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Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

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Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#201

Post by sundvor »

Arzh wrote: post #103
blunte wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The specs would agree with you, but my real life side-by-side experience only demonstrates that the XPS is better for gaming. For everything else, my old rMBP is as fast or faster. And my Mac runs for weeks, sometimes > 2 months, without a reboot. I've had to reboot the XPS on average twice a week (due to crashes, or updates, or really weird performance drops).

My real life side by side test show that turning off my machine at the end of the day isn't a big deal. The fact that I can run 2-3 VMs when the rest of my team can barely run one is a big deal. More ram is a huge benefit, everything I run in the linux subsystem runs faster than the macs I work next to.

Yeah, 32 vs 16 GB is truly a massive difference when doing virtualization. When you consider that the base OS and core apps (dev env/browsers) take up something like 2-3GB, you're more than doubling the available memory for VMs.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#202

Post by khedoros1 »

neverminder wrote: post #81
rootbear wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the same laptop and I'm happy with it, but I'm not happy with the dongle madness that universal adoption of USB C is foisting on us. I also want a reliable travel dongle for external HDMI for this laptop but the reviews of the units I've looked at are not encouraging. The current obsession with thinness (looking at YOU, Apple) is forcing useful connectors off the main system board onto expensive, unreliable do…

I don't really understand this adversity towards USB Type-C as a single connector for everything. I was around when pretty much every single device had it's own dedicated port and it looked like a snake nest under a desk until USB came along. Yeah, LPT1 for printer, PS/2 for mouse and keyboard, VGA for monitor, etc. We're in a transitional period now to something better, so some people will need dongles for a while a…

I got my first computer with USB in 1999. I used it with a serial mouse, an AT keyboard, and an LPT printer (passed through a Zip100 on the same port, of course ;-) ). I think that my first use for USB came years later, when I'd already replaced that motherboard. I think I might've used a USB->PS/2 dongle at some point, but that was at the back of the computer, and I didn't care. Any memory card besides SD needs an extra adapter, and that stinks.

Over all these years, this is the first time that my primary machine is a mobile device (laptop), and that I might have to use dongles with the hardware that I'll be repeatedly connecting and disconnecting as I move around.

It's not a big deal, but it'll take time to transition from the last "single connector for everything" to the new one. The only problem I have is the rabid USB-C fans telling me I'm being left behind for sticking with my current hardware for a few more years.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#203

Post by FireBeyond »

mtl_usr wrote: post #167
dugmartin wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also had the swollen battery problem but my 9550 - my trackpad eventually got pushed up 1/4 of an inch or so. The bummer was that my laptop was out of warranty and the battery is not a "user serviceable option" on the 9550 so I couldn't just order a replacement battery from Dell -- they wanted me to send it in and wait two weeks which was a non-starter as it is my main development machine. I ended up buying a used…

> they wanted me to send it in and wait two weeks which was a non-starter as it is my main development machine Pro equipment means pro support. Why is only Apple getting this ?

Hah, what?

My rMBP, fully loaded, had an issue with the logic board (one of the many that affected the 2013 rMBP).

Took it to an Apple Store. They wanted it for a week and a half for "replacement and testing".

Dell absolutely has Pro Support, up to and including same day replacement if you need it.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#204

Post by sraquo »

mtl_usr wrote: post #158
sraquo wrote: post #151

Earlier this year I bought a Developer Edition (Ubuntu) of Dell Precision 5520, which is the business version of XPS 15 9560. Same chassis and hardware, better factory QA and different GPU options. I very much regret this decision. I spent ~100 hours trying to get it to work properly and to configure Ubuntu (including supposedly simple things like switching Alt and Ctrl keys). At the hourly rate I'm charging, this is…

> For example, updating BIOS to a version that fixes an important CPU bug causes the computer to freeze and shutdown every few minutes at random. I'd return it at this point. It's defective by design.

I was told they would send me a replacement if they determine it to be a hardware problem. Return wouldn't be an option (I'm past the first 30 days). I'll try to negotiate with them anyway.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#205

Post by vladimir-y »

IronBacon wrote: post #197
vladimir-y wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No as far as I know, Latitude line is also affected.

I have an XPS 13 and the coil whine is one of the things that annoyed me the most, seems like they don't care at all. I've briefly used a Thinkpad and on that front is dead silent. If they continue to provide a model with a Linux distribution installed, I would like to support them and purchase their products again, but that defect is the only thing I would like to see it fixed.

> seems like they don't care at all

It's proven for me that they don't, as it's a long standing and massive problem. Consumers should stop buying poorly engineered/manufactured devices, that would be the reasonable reaction.

> If they continue to provide a model with a Linux distribution installed, I would like to support them and purchase their products again, but that defect is the only thing I would like to see it fixed

Normally Thinkpads support Linux very well though don't come with it preinstalled.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#207

Post by ClassyJacket »

chimeracoder wrote: post #75
ClassyJacket wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to a TV, tho, which makes it a deal breaker for me. They should put a proper HDMI port.

> Not to a TV, tho, which makes it a deal breaker for me. They should put a proper HDMI port. I'd rather have an extra Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port, to be honest. HDMI 2.0 is bigger and clunkier as a port, and Thunderbolt 3 is strictly better as a protocol (we're not even talking about HDMI 2.1). Maybe if you're talking HDMI 2.1, but the protocol can still be carried over a USB-C connector anyway, so keeping the standard…

Sorry I shouldn't have said port. They should've put in HDMI support. Over the USBC port. I agree that extra ports are superfluous.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#208

Post by Arzh »

highace wrote: post #50
Arzh wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use the XPS 15 in an office with only mac users and this machine is just more powerful since Apple wont update the Macbook Pro line with developers in mind. I hated working on an under performing laptop when I was using the macs.

More powerful in what way? Processing power?

Processor is a little more powerful, testing shows them comparable in some testing since Apple can tune the chips a little more then Dell is allowed to. I have twice as much ram which is the real big leap forward, my hard drive seems to be a little faster also.

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#209

Post by satysin »

sraquo wrote: post #157
satysin wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try Fedora on it. I switched from Ubuntu to Fedora a while back and couldn't be happier. Not saying you will have a perfect experience but it is worth a shot if you at least like the hardware?

I don't think so. A lot of my issues are with BIOS and various linux apps or the window manager, not technically the distribution flavour itself. Also, I'm done spending time on this :)

Totally understand. Just thought I would do my bit to promote Fedora when I can ;)

Any idea what you will move onto?

Re: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review

#210

Post by jpkeisala »

aklemm wrote: post #192
jpkeisala wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am also developer and I changed last year from Mac to Dell XPS 13". I would have stayed on Mac but the new keyboard felt strange, touchbar is... well I felt it is time to try something new. One surprising feature that I though I would never use is touch screen. I really like it and I thought it would be useless. There are some things that I think could be better. I think Windows is a bit ugly, hardware does not fee…

That's interesting about the touchscreen? Do you feel any need to get a 2-in-1 or is he simple touchscreen sufficient? I'd interested in a 2-in-1, but they don't run Linux real well and there are other issues, including cost. But if the touchscreen is useful enough, then maybe an XPS 13 along with a tablet would be a good idea.

Simple touch screen is definitely enough for me. I don't feel I need tablet. I have Ipad and I hardly use it.

I find myself touching the screen when reading, on actionable wizards etc. So, it is mostly usability bonus for stuff that I could do in mouse. Funny thing is that I really didn't notice first that I started to touch screen.

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