Dell Adamo revisited

AndyMulhearn · Dec 20, 2009

I'm probably preaching to the converted here but I saw one of these in John Lewis (UK Retailer) and I'm singularly unimpressed, more so when I saw the £1750 price tag - £400 more than the top of the line Air. The display model had been out for around a week and one of the catches that hold it close had started to fail already which gives me no feeling of longevity.

Apart from that, closed it's an odd shape and most decent laptop bags probably won't hold it securely, the typing angle is odd and you don't get to change the angle of attack of the screen or keyboard and the whole thing feels about as solid as an empty A4 envelope.

Apart from that, it's clearly a winner. Nice try, just a bit too mad I think.

SnowLeopard2008 · Dec 20, 2009

Revisited? I never want to visit it in the first place. The Adamo XPS is NOT a functional computer like the Air is. It's not meant or designed to sell more than the Air. It's designed to be a status symbol, for Dell to show Apple that it's not afraid to make overprice POS, which Macs are definitely not. If someone at Dell thought for one minute that the Adamo would sell better than the Air, they shouldn't even be alive for their stupidity. It's just a poor comeback at what Apple is all about, thinness.

elppa · Dec 20, 2009

It's worst than the first one!

Bringing the design aesthetic of a netbook to the thin and light category.

The new Vostro (which from looks appears based on the first generation Adamo) looks a far better bet.

Winni · Dec 20, 2009

Yeah, guys. Sure. And if this thing had an Apple logo on its back you would get a new mortgage to buy it.

What I just saw on the Dell website looked rather stylish and good enough for me. I also think it looked much better than the MacBook Air.

And let's be frank here - neither machine was designed with people in mind who actually want to WORK with it. They're both designer toys whose only purpose is to do some light web browsing -- in public, of course.

thegoldenmackid · Dec 20, 2009

As Engadget said when the first Adamo came out, it's worse then the MacBook Air when it comes to overpaying for aesthetics and designs.

Scottsdale · Dec 20, 2009

I think the best "cheap" competitor to the MBA on the PC side could be the Dell V13. It's $599 with Windows 7 ($449 with Linux), and it is shaped like the original Adamo yet not in aluminum. Allows 4 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD would fit!!!

I actually like the original Adamo that has been updated with the same CPU as the MBA 2.13 GHz. It is a competitor, and the price is similar to the MBA. Not as thin nor nice in form factor, but on the PC side it gets seemingly "rock-solid" Windows 7 rather than COMPLETELY BUGGY OS X Snow Leopard.

My Snow Leopard has SUCKED! Seriously, it's not fun... it feels like Vista, only worse!

Jobsian · Dec 20, 2009

Scottsdale said:
... but on the PC side it gets seemingly "rock-solid" Windows 7 rather than COMPLETELY BUGGY OS X Snow Leopard.

My Snow Leopard has SUCKED! Seriously, it's not fun... it feels like Vista, only worse!

I've seen more and more posts from you about SL (I don't own it yet). It's starting to concern me and is seriously making me now factor in the possibility of partitioning whatever Apple notebook I buy next to allow a Win 7 installation (even though I originally had no intention of doing this whatsoever).

Is it really that bad?

Would you say SL is worse than Win7 or is it just not as better than Windows 7 as OSX was compared with Vista? Basically if you were given a choice between Windows 7 and Snow, you could only choose one, which would you choose?

Jobsian · Dec 20, 2009

Oh and the Adamo XPS - I so wanted to like it, but I cant bring myself to feel love for the design (a major factor for me loving the Air). Plus it's just way too underpowered for what I wanted.

Still, Dell get a lot of kudos from me for being bold enough to attempt to rip away Apple's beautiful and sleek crown and also for creating such an uber-thin notebook.

Thunder82 · Dec 20, 2009

Scottsdale said:
but on the PC side it gets seemingly "rock-solid" Windows 7 rather than COMPLETELY BUGGY OS X Snow Leopard.

My Snow Leopard has SUCKED! Seriously, it's not fun... it feels like Vista, only worse!

You've got to be kidding regarding Win7. I actually LOL'd. Not saying SL has been the most solid release ever, but neither has win7.

thegoldenmackid · Dec 20, 2009

Thunder82 said:
You've got to be kidding regarding Win7. I actually LOL'd. Not saying SL has been the most solid release ever, but neither has win7.

