Dell Announces "Luxury" Line

[Sedulous]

I must admit, when I first heard Dell was planning to release a high-end line of computers, it was cause for concern. Would it be harder to differentiate Dell stuff after Apple switches to Intel? Dell has not typically spent much on research and development compared to Apple and it shows. A high end Dell looks just like every other Dell except it is priced as high as a Mac.

http://news.com.com/i/ne/p/photo/dell_m170_500x406.jpg

http://news.com.com/i/ne/p/photo/dell_600_450x450.jpg

[Blue Velvet]

Whatever the specs, they still look cheesy. Hang some fluffy dice off them.

[Kobushi]

High end? Does it run OSX?

[PlaceofDis]

yep, same horrible design, no surprises there

[ohcrap]

Ugly. Bulky. Overpriced. Still doesn't come with OS X or Linux installed. :rolleyes:

[Blue Velvet]

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Dell's laptop design team search high and low for inspiration...



http://www.achtziger.de/bilder/knightrider.jpg

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[jsw]

Dell's laptop design team search high and low for inspiration...



http://www.achtziger.de/bilder/knightrider.jpg

I'm surprised you had that DVD and weren't too embarrassed scanning it in for us....

[iGary]

A high-end laptop with a tray-load DVD burner. :rolleyes:

[puckhead193]

A high-end laptop with a tray-load DVD burner. :rolleyes:
i was thinking the same... also that laptop looks thick and heavy... when people see my pb they love how thin it is for the size which in this case is a good thing....

[robcts]

Not really feeling the design :)

[PlaceofDis]

and whats up with those fugly buttons in the front?

[Deepdale]

Maybe Dell's creative definition of luxury is as follows ... "Built to last -- more than a year."

[Sedulous]

Well, maybe when Dell releases their second gen surely all of you will heave your Mac in the trash. I hear the new XPS line will look something like this. (http://www.apple.com/powerbook/gallery/powerbook15top.html)

Dell's new luxurious "iPod Killer":

http://www.blingitontv.com/images/header.jpg

[PlaceofDis]

Maybe Dell's creative definition of luxury is as follows ... "Built to last -- more than a year."


too creative for them. ;) :D

[andiwm2003]

well, with a prize between $2500-5000 they show that powerbooks are not totally overprized. powerbooks are in comparison still too expensive but not 3fold like the cheap dell crap seems to indicate. as soon as you want quality you are in the powerbook pricerange.

[Sedulous]

Anyone else notice that the case seems both dented and covered with greasy fingerprints on the lower left side of the case?

[eva01]

that laptop honeslty looks like it would weigh 8 pounds

[PlaceofDis]

Anyone else notice that the case seems both dented and covered with greasy fingerprints on the lower left side of the case?

im sure thats just for a 'textured' look haha ;)

[aswitcher]

Specs and Prices?

In the PC world these thngs actually look good when compared to whatever else is going...

[carpe diem]

Eww, but i might need one for AOE 3!!

[jsw]

Yeah, the notebooks look like a car amp when closed, but those are some seriously good specs. If the new PBs come close, I'm getting one, regardless of whether or not I need to sell an internal organ or two.

[Sedulous]

Specs and Prices?

In the PC world these thngs actually look good when compared to whatever else is going...

Well, help youself:
link (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/brand/xps?c=us&l=en&s=gen)

[Deepdale]

That is one hefty laptop. For the uninsured, check with Michael Dell before buying to see if his company will help pay for hernia repair surgery that may be needed after lugging that around for awhile.

[Mr. Anderson]

Again, the words Dell and Design should never be used in the same sentence....

Some other pics from the web site (below) seem to have been influenced by original Cylon designs from the 80s :p



http://home.earthlink.net/~wk29003/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/cylonfrontlarge.jpg

D

[dubbz]

Bah.

My Shuttle XPC looks nicer than the Dell XPS, as did the Lian Li I had before it, and my Powerbook looks nicer than that laptop thingy.

I'll give them credits for trying though.

[redAPPLE]

http://home.earthlink.net/~wk29003/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/cylonfrontlarge.jpg

D

hhhmmmm.... battlestar galactica...

[TheMonarch]

Haha Dell. You're funny. No, really, where's the real design? :D




Hey. I just noticed. How come every other company has like a billion logos on their designs. Like "DVD" "Recordable" "CDRW" "Intel", and on top of that, have multi-colored stickers with the specs on them? On top of that people DON'T take them off!!! What are they trying to prove, is the box not enough proof? They look hideous! :confused: :confused: :confused:

[ColoJohnBoy]

Come on, guys, it's not that bad. The laptop only weighs 8.6 pounds and is 1.67 inches thick. That's tiny, right? And it comes with Dell's excellent suite of music, photo, and video software. And WordPerfect, too! Wowser! I'm sold!

[mkrishnan]

Mmmm...I think the 600m design looks better than this one. :(

Speaking of cylons... please tell me all those red lights on this laptop are either not real or at least don't flash?

I'm having trouble understanding what's luxurious about this too.... Why would I want this instead of a thinkpad?

