Dell Adamo xps versus MacBook Air [PHOTOS]

[adamjackson]

My friend Brian Solis took some photos comparing the upcoming Dell Adamo XPS and the MacBook Air.

The photo gallery is here on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/sets/72157622723336580/detail/

Here are some photos from that set:

My opinion: If it doesn't have

1. Core2Duo CPU (2Ghz+)
2. 2Gbs of Ram
3. 128GB SSD
4. Decent integrated Video Card

Then I honestly couldn't give a crap. There comes a point where size doesn't matter when it takes 5 minutes to boot Windows

Oh and yeah it's running Windows.

 

[bowlerman625]

Adamo 30 sec boot time?

A video I saw this morning claimed a 30 second boot time for the new Adamo.

I'm sorry, I just do not like it when compared to my MBA with the SSD. Running Windows on it has to bloat it, there is no doubt about that!

 

[entatlrg]

I see one major flaw with the Dell ... and that is it's a DELL

If there wasn't an Air to set the standard the knock off's as we see them now wouldn't exist ...

Piss on PC companies ... I've had my fill and learned my lesson MANY times over !

 

[direzze]

I see one major flaw with the dell...

it's hideous.

 

[obilix]

Well, that Dell machine definitely can not be called a 'laptop'.
Can you imaging the pressure point pain if you rest it on your legs?

Even using it while being in bed, i'd image that would wiggle or
topple all over the place. Typical Dell design.

 

[waynechriss]

I see one major flaw with the dell...

it's hideous.

I second that, that standing hinge in the back is ugly. I thought the original Adamo looked pretty sweet but this is pretty much giving my feelings about the brand a back hand.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I actually like Dell's... but that's just ugly.

 

[draa]

OMG! What an ugly looking piece of cr..!

 

[a.Lias]

Well, you've got to give them some credit from making something significantly different than the rest of their computer line-up.

 

[ayeying]

When it's closed, it looks nice... but when you open it... wtf?

 

[coast1ja]

I think the 'stand' function is actually pretty clever. One of the major concerns with thin and light laptops is cooling. Our macbook airs get pretty hot under full load... a little built-in elevation provides enough clearance underneath for airflow... meaning you could actually rest it on your lap, on a bed, etc. without the fear of overheating. I actually like it!... I am not going to sell my MBA and get one, but I definitely think it's a worthy competitor.

 

[michael1019]

I'm really getting sick and tired of seeing these ripped off Apple-ish designs....such watered down crap. So let's see...rip off the form factor, but make it uglier and more complicated (ports and such)...rip off the chiclet style keyboard...rip off the isight webcam...anything else?

So the only original Dell idea here is the completely stupid standing up hinge thing?

Why is Apple seemingly the only company on Earth that is Design / Product / Innovation > Copy someone else's innovative ideas and then water them down to the point of irrelevancy? Won't anyone learn? How big is Apple's stock pile of cash these days....?

 

[Puqq]

My friend Brian Solis took some photos comparing the upcoming Dell Adamo XPS and the MacBook Air.

My opinion: If it doesn't have

1. Core2Duo CPU (2Ghz+)
2. 2Gbs of Ram
3. 128GB SSD
4. Decent integrated Video Card

Then I honestly couldn't give a crap. There comes a point where size doesn't matter when it takes 5 minutes to boot Windows

Oh and yeah it's running Windows.

It does gave C2D 1.9 Ghz, 4gb RAM and large ssd drive.

I see, that people obey these 2 simple rules:
1. Mac is the best
2. If above is not true, look to the 1st rule

Adamo XPS has similar specs to MBA, but is much thinner and has interesting touches of technology, e.g. integrated stand or touch-activated lid lock. Although I am not huge of fan of them (can't use it on your lap and can't open laptop when battery is dead + more complexity=more stuff to fail), I think you should be more tolerant....

Basically, Dell did a really decent job making extremely thin and stylish notebook and you should respect that.

By the way, would I get Adamo XPS instead of MBA? No. OK, it's thinner, but it so much more expensive and does not seem significantly superior to MBA..

Finally, you should all be wishing Adamo to do well. The better it performs, the more Apple updates/upgrades MBA.

 

[direzze]

I'm really getting sick and tired of seeing these ripped off Apple-ish designs....such watered down crap. So let's see...rip off the form factor, but make it uglier and more complicated (ports and such)...rip off the chiclet style keyboard...rip off the isight webcam...anything else?

So the only original Dell idea here is the completely stupid standing up hinge thing?

