Dell XPS 15z vs. Macbook Pro 15"

[URPÅ]

How much more powerful is a 525m ddr3 than a 6490m gddr5 anyway? It can't be a world of difference, not that much higher than the old 330m vs 6490m comparisons.

If 525M uses DDR3 memory, it should be slower than 6940M with GDDR5

 

[grahamnp]

At medium settings, the benchmarks on Notebookcheck seem to indicate that the 525m is about 50% faster on most newer titles. DDR3 vs DDR5 seems to be an indicator of performance only when comparing two GPUs variants of the same model.

TBH, if gaming is a priority there are definitely better notebooks (on paper) than the 15z.

 

[314631]

I've been weighing up the same choice. I think I'm going Dell XPS 15z for the following reasons:

Better screen
Better graphics
More RAM
More hard drive
Much lower price

I've been trying to run Windows 7 on my MacBook Pro but it really is a horrible experience with the shoddy bootcamp drivers from Apple. The trackpad is practically unusable, battery life is diminished, and the Windows drivers Apple provides are way old and outdated for the hardware.

I own a couple of Apple laptops already so it's a no brainer for make my next laptop one that is built for the best possible Windows experience.

I've played with a 15z in a store already and I can honestly say it feels like a very well built laptop. I agree with earlier comments Dell does have a bit of a reputation for building some crappy computers in their low-end range. But the 15z feels like the best Dell laptop I've used. I've owned a couple of Inspirons and a Vostro in the past.

As for comments about their aftercare and support. I honestly believe Dell does a far better job than Apple with repairs. They will ship out replacement components to your address for you to fit, rather than requiring to return your entire computer. And they will arrange collection your faulty part(s) at the same time as delivering the replacements. Apple flat out refuses to do this.

 

[palpatine]

I've been weighing up the same choice. I think I'm going Dell XPS 15z for the following reasons:

Better screen
Better graphics
More RAM
More hard drive
Much lower price

I've been trying to run Windows 7 on my MacBook Pro but it really is a horrible experience with the shoddy bootcamp drivers from Apple. The trackpad is practically unusable, battery life is diminished, and the Windows drivers Apple provides are way old and outdated for the hardware.

I own a couple of Apple laptops already so it's a no brainer for make my next laptop one that is built for the best possible Windows experience.

I've played with a 15z in a store already and I can honestly say it feels like a very well built laptop. I agree with earlier comments Dell does have a bit of a reputation for building some crappy computers in their low-end range. But the 15z feels like the best Dell laptop I've used. I've owned a couple of Inspirons and a Vostro in the past.

As for comments about their aftercare and support. I honestly believe Dell does a far better job than Apple with repairs. They will ship out replacement components to your address for you to fit, rather than requiring to return your entire computer. And they will arrange collection your faulty part(s) at the same time as delivering the replacements. Apple flat out refuses to do this.

sounds great. my experience with dell computers has been uniformly bad, and colleagues of mine have horror stories about it taking months to resolve problems, but who knows. things can change.

i've enjoyed apple a lot, and i have no plans to go back to windows on a regular basis (i have an asus netbook and also have windows at the office on a dell).

update us in a few weeks or months to tell us how it goes!

 

[314631]

sounds great. my experience with dell computers has been uniformly bad, and colleagues of mine have horror stories about it taking months to resolve problems, but who knows. things can change.

i've enjoyed apple a lot, and i have no plans to go back to windows on a regular basis (i have an asus netbook and also have windows at the office on a dell).

update us in a few weeks or months to tell us how it goes!

Yeah I hear those horror stories all the time on Mac enthusiast sites. I would admit you get better support from Dell if you know what you are talking about. You have to go through lengthy diagnostics over the phone with them, and they can go for an hour (sometimes longer) testing your patience unless you are firm with them and challenge them with sound reasoning.

That said, I've never had Dell check liquid sensors to try and deny me access to a warranty plan I had purchased. Or refuse to service my machine because someone may have once smoked in the same room as my computer.

IMO Windows and Mac OSX both have strengths and weaknesses. So I utilise both. I have definitely leaned more towards Apple hardware for the past few years. But there's no way I would commit to using one OS more than the other. I'm happy expanding my knowledge and accomplishing the things I want to do from each platform.

 

[palpatine]

Yeah I hear those horror stories all the time on Mac enthusiast sites. I would admit you get better support from Dell if you know what you are talking about.

I do know what I am talking about. At least, with my problem The Dell reps. did not, though, and after lengthy discussions (multiple calls), we finally found a solution. My colleague was not so lucky. The guy was actually a Dell fan (after switching from Gateway), but was so furious (still is years later) he changed to Apple. It was his excellent experience with Apple (and other family members) that helped convince me to switch recently.

I don't hold this against Dell. They are stuck with that crappy business model shared by so many manufacturers. I have had similar issues with Compaq and Asus customer support. When you field out highly technical work to people in foreign countries AND do not give them the training or authority to do more than go through their annoying scripts, you get crappy service. The difference between Dell and Apple customer service is crystal clear. Living, breathing people who often (not always) know what they are doing and can help you immediately.

That said, I've never had Dell check liquid sensors to try and deny me access to a warranty plan I had purchased. Or refuse to service my machine because someone may have once smoked in the same room as my computer.

They are welcome to check the liquid sensors all they want. And, I challenge them to deny me service because of smoke damage (I don't smoke, but I think it is unlikely they'll be able to enforce a nutty policy like that on even the heaviest smokers). I haven't had any serious issues yet, so I cannot say. I can only go from my experiences so far with other Apple devices, and the experiences of colleagues and family members. Good luck finding someone who has kind words for Dell (or any other PC manufacturer I can think of).

IMO Windows and Mac OSX both have strengths and weaknesses. So I utilise both.

Sure. But, for the work I do Windows is much less efficient. Apple seems to have some really fabulous features for multiple language support. I prefer to use it.

But there's no way I would commit to using one OS more than the other. I'm happy expanding my knowledge and accomplishing the things I want to do from each platform.

Sure. But, I can only use one computer at a time (as my main one) and I definitely think my MBP is better (for my needs). I am not anti-Windows. Windows is fine. I just don''t want to use it anymore. I think that Apple has done great work integrating everything, and Windows is simply not able to keep up. Windows 8 (at the moment) looks like a nightmare.

Lion promises to deliver some really incredible features as well. I have used a whole lot of Windows laptops over the year, and I've never had anything even close to this trackpad. Lion will take it to a whole new level.

I honestly wish the OP luck with his Dell. Personally, though, I've been down that road and I know where it leads, so I haven't got much interest in it.