Dell XPS 15 2020 ('Fiorano')

[c0ppo]

Renderings, yes, but ones found on Dell's own site! They also look a lot like the recently released XPS 13, so I'm saying that's about what they will look like (more than fine with me!). I will also miss USB A (mainly for thumb drives) but that ship has already sailed with any MacBook, so I'm pretty accepting at this point. I can pick up a couple of dual USB A USB C drives and just go with it. For the rare occasions I connect to a display, I use mini display to HDMI, I can get a TB3 to HDMI cable easily enough, so that's fine. SD is still there, so that's a benefit over the Mac as well.

Wireless mouse and keyboards still use usb-a. As do 99% of external devices. Apple went all in on usb-c port 4 years ago, and still, nothing has changed. Large majority of people still use usb-a, hdmi, display port, etc.

I have a lot of usb-c stuff as well. But when I'm out, and if I forget my usb-c to hdmi cable, I can't connect my laptop to external monitors or projectors.

I'm not so accepting of usb-c only. But we will wait and see what dell finally releases, even tough I think that you are right. It's probably gonna be usb-c only device (+sd card slot).

 

[Falhófnir]

Wireless mouse and keyboards still use usb-a. As do 99% of external devices. Apple went all in on usb-c port 4 years ago, and still, nothing has changed. Large majority of people still use usb-a, hdmi, display port, etc.

I have a lot of usb-c stuff as well. But when I'm out, and if I forget my usb-c to hdmi cable, I can't connect my laptop to external monitors or projectors.

I'm not so accepting of usb-c only. But we will wait and see what dell finally releases, even tough I think that you are right. It's probably gonna be usb-c only device (+sd card slot).

I'm used to using Apple's (excellent) ForceTouch trackpad, so I don't really use mice, I guess that's one consideration, whether the trackpad will be as good... it looks like it's about the size of the newer 15/16 inch MBPs which I'm ok with, I guess I will miss force touch, but tap to click will probably be ok (unless it gets annoying with the size of the trackpad!). Does your machine use Windows precision drivers? How do you find it if so, or are you an external mouse only user?

For everything else I either don't use it, don't use it enough, or in the case of USB drives I'm willing to make the change as I've been looking at the newer 15/16 inch pros for a while, and kind of made peace with USB C. I appreciate it's probably annoying if you do plug a lot in, though. At least with Windows there's options, though they seem to be beginning to diminish somewhat now. I do agree Apple went all in on USB C at least a generation too early, but about now is actually where I feel its getting workable. I don't know whether Apple's decision helped push this growth, but at least it's something I can feel more comfortable with now.

 

[c0ppo]

Does your machine use Windows precision drivers? How do you find it if so, or are you an external mouse only user?

It does. But I'm mainly on linux.
I'm not mouse user only. But working with Unity and Blender isn't good at all with trackpad. In some areas, not even apple trackpad can replace a mouse

t least with Windows there's options, though they seem to be beginning to diminish somewhat now.

I wouldn't agree that they are diminishing. Most of OEMs aren't going full usb-c for their flagship device. Actually, only Dell is at the moment. Blade, Thinkpads, Asus, Acer... Everyone has multiple ports.

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

It does. But I'm mainly on linux.
I'm not mouse user only. But working with Unity and Blender isn't good at all with trackpad. In some areas, not even apple trackpad can replace a mouse




I wouldn't agree that they are diminishing. Most of OEMs aren't going full usb-c for their flagship device. Actually, only Dell is at the moment. Blade, Thinkpads, Asus, Acer... Everyone has multiple ports.

Sorry for the digression but can you recommend a some good online tutorials/courses for Unity?
I'm totally newbie but have a lot of time (Covid 19) and would like to learn, especially the VR part.

 

[c0ppo]

Sorry for the digression but can you recommend a some good online tutorials/courses for Unity?
I'm totally newbie but have a lot of time (Covid 19) and would like to learn, especially the VR part.