Why is Apple seemingly the only company on Earth that is Design / Product / Innovation > Copy someone else's innovative ideas and then water them down to the point of irrelevancy? Won't anyone learn? How big is Apple's stock pile of cash these days....?

People just don't understand the simplicity of Apple design

 

[kate-willbury]

hilarious reading mac fanboy nonsense.

you can get more ram (4 gigs available for adamo vs only 2 for mba), more usb ports (3 usb ports for adamo including esata, only 1 for mba), more hard drive space (128gb on mba vs 256gb option on adamo), etc etc etc. and yet all you people can say is "eww dell!"

lets face it, windows 7 is now better than osx (and definitely better then buggy snow leopard) and the lot of you can't accept the fact that apple is no longer the only one making 'pretty' machines.

 

[GeekGirl*]

The look is OK, but if its not running OSX i am not buying.

 

[hitekalex]

Well, you've got to give them some credit from making something significantly different than the rest of their computer line-up.

Yeah like someone said on Engadget.. This is the result of Dell taking clues from Apple's designs - they just left out all the good and kept all the ugly.

 

[weg]

I see, that people obey these 2 simple rules:
1. Mac is the best
2. If above is not true, look to the 1st rule

Sadly enough, that nails it down exactly... your comment is the only one so far that's not entirely negative. Personally, I hate both designs

 

[SimonMW]

People just don't understand the simplicity of Apple design

Exactly. The other companies just don't get it. Look at the HP Envy. They just can't resist putting dimples all over it as well as boxy ports. Design features that are just there to be there, while Apple strives to make things as simple and as functional as possible.

Speaking of the Envy, I do not know why some see it as an Apple beater. Look closely and even though it costs more it lacks things like the backlit keyboard, and to use a disc you have to cart around a separate disc drive. How elegant!

One of the key differences between Apple and other companies is the detail combined with simplicity. How many times have you needed to do something in OS X compared with Windows and found a really simple solution, or a shortcut that did something small, but useful? I find them all the time and it always amazes me that with regard to the detail of some of OS X's behaviours somebody somewhere actually sat down and put the idea into the mix.

That's why I get so tired of these Mac vs Dell/HP etc conversations. There is so much more to the comparison than merely screen resolution, GPU etc etc. It also makes me get pangs of violence when someone says to me that my Mac looks like their Dell!!

But Apples computers are not perfect. But I think that's what makes them classics. They are beautiful machines, but usually have some sort of flaw. But Apples designs have 'soul'. We know that the guy behind their visual design has huge amounts of passion for what he does. Anyone know the name of the Dell or HP designer? Would the HP guy show his face in public if we did?

That Dell equivalent of the Air highlights something else. Dell will have come up with that design from one of the suits saying that they need a notebook that is thinner than the MacBook Air just so they can market it as such. Conversley Apple will not have said "let's design the worlds thinnest notebook". They will have said "Wouldn't it be useful if we could come up with a really thin design".

While the Air has its issues, such as the lack of ports and drive, the motivation behind it seems to be based on a practical brief.

 

[darngooddesign]

... and to use a disc you have to cart around a separate disc drive. How elegant!

You have to do the same with the Air if you don't have a second computer.

The envy had a lot of clever engineering as well, It has a powered eSata that doubles as a USB, and the Power supply contains a mini WiFi Router that you can plug Ethernet directly into.

Apple's not the only one being clever.

 

[tubbymac]

The Adamo is on the second revision and it's still uglier than the first revision MBA.

The backside keeps getting longer too. By the third revision that thing is going to be more backside than frontside and fuglier than ever.

And I own a Dell notebook too so it's not me hating just for the sake of hating.

 

[adamjackson]

Gizmodo has reviewed it.

Honestly they're excited about it!

http://gizmodo.com/5397393/dell-adamo-xps-hands-on-insanely-thin-and-just-insane

 

[LinMac]

I like the concept of incredibly thin computers. The Macbook Air isn't chunky by any standards, but thinner would be better if they build it properly.

Is it just me or does the new Dell look incredibly awkward?

I use my Macbook Air on my lap sometimes (using a board to allow for ventilation), but I need to adjust the screen. The Dell there doesn't look like it will adjust very easily and it just looks very awkward to use as if it wouldn't be very stable unless it is on a table.

 

[NT1440]

weren't people on these boards bitching about the footprint of the air not being small enough? The xps is even bigger!

Plus, you can't even put it on your lap, no good for travel.

 

[slapguts]

Looks like a nice computer, shame about the Windows.