Dell XPS 15z Review: A MacBook Alternative? Discussion

The Dell XPS 15z has an ultra-thin metal chassis, a beautiful 1080p display and a backlit keyboard. Add to that an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce dedicated graphics for serious multimedia performance. Is this a worthy competitor to the Apple MacBook Pro?

Read the full content of this Article: Dell XPS 15z Review: A MacBook Alternative?

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Thanks for the review. It's interesting, it seems that certain problems from the preproduction 15z that Engadget reviewed (rough edges on the case's front edge that scratched the wrists, awful battery life) have been fixed in the production version. Sounds like a solid machine now that they've ironed out those issues.

The non-z XPS 15 has had issues with fan cycling--momentary bursts of fan noise whenever you open a website window or do any other activity. Was the fan noise relatively even on the 15z, or did it have sudden increases and decreases in noise?

 

Thanks!

The fan was sporadic i.e. it only turned on in bursts. I didn't notice it creating a whole lot of noise - you could hear it for sure, but it wasn't annoying. As I noted in the review, it could have been quieter. In the face of things, it's a minor complaint.

The following is not something I would have put in the review. The XPS 15 is a nice notebook without a doubt, but it falls short in several areas and shows its immaturity next to the MacBook Pro. The display hinge, poor keyboard, noticeable fan, and the upgradeability are all areas the MBP excels in. Dell didn't fill in the gaps like Apple, it's not as polished as it should be. They did get a number of things right like the touchpad and overall build quality, and especially the screen. I didn't notice any of the pre production things Engadget noticed.

Depending on the price, the XPS 15 could be worth it assuming you get the 1920x1080 display. The test unit was just too expensive at $2.1k, most of which was the SSD but still. I'm glad I got a chance to test this notebook one way or another, quite a few people asked me about it.

 

Seems to me the ideal XPS 15z build is the base model with the 1080p upgrade and no other upgrades. It comes in at $1099, and has an i5-2410, a 525M (with 1 GB memory), a 500 GB 7200 rpm HDD, and 6 GB memory. The immaturities you mention are a LOT easier to live with at that price point than at $2000+, and those are still pretty reasonable specs.

 

I'm really disappointed in Dell, seems like they come up with some really great designs with serious flaws that end up being deal breakers...

Using Fn to access basic navigation keys? Really, Dell? That's just poor design...Look at all that space on either side of the keyboard, and Dell couldn't make use of that wasted space?

On top of that, restricted access to usual user-swappable items (Battery/RAM/HDD) means the 15z is a disposable notebook.

Sorry, Dell, but with gaffs like that, you're going to lose me and other customers to Apple.

 

I really wanted to like my Dell 15z... but it just had too many problems (and that chrome trim was awful).

I'm glad I returned it seeing these new ultrabooks come out... now if only someone would make one with a 1080p screen,

 

There's always the new Vaio SE, which has a 15.5" 1080p screen and weighs only 4.4 lbs.



Sony VAIO S Series review (15-inch) -- Engadget

 

Yes, exactly. The base model is a good value. You might be able to get an even better deal if you go to the Dell Outlet.

To be fair, most customers never upgrade the RAM/HDD, but enthusiasts certainly do. I have no idea where to start taking this notebook apart.

The chrome trim certainly attracts a lot of fingerprints, I neglected to mention it in the review.

 

It's one of the things I disliked the most about the 15z (and what I don't like about the MacBookAirs). I tend to use Home/End/Page keys quite a bit so I like them dedicated.

It's not that bad, if you can get past not breaking the chrome trim when you open the case, it's fairly straightfoward to replace the battery and HD. Some members in the 15z thread in the Dell XPS forum have put in SSDs and report less heat problems.

After watching a tech replace the motherboard on my 15z, you realize than anything slim/thin has to use up as much space in the chassis as possible and making them easily replaceable will counter the slimness. It's why Apple products do that too.

See above... nothing on my MacBookAir is "user replaceable".

 

What were the idle and load temperatures please?

Mr. Mysterious

 

What panel is used?

 

great review Chazzie,
but like you and some other members have commented, it had alot of greatness going towards it but ruined by a few things I felt they could've fixed.

 

The 1080p panel seems hit or miss. I returned mine because the screen was dreadful, easily the worst screen of any sort that I've ever seen. Yet some people rave about the quality of theirs.

 

mine should be arriving after tomorrow, I opted for the i5 6gb 320gb Setup with the 1080p screen. The reviews i've seen are so mixed that I really have no idea what to expect at this point. I'm going to give it a good week of use and decide then if it's for me.

I'm really worried about the keyboard, can it really be THAT bad?

 

The biggest pitfall that was noted by Engadget in their review of a pre-production unit was the build quality. It's good too see that most of that has been ironed out. At a bit over $1000 with the base config and the 1080p display, it's not too bad a choice. The dv6t is cheaper and comes with better specs, but as a thin-and-light 15" laptop, the 15z isn't all too bad.

 

Could you be more specific with the issues? I will check on mine.

I don't have that data.

 

.....oh. Considering the thinness, i think it'd idle at 45C good review though

Mr. Mysterious

 

Check the owner's threads in the Dell forum to see if anyone recorded temps.

 

I'm not sure any Apple notebook product lacks the same problems you cite here.

