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Dell will no longer make XPS computers

arstechnica.com

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Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#51

Post by legitster »

kwanbix wrote: post #37
lizknope wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Product names make no sense. Some web sites make a "product selection tool" where you answer a bunch of questions and it tries to direct you to models that will suit your needs. I was recently buying a Seasonic power supply. What is the difference between Prime, Vertex, Focus, or Core series? Then there is Prime TX, Prime PX, Prime GX. I have no idea what all this is. I ended up just picking something in the 800W ran…

I call it the Toothpaste Dilemma: When you go to buy toothpaste, like Colgate or most brands, you're bombarded with so many options. It gets worse when you read the labels—everything seems either identical or has massive overlaps. It's frustrating and unnecessarily complicated.

I legit use the term "Toothpaste Shopping" to describe any miserably complex shopping experience.

(Although ironically, toothpaste shopping is quite easy once you know the correct answer is "the cheapest brand at the store that has fluoride in it")

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#52

Post by alrs »

dkasper wrote: post #38
alrs wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Marketing things as "pro" is nothing new. I'm sure others could go back farther than this. 1980 Koga Miyata Pro https://www.speedbicycles.ch/velo/193/koga_miyata_pro_racer_... 1978 Centurion Pro Tour https://vintagecenturion.com/models/touring/protour.shtml 1969 Brooks Professional Saddle https://www.brooksengland.com/en_us/standard-professional.ht... As for "rip-offs," the design language of every aluminum Macbook h…

If it were just pro that would be one thing, but when I saw “Pro Max” I instantly thought of Apple.

The Taco Bell menu is several permutations of cheese, lettuce, ground beef, sour cream, and guacamole.

The marketing vocabulary includes Pro, Max, Sport, Comp, Light, Elite, XT, GT, Super, and Extra.

SuperMax Pro. Sportmax GT. Sportmax Elite GT. Comp Extra. Etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProMax

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promax_Awards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_MaxxPro

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#53

Post by rs999gti »

kwanbix wrote: post #36

"They’re replacing all of these old brands with Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max, and within each of these, there will be three tiers: Base, Plus, and Premium." I am a Lenovo guy myself, however I like what they are trying to do. If they actually do a good separation, that would be great. If they only do 9 level of computers, that would be a good change. Kinda ThinkPad T, X, P. But more clear. And again, I only use T…

> I am a Lenovo guy myself

Hell yeah, Lenovo ThinkPad for life.

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#54

Post by xnx »

pc86 wrote: post #39
xnx wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple has its share of naming problems but not attempting to artificially split their laptop product line between consumer and "enterprise" is something they should get credit for.

I mean they do have "Air" and "Pro" monikers for the laptops, as well as a page dedicated to helping you choose which one to get - https://www.apple.com/mac/best-mac/ - so they're not using "consumer" or "enterprise" but it's still there.

Right, but Apple's naming does seem to differentiate between real hardware differences vs. artificial software ones (e.g. how much crapware is preloaded).

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#55

Post by Spivak »

vel0city wrote: post #14

I always felt like a lot of these computer sub brand names were rather confusing. Inspiron? Presario? Precision? XPS? ProBook? EliteBook? zBook? Envy? What are the real cross comparisons here? Personally, I'm OK with these computer manufacturers cleaning up their product line.

It's a shame they went with Apple because their server naming is so good. It's super easy to compare across models and it feels very Dell.

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#56

Post by eloisant »

0x457 wrote: post #32
crooked-v wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it funny how much they've just completely ceded branding standards to Apple in that move.

Because it's just simple and makes sense. Mostly, the only confusing apple product is iPad Air because it doesn't match what Air means in MacBooks.

Personally I find it confusing that all of their iPads since 2010 are simply called "iPad" even though they're completely different. Same with all their products except the iPhone, that get a number in their official name.

You have to dig into hidden "gen number" to find out which iPad is the one you bought 3 years ago.

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#57

Post by kibwen »

The first computer I ever owned was the original XPS laptop, circa 2004. It weighed as much as a corgi, was as thick as a Chicago deep dish pizza and gave out first-degree burns if your shorts rode up too high. The top outer panel was a beautifully garish noise pattern of deep green and purple ribbons, and the screen was so heavy that the hinges shattered within a year and the screen was ever after held up by two duct-tape suspenders, which thankfully didn't impede the keyboard much since the thing was as wide as a city block.

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#58

Post by dkwr »

AmVess wrote: post #30
Oxodao wrote: post #2

I'm not sure if it's just me or a common feeling, but XPS laptops from the last few years (at least 2020 onward) felt really poor quality for "professional" computers. Especially regarding their main competitors (mbp & thinkpads). All the XPS we had at work had issues and particularly bad battery life even before the one year mark.. For those who didn't have their battery swollen. I wouldn't have thought that such a…

I had a 2021 model. It was pretty poor in all aspects. Slow, laggy on the desktop just clicking around. Loud when doing anything resembling work. Very poor audio. Bad keyboard. 4 hour battery. I switched to a new M1 MacBook Air and it was like going from a Cessna 150 to an F-15. Everything on the M1 MBA was decades ahead of the XPS. Everyone and their brother now sells a much better product than XPS, and often for ne…

I can agree with that. I still use my XPS from 2022 on a daily basis, but I regret it alot. Battery life and cooling are unbelievably bad, it's a shame when you start thinking about the price.

Re: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

#59

Post by registeredcorn »

If it makes easier to describe which are the low end, and which are the high end, that's fine, I guess? I just hate when terms get shoved together like that..."pro max"? What's the next flagship going to be? "Pro Max Ultra"? Then the "Pro Max Ultra+"? Then the "Platinum Pro Max Ultra+ Plus"? Then the ELITE SERIES Platinum Pro-Maximus Ultronic+ Plus Performance"?

It's all just smushing a bunch of words for "really good" together and pretending like it means something different or unique. If something is maximum, it is the maximum - A maximum grade exceeds a "professional grade" the way an "enterprise subscription" is larger than "team subscription".

In an ideal scenario, it would simply be: "Basic, Advanced, and Maximum". I get the issue though. Sales want to be able to move products, and its an issue if people don't want to feel poor by buying the "basic" one, but can't afford the higher models. Fine! If the want to use more market-y terms, why not something like: "Quality, Premium, and Luxury"?

I would also presume that that would be specific to consumer grade. A business-grade line would be much easier. Keep the model names clear and obvious for Purchasing & Logistics people: "Basic, Performance, Executive". Basic is for grunt work who need internet access for a WebApp, but not much else. Performance is for finance, or whoever deals with a lot of wear and tear. Executive is thinner and fancier looking, but about as weak as basic model but can open Excel and PowerPoint.

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