[Sedulous]

Again, the words Dell and Design should never be used in the same sentence....

Some other pics from the web site (below) seem to have been influenced by original Cylon designs from the 80s :p

That is too funny... and unfortunately for Dell... seems to be true. There is no denying the similarity!

[w_parietti22]

More like:

Dell Announces Ugliness line running the all famous, virus filled Windows XP!

[Sedulous]

Those aren't flashing red lights on the Dell notebook. That is a coal furnace. Everyone likes burning coal!

"Another Delleterious Innovation"™.

[dubbz]

Those aren't flashing red lights on the Dell notebook. That is a coal furnace. Everyone likes burning coal!

Maybe it's powered by coal? No need to recharge the batteries! Woohoo!

[Abstract]

Its a gaming laptop. I don't understand why they associated "gaming" with "luxury." It has amazing specs, and I wish Apple would offer specs that were just as good (or slightly worse to keep the PBs at 1" thick).

I mean, their 6000 model isn't bad. My professor has one. Another friend has that 700m 12" Dell, and it looks nice (until you touch it and feel that it's cheap, but that's just a matter of using different materials.....the design is okay).

If they make a "luxury" line, don't make it hideous. If I'd be embarrassed to use it at a meeting, it's not "luxury."

[plinden]

that laptop honeslty looks like it would weigh 8 pounds
Dell XPS, 8.6lbs, costs from $2760 (how about this one link (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=iMX170S4&s=dhs))

Yes, it's faster than the PowerBook, 2.26GHz P-M, with 1GB RAM and 100GB HD, but weighs almost twice as much, and runs Windows. I can't see why anyone would want such an enormous laptop. If you prefer a thin and light laptop, you still pay for it in the PC world.

[dubbz]

Yes, it's faster than the PowerBook, 2.26GHz P-M, with 1GB RAM and 100GB HD, but weighs almost twice as much, and runs Windows. I can't see why anyone would want such an enormous laptop. If you prefer a thin and light laptop, you still pay for it in the PC world.

It's a desktop replacement then. I know a few people who's in the marked for such things... something powerful that can be easily moved. A smaller laptop whouldn't be powerful enough, any form of desktop whould not be portable enough.

[JDar]

Whatever the specs, they still look cheesy. Hang some fluffy dice off them.

I am so glad you have returned and are writing concise and accurate reviews.

:D

[Lacero]

Come on, guys, it's not that bad....it comes with Dell's excellent suite of music, photo, and video software. And WordPerfect, too! Wowser! I'm sold!
http://www.shafted.com.au/photos/albums/funnies/d/normal_dudehell.jpg
Yeah. I know it was sarcasm.

[jamdr]

Yeah, that is one of the ugliest designs I've seen in a while. But look at those specs! Can you imagine how fast a 2GHz Pentium M would be? My friend has a 1.3GHz Centrino notebook and iTunes & Firefox run soooooo much faster on his computer than mine (1.33 GHz iBook). Everything just "snaps" into place on the screen. Apple can't switch to Intel fast enough.

[EJBasile]

The top of it reminds me of Silver aluminum roofing. :)

[wrxguy]

the lap top looks like **** and im not too fond of the desktop also but the xps desktop is a pretty good gaming pc

[Sedulous]

Yeah, that is one of the ugliest designs I've seen in a while. But look at those specs! Can you imagine how fast a 2GHz Pentium M would be? My friend has a 1.3GHz Centrino notebook and iTunes & Firefox run soooooo much faster on his computer than mine (1.33 GHz iBook). Everything just "snaps" into place on the screen. Apple can't switch to Intel fast enough.

As far as I understand, the way OS X redraws the screen is slower because the process is more complex (not because the G4/5 is slower). When Windows Vista comes out... it too will loose "the snappy" because Vista renders windows like OS X (big surprise).

[Abstract]

Yeah, I think OSX is supposed to handle everything as if it were a PDF, which is why it's slow as turd.

Vista will do it the same way, or something identical.

[jessica.]

way too thick and bulky for my liking.

[chucknorris]

I don't understand why everybody is so impressed with the specs...they don't even come close to making up for the OS, manufacturer, and vomit-inducing design.

[jsw]

I don't understand why everybody is so impressed with the specs...they don't even come close to making up for the OS, manufacturer, and vomit-inducing design.
Yes, but that's what we can hope to expect in the Intel PBs, which is what is exciting at least many of us.

[carlos700]

Any Laptop with the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX will be that big and heavy. I wouln't mind a PowerBook that big if it had that speed: 2GB of DDR2, 2.26GHz Intel Pentium M, 100GB 7200-RPM Hard Drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX with 256MB ...It's super fast...and it would be cool if it ran OS X.

[Sedulous]

I don't understand why everybody is so impressed with the specs...they don't even come close to making up for the OS, manufacturer, and vomit-inducing design.