Meh, some people expect perfection and 8GB of ram.

elppa · Dec 20, 2009

Winni said:
Yeah, guys. Sure. And if this thing had an Apple logo on its back you would get a new mortgage to buy it.

What I just saw on the Dell website looked rather stylish and good enough for me. I also think it looked much better than the MacBook Air.

If find this if it had an Apple logo on argument insulting, especially as I have just pointed out a PC laptop (from Dell) which I think is really quite special. It's like we can't evaluate and discuss this stuff without being placed in a camp.

Firstly Have you not seen this thing in photos not taken by Dell

Visible hinges, visible seams, large gaps between the trackpad buttons, deeply reassessed screen, think bottom bezel, messy bottom panel.

It is in many ways a step back from the first edition. This does not look like a product with great fit and finish, instead it looks rushed.

Secondly with its 9400M graphics and SSD the MacBook Air is good enough when it comes to performance.

aussie.damo · Dec 21, 2009

Thunder82 said:
You've got to be kidding regarding Win7. I actually LOL'd. Not saying SL has been the most solid release ever, but neither has win7.

Just curious, what about Win 7 hasn't been solid? Have been using it since alpha release (work) with no issues. Think it's pretty awesome actually.

I loved Leopard, SL - not so much.

Damo

maflynn · Dec 21, 2009

Thunder82 said:
You've got to be kidding regarding Win7. I actually LOL'd. Not saying SL has been the most solid release ever, but neither has win7.

Actually I'm finding win7 to be incredibly solid. While I may not embrace the hype that win7 has generated. Its probably MS' best OS to date. I like it better then the venerable XP and while I'm no windows fanboy, I do use it for work purposes, so I'm happy its a fast and stable OS.

newdeal · Dec 21, 2009

...

I haen't had any issues with SL however I can definately say that windows 7 hasn't been great. I do like some of the new features in it however the day I installed it (clean install) it crashed at least twice and it has been crashing and hanging occasionally since then. I actually wished I had stuck with vista on that laptop but at least 7 only cost $40 for the student deal

AndyMulhearn · Dec 21, 2009

Winni said:
What I just saw on the Dell website looked rather stylish and good enough for me. I also think it looked much better than the MacBook Air.

Find somewhere and put your hands on it like I did. I thought it look a bad idea in pictures, it was even worse when I handled it.

AndyMulhearn · Dec 21, 2009

Jobsian said:
I've seen more and more posts from you about SL (I don't own it yet). It's starting to concern me and is seriously making me now factor in the possibility of partitioning whatever Apple notebook I buy next to allow a Win 7 installation (even though I originally had no intention of doing this whatsoever).

Is it really that bad?

Would you say SL is worse than Win7 or is it just not as better than Windows 7 as OSX was compared with Vista? Basically if you were given a choice between Windows 7 and Snow, you could only choose one, which would you choose?

I'm using both. SL on an Air and 7 on a NetBook. SL is not as unusable/unstable as Scottsdale seems to be bent on pushing down everyone's throat given any kind of an opening in a forum post. Nor is it unusable/unstable on my son's 2 year old MacBook Pro or my daughter's year old white MacBook.

Having said that, if you're happy with Leopard then honestly there may be little with SL that you would benefit from. It's just not a lemon in any way shape or form and nothing like the car-crash that Leopard was when it first came out.

AndyMulhearn · Dec 21, 2009

maflynn said:
Actually I'm finding win7 to be incredibly solid. While I may not embrace the hype that win7 has generated. Its probably MS' best OS to date. I like it better then the venerable XP and while I'm no windows fanboy, I do use it for work purposes, so I'm happy its a fast and stable OS.

I agree. It's stable and quick on my NetBook, where XP was adequate and Vista a disaster. I just prefer Snow Leopard.

bloodycape · Dec 21, 2009

I like the Dell V13 over the Adamo XPS, and even Adamo(b/c of price) but the lack of a removable battery and battery life that isn't anything special makes it a bit of a hard sell. I personally think the HP DM3 would be the better buy as it can offer an Intel CPU up to the SP line and a nvidia 105m gpu(I hear a better clocked 9400), with a battery life that is close to 7 hours in that config and still cost under $950. Then again it looks uglier than the MBA(average looking) and the Dell V13.

