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Do you think Dell Precision M3800 is a better choice than rMBP 15''?
- Thread starter galaksy
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Uh....did you really ask that here??????? 
I am an IT manager and handle aprox. 120 Windows pcs and several servers..daily. I take my Mac with me as I can do more work, easier and faster, with my Mac. And it always works and never gets any type of virus or malware.
It really depends of what you want to do with a computer. If you like to play games, get the Winbox....if you want to work, get the Mac. If you like to "play" with the system, get the Winbox. If you just want it to work right every time you use it, get the Mac.
Ok, I now yield the soapbox.
I am an IT manager and handle aprox. 120 Windows pcs and several servers..daily. I take my Mac with me as I can do more work, easier and faster, with my Mac. And it always works and never gets any type of virus or malware.
It really depends of what you want to do with a computer. If you like to play games, get the Winbox....if you want to work, get the Mac. If you like to "play" with the system, get the Winbox. If you just want it to work right every time you use it, get the Mac.
Ok, I now yield the soapbox.
I'm not a fan of Windows 8. Windows 7 was good. Also, PCs don't have the "oneness" Macs do. You might have the same specs or even better than a Mac, but the smoothness, efficiency, ease of use, and reliability just isn't there with a PC 
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It does look like a well made machine. Doesn't attract me more than a MBP and it runs Windows 8 which is horrible imo.
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Better choice for what?
What software will be used? Is Windows/OS X a requirement? Is downtime expensive, making next business day service a requirement? Etc, etc.
The list could go on, and on. There's no single generally useful answer, if requirements are not defined.
What software will be used? Is Windows/OS X a requirement? Is downtime expensive, making next business day service a requirement? Etc, etc.
The list could go on, and on. There's no single generally useful answer, if requirements are not defined.
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Hi,
The screen of the M3800 is truly enticing. In my opinion, the 1440*900 display area of the rMBP is a bit too low (I have a 1680*1050 screen on my mid-2010 MBP) and the 1600*900 effective area of the M3800 just hits the sweet spot. Plus, it's touch sensitive. For many professionals here, the Quadro k1100m might be the clincher. However, the one thing that the rMBP has over the M3800 is the OS's integration with the hardware. Windows isn't the best operating system for a personal system. Furthermore, as the article itself states, many of the prized features of the M3800 (screen (resolution), touchscreen, trackpad, etc.) are really pulled back due to bad drivers.
As a whole, despite the relatively high price and (comparatively) not-so-great specifications, the rMBP wins with OS X and Apple's monopoly over Mac hardware, which provides the best integration possible.
I would almost definitely go with the rMBP.
Raptor
The screen of the M3800 is truly enticing. In my opinion, the 1440*900 display area of the rMBP is a bit too low (I have a 1680*1050 screen on my mid-2010 MBP) and the 1600*900 effective area of the M3800 just hits the sweet spot. Plus, it's touch sensitive. For many professionals here, the Quadro k1100m might be the clincher. However, the one thing that the rMBP has over the M3800 is the OS's integration with the hardware. Windows isn't the best operating system for a personal system. Furthermore, as the article itself states, many of the prized features of the M3800 (screen (resolution), touchscreen, trackpad, etc.) are really pulled back due to bad drivers.
As a whole, despite the relatively high price and (comparatively) not-so-great specifications, the rMBP wins with OS X and Apple's monopoly over Mac hardware, which provides the best integration possible.
I would almost definitely go with the rMBP.
Raptor
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Leaving the OS debate aside (modern Windows is an excellent OS for certain tasks), and looking only at the hardware, I would clearly pick the rMBP over the Dell. The reasons: at the same price level the rMBP offers higher batter life, faster storage performance, better trackpad and at least for me, it feels like higher build quality. With the entry-level model (256GB SSD), the rMBP is actually cheaper. With the high-end model, the price is essentially the same, but the rMBP offers a faster CPU and a faster GPU (unless you are looking at certain professional applications which can benefit from the Quadro card).
To sum it up, I believe that the M3800 is an excellent machine for professionals in the field of engineering, who need a fast, light laptop that can deal with heavy-demand engineering modelling tasks. It could be also a good choice for other media professionals as well. The rMBP is a better all-round machine, based on ergonomy and battery life. Again, this all disregarding the fact that OS X is much better at handling HiDPI content than Windows.
To sum it up, I believe that the M3800 is an excellent machine for professionals in the field of engineering, who need a fast, light laptop that can deal with heavy-demand engineering modelling tasks. It could be also a good choice for other media professionals as well. The rMBP is a better all-round machine, based on ergonomy and battery life. Again, this all disregarding the fact that OS X is much better at handling HiDPI content than Windows.