Well, Dell understands how marketing works. Corrugated materials are tightly associated with class and luxury. Here are some well known uses for corrugated plastic and aluminum:

class:

http://unbecominglevity.blogharbor.com/_photos/corrugated_pipe.jpg

luxury:

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/pics/4426.jpg

Dell:

[Xtremehkr]

Tacky.

[katie ta achoo]

whenever I see the title of this thread, it makes me think Dell rented a cruise ship
and is now cruising the oceans
forcing people to use Dells.

and I'm just baffled!
I mean, they have sea sickness to contend with AND using a dell?
Come on Dell, wake up.

I hear the shade of blue used in the BSOD only amplifies motion sickness!

WHY DO YOU HATE THE SEA-FARING PUBLIC, DELL? HUH? WHY!??

/ewww.. dell cruise...
//wouldn't mind going on this cruise (http://www.geekcruises.com/top/mm045_top.htm)
///when I googled it, geekcruises.com wasn't the first or 2nd result.. I had to go to a macrumors archived post!
////MacRumors owns the internet?
/////I want 90% of all profit. Please?

[mcarnes]

Man, that is one ugly laptop.

[Mac Kiwi]

Looks like a clock radio mated with a sheet of corrugated iron!

[yoak]

A riend of mine just got this laptop, it´s a beast (and I mean size :p)
The "buttons" in front are just lights, you can customize them.
My friend had blue.
Only good thing seemed to be the screen.

I think it´s more compareable to an iMac, than a PB when it comes to weight and portability :eek:

And don´t get me started on the design

[SpookTheHamster]

Those computers are damned ugly. The XPS line isn't new, either; it's been around for a few years.

I really don't understand all these Dell maniacs. If I wanted a good looking PC, I'd build something myself in an Antec (http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=09180) or Lian Li (http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/M_C_S_PC-767.htm) case. If I wanted a damn sexy PC laptop, I'd go for the Acer Ferrari 4000 (http://global.acer.com/products/notebook/fr4000.htm) mmmmm, carbon fibre. Whatever I bought, I'd stay away from Intel. Their current line sucks compared to AMD.

One thing many of you seem to be forgetting is that while these computers may ship with XP, there's nothing stopping anybody from wiping it and putting a Linux distro on it.

[Dagless]

utterly no.

heh, highlight the laptop on the Dell USA page and it says "stylish designs". for what?! a blind ectoplasm?

[mkrishnan]

I don't understand why everybody is so impressed with the specs...they don't even come close to making up for the OS, manufacturer, and vomit-inducing design.

Are we reading the same thread? Where in this thread do you see a ringing endorsement of this product? :D

[JDar]

http://news.com.com/i/ne/p/photo/dell_600_450x450.jpg

Reminds me of something:

[notjustjay]

Reminds me of something:

When I saw that desktop shot, the first thing I thought of was XBOX360.

[lem0n]

look like one of those sheets ppl use to cover car windows when it's sunny [or for the dog to lie on as the case with this family I know]... Maybe that's another function, block the sun for you and reflect it to ppl you hate to blind them... Ooooooooh.. maybe it'll be solar powered :D Just leave it out in the yard [or the roof, it'll blend in so no thieves will be eye-ing your Dell] in the day to absorb power then you'll have a working computer at night.

[dotdotdot]

Whats wrong with everyone here? Honestly?

I actually have people I know who own that laptop (its an XPS Gen. 2), one of the highest rated LAPTOPS (PCMac) which includes the PowerBooks and iBooks.
Do you all realize that you are all calling something you've never seen, only pictures of, tacky? The performance is MUCH better than any Mac laptop will be at LEAST until 2007, and relatively inexpensive for so much. And have you ever lifted it? Unless you are incredibly weak, its relatively light - 8 pounds is NOTHING. If you can't carry 8 lbs. thats pretty sad. Plus, laptops are now becoming Desktop replacements - people would say that 8.6 lbs for a laptop with so much - 256 MB VRAM, 1 Gig RAM, DVD Burner, Media Center Edition XP, MP3 player, DVI Out, SVideo Out, amazing (Audigy 2?) soundcard, EVERYTHING - is an amazing deal.

If it ran Mac OS X you'd all buy one right now. Since it runs Windows, it sucks? What if you put linux on it, then its awesome.

Seriously, stop all the hating and just accept that something by Dell is better than something by Apple.

Edit: If you show someone who's never seen a Mac ever, a picture of the Powerbook 15", they'd think its tacky. A silver metalic thing? Eww. But in real life, its amazingly good looking. Same with the XPS line. Those pictures do suck - but I see one everyday, and think it really does look good.

[eva01]

Whats wrong with everyone here? Honestly?

I actually have people I know who own that laptop (its an XPS Gen. 2), one of the highest rated LAPTOPS (PCMac) which includes the PowerBooks and iBooks.
Do you all realize that you are all calling something you've never seen, only pictures of, tacky? The performance is MUCH better than any Mac laptop will be at LEAST until 2007, and relatively inexpensive for so much. And have you ever lifted it? Unless you are incredibly weak, its relatively light - 8 pounds is NOTHING. If you can't carry 8 lbs. thats pretty sad. Plus, laptops are now becoming Desktop replacements - people would say that 8.6 lbs for a laptop with so much - 256 MB VRAM, 1 Gig RAM, DVD Burner, Media Center Edition XP, MP3 player, DVI Out, SVideo Out, amazing (Audigy 2?) soundcard, EVERYTHING - is an amazing deal.

