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MacBook Pro 2016 over dell xps 15
- Thread starter Samtb
- Start date
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Well, here are a few reasons
1) you prefer OS X
2) you like how macs look
3) trackpad
4) touch bar can be viewed as useful or gimmicky.
I think the current iteration is over-priced even without the price-hike.
If I were buying right now I'd buy a 2015:
1) at least $200 cheaper, maybe $300-$500 cheaper depending on deal
2) magsafe
3) useful ports like sd card, hdmi and USB. USB-C might be great in a few years but now it just requires multiple dongles.
1) you prefer OS X
2) you like how macs look
3) trackpad
4) touch bar can be viewed as useful or gimmicky.
I think the current iteration is over-priced even without the price-hike.
If I were buying right now I'd buy a 2015:
1) at least $200 cheaper, maybe $300-$500 cheaper depending on deal
2) magsafe
3) useful ports like sd card, hdmi and USB. USB-C might be great in a few years but now it just requires multiple dongles.
Which operating system do you like better? Are you comfortable with dongles?
A big plus of the Dell is it's upgradable (SSD, battery) Ram I'm not so sure.
If I were you I would wait till Dell releases the xps 15 for 2017 or like someone mentioned look for a 2015 mbp
A big plus of the Dell is it's upgradable (SSD, battery) Ram I'm not so sure.
If I were you I would wait till Dell releases the xps 15 for 2017 or like someone mentioned look for a 2015 mbp
Hi Samtb
I was a XPS 15 2016 owner for a while and then moved to the MacBook Pro 2016 15 inch
DELL XPS 15 2016
Pros
- There's a 32Gb option
Cons
- Poor Design, the web cam placement is just wierd. Rather than above the screen Dell decide to put it below the screen, just above the keyboard - To use it I had to tilt the screen back to an odd and frankly uncomfortable angle
- Poor Quality - Sent it back and got a refund because it made weird noises when I moved the mouse cursor. This was something to do with poor capacitors being used.. After experiencing it I did some digging and it appears this is a common occurrence with this model and it's been going on for some time. I found several people on Reddit complaining that their replacement machines had exactly the same problem- this has been going on for months.
I switched to a MacBook pro 2016 because of the above.
- Crapware - The Windows shipped with the machine was full of 3rd party and oem crap. I had to rebuild it to clean up the install.
Macbook Pro 15 2016
Pros
- it's awesome in macOS
- build quality is superb
- I can do all my development on one machine since I can switch between macOS and Window
Cons
- It's supposed to be Windows compatible but for my money it isn't 100% there since it can't run the Hyper-V Hypervisor in bootcamp. - Touchbar is a bit gimmicky and kind of pointless in bootcamp . If Windows fails for any reason you need an external keyboard to press F8 to get to the Windows recovery screen
- Automatic Graphic switching is only available in macOS so in Windows the battery life is not great
- dongles, oh so many dongles
- SSD is not upgradable on Touchbar models so consider your needs carefully.
Overall i'm still pleased I ended up with the Macbook Pro but to be honest the lack of Hyper-V support was almost a deal breaker for me but that's primarily because of the work i do.
I was a XPS 15 2016 owner for a while and then moved to the MacBook Pro 2016 15 inch
DELL XPS 15 2016
Pros
- There's a 32Gb option
Cons
- Poor Design, the web cam placement is just wierd. Rather than above the screen Dell decide to put it below the screen, just above the keyboard - To use it I had to tilt the screen back to an odd and frankly uncomfortable angle
- Poor Quality - Sent it back and got a refund because it made weird noises when I moved the mouse cursor. This was something to do with poor capacitors being used.. After experiencing it I did some digging and it appears this is a common occurrence with this model and it's been going on for some time. I found several people on Reddit complaining that their replacement machines had exactly the same problem- this has been going on for months.
I switched to a MacBook pro 2016 because of the above.
- Crapware - The Windows shipped with the machine was full of 3rd party and oem crap. I had to rebuild it to clean up the install.
Macbook Pro 15 2016
Pros
- it's awesome in macOS
- build quality is superb
- I can do all my development on one machine since I can switch between macOS and Window
Cons
- It's supposed to be Windows compatible but for my money it isn't 100% there since it can't run the Hyper-V Hypervisor in bootcamp. - Touchbar is a bit gimmicky and kind of pointless in bootcamp . If Windows fails for any reason you need an external keyboard to press F8 to get to the Windows recovery screen
- Automatic Graphic switching is only available in macOS so in Windows the battery life is not great
- dongles, oh so many dongles
- SSD is not upgradable on Touchbar models so consider your needs carefully.
Overall i'm still pleased I ended up with the Macbook Pro but to be honest the lack of Hyper-V support was almost a deal breaker for me but that's primarily because of the work i do.
I believe the MBP uses a faster Skylake chip then what's in the Dell, though the Dell may not be terribly slower.
It really boils down to your user experience. Basically as others stated, do you use and enjoy OS X? If so, then the MBP makes sense. Personally, I can't justify spending over 2,000 for the laptop and I do enjoy OS X. I think the Dell machine is a fine computer and given the price point, I'd say go for it.