I'm sorry, but I can't speak from personal experience. But udemy is full of them.
I just looked at a few, and I kinda like the contents on this one:

The Ultimate Guide to Unity Games Development

Created in partnership with Unity Technologies: learn C# by developing 2D & 3D games with this comprehensive guide

www.udemy.com

It's basic. But it should teach you basics very well. Reviews say that it's awesome, so by all means, go ahead and study. Best use of the free time I can think of

Also I would recommend codeacademy, you can learn basic C# there while practicing.

P.S.
Look at godot engine as well. It uses GDScript for programming, very similar to Python. It's free and open source engine gaining a lot of fans.

Either way, enjoy your learning.

P.P.S.
I'm not in any shape or form affiliated with that course

 

[Falhófnir]

Hopefully the prices won't go up too much on these new models, the new 13" increased from £1,049 to £1,399, but I think that's because they cut out a 128GB SSD model which was still there on the last, the lowest model now is 512. Given this is meant to be their top end model, starting the specs a bit higher makes sense IMO.

The current 15" starts at £1,299 with an i5/8/256/GTX 1650 configuration. The sweet spot for me is the i7/16/512/1650 which comes with a 1080p screen for £1,649 or 4K touch for 1,799. If they can keep the prices within £100 of what they are currently, these will be incredible machines!

I'm not sure how they will price the 17", if all configurations have the 1660Ti then it will probably be a good chunk more than the 15", but maybe they will have a more entry level model with the 1650? One of the things I really like about the XPS over the 16" MBP is they have some lower spec configurations if you want the nice build and design, but don't need a ton of power for your use.

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

I'm sorry, but I can't speak from personal experience. But udemy is full of them.
I just looked at a few, and I kinda like the contents on this one:

The Ultimate Guide to Unity Games Development

Created in partnership with Unity Technologies: learn C# by developing 2D & 3D games with this comprehensive guide

www.udemy.com

It's basic. But it should teach you basics very well. Reviews say that it's awesome, so by all means, go ahead and study. Best use of the free time I can think of

Also I would recommend codeacademy, you can learn basic C# there while practicing.

P.S.
Look at godot engine as well. It uses GDScript for programming, very similar to Python. It's free and open source engine gaining a lot of fans.

Either way, enjoy your learning.

P.P.S.
I'm not in any shape or form affiliated with that course

Thanks a lot, I bought that course and one more for C#.
Now I have my hands full. 😂

 

[c0ppo]

Thanks a lot, I bought that course and one more for C#.

For starting with C#, I highly recommend Bob Tabor.
I started with Bob Tabor C# back in early 2000s. I now see that he is still at it. It's not Unity related, but he will teach you C# if you are willing to go thru his course. Check him out on youtube.

P.S.
Sorry for offtopic. No more, I promise

 

[AKDub]

I would be replacing a very long in the tooth 2012 MBP, so I'm interested if Dell can cram in a 17 inch screen in the same footprint as my 15, but thinner and lighter.

My only hesitation now is that from initial results the new Ryzen 4000s blow the latest intels out of the water, so I hope there is a Ryzen SKU.

 

[Falhófnir]

I would be replacing a very long in the tooth 2012 MBP, so I'm interested if Dell can cram in a 17 inch screen in the same footprint as my 15, but thinner and lighter.

My only hesitation now is that from initial results the new Ryzen 4000s blow the latest intels out of the water, so I hope there is a Ryzen SKU.

Unibody or Retina MBP? I am imagining it's going to be fractionally larger in footprint than the 16" MacBook Pro (itself almost exactly the same footprint as the 2012 retina model) - possibly a smidgen smaller than a Unibody 15". From the image @grmlin found back in post #18, it looks like it's going to be pretty thin, maybe not as much as a 16" Pro, but maybe a little less than a 2012 retina? That might be a good thing if it's packing a GTX 1660Ti and 10th gen i9! I'm also hoping for AMD variants, though the chips in these were probably bought and paid for last year already, so we'll see.