If it ran Mac OS X you'd all buy one right now. Since it runs Windows, it sucks? What if you put linux on it, then its awesome.

Seriously, stop all the hating and just accept that something by Dell is better than something by Apple.

Edit: If you show someone who's never seen a Mac ever, a picture of the Powerbook 15", they'd think its tacky. A silver metalic thing? Eww. But in real life, its amazingly good looking. Same with the XPS line. Those pictures do suck - but I see one everyday, and think it really does look good.


I HATE the look of that thing. And no i do not want an 8LB laptop as yes it would begin to be difficult to hold in my backpack all day. I would never want one of those things ever. Don't know where you are coming from but it surely isn't from the side of style or art or portability

And if it ran OS X i would not buy it, not in a million years if that became the next powerbook i would instantly buy myself an iBook, especially if it was over 8Lbs

[andiwm2003]

Whats wrong with everyone here? Honestly?

I actually have people I know who own that laptop (its an XPS Gen. 2), one of the highest rated LAPTOPS (PCMac) which includes the PowerBooks and iBooks.
Do you all realize that you are all calling something you've never seen, only pictures of, tacky? The performance is MUCH better than any Mac laptop will be at LEAST until 2007, and relatively inexpensive for so much. And have you ever lifted it? Unless you are incredibly weak, its relatively light - 8 pounds is NOTHING. If you can't carry 8 lbs. thats pretty sad. Plus, laptops are now becoming Desktop replacements - people would say that 8.6 lbs for a laptop with so much - 256 MB VRAM, 1 Gig RAM, DVD Burner, Media Center Edition XP, MP3 player, DVI Out, SVideo Out, amazing (Audigy 2?) soundcard, EVERYTHING - is an amazing deal.

If it ran Mac OS X you'd all buy one right now. Since it runs Windows, it sucks? What if you put linux on it, then its awesome.

Seriously, stop all the hating and just accept that something by Dell is better than something by Apple.

Edit: If you show someone who's never seen a Mac ever, a picture of the Powerbook 15", they'd think its tacky. A silver metalic thing? Eww. But in real life, its amazingly good looking. Same with the XPS line. Those pictures do suck - but I see one everyday, and think it really does look good.

8.6 pounds is 3 pounds more than the 15"pb. and even that is too heavy for frequent travel IMHO.

i'd like to see the speed of the thing compared to the pb. how much faster is it? 20-30%?

the top spec. dell is about $5000. i prefer the apple for $2500-3000.

the look is of course subjective. i think if it was very thin it might look cool. but it looks to me more like a heavy duty laptop for construction sites. but i agree, i'd have to see it "live". since you've seen it, does it really have those cylon/knightrider style red lights?

it would be good if apple would offer a powerbook of the same high end specs for pro's that need power more than portability. that is somehow missing in apples product line.

[mkrishnan]

Seriously, stop all the hating and just accept that something by Dell is better than something by Apple.

To be honest, I don't dislike it in comparison to products made by Apple. I dislike it in comparison to products made by IBM/Lenovo ... and maybe also Sony.

I think your comment about size is fair, though, Dotdotdot... For my usage profile -- carrying it with me over a fair distance on a daily basis, no thanks. Again, I'd much rather have one of the most recent Thinkpads that comes in at a substantially lower weight. But for someone who's looking to play games on a laptop, I guess I could probably see 8-9 lbs being reasonable. And who knows...they might even like the flashing LEDs.

Just a different concept of luxury than I have.

[Sedulous]

Seriously, stop all the hating and just accept that something by Dell is better than something by Apple.

Whaaaaaah? I've never said anything about performance. Dell is marketing these things as "luxury" items. Yet, that is clearly not the impression anyone is getting. Personally, it looks like it was made from old garbage cans or sewer pipe. The lightbright feature is, unless somehow functional, quite silly... or is it like those randomly flashing panels in Star Trek:

http://www.startrekanimated.com/tas_anim_panel_pics2.gif http://www.startrekanimated.com/tas_anim_panel_pics1.gif

[Capt Underpants]

I would love to have that laptop for LAN parties. Why is everyone comparing it to the 15" PB? It is a 17" Laptop. Let's compare the default models, shall we?

Powerbook: 6.9 lb :)
XPS: 8.6 lb
Powerbook: 1.67 GHz G4
XPS: 2 GHz Pentium M :)
Powerbook: Mobility Radeon 9700
XPS: Geforce Go 6800 Ultra :)
Powerbook: 17", 1440x900 resolution
XPS: 17", 1920x1200 Resolution :)
Powerbook: 100 GB 5400 RPM HD :)
XPS: 80 GB 5400 RPM HD
Powerbook: 512 MB PC3200 RAM
XPS: 1 GB DDR2 RAM :)

So for 1.7 lbs and only $60 more, we get an AWESOME processor (probably twice as fast as a 1.67 GHZ G4), a great graphics card, twice the amount of RAM, and a higher resolution screen. This computer will kick the powerbook out of the game, performance wise. I'd take this over a 17" powerbook any day.

