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Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

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Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#51

Post by ericcholis »

Amygaz wrote: post #29
ericcholis wrote: post #17

I recently switched to an XPS 15 9570 from my Macbook Air. I'm giving windows a shot for my secondary dev machine (python, docker, php, etc...), while being fully aware of the persistent Windows 10 issues. So far, the hardest part was adjusting my keyboard workflow from Mac to Windows. For the time being, I'm extremely happy with the hardware and satisfied with Windows. I'll give dual boot a shot in my spare time.

Same here, except I bought a precision 5530, after 12 years on Mac (2 MBP, then a MBA). It’s been a few months and I like it, I don’t regret it. I don’t mind Windows 10 at all, it feels a bit more customizable than MacOS actually. I do find the way it puts all the files that makes an app work all over the place. But a lot of people are experts in this. My Linux need is limited so I run the Ubuntu installed from the M…

Windows Subsystem for Linux is one of the big reasons why I didn't mind switching.

I tried out a few thinkpads as well, but ultimately went with the XPS

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#52

Post by pjmlp »

de_watcher wrote: post #35
WorkLifeBalance wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Beating macOS at gaming sounds like a punchline, that's just not impressive, macOS has only ever been an afterthought for gaming.

Yes, you've got to try very hard to be worse than MacOS that is openly sabotaging OpenGL and Vulkan efforts.

Lack of OpenGL and Vulkan support never mattered on game consoles.

Even with Switch's adoption of Vulkan, most games are actually using middleware that makes use of NVN.

If a platform is relevant to professional games developers, they will target it, regardless of which APIs and OS it requires.

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#53

Post by robocat »

jammygit wrote: post #47
rawfan wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I heard, this is not true for the Dell XPS 13 and other new Notebooks that supposedly run well with Linux. I get almost 5 hours out of my decade-old Thinkpad T410 (original battery). My 2018 Macbook Pro 13" with touchbar only gets me through 2/3rds of the workday (older models or 15" work way longer). Apple put in smaller batteries and optimized their own (!) apps to compensate. You're pretty much forced to…

I find its all WiFi. On an xps 13 with ubuntu, I get 10-12 hours on low brightness without wifi, but often 4-6 otherwise with wifi. Its really nice for roadtrips.

I wonder whether that is causation or correlation?

AFAIK the WiFi hardware doesn't use much power itself, although I might guess that background protocol chitchat could cause CPU usage. I think that when I am usually using WiFi I am also usually using a browser that chews power.

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#54

Post by izolate »

apexalpha wrote: post #12

>once I've spent a few hours configuring everything This is what stops noobs from using it.

Whoever first brings to market a laptop with Linux that "just works" 100% from the moment you press the on button, is poised to make a lot of money.

That day will probably never arrive, but it's fun to think about.

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#55

Post by yanonymous2 »

rawoke083600 wrote: post #24
emptyfile wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What? So XPS 13 which you can buy with Ubuntu preinstalled still has parts of the hardware not working after "a few hours configuring everything"? I can't understand how that's acceptable to anyone. Literally every laptop I've installed Linux on had a litany of driver problems.

I want to downvote you and shout/hope it aint so.. but your right :(

* you're

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#56

Post by yanonymous2 »

emptyfile wrote: post #16
rospaya wrote: post #9

I'm writing this from my XPS 13 using the latest Ubuntu and once I've spent a few hours configuring everything, it works almost perfectly. There's still a few bugs, like Ubuntu not remembering the audio settings.

What? So XPS 13 which you can buy with Ubuntu preinstalled still has parts of the hardware not working after "a few hours configuring everything"? I can't understand how that's acceptable to anyone. Literally every laptop I've installed Linux on had a litany of driver problems.

Compared to installing Windows, which often lacks drivers for the network adapters, installing Linux is a breeze.

Good luck getting those Windows drivers without a working internet connection. And good luck explaining your solution to the average, non-technical user.

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#57

Post by moocowtruck »

dazzawazza wrote: post #45
Zhyl wrote: post #18

There was an interesting thread on Reddit [1] the other day which did a breakdown of the state of gaming in terms of native games and games that can be run easily via Steam Play (aka 'Proton', Valve's in-built WINE+DXVK layer). The results were quite interesting and, as one of the replies pointed out in another breakdown, Linux now competes with (and in some ways beats) gaming on macOS in terms of size of catalogue.…

As someone who has just released[1] a first access game across Windows, macOS and Linux: 10 years ago developing on linux as a game developer was way worse than windows and MacOS, now there is no real difference at all. I speak as a long time UNIX user, Linux was terrible for C++ devleopment, debugging and asset creation/viewing (compared to the others) making gamedev tougher than it needed to be. 10 years ago linux'…

even with snaps or whatever that thing ubuntu has?

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#58

Post by moocowtruck »

gnufied wrote: post #37
Zhyl wrote: post #18

There was an interesting thread on Reddit [1] the other day which did a breakdown of the state of gaming in terms of native games and games that can be run easily via Steam Play (aka 'Proton', Valve's in-built WINE+DXVK layer). The results were quite interesting and, as one of the replies pointed out in another breakdown, Linux now competes with (and in some ways beats) gaming on macOS in terms of size of catalogue.…

Runs 5000 games run on Linux vs runs well on Linux. Unfortunately - Linux still has some way to go. Generally, you get lower FPS on Linux(could matter for competitive gaming). There are graphical glitches and artifacts even on well supported games(I am looking at you Dota2). It is far more likely for game to be entirely broken via an update on Linux than Windows and it can take quite awhile to get the fix.

this is the truth! I've been a linux user since 95' more migrating to windows on the desktop now that I'm getting older. I've tried gaming in linux throughout the years (even very recently). And this is a big issue, first getting games to work is actually most times a PITA, and one slight update can break what you had going.. It's difficult to invest in a game if you never know when it might break on your OS.

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#59

Post by [deleted] »

dazzawazza wrote: post #45
Zhyl wrote: post #18

There was an interesting thread on Reddit [1] the other day which did a breakdown of the state of gaming in terms of native games and games that can be run easily via Steam Play (aka 'Proton', Valve's in-built WINE+DXVK layer). The results were quite interesting and, as one of the replies pointed out in another breakdown, Linux now competes with (and in some ways beats) gaming on macOS in terms of size of catalogue.…

As someone who has just released[1] a first access game across Windows, macOS and Linux: 10 years ago developing on linux as a game developer was way worse than windows and MacOS, now there is no real difference at all. I speak as a long time UNIX user, Linux was terrible for C++ devleopment, debugging and asset creation/viewing (compared to the others) making gamedev tougher than it needed to be. 10 years ago linux'…

[deleted]

Re: Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the Dell XPS 13

#60

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

izolate wrote: post #54
apexalpha wrote: post #12

>once I've spent a few hours configuring everything This is what stops noobs from using it.

Whoever first brings to market a laptop with Linux that "just works" 100% from the moment you press the on button, is poised to make a lot of money. That day will probably never arrive, but it's fun to think about.

I doubt it. There are a lot more problems with Linux as a desktop than having iffy hardware support for laptops.
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