Thanks. I see there's a windows signature edition which could get rid of the 3rd party software? Also, how's the battery life on both?
There is. I had that and there wasn't much on it.
I have the 2015" 15" and had the 2015 XPS 15".
The MacBook Pro gets about 2-3 more hours of battery life, in my experience, just doing general web browsing. Both are nice, but in the end I just kept my MacBook Pro.
If you're going the xps route, wait until the update, which is suppose to be early next year.
I have a Dell XPS 15 and, while it is a good laptop, it is not on par with the MacBook Pro. I will tell you why:
1. Build quality. Everybody praised the build quality. Materials may even be good, but the build quality is not on par with a MacBook. You can feel that the laptop is not half as solid as a Mac.
2. Trackpad. It is better than most Windows trackpads, but there are some issues that prevent it from being as good as the MacBook Pro's trackpad. In the beginning, the trackpad lacked sensitivity in some gestures (especially subtle touches to scroll up or down); this issue appears to have been fixed by new drivers. You never know, though. Disappointed as I am with the trackpad, I use a mouse. One of the reasons why I bought a Windows laptop was because Bootcamp support for the trackpad was so poor, so I chose a laptop which supposedly had a great trackpad. All reviews were saying that the trackpad of the XPS 15 laptop was finally on par with the MacBook Pro. It may be if you review the laptop for a day or two; but you notice it isn't after using it for months.
3. Keyboard. The touch of the keyboard is not as good as the one in the MacBook Pro. Plus, there is an issue with the space bar; sometimes it registers two key strokes. I've read this is a common issue in the XPS 15.
4. Palm rests. The Dell XPS 15 seems to run hotter than the MacBook Pro. This may be just an impression. The real problem for me is that the carbon fiber palm rests on the XPS 15 get hotter than the aluminum ones of the MacBook Pro. Plus, they get dirty easily and are not very easy to clean.
5. Webcam. The position of the webcam is awkward. Everyone has already pointed out this issue, and it is obvious.
6. Screen. The screen resolution is great, 3840x2160 (but, honestly, it is not a huge difference from a 2880x1800 retina display; I barely notice it). But it is more reflective than the display on the MacBook Pro. Color accuracy is not so great. The screen is very colorful and colors look vivid and bright (sometimes a little too much to be accurate). Darker colors tend to look a little bit washed out.
I think these were the main issues. I got a Signature Edition, so it comes with no bloatware. I wouldn't mind having the bloatware, though: you can always remove the software, or format your laptop. Not really an issue here, but it is nice to have it without the bloatware out of the box.
In addition, it is a really powerful machine. Specwise, at the time I bought it, it was superior to the higher-end 15" MacBook Pro, even though it was cheaper than the lower-end model. But, as for build quality, it is not the ultra-high end model that Dell wants you to believe it is. And it may come with several issues with the keyboard and the trackpad.
1. Build quality. Everybody praised the build quality. Materials may even be good, but the build quality is not on par with a MacBook. You can feel that the laptop is not half as solid as a Mac.
2. Trackpad. It is better than most Windows trackpads, but there are some issues that prevent it from being as good as the MacBook Pro's trackpad. In the beginning, the trackpad lacked sensitivity in some gestures (especially subtle touches to scroll up or down); this issue appears to have been fixed by new drivers. You never know, though. Disappointed as I am with the trackpad, I use a mouse. One of the reasons why I bought a Windows laptop was because Bootcamp support for the trackpad was so poor, so I chose a laptop which supposedly had a great trackpad. All reviews were saying that the trackpad of the XPS 15 laptop was finally on par with the MacBook Pro. It may be if you review the laptop for a day or two; but you notice it isn't after using it for months.
3. Keyboard. The touch of the keyboard is not as good as the one in the MacBook Pro. Plus, there is an issue with the space bar; sometimes it registers two key strokes. I've read this is a common issue in the XPS 15.
4. Palm rests. The Dell XPS 15 seems to run hotter than the MacBook Pro. This may be just an impression. The real problem for me is that the carbon fiber palm rests on the XPS 15 get hotter than the aluminum ones of the MacBook Pro. Plus, they get dirty easily and are not very easy to clean.
5. Webcam. The position of the webcam is awkward. Everyone has already pointed out this issue, and it is obvious.
6. Screen. The screen resolution is great, 3840x2160 (but, honestly, it is not a huge difference from a 2880x1800 retina display; I barely notice it). But it is more reflective than the display on the MacBook Pro. Color accuracy is not so great. The screen is very colorful and colors look vivid and bright (sometimes a little too much to be accurate). Darker colors tend to look a little bit washed out.
I think these were the main issues. I got a Signature Edition, so it comes with no bloatware. I wouldn't mind having the bloatware, though: you can always remove the software, or format your laptop. Not really an issue here, but it is nice to have it without the bloatware out of the box.
In addition, it is a really powerful machine. Specwise, at the time I bought it, it was superior to the higher-end 15" MacBook Pro, even though it was cheaper than the lower-end model. But, as for build quality, it is not the ultra-high end model that Dell wants you to believe it is. And it may come with several issues with the keyboard and the trackpad.