[ohcrap]

I would love to have that laptop for LAN parties. Why is everyone comparing it to the 15" PB? It is a 17" Laptop. Let's compare the default models, shall we?

Powerbook: 6.9 lb :)
XPS: 8.6 lb
Powerbook: 1.67 GHz G4
XPS: 2 GHz Pentium M :)
Powerbook: Mobility Radeon 9700
XPS: Geforce Go 6800 Ultra :)
Powerbook: 17", 1440x900 resolution
XPS: 17", 1920x1200 Resolution :)
Powerbook: 100 GB 5400 RPM HD :)
XPS: 80 GB 5400 RPM HD
Powerbook: 512 MB PC3200 RAM
XPS: 1 GB DDR2 RAM :)

So for 1.7 lbs and only $60 more, we get an AWESOME processor (probably twice as fast as a 1.67 GHZ G4), a great graphics card, twice the amount of RAM, and a higher resolution screen. This computer will kick the powerbook out of the game, performance wise. I'd take this over a 17" powerbook any day.
$60 more?

[Capt Underpants]

$60 more?

You caught me :(... it's $61. $2699 and $2760

edit: If i go to configure an XPS, they actually include a 100 GB drive and drop the price to $2699. Not a bad deal, eh?

[javiercr]

You caught me :(... it's $61. $2699 and $2760

edit: If i go to configure an XPS, they actually include a 100 GB drive and drop the price to $2699. Not a bad deal, eh?

I was just working on my win pc (dell by the way), i dragged a file to a shotcut to a network folder, windows crashed, lost 1h of work :mad: which is about $500. So...i wish i had been using mac osx, that would make the dell $561 more expensive.

[Capt Underpants]

I was just working on my win pc (dell by the way), i dragged a file to a shotcut to a network folder, windows crashed, lost 1h of work :mad: which is about $500. So...i wish i had been using mac osx, that would make the dell $561 more expensive.

Sucks for you, dude. A well-maintained windows install shouldn't have problems like that.

[ohcrap]

I was just working on my win pc (dell by the way), i dragged a file to a shotcut to a network folder, windows crashed, lost 1h of work :mad: which is about $500. So...i wish i had been using mac osx, that would make the dell $561 more expensive.
A system with a respectible and well matched set of hardware components running a maintained install of Windows XP, assuming the user defrags more than he changes his underpants, practices safe-surfing and runs programs like Spybot, Ad-Aware, <insert your preferred flavor of AV here>, etc, almost never crashes...

The average Mac OS X system almost never crashes...

And when both systems crash, the Mac is much less likely to suffer data loss...

That alone puts the Apple machine far ahead in my book.

[Capt Underpants]

A system with a respectible and well matched set of hardware components running a maintained install of Windows XP, assuming the user defrags more than he changes his underpants, practices safe-surfing and runs programs like Spybot, Ad-Aware, <insert your preferred flavor of AV here>, etc, almost never crashes...

The average Mac OS X system almost never crashes...

And when both systems crash, the Mac is much less likely to suffer data loss...

That alone puts the Apple machine far ahead in my book.

I havent defragged my windows computer in six months. I don't use anti-virus software. My windows computer is still faster than my mac. I do, however, use ad-aware every few months. I keep my windows computer very well maintained (I use a selective startup to minimize the amount of background tasks, etc). I actually have good computing experiences on my windows machine. I think that the reason so many people have a hard time with windows is that they don't know how to use it.

[Blue Velvet]

I was just working on my win pc (dell by the way), i dragged a file to a shotcut to a network folder, windows crashed, lost 1h of work :mad: which is about $500. So...i wish i had been using mac osx, that would make the dell $561 more expensive.


If I'm working on a book or other lengthy publications, then autosaving multiple versions every 5 minutes and backing those up every 30 mins to another drive is par for the course. Small amount of effort to avoid redoing work, especially when time is tight... if $500 is an hours work, then some investment in an external drive is worth it.

Telling a client that my computer crashed is like saying the dog ate my homework...

[ohcrap]

I havent defragged my windows computer in six months. I don't use anti-virus software. My windows computer is still faster than my mac. I do, however, use ad-aware every few months. I keep my windows computer very well maintained (I use a selective startup to minimize the amount of background tasks, etc). I actually have good computing experiences on my windows machine. I think that the reason so many people have a hard time with windows is that they don't know how to use it.
My last post is speaking for the general public.

I have my machine locked down very tight. I've had it for about a year and a half now and have not had any viruses, VERY little malware of any kind (though I do check weekly to be sure), a single defrag about four months ago. Is it faster than my PowerBook? Yes. Do I prefer it over my PowerBook? Hell no.

