I opted for a m1210 vs risk getting an "imperfect" m1330. I tried my friend's m1530 and the DVD drive was so loud during playback that you really couldn't use it with out headphones. Am I the only one that thinks it's a bloody shame that people still have quality issues with the new XPS laptops? At this point, we should be able to order an m1330 or m1530 and expect it to be in perfect working order when it arrives.

 

Of course they need to fix the problems, that is what new models are for. Add some stuff, and fix past issues.

 

Clean line and simple design are the best. It would be nicer if XPS line would be under a tighter quality control with better quality components.

 

My take on this (these numbers don't pertain to your suggestions...I'm just organizing my thoughts a little)

1) Dell doesn't really need a case re-design. Their design for the m1530/m1330 is just about a year old. Most manufacturers are looking at around 2+ years before they change the case design.

2) I agree, Dell could use some higher quality parts. But I'd imagine that there is some reason for them using the Alps touchpad instead of the Synaptic. The m1330 has synaptic, so you'd think if there were no issues, it would be cheaper and more efficient for dell to just double up on their orders of the synaptic devices and use them. Why buy from 2 companies if you only need one. They could easily do just alps or just synaptic, and they don't. So again, I know I'm repeating myself a little bit...but...maybe there's a reason?

3) eSATA would be nice, maybe an eSATA/USB combo port like the one on HP's new Voodoo Envy.

4) LED Backlit displays are a good idea. It'd be nice to have an LED backlit WUXGA screen. But my guess is that expense has a lot to do with it. Maybe LED backlit screens over WXGA just aren't feasible right now. Yes, I know, Apple's MBP has them on the 17"...but, compare the price of that computer to the XPS.

5) An LED backlit keyboard? It seems like all everyone wants now is a MacBook Pro without the price. Yea, it's cool. But in all honesty is it worth anything? How often do you actually look down at your keyboard to see where your fingers are? Do you really think it's worth $20-50 (however much more they'd charge) just because it'll look kinda cool.

6) You can't have completely removable parts on a computer this size. One of the reasons you can change things on the m1730 is because it's largely thicker than the m1530. Dell has to customize the graphics card to actually get them to fit into the case.

7) I hate to break it to you guys, and I don't want to start a flame ware...but Quality Control on the XPS is pretty good. Yes, you read all over these forums about people with QC issues: bad parts, fault hinges, blah blah. In reality, these people are by far the minority of XPS users. It's kinda like user reviews on stuff. If a product has 2 stars, that doesn't make it necessarily a bad product. It could be terrible, but at the same time it could just be because the 10 people who had problems with it chose to speak out over the 25 people who didn't.

The bottom line is: the XPS fills a good spot where it is. It has some room for improvements, but everything does. If they want to keep it at a moderate $999 laptop, you're not going to get backlit LED displays and keyboards with all of your extra features you want.

 

I don't quite agree - I think there is room for improvement.

I'd like to see more feature content that truly should be befitting a "premium performance" notebook in 2008. Dell spent money to cripple the onboard NIC so we wouldn't get gigabit speeds, and tossed in a truly crappy trackpad. These can be fixed at little to no cost. Add eSATA and somewhat tighter build quality (my XPS is nice, it really is but just a few days in it's already showing that it's no T61) and I think you have possibly the best overall laptop on the market.

Some things mentioned here are pipe dreams. There's no room for a second HD. WUXGA LED? Dell can't do this because Dell doesn't make panels, and you'll find that no LCD makers currently have a 15.4" WUXGA LED backlit display. Until someone makes one for sale in production quantities, don't expect Dell to offer one--15.4" LED is still in its infancy.

I'd like to see 64-bit Vista as an available OS--again, in 2008 for a premium notebook, this should be available to us.

 

I obviously agree with you 100% although you said it much more succintly