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Dell XPS 1530- Dell Calls out Apple

J

Josheua

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2007
171
0
United States
Today dell released their new XPS 1530 Notebook designed off the back of their very popular XPS 1330. Featuring the latest Intel Processors (from a cost effective 1.66 ghz to the blazing 2.6 ghz featured BTO from Apple), A 64 GB Solid State Drive Option, Blu-Ray drive option, and the anywhere from 128-256 mb of V-Ram, Dell has given Apple’s Pro line a run for its money.

Sure many of you will say that Apple’s price comes from its well-designed operating system, the focus on design, and the plethora of finely tuned, advanced pieces of included software. However, many looking to pay the premium for a good computer may give dell a second look before making the leap to Cupertino.

Macbook Pro

Pros
  • Sturdy and Classy Aluminum Enclosure
  • Backlit Keyboard
  • Hardware Specific Drivers for Operating System Improves Performance
  • Mag Safe Power Adapter
  • OSX Leopard with Greater Stability compared to Windows Vista and even Windows XP
  • Better Reliability Over Dell Products

Cons
  • No Solid State Drive
  • No High Defenition Drive Option
  • Expensive Ram Upgrade Through Apple
  • No User Replacable Hard Drive
  • No Integrated Long Range Wireless Option (Verizon, AT&T, Etc.)
  • Premium Price

Dell XPS 1530

Pros
  • Solid State Drive Option
  • Blu-Ray Drive Option
  • 320 GB Hard Drive Optoin
  • Macbook Pro Equivalent Graphics (8600GT-256MB VRAM)
  • Optional Accidental Damage Coverage
  • Fingerprint Reader Option
  • Multiple Headphone Jacks (Good for multimedia viewing with more than one)
  • High Capacity Battery Option

Cons
  • Windows Vista Only (No Downgrade Option)
  • 1280X800 Resolution (not acceptable for a HD capable laptop)
  • "Busy" Design may annoy those attracted to minamalist Apple products
  • Possible Heavy Screen Flexing (as seen in 1330)
  • Possible Exploding Battery Syndrome?

It will take some time till offical review of the XPS 1530 hit the market and people start to give their take on this notebook. However, with a design that has been quite liked by recent adopters of the XPS 1330, a broad number of upgrade options that are reasonably priced compared to apple offerings, as well as technology note yet included in apple products, Dell has clearly given Apple a run for their money until the upgraded Macbook Pro's come in January (and that depends on if their are major updates to the options and features these new notebooks offer)

-Josh :apple:
 
I read that Dell is meant to be adding a higher resolution screen choice early next year. The resolution that they have now is not ideal for a 15.4 inch notebook.

Still though the rest of the specs are good and the pricing is competitive.

Dell has provided the drivers for Linux for the XPS M1330 so i would imagine they would do the same for the XPS M1530 also. It is easy enough to downgrade to XP if somebody wanted to do that there are guides all over the net on how to do it.
 
It looks pretty good except the screen which is terrible my old inspiron had a 1680 x 1050 and it was 15" this thing has the same resolution as my macbook that's sad.
 
I don't even see the option of SSD drive on the 'high' model of the m1530..

nor the 320GB drive option ..
 

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I hate 'price per' posts.

Dell sells a sh*tload more computers, so it's easier to cut their profit margins and spread their profit over a larger number of sales. They also pack in a sh*load of we-pay-you-to-install-bloat that helps drive down their costs. And Sony is practically giving Blu-Ray away to make it "successful". And finally, Apple is greedy as hell.

I, for one, welcome our bloatware overlords.
 
yellow said:
I hate 'price per' posts.

Dell sells a sh*tload more computers, so it's easier to cut their profit margins and spread their profit over a larger number of sales. They also pack in a sh*load of we-pay-you-to-install-bloat that helps drive down their costs. And Sony is practically giving Blu-Ray away to make it "successful". And finally, Apple is greedy as hell.

I, for one, welcome our bloatware overlords.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that a majority of the people that are buying a high end dell laptop are going to be reformating and putting XP back on it anyway
 
aiterum said:
I'm sure that a majority of the people that are buying a high end dell laptop are going to be reformating and putting XP back on it anyway
Click to expand...