The Adamo XPS maybe one of the ugliest machines made, and uglier than some of those Dells and HPs from 2-3 years ago.

SnowLeopard2008 · Dec 21, 2009

Winni said:
Yeah, guys. Sure. And if this thing had an Apple logo on its back you would get a new mortgage to buy it.

What I just saw on the Dell website looked rather stylish and good enough for me. I also think it looked much better than the MacBook Air.

And let's be frank here - neither machine was designed with people in mind who actually want to WORK with it. They're both designer toys whose only purpose is to do some light web browsing -- in public, of course.

You know John Hodgman? The "PC Guy" in the "I'm a Mac" ads? His work computer is a MacBook Air.

The MBA carries a heavy punch, the 9400M graphics and Intel Core 2 Duo processor (not a self-labeled Intel Core 2 Duo ULV) really kick it up a notch. My friend had one and we both brought our Macs to a college course once. Her MBA does a lot more than light web browsing. Another friend of mine in that class was playing a flash game on it and we gave PowerPoint presentations that day. It's the perfect companion for fashionistas, true, but I can imagine a businessman (or woman) using it while he travels. It's light, grabs people's attention, and has enough power.

Scottsdale said:
I think the best "cheap" competitor to the MBA on the PC side could be the Dell V13. It's $599 with Windows 7 ($449 with Linux), and it is shaped like the original Adamo yet not in aluminum. Allows 4 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD would fit!!!

I actually like the original Adamo that has been updated with the same CPU as the MBA 2.13 GHz. It is a competitor, and the price is similar to the MBA. Not as thin nor nice in form factor, but on the PC side it gets seemingly "rock-solid" Windows 7 rather than COMPLETELY BUGGY OS X Snow Leopard.

My Snow Leopard has SUCKED! Seriously, it's not fun... it feels like Vista, only worse!

I think you're describing yourself quite well, you just forgot to add "stubborn" and "lacking basic knowledge".

SnowLeopard2008 · Dec 21, 2009

mods please delete this.

thegoldenmackid · Dec 21, 2009

SnowLeopard2008 deleted his post, so only some of mine is sensical in the context.

Plenty of people use the Air as their everyday computer, plenty of people laugh at that idea. In the end it's all about what fits each individual. In the case of the Adamo, little makes sense as the machine wasn't well built, cost more then other alternatives and is severely underspeced.

Scottsdale · Dec 21, 2009

I am disgusted with Snow Leopard. EVERYTHING seems problematic. I can open almost any application and have the OS fail. Usually it seems to be Safari, but I have lost Word docs, Pages docs, Excel spreadsheets, emails typed out, and even iLife failures across the board. It USUALLY is the first app I start after a startup or waking from sleep.

It has happened on TWO different drives on one MBA and TWO different MBAs (totaling three drives). I had problems with 10.6 and 10.6.1 but those problems were minor; once I upgraded to the latest Safari and 10.6.2 everything has gone DOWNHILL FAST!

Usually, I lose a long message like this typed in Safari 20% of the time. I have lost HOURS of writing in long docs, and I have lost much time rebooting, force shutdown after freeze ups hang for 30 minutes, and etc ALL IN SNOW LEOPARD 10.6.2!

In Windows 7, I HAVE LOST NOTHING! I have had COMPLETE SUCCESS with EVERYTHING... including Safari, all docs, and ALL HARDWARE! I even had no printer support in Snow Leopard but full printer support in Windows 7.

No body could make me believe that Apple gives a damn about the Mac and Mac users right now. It is full force ahead making crazy margins on iPods and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, iPHONES! I guess Apple is making like 150% return on the iPhone, so it forgets the first 20+ years of existence it was A COMPUTER COMPANY! Let's not forget the STUPID tablet device that has done nothing but cost Jobs sleepless nights for seven years! How about a little love for the Mac and OS X?

I am pissed that I can run 64-bit Windows 7 on my MBA WITHOUT Windows 7 compatible drivers by Apple. What happened to Windows 7 support from Apple that was promised in 2009? I am pissed that Microsoft is exceeding my expectations and Apple is failing. It makes it POINTLESS to buy a $2000 MBA if OS X is GARBAGE! The reason I buy Apple products used to be "they just work." Now, it seems I am buying MBAs because they look pretty! Cannot get a damn thing done on it... and been booting to Windows 7 to do my work because I cannot even count on Pages in OS X!