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scaling content to be displayed on a high res screen like the mbps retina screen.
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I think this document provides quite a good explanation: https://developer.apple.com/library...d.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40012302-CH4-SW1
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I hope I'm not hijackin the thread, but I was wondering what's your battery life like?
I keep it at 1680 x 1050 and my battery life kind of sucks
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The M3800 is more workstation-class than the rMBP. It has a nVidia Quadro, better screen and it's even lighter (around 200g) than the 15" rMBP. The rMBP has PCIe storage, though but in general the M3800 is a more interesting concept for professionals that look for a mobile workstation. Also, Dell provides insurance if you spill water over your machine.
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I own(ed) Macs, Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer Laptops.
No vendor ... and I mean no one ... has ever been able to create a touchpad similar to the MacBookPro. And even Lenovo (former ThinkPads) have bad keyboards nowadays.
You can buy hardware specs that are way better than the Mac, but the experience will probably not be as good (to be polite).
I have a high-end Dell from work, I don't know the model but it was really expensive. I can tell you that it really su**s in so many aspects.
The display is not even able to reproduce a simple yellow color, which is amazing (not).
No vendor ... and I mean no one ... has ever been able to create a touchpad similar to the MacBookPro. And even Lenovo (former ThinkPads) have bad keyboards nowadays.
You can buy hardware specs that are way better than the Mac, but the experience will probably not be as good (to be polite).
I have a high-end Dell from work, I don't know the model but it was really expensive. I can tell you that it really su**s in so many aspects.
The display is not even able to reproduce a simple yellow color, which is amazing (not).
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You mean the low end ones that Walmart sells?
Dell machines that have Quadro GPUs tend to be decent machines. Ask any engineer who does CAD for a living.
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M3800 gets a lower spec 37W TDP i7-quad CPU and no Thunderbolt2 port. Hardware-wise, the MBP is the superior gear. TB2 port allowing you to add hugely improve graphics performance by doing this to : [GUIDE] 2013 15" Macbook Pro + GTX780Ti@20Gbps-TB2 (Sonnet Echo Express III-D) + Win8
I've heard whispers that HP's refresh of their ZBooks will see thinner units with TB2 ports. Their ZBook 15 nicely specced but heavy and thick. Would be nice if they could cram those specs into their ZBook 14.
14" Dell E6440 could be worth a look: 900P LCD, HD8690M, i7-quad CPU upgradability, expresscard slot. Can be had for significantly less than a MBP or M3800.
I've heard whispers that HP's refresh of their ZBooks will see thinner units with TB2 ports. Their ZBook 15 nicely specced but heavy and thick. Would be nice if they could cram those specs into their ZBook 14.
14" Dell E6440 could be worth a look: 900P LCD, HD8690M, i7-quad CPU upgradability, expresscard slot. Can be had for significantly less than a MBP or M3800.
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This is a bit of a weird comparison, the Dell has a Quadro card. Not a whole lot of people need that, and it will perform worse than the GT 750M in some circumstances. The Dell XPS 15 looks like a closer comparison. Basically the same computer but with a GT 750m like the MBP and 500$ less than the m3800 (slightly slower CPU though). Also available at 1899$ is a version of the computer with a 32GB mSATA SSD and a 1TB HDD.
If I was strapped for cash, I'd go for the XPS 15 with twin HDD, otherwise the MBP wins it for me, hands down. If I really needed a Quadro card (actually having a serious debate over this as I'm in the market for a new laptop and do some CAD work) then the m3800 would be a serious contender.
The Razer Blade should also be looked at.
If I was strapped for cash, I'd go for the XPS 15 with twin HDD, otherwise the MBP wins it for me, hands down. If I really needed a Quadro card (actually having a serious debate over this as I'm in the market for a new laptop and do some CAD work) then the m3800 would be a serious contender.
The Razer Blade should also be looked at.
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I hope I'm not hijackin the thread, but I was wondering what's your battery life like?
I keep it at 1680 x 1050 and my battery life kind of sucks
My display has a native resolution of 1680*1050; it is the Hi-Res display on the mid-2010 15" cMBP. My battery life does suck, but it's not because of the display.
Raptor
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This is a HORRIBLE question to ask here. You're going to get nothing more than "it just works herp derp" that's been said over and over by people drinking the Kool aid. Macs are great, and in some aspects such as video and photo editing, can provide better software, but as a whole they are no better or worse than a PC. Different yes. But not better or worse. Do I like Windows 8? Not really. But it's not horrible either and if you go with Windows 7 it is just as stable as OSX. I've been running W7 for 4 years without issue.
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