Do I need to explain why? I should hope not. :)

[nbs2]

I think the problem here is that the laptop is a great example of the unintentional comedy factor of the tech world. Desktop replacements are obviously good for someone who uses their laptop at remote locations for business. Other than that, I can't see a viable reason for a desktop replacement - most consumers that want a desktop replacement do so with the thought that they don't need a full desktop and can easily take their computer with them. They then find out that the shortened battery life/need for additional batteries/size when flying coach makes it not worth the hassle, and they end up treating it as a computer they can use in any room in the house. They end up paying more for less, when compared to a desktop.

I think the virtue of the PB line, and what makes it a difficult comparison with these Dells is that it is a desktop replacement quality computer that is still somewhat portable. Why are most people here comparing it with the PB15? Because I think Dell expects people to treat the computer as a mobile machine and not a somewhat mobile desktop - which is where the 15 fits on the Apple scale. I would expect that Apple expects most of its customers with the PB17 to be the heavy business/tech user, with the 15 going to the majority of customers. With Dell, it's a one size fits all.

[Sedulous]

I would love to have that laptop for LAN parties. Why is everyone comparing it to the 15" PB? It is a 17" Laptop. Let's compare the default models, shall we?

Powerbook: 6.9 lb :)
XPS: 8.6 lb
Powerbook: 1.67 GHz G4
XPS: 2 GHz Pentium M :)
Powerbook: Mobility Radeon 9700
XPS: Geforce Go 6800 Ultra :)
Powerbook: 17", 1440x900 resolution
XPS: 17", 1920x1200 Resolution :)
Powerbook: 100 GB 5400 RPM HD :)
XPS: 80 GB 5400 RPM HD
Powerbook: 512 MB PC3200 RAM
XPS: 1 GB DDR2 RAM :)

So for 1.7 lbs and only $60 more, we get an AWESOME processor (probably twice as fast as a 1.67 GHZ G4), a great graphics card, twice the amount of RAM, and a higher resolution screen. This computer will kick the powerbook out of the game, performance wise. I'd take this over a 17" powerbook any day.

Thanks for the comparison. One important spec you didn't list was the thickness. The Dell is nearly 2" thick. That is about 2x the 17" powerbook. Imagine what you could fit into a powerbook that thick! Two, maybe three more processors, some pointless LED lights on the side, and maybe some fold out legs so you don't have to carry it.

[dotdotdot]

I will add this:

Those lights on the side - the ones in red - can be changed and turned off. Turned off looks best.

Also, thin-wise, Its about as thin as my PSP. And its really sturdy.

And the pictures make it look like a heavy duty laptop but in reality its a plain black laptop with gray/silver inside. Then Dell sticks on like this front sticker that makes it look kinda weird... its the sticker that looks like pieces of metal.

The only problem with it is that it uses the style of all new laptops - glossy screen. My PSP has glossy screen also and I don't like that part of it so much.

By the way, just so you all know, when I've used this laptop, I give it about 8.5/10. When I used a PowerBook at the Apple store, I gave it a 7/10. iBook, 7.5/10. Now, iMac, 10/10.

[Sedulous]

Dell should instead position these as the Hummer/SUV of computers. That would be more appropriate than "Luxury Line." The problem is that they look like those huge pimped-out boom boxes you see in electronics stores.

Looks like it takes Diesel to run that thing.
It looks like it should sound powerful (notice I avoided saying "good") but probably still sounds like a crappy plastic toy stereo. Perhaps the "thing" these days is to be as obnoxious as possible.

http://www.grioo.com/images/rubriques/4/1279.jpg

[texlaw04]

Dell should instead position these as the Hummer/SUV of computers. That would be more appropriate than "Luxury Line." The problem is that they look like those huge pimped-out boom boxes you see in electronics stores.

http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/jvc/EC.JVC.HXC6.jpg

Looks like it takes Diesel to run that thing.

It is the Hummer of notebooks.

Leo Laporte had it on his show, Call For Help, comparing 4 non-Apple notebooks for gaming purposes. While they loved the screen and the performance, they said that it was a powerhog, lasting only about 1.5 hours during gaming. So, it's both ugly and inefficient, but it sure is a powerful machine.

Based on what I've seen, this is a tyical problem in the true desktop replacement class of notebooks when you run processor-intensive apps. My father's HP (with a desktop-grade Pentium processor) handles computerized mapping tasks pretty well out in the mountains, but the battery peters out after less than 90 minutes. You have to pack the invertor to keep it alive. HP must have been thinking only of sheer CPU power, because it not only "cooks" when crunching data, but also gets hot enough to cook an egg.

The new Intel technology supposedly does even more than the current Centrino platform to optimize power consumption, including progressive scaling of LCD backlighting. Power and longevity?

[ohcrap]

Then Dell sticks on like this front sticker that makes it look kinda weird... its the sticker that looks like pieces of metal.
Ugh. Stickers. Gross.

Honestly, one of the best things (to me) about Apple is no (or very few) stickers! I hate stickers. If the "Macintel" systems have Intel Inside stickers on them, I swear I'll vomit. Stickers in general gross me out, they have no place on computers.

