Dell Adamo xps versus MacBook Air [PHOTOS]

[mobilevisual]

Nice photos.

Lovely comparison photos. Great job.

If you think the hinges of MBA are crappy and they're just holding the screen; Imagine how long the hinges of AXPS will last, with the weight of your hands on them.

I'm pretty sure Dell didn't make A.XPS for the mass market. The Adamo is definitely a functional conversation piece, not everyday computing hotness.

The Adamo is designed for non-mobile executives. I personally think Dell did a great job marketing the hell out of it. Love it or hate it, you have to admit, in a sea of ultra portables and starving notebooks, the Adamo stands out.

Remember when the Air got you plenty of stares at the local coffee house? Well, the Adamo is just strange looking enough for women to walk over and ask: "Is that the new [----]?"

 

[elfxmilhouse]

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

hit the nail on the head

 

[nullx86]

lol that thing looks like a piece of silver *****.. the Adamo actually looked decent, this thing is hideous...

 

[cfitz7111]

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

Its a lot like the windows store, you can dress it up to look like an Apple, but in end its windows

 

[awesomedeluxe]

We don't know the details about the Adamo XPS, but the supposed spec leak (copied from crunchgear) was:

The XPS will be running either a 1.4 or 1.9GHz dual core Intel CPU, integrated X4500MHD graphics, and 4GB of DDR3. You’ll be able to choose from either a 128 or 180GB SSD, and the screen only comes in a 13.4 inch size

In sum: disappointing graphics, better RAM. Dell is more than aware of ATi's 4530 and NVidia's 9400; they use them in other thin notebooks that lack an optical drive. It's very likely that this notebook is really intended for Arrandale, with its more powerful intel IGP, and that the initial release just helps get the buzz going while clearing old chips from stock.

 

[elppa]

Although the first Air was prone to overheating I think they have done a good job with the thermals since.

I liked the first Adamo (in black, didn't like the white). This thing I don't like at all. I like how some posters (like Puqq) assume that just because it's not a Mac we won't like it.

They've taken an ultra thin, ultra portable made from high quality materials and given it the design aesthetic of a netbook.

Aside from the already mentioned Ugly visible hinges, visible seams, large gaps between the trackpad buttons, the reassessed screen and think bottom bezel there's also the rear, which is a definite step back from the first edition:

 

[alphaod]

I think the obsession with "thinness" has gotten the better of Dell's senses. Closed this computer looks sleek and great, but I can't imagine anyone using it. I feel it's the like the Dell 20" Inspiron XPS "laptop" they made. Good in concept, but poor in implementation.

And Windows 7 is great; I dare to say it's better than OS X. Only gripe is that the installation is 20GB; of course Snow Leopard Server doesn't fair much better either.

 

[adamjackson]

The thing about the MacBook Air is that so many people think it's delicate and weak. Just yesterday someone told me, "i'd never buy one of those cause it would break in my hands"

So I closed the lid and said, "bend it" he opened it up, bended it around (or at least tried to) and was amazed at how a sub 1" notebook was so sturdy.

Apple's unibody process has really pushed their notebook line lightyears ahead of the competition. Even this adamo has an ugly bottom which, as you all know, is going to have Windows stickers, intel stickers and license keys OEM crap all over it.

 

[jdechko]

The thing about the MacBook Air is that so many people think it's delicate and weak. Just yesterday someone told me, "i'd never buy one of those cause it would break in my hands"

So I closed the lid and said, "bend it" he opened it up, bended it around (or at least tried to) and was amazed at how a sub 1" notebook was so sturdy.

The sturdy construction is one of my favorite things about the Air.

 

[dan5.5]

The Dell has very akward proportions. And who made the ports black, they stick out like a sore thumb

 

[cichlid81]

Yeah, we don't want any competition for the MBA. That wouldn't benefit us at all. If its not made by Apple it's just crap

 

[gnr319]

I just don't know what Dell is trying to do with the Adamo XPS. The computer seems unfinished and poorly executed. Perhaps the concept for an avant-garde ultra-thin notebook was there but it was not fleshed out enough and in the end we get something that's underwhelming.