Downgrade, I wish!

I recently got a new MBP for our CIO and VP. It came with Leopard. It's his first Mac and I want the experience to be positive. Unfortunately, the latest Tiger discs for MBPs that I have are 10.4.8. And they cause a KP when I try to install it. Bummer. Leopard. Double bummer.
 
yellow said:
I hate 'price per' posts.

Dell sells a sh*tload more computers, so it's easier to cut their profit margins and spread their profit over a larger number of sales. They also pack in a sh*load of we-pay-you-to-install-bloat that helps drive down their costs. And Sony is practically giving Blu-Ray away to make it "successful". And finally, Apple is greedy as hell.

I, for one, welcome our bloatware overlords.
Click to expand...
I consider Adobe Acrobat Reader to be bloat as well. :rolleyes:
 
yellow said:
I almost wish Apple would pack bloat in. Omni Graffle just doesn't count. :)
Click to expand...
I don't keep much beyond iLife if anything. ;)

I haven't known Dell to recently add-on anything more then Adobe Acrobat Reader and Google Desktop. HP and Sony on the other hand are a different story.

Annoying at most but not necessarily bloat.
 
Dell laptops

I work in IT and we buy only Dell laptops. I find the quality to be lacking in Dell computers, at least the Optiplex and Latitude models which I'm most familiar with. I could be wrong about the home models, but with what I've seen I'll be saving up for a Mac laptop. Sometimes you do get what you pay for.
 
Admittedly, it's been a bit since I've cozied up to a new Dell. Our University got into bed with Lenovo, which are the Kings (and Queens) of retardobloat. Even Lenovo's own software **** barely works.
 
yellow said:
Admittedly, it's been a bit since I've cozied up to a new Dell. Our University got into bed with Lenovo, which are the Kings (and Queens) of retardobloat. Even Lenovo's own software **** barely works.
Click to expand...
Toshiba and Sony are my current worst offenders with HP moving toward what Dell offers.

Toshiba and Sony love to pack their custom proprietary software for controlling hardware features that appear interesting at first but break trying to use Windows to control something.

It's annoying to have to find creative ways to disable their software in order to give Windows control again.
 
The fact that the computer is marketed as an HD computer (with the Blu-Ray option) yet has a monitor with a lower resolution than my low-end MBP automatically crosses it off my list.
 
Yet another Dell vs. Apple thread. Sigh :rolleyes:

So what is worse, another one of these threads or the
people that continue to joke about powerbook g5's next tuesday?
 
I would not cite reliability as a strong point for Dell. The ONLY things I've ever had luck with from Dell are their LCDs.

I can only think of one other Dell innovation that has helped me in life - buying 3 Dells in the past 4 years drove me back to Apple.

As to Bloatware - my first 2 Dells had piles of it - the last one, not as much - but it was still there. In place of Bloatware - I think they exchanged for horrible drivers - that thing went BSOD every 12 seconds.

And service still counts - Dell service only seems apt for "are you sure your computer is plugged in?" Anything more complex than that - our immediately outside their flow-chart - it gets FUBAR.
 
I wonder if the XPS line is using GDDR3 variants of the 8600M, or the DDR2 version like it's Inspiron counterparts.
 
As little as this matters to me personally, I really wish Apple would hurry the hell up and come out with some upgrades. I seriously had 3 friends that I talked into getting a MacBook only to be swayed back into the Windows world with the Dell M1330. And to be honest, if I didn't know the Mac OS as well as I do now it would be a no brainer for me to go with the Dells. Apple needs to pick it up a lot if they wish to continue to increase their market share.
 
Bloatware was the worst on my Compaq. It came loaded with so many programs that it took 10 minutes to boot (along with having Vista and 512MB RAM). I reformatted my laptop with my Vista Home Basic CD I got and now it runs fine. As for my last Dell, it was loaded with only one application I would consider bloatware. My experience with Dell has been great. My last desktop was extremely powerful and affordable, but I can't resist OS X. :)
 
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