 

[grmlin]

I'm so sold for the 17" if it's close to a 2012 15" retina and if it has good thermals. I hope a reveal is happening soon

 

[AKDub]

Unibody or Retina MBP? I am imagining it's going to be fractionally larger in footprint than the 16" MacBook Pro (itself almost exactly the same footprint as the 2012 retina model) - possibly a smidgen smaller than a Unibody 15". From the image @grmlin found back in post #18, it looks like it's going to be pretty thin, maybe not as much as a 16" Pro, but maybe a little less than a 2012 retina? That might be a good thing if it's packing a GTX 1660Ti and 10th gen i9! I'm also hoping for AMD variants, though the chips in these were probably bought and paid for last year already, so we'll see.

Unibody, so any laptop I get these days will be slim in comparison (unless we are talking about the gaming or workstation ones).

The same size as a Retina 15" with a 17" 16:10 screen would be bliss. I have been weaning myself off macos the last few months so that I will have much more choice with my next laptop, hopefully this will pay off.

 

[Michael Scrip]

I'm wondering if these new 2020 XPS models will have upgradable RAM and M.2 like the current 15" models.

The latest XPS 13 already got soldered RAM... I hope this trend doesn't trickle-up to the 15 and 17

Though I might forgive it because of the 16:10 screen... hooray!

But USB-C only... awwww...

 

[Falhófnir]

Unibody, so any laptop I get these days will be slim in comparison (unless we are talking about the gaming or workstation ones).

The same size as a Retina 15" with a 17" 16:10 screen would be bliss. I have been weaning myself off macos the last few months so that I will have much more choice with my next laptop, hopefully this will pay off.

I think I might re-jig slightly too, my 2015 pro is tight on storage, and it's not very convenient to offload much more. I considered part-replacing it with an Air but actually I think either the 15 or 17 inch XPS might be better for me, it can free up my MBP from home use, and also replace my ageing gaming laptop (luckily don't play anything massively intensive).

I'm wondering if these new 2020 XPS models will have upgradable RAM and M.2 like the current 15" models.

The latest XPS 13 already got soldered RAM... I hope this trend doesn't trickle-up to the 15 and 17

Though I might forgive it because of the 16:10 screen... hooray!

But USB-C only... awwww...

Hopefully they might squeeze replaceable RAM into the larger models! At least the SSD is replaceable again on the new 13"!

 

[AKDub]

I'm wondering if these new 2020 XPS models will have upgradable RAM and M.2 like the current 15" models.

The latest XPS 13 already got soldered RAM... I hope this trend doesn't trickle-up to the 15 and 17

Though I might forgive it because of the 16:10 screen... hooray!

But USB-C only... awwww...

I would guess that as the XPS 15 and 17 chassis will be shared with the precision equivalents, they are more likely to allow user replacement as workstation buyers would expect it (although that precision line is a it of a compromise already so who knows).

I'm thinking it will have dual m.2, for a very nice Linux / Windows dual boot system.

 

[Falhófnir]

Looks like the release for this model is a little behind, perhaps not surprisingly... According to the roadmap in the below article it would have been launching around the beginning of this month. Interestingly the 17" which appeared in the leaked image earlier in the thread alongside it was set to launch later, in the ~July timeframe. Perhaps they will now both be released around this time together to give Dell a little longer to manufacture and ship?

Leaked Dell Roadmap Shows Dual Screen XPS Notebooks, XPS 13 To Feature Intel's Ice Lake 10nm CPU

A leaked roadmap published by Tweakers shows a Dell XPS 17, a dual-screen XPS device going by "Maximus," and an XPS 13 with a 10nm Ice Lake.

wccftech.com

 

[grmlin]

That looks really good. A may release according to the slides.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/g5g2i1

 

[Falhófnir]

Looks like they're really gunning to give the 16" MBP a run for its money on key specs. Guessing the Xeons and Quadro graphics will be limited to the precision, and the XPS will use Core and GTX (maybe RTX?) parts? I am still hoping for some AMD love either later in the cycle, or more likely next year, though!