If Dell really wanted to do something that was going to draw attention and make it really thin, then why not just go all in and make the computer way more refined and use better materials? It doesn't matter if they end up pricing it at $4,000 because the point of this computer isn't really to make a profit anyway--it's just a statement.

And this is not coming from someone who thinks anything not designed by Apple in California is crap. I'm someone who thinks Sony designs run laps around Apple in every way.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Dell should kick Michael Dell back out and return to it's pre-Michael Dell state. The Adamo wasn't that great to begin with, focusing on beating the MBA in thinness, not design and performance. That's why we got the little butt sticking out with all the ports. Not because it's a great design (it's ugly) but because it makes the rest of the laptop thinner. Now this POS? C'mon Dell...

 

[Shodan]

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

A VERY short-sighted POV.

Your view of a tacky PC answer to an Apple product is hope for it to do well so Apple can update it's current line?

If the Adamo does well, what that will do is turn people off the MacBook Air and any subsequent updates as they look to purchase the Adamo.

This will equate to Apple loosing market share in this niche market , coupled with adding to Microsoft's dominance.

No, I do not want it to do well.

 

[Beaverfish]

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....?

It's quite simple really. Apple factors in cost of lots of R n D. People like dell make so little on the hardware, they don't have the same R n D budget that apple does!

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Clearly they don't think about airplanes in Round Rock, using that on a plane would seem rather problematic.

 

[Shodan]

I just watched a short YouTube hands-on and my god it does look clumsy.

For a start I just do not think it is good for your wrists after prolonged use - though I know this is aimed at the ultra niche market.

The hinge also seem's very weak.

 

[cwfrederick]

haha, what a joke that thing is. apple probably came up with the concept 5 years ago, gave it 5 seconds of thought, and then laughed at how retarded it was and crossed it off the list. i bet they never even thought their competitors were dumb enough to make it! go dell!

 

[macshill]

Gizmodo has reviewed it.

Honestly they're excited about it!

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

I got as far as the "$1800" price and stopped right there. For that price, it's a no-brainer-- MBA aaaaall the way! And you're talking to a guy who's 34 and using Windows (desktop, never used a laptop) and saving for a MBP (yes, Pro) for my first Mac and doesn't like fanboys statements here and thinks the MBA is slightly over-rated.

 

[killerrobot]

I like Dell's new direction in the industrial design. It's been streamlined quite a bit.
I remember when Apple announced the MBA - the best it could boast was the thinnest notebook ever made. Well, Dell just took that away.
That said, IMO, both are massively underpowered, fragile as anything, and definitely not worth the money.

 

[greygray]

The Adamo looks awfully awful. Look at the damn hinge. It's hideous and tilts the whole thing!

 

[beg_ne]

That thing looks painful to type on, the angle on the keyboard is way too steep.

Also you can't adjust the screen position without completely changing the angle of the keyboard.

The first version of the adamo was better than what they came up with here IMO.

Adamo isn't anywhere near the extra cost premium over an Apple machine. Dell can't be selling many of them, especially given how quick this new design came out. They're just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something will stick.

 

[puma1552]

unfortunately those comparison shots are comparing dell 2008-2009 engineering to apple 2006-2007 engineering

just wait til the next design of the air comes out

 

[brendu]

I like Dell's new direction in the industrial design. It's been streamlined quite a bit.
I remember when Apple announced the MBA - the best it could boast was the thinnest notebook ever made. Well, Dell just took that away.
That said, IMO, both are massively underpowered, fragile as anything, and definitely not worth the money.

as stated before, the air is quite solid (thanks to the unibody design)... not fragile at all... although it took a few revisions to get the hinges up to par...

 

[Shodan]

first Mac and doesn't like fanboys statements here and thinks the MBA is slightly over-rated.

Pro will be your first Mac.

You don't like Fanboy statements.

You have never owned a MacBook Air.

You think it's overrated.

Am I missing something?