[chucknorris]

Ugh. Stickers. Gross.

Honestly, one of the best things (to me) about Apple is no (or very few) stickers! I hate stickers. If the "Macintel" systems have Intel Inside stickers on them, I swear I'll vomit. Stickers in general gross me out, they have no place on computers.

Yep! Couldn't agree more.

[Deepdale]

Honestly, one of the best things (to me) about Apple is no (or very few) stickers! ... they have no place on computers.

They won't be finding their way onto my new laptop.

[jdechko]

Actually, I think that the corrugated metal top case serves as an enormous heat sink of some sorts. Stylish and Functional... ;)

[Sirus The Virus]

If you show someone who's never seen a Mac ever, a picture of the Powerbook 15", they'd think its tacky. A silver metalic thing? Eww. But in real life, its amazingly good looking. Same with the XPS line. Those pictures do suck - but I see one everyday, and think it really does look good.

I've never met anybody that thinks that the Powerbooks are tacky. They may be good on performance, but they still look like total crap. I think I would sacrifice some performance for a slick good looking computer.

[ziwi]

It is all just a ruse to get more $$$ from the people used to an upgrade lifecycle. Processor power has not moved that much so this is just amarketing ploy to make cash and increase their margins...

[Les Kern]

They still have that "smiley face" thing going. Is Dell COMPLETELY devoid of inspiration? Is the design department well paid? Here's a company that arguably makes a fine machine for XP users. They have billions in in the bank, and all they can come up with is a slightly modified regular box? Check out Sony to see how it SHOULD be done.

[dan-o-mac]

Again, the words Dell and Design should never be used in the same sentence....

Some other pics from the web site (below) seem to have been influenced by original Cylon designs from the 80s :p



http://home.earthlink.net/~wk29003/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/cylonfrontlarge.jpg

D

Or the design could have originated from another 80's icon ROM

http://www.bigreds.com/Rom17.jpg

[IllegalEagle]

I’m a Dell XPS Gen2 owner, and I couldn't be happier with my $1600 direct new from Dell laptop. The thing is beautiful, no picture does it justice, as you would find in any Dell XPS Gen2/M170 owner's thoughts on it. If you cannot honestly carry around 8 pounds, which is the equitant to one school book, man that’s weak. Compared to 13 pounds at Alienware, its pretty damn impressive, as well is the 2 and a half hour battery over Alienware's 30 minutes. The 17 inch 1920x1200 is the best screen I have ever seen on any computer system out there, period. The ram, which is 2GB max, can handle anything you throw at it. And the Go 6800 Ultra at 6002 3DMark05, BLOWS away anything close to it, with the exception of the Dell M170 with a Go 7800 @ 7400. If you can keep yourself from peeping on porn sites, and doing anything Illegal, (Hell, even doing it with it), like me, you will not see any virus. The lights, change color from everything on the rainbow, and you can even sync it to music and audio. Overall, the system can and will blow you away, even in the most intense games out there.

[Santelope]

If I'm working on a book or other lengthy publications, then autosaving multiple versions every 5 minutes and backing those up every 30 mins to another drive is par for the course. Small amount of effort to avoid redoing work, especially when time is tight... if $500 is an hours work, then some investment in an external drive is worth it.

Telling a client that my computer crashed is like saying the dog ate my homework...

Or you could just set Word/word perect to auto save:eek:

[Santelope]

The thing people are missing is this is a 17" notebook with a 256mb video card, which takes up much of the room and weight...

It is a desktop replacement, and is soild as hell, doesn't have a crappy keyboard like macs....yup, your keyboards a are chessy...

Ignorance....

[Sedulous]

The point is that these computers were marketed as being "classy".

[rmhop81]

we get an AWESOME processor (probably twice as fast as a 1.67 GHZ G4), a great graphics card, twice the amount of RAM, and a higher resolution screen. This computer will kick the powerbook out of the game, performance wise. I'd take this over a 17" powerbook any day.

hmmmm yeah twice as fast man. that's why apple is switching to intel chips? why don't u think a little bit before you comment. and most people who buy those laptops don't fork out what it says the retail price is. I purchased one for $1650 brand new with a coupon. This laptop isn't meant for portability it's meant for gaming and a desktop replacement. If you want it for portability you're just plain dumb get a lighter laptop for that. The only thing i've seen people continuously say is it runs windows that's why they wouldn't buy it. yeah your powerbook may be thin but it can't game worth a **** and that is what the XPS is made for, GAMING. Get over yourself with mac, the comment about the processor made me laugh since i mean the g4 is double the speed but yet apple is switching to them? you should think next time b4 you speak.

[jiv3turkey748]

very ugly, but theyre probaly really fast and very cheap

but they dont run osx

[2nyRiggz]

that laptop(if thats what they call it) is a brick. Thats ugly Dell.....go back into your office and at least steal an idea or something....come on. i must admit, dell has some nice monitors!

Go Dell!! oppz i mean Go Apple!