 

[grmlin]

I think the 17“ is my favorite right now. Looks fantastic. And vapor chamber cooling sounds great.
more at the reddit post.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/g90owc

Leaked Dell XPS 17 9700 listing confirms up to Core i9-10885H processor, 64 GB of RAM, 4 TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, vapor chamber cooling and more; Dell Latitude, Precision and XPS 15 refreshes leaked too

Leaked in its entirety by Dell France, the XPS 17 9700 will be a monster of an upgrade from Dell's current XPS offering. With two M.2-2280 slots, an RTX 2060 GPU, four speakers, vapor chamber cooling, a 97 Wh battery to name but a few features, Dell is really gunning for the Apple MacBook Pro 16...

www.notebookcheck.net

17”

https://imgur.com/a/Axz8t6V

15”

https://imgur.com/a/qSTzUb4

 

[c0ppo]

Looks great. But lacks ports

 

[Michael Scrip]

Looks great. But lacks ports...

Oh it's got ports... but they're just the wrong shape!

That's the biggest problem I'll have by going to a machine like this. I'll have to get new cables for my external drives I carry. Plus I'll have to keep a USB-C to USB-A dongle in my bag along with an HDMI dongle. (luckily both are included)

It's not the end of the world... just a little frustrating.

On a positive note... it looks like it'll charge with USB-C... and I'm actually excited about that!

 

[c0ppo]

That's the biggest problem I'll have by going to a machine like this. I'll have to get new cables for my external drives I carry. Plus I'll have to keep a USB-C to USB-A dongle in my bag along with an HDMI dongle. (luckily both are included)

That's easy. I went down that route with MBP15. I even had adapters in my bag, office and at home.
But from time to time, I found my self in a location I needed a HDMI or LAN adapter, and for some reason I didn't have it. Forgot it most of the time of course. And when you're at clients location, that makes me look like a fool.

So I gave up on that and thinking about dongles. It doesn't work out. At least not for me

 

[Michael Scrip]

That's easy. I went down that route with MBP15. I even had adapters in my bag, office and at home.
But from time to time, I found my self in a location I needed a HDMI or LAN adapter, and for some reason I didn't have it. Forgot it most of the time of course. And when you're at clients location, that makes me look like a fool.

So I gave up on that and thinking about dongles. It doesn't work out. At least not for me

I'll be fine. My laptop isn't my primary computer anyway (my big honkin' desktop is)

And when I travel I never just carry a bare laptop... it's always in its bag with power supply and mouse. And that bag already has various cables and other device chargers anyway... so it won't be a problem to add a couple more items.

You should see the amount of gear I carry to my video-production shoots. Cameras, monitors, chargers, microphones, etc. Being prepared is part of the job.

A dongle or two won't bother me.

Besides... this is what world is moving to. I might as well adjust to it now. Soon you might not be able to buy any laptop with LAN ports and HDMI ports.

Remember when VGA ports were on all laptops? And when they weren't?

 

[grmlin]

I got used to USB-C using the MacBook. Got all the cables I need so I’m fine. I would have preferred more ports though.

 

[c0ppo]

Besides... this is what world is moving to. I might as well adjust to it now. Soon you might not be able to buy any laptop with LAN ports and HDMI ports.

Well, if all laptops come with usb-c as only port, that is great. Then everything else has to be usb-c as well
But we are 'moving' to that direction since 2015. And still we aren't there. Not even close.

Remember when VGA ports were on all laptops? And when they weren't?

Yes. But when VGA was abandoned, HDMI and DP replaced it. And 99% of monitors came with those ports.
In todays market, only a tiny minority of monitors come with usb-c ports. But usb-c port isn't replacing just video input/output. It's replacing everything. But I still don't see a usb-c mouse for example. And a lot of other basic stuff as well

If someone isn't forgetful or as dumb as I am, usb-c only can work for them. But for people like me, well...