Seems like 1600X900 is the more likely limit below 17" screen, though this could certainly change. Seems like Samsung, which is fully vertically integrated (they mfr everything from RAM chips to SSDs to displays, etc.) can bring out anything it thinks the market really demands - and competitors offer. Remember, Sony remains the only mfr (though I believe Toshiba makes the screen) offering better than 900p on any screen smaller than 15"

I have to agree, but then, name one product that didn't have a few "misses" in its otherwise top rate model? Sony Z1- terrible speakers; Apple MBA 13 - very weak connectivity, mediocre (though far better than average) screen, zero upgradability; Dell XPS 15z - aside from apparent lack of consistency of the 1080p screen (most say it is awesome, though) the biggest gripe I keep hearing is about the darned chrome accent strip! Can someone enlighten me as to how an accent stripe, no matter how much a fingerprint magnet, could be the downfall of an otherwise great product?

I have been this close to buying the 15z or its heavier, and less costly cousin 15, but can't bring to pull the trigger because no matter how well they spec out and perform in reviews, people do not seem to like theirs, and eBay and the NBR Marketplace are full of them, at cheaper and cheaper prices. As odd as this may seem, I'm reluctant to buy one, because they are becoming so cheap - eg, $750 for the 1080p model with a GT525 gpu, still under wtty for 10+ months.

Is there really anything better out there for the price? Is Dell's recent past of bad marks for customer support part of the reason, ya think, so many people buy and very quickly sell both the 15z and the 15?

 

In OSX, you can choose whether you press "fn" for the multimedia functions or "fn" for the F-keys. It's a setting you can change in system preferences.

 

I have one of these and I wish I had bought an Apple. The keyboard is so erratic that I will be typing and the cursor suddenly leaves the page. If your mouse slips a little while you type it takes you to the desktop. There are only 2 USB ports. The touch pad is garbage and needs to be disabled to avoid constant problems with the cursor moving.

At best this PC is a toy for your teenager to watch videos. I you want to do real work get something else.

 

If that's what you want, that's what you should buy. There are plenty of Window PC notebooks that superficially imitate the outward appearance of a Macbook, without any notable advantages.

My first thought would be to turn off the tap-to-click function of the trackpad. I've never heard of any sort of hardware interaction between a keyboard and a trackpad, but I guess anything is possible. Update your touchpad driver from the Dell support site and play around with the touchpad properties, using the "Dell Touchpad" icon in your system tray.

As far as the number of USB ports, that's something you consider before buying. With a Macbook, you might only have 2, or at most, 3 USB ports, but you at least have a decent trackpad and keyboard, so you don't need to use a USB port for an external mouse, and if you do need one, Apple has a very good bluetooth keyboard and external glass touchpad. Similarly, a Macbook doesn't need, and probably can't even make good use of, a cooling pad, so there's another USB port you don't need on a Macbook.

Well, that's why I suggest looking at Dell's business quality lineup. Stay away from Dell Consumer and look to Dell Small Business, because the service is better and the Latitude and Precision notebooks are much more robust in construction.

On the other hand, there's always Apple. The choice is yours.

 

Many reviewers say that the keyboard is great... I actually like the feel of it compared to others. Its a little resistant and has less travel than most, but the texture of the keys is great.

The trackpad is not that great. They should have gone with a synaptics one, but for it being what it is... once the drivers are up to date, its totally usable.

The 1080p screen really seems to be hit or miss. Turning off splendid color in windows mobility center (winkey+x) seems to make all the differnce. I thought I had the "screen door" effect until I calibrated the screen and turned off the splendid color. I have had the screen up to a few of my friends screens and there is no doubt that the 15z screen is superior (in my defense, most of my friends have 13-14' computers or 17's.... I have yet to hold it to another 15').
As far as price, paying full retail would be pretty crazy. The dell outlet is stocked with these and when they had their 25% off coupon, that makes them a steal. As for them being 750 with the 1080p screen... thats a bit of a streatch, but still... you can get great deals now.

As for the chrome trim, the issue is that it "cheapens" the design. The computer is covered in aluminum and magnesium but on the outside (the side that gets impacted the most) you get this cheap thin layer of chrome... It just does not make the computer look as "premium" as it really is. I just got mine and the part above the CD drive is already bulging up, as if its not properly attached. Does anyone see it... nope... do I, yup... does it bother me... eh... sorta. Also the chrome trim is sharp at parts. When running my finger alog the front piece, it feels like its not smooth and if I kept doing it, it would end up cutting my finger.
Either way, I am pretty happy with this machine so far. Its not the "best" right out of the box, but its pretty good for what it is. I am a student and like photography on my free time, so it seems to fit my portability and power needs well.

My only "design" issues are the battery and power adapter. The power adapter MUST be the 90w one. Most other inspiron laptops use the 65w... I didnt realize how much bigger the 90w was until I carried it around with me daily. Then that brings me to number 2... the battery. I expected to get a full school day out of mine. I bet I "could" but I am pretty lucky to get 4 hours out of mine with med brightness. I dont care that its non-removable, but I would really hope to get 6 hours of word processing and light web browsing out of it.

 

Well, this seems to be a common complaint these days. I had to wait from 2010 to late 2011 (or was it early 2012?) to finally get top-notch drivers for the touchpad in my Dell Latitude. So, finally driver support is decent - nearly two generations after I bought the notebook.

I know that Dell shifted from a thin form factor 90 watt power supply to a much thicker, more generic power adapter back in the 2011. It looked like a cost cutting move.

 

I have the 15Z and I really hate how the silver trim keeps falling off. It cuts the palms of my hands.. I cry myself to sleep at night in pain.