Bless

[Sooper]

The whole point of your rant was that he should have thought before he commented; and yet your reply is mysteriously devoid of all thought and reason.

Astonishing. Did you actually read his post??? He was in favor of the Dell. It wasn't sarcasm. And in his "twice as fast" comment, he was actually referring to the Pentium M. Yes, he stated the Pentium was probably at least twice as fast.

I think you are missing the point most people here are trying to make: that the Dell is far from "luxory" and "class". It may be a great machine, but it sure isn't classy or luxorious; and shouldn't be marketed as such. It should be marketed like how you describe it (as a hard-core gaming machine with brute force). It's like a Dodge Viper (Dell) vs. a 911 (PowerBook). No body would call the Viper classy or luxorious, but everyone would agree it's a hell of a powerful beast. And even though the 911 is down 200HP its generally regarded as classy and luxorious.

Again, just wow.

hmmmm yeah twice as fast man. that's why apple is switching to intel chips? why don't u think a little bit before you comment. and most people who buy those laptops don't fork out what it says the retail price is. I purchased one for $1650 brand new with a coupon. This laptop isn't meant for portability it's meant for gaming and a desktop replacement. If you want it for portability you're just plain dumb get a lighter laptop for that. The only thing i've seen people continuously say is it runs windows that's why they wouldn't buy it. yeah your powerbook may be thin but it can't game worth a **** and that is what the XPS is made for, GAMING. Get over yourself with mac, the comment about the processor made me laugh since i mean the g4 is double the speed but yet apple is switching to them? you should think next time b4 you speak.

[sushi]

Ugh. Stickers. Gross.

Honestly, one of the best things (to me) about Apple is no (or very few) stickers! I hate stickers. If the "Macintel" systems have Intel Inside stickers on them, I swear I'll vomit. Stickers in general gross me out, they have no place on computers.
Same here!

I wonder if they are like mattress labels, as in you cannot remove? ;)

BTW, if your computer has an Intel Inside sticker and you upgrade to an AMD solution, do you have to change the sticker? Inquiring minds want to know! :D :D :D

[sushi]

Sucks for you, dude. A well-maintained windows install shouldn't have problems like that.
SHOULDN'T is the key term.

But Windows XP still crashes and has lockup problems.

Sure SP2 fixed many things and it runs better, but it still is not bullet proof.

Sushi

[diddy]

The lights in the speaker grills of that laptop. Priceless. A visual representation of the heat radiating to your crotch.
:rolleyes:

[Subliving]

Hmm.

Dell vs Apple

Ann Widdecombe MP vs Jennifer Lopez.

One may have bigger numbers in every department, but which would you prefer to have sitting on your lap?

Subliving

[sushi]

Hmm.

Dell vs Apple

Ann Widdecombe MP vs Jennifer Lopez.

One may have bigger numbers in every department, but which would you prefer to have sitting on your lap?
Never thought of it that way! :eek:

You may have something there. :D

Sushi

[mkrishnan]

Never thought of it that way! :eek:

You may have something there. :D

Sushi

I didn't think I'd see the day when Apple was being defended by pointing out its similarities to Jennifer Lopez! :eek: ;) :D

[MontyZ]

.

[w_parietti22]

Hey, are you saying my Mac has a big ass??? ;)

If you have an eMac... then yes! ;) :p

[Subliving]

I didn't think I'd see the day when Apple was being defended by pointing out its similarities to Jennifer Lopez! :eek: ;) :D

Well, I wasn't thinking too much of it in that way... but I guess you could say that both Apple and J-Lo are designed, on the outside at least, by extremely well paid technicians. Or is that taking things too far?

Subliving

[sushi]

Hey, are you saying my Mac has a big ass??? ;)If you have an eMac... then yes! ;) :p
Good one! ROTFMLOL! :D

Sushi

[houkouonchi]

You know I honestly don't think the powerbooks look better than the XPS gen 2. That just varies depending on the person. I would have to say gettin g a dell laptop is a much better value than an Apple though. I have a Dell Inspiron XPS gen 2 which is tripple boot, Windows XP pro/ Gentoo linux / Mac os X x86 10.4.

My specs are:
Inspiron XPS gen 2
2.0 GHz P-M
2 GB DDR2 RAM
17" WUXGA True Life
Geforce go 6800 Ultra
100 GB 5400 RPM
8x DL DVD+-RW
2x80 Whr batteries
Dell XPS Gen 2 Backpack
4 year warranty In home warranty
Total w/california tax: $2361.25

I must say you can't beat that price comparing it to a macintosh.

I honestly think that the mac OS is a good OS. I happen to be more into linux than windows. I havent even had windows installed on my desktop system for 4 years. However I also think that hardware-wise mac's suck. Sorry =(

[eRondeau]

When I see overwrought crap like this, I appreciate the clean lines of my iBook more than ever. Michael Dell needs to hire more industrial designers and fewer blind people.

[zap2]

However I also think that hardware-wise mac's suck. Sorry =(


Yup quad based PowerMacs suck:eek:


PPC is a good chip if only we could figure a way to use it and not run away from it to x86