I am not happy, and I don't think we should all continue to give Apple a free pass on all of this! If things don't change real fast, I will not be buying the next MBA!

ayeying · Dec 21, 2009

I have none of those problems you stated.

The only issue I've seen is Quicktime X crashing every 30-40 minutes for no apparent reason on the iMac. However, it doesn't happen on the Air.

I don't have any kernel panics, crashes, stalls and such, unless I've created them on accident. The OS itself has been rock solid so far. The software I use can be iffy depending on an updated or older version. On Windows 7, it blue screens cause of network disk access which is a pain. That, is an OS fault.

The fact you're having multiple software issues, I'd suspect failing hardware rather than a "failing" OS because the OS does not randomly fail outta the blue.

Do an Archive and Install. Usually that will help you resolve many issues caused by an upgrade or other bad software.

AndyMulhearn · Dec 22, 2009

Scottsdale said:
I am disgusted with Snow Leopard. EVERYTHING seems problematic. I can open almost any application and have the OS fail. Usually it seems to be Safari, but I have lost Word docs, Pages docs, Excel spreadsheets, emails typed out, and even iLife failures across the board. It USUALLY is the first app I start after a startup or waking from sleep.

Like I said, I have none of these problems. SL has been stable and reliable, no kernel panics in the time I've used it and none on the machines my kids use. Have you tried taking your unstable kit to an apple genius bar and seeing what they say?

To be completely frank it sounds like you have a couple of machines that are completely unusable so I'm surprised you can do anything. If I were you I would be pushing apple for a solution but repeatedly posting the same problems in these forums when the majority of people who respond to you are having none of these issues is not helping anyone.

SnowLeopard2008 · Dec 22, 2009

Scottsdale said:
I am disgusted with Snow Leopard. EVERYTHING seems problematic. I can open almost any application and have the OS fail. Usually it seems to be Safari, but I have lost Word docs, Pages docs, Excel spreadsheets, emails typed out, and even iLife failures across the board. It USUALLY is the first app I start after a startup or waking from sleep.

It has happened on TWO different drives on one MBA and TWO different MBAs (totaling three drives). I had problems with 10.6 and 10.6.1 but those problems were minor; once I upgraded to the latest Safari and 10.6.2 everything has gone DOWNHILL FAST!

Usually, I lose a long message like this typed in Safari 20% of the time. I have lost HOURS of writing in long docs, and I have lost much time rebooting, force shutdown after freeze ups hang for 30 minutes, and etc ALL IN SNOW LEOPARD 10.6.2!

In Windows 7, I HAVE LOST NOTHING! I have had COMPLETE SUCCESS with EVERYTHING... including Safari, all docs, and ALL HARDWARE! I even had no printer support in Snow Leopard but full printer support in Windows 7.

No body could make me believe that Apple gives a damn about the Mac and Mac users right now. It is full force ahead making crazy margins on iPods and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, iPHONES! I guess Apple is making like 150% return on the iPhone, so it forgets the first 20+ years of existence it was A COMPUTER COMPANY! Let's not forget the STUPID tablet device that has done nothing but cost Jobs sleepless nights for seven years! How about a little love for the Mac and OS X?

I am pissed that I can run 64-bit Windows 7 on my MBA WITHOUT Windows 7 compatible drivers by Apple. What happened to Windows 7 support from Apple that was promised in 2009? I am pissed that Microsoft is exceeding my expectations and Apple is failing. It makes it POINTLESS to buy a $2000 MBA if OS X is GARBAGE! The reason I buy Apple products used to be "they just work." Now, it seems I am buying MBAs because they look pretty! Cannot get a damn thing done on it... and been booting to Windows 7 to do my work because I cannot even count on Pages in OS X!

I am not happy, and I don't think we should all continue to give Apple a free pass on all of this! If things don't change real fast, I will not be buying the next MBA!

Quit complaining, not even Macs are perfect and "just work" 100% of the time. Not even the mighty Google can claim that their Google Apps, Gmail work 100% of the time. If this problem was persistent, you would have brought it to your nearest Apple Store. If you want to rant some more, please feel free to do so. I felt the same way (angry-meter wise) when my MacBook had a logic board problem that prevented it running off battery power about 3 weeks after my 1 year warranty ran out. It was my fault so I felt uber-pissed.

Dell Adamo revisited

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