2017 Dell XPS 15 vs Macbook Pro 13 (non-touch)

[shure]

I'm in the market for a new laptop and am fed up with my HP experience, where they seem to have a life of around 18 months before breaking down on me. I'm looking for a quality laptop and am prepared to pay a premium for peace of mind. My daughter has a 2015 Macbook Pro 13 and she's never had any problems, but I also like the look of the Dell XPS 15 (with the 256GB SSD), which I can get for less, once you factor in the need for dongles for peripherals.

My needs aren't excessive and I appreciate I may be looking for a Rolls Royce where a Ford will do, but I just want quality for a change and these two fit the bill. I use the laptop a fair bit, mix of work and home use, and I spend a lot of time working on and viewing multiple documents, so the bigger screen is tempting. I used a Dell before at work and I liked the keyboard, although it wasn't an XPS. I don't have an issue with carrying the larger Dell, as I had a heavier 15" HP before and it was no trouble

Reliability, durability and, to a lesser extent, connectivity are key for me. I'm tempted by the larger screen size of the Dell (and the fact that it has a dedicated graphics card doesn't hurt), but my daughter's Macbook has been rock solid. I also connect to the TV a fair bit, so the HDMI on the Dell is very useful. I did test the Macbook Pro in a local Apple store (sadly, no such convenience for Dell, which is putting me off a bit) and am not entirely convinced about the keyboard, although it's better than my current HP one, that's for sure. Can't test a Dell, unfortunately, as no-one local stocks it.

I'll be looking to buy very soon.

 

[azaran]

Of the two, they're decent choices in terms of build quality. The XPS line from Dell is typically well made, I'm on my second one and have loved them. Apple, while not my preferred line, does make quality laptops. The Macbook Pros are solid machines and will usualy last a pretty long while before OS legacy issues will make you "need" to upgrade. My sister and several friends are Apple fanboys and I'm often their tech support, and have to say I get far less calls from them than paying PC clients. So putting aside any other factors, both are solid choices for being well built.

Now the biggest factor in choosing between the two really has to be which OS system to you prefer? I know of few people who don't have a preference between them. If you work better with Apple, then follow your heart to a Macbook, and vice versa with the XPS.

If you're one of those very few that honestly doesn't care, then I'd say go with the XPS. The larger screen will do well for what you want to do on it. The hardware is also MUCH cheaper for equivalent or even higher end parts. The Dell will also allow you to upgrade CPU (with the right model), RAM and SSD later on down the road if you decide to buy low and update later on. The Macbook gives you no options after purchase to improve anything. To be fair to the Macbook, you can still connect to the TV with it via a USB C to HDMI adapter so that shouldn't earn it a demerit.

 

[shure]

Of the two, they're decent choices in terms of build quality. The XPS line from Dell is typically well made, I'm on my second one and have loved them. Apple, while not my preferred line, does make quality laptops. The Macbook Pros are solid machines and will usualy last a pretty long while before OS legacy issues will make you "need" to upgrade. My sister and several friends are Apple fanboys and I'm often their tech support, and have to say I get far less calls from them than paying PC clients. So putting aside any other factors, both are solid choices for being well built.

Now the biggest factor in choosing between the two really has to be which OS system to you prefer? I know of few people who don't have a preference between them. If you work better with Apple, then follow your heart to a Macbook, and vice versa with the XPS.

If you're one of those very few that honestly doesn't care, then I'd say go with the XPS. The larger screen will do well for what you want to do on it. The hardware is also MUCH cheaper for equivalent or even higher end parts. The Dell will also allow you to upgrade CPU (with the right model), RAM and SSD later on down the road if you decide to buy low and update later on. The Macbook gives you no options after purchase to improve anything. To be fair to the Macbook, you can still connect to the TV with it via a USB C to HDMI adapter so that shouldn't earn it a demerit.

Thanks for this. I'm more comfortable in a Windows environment, although I have no major objection to moving to an Apple one. I'd prefer the Dell if I'm honest but the only thing holding me back is reliability and service. No idea how good Dells are but my experience with HP over the years, which I previously thought of as a quality brand, has been shocking and made me a bit wary. I want the thing to at least reach its second birthday. Both my father and my daughter have Macbook Pros for years without so much as a stutter and that's pretty much the main reason I'm considering them

As you use a Dell, would you tell me if you have any heat issues? I use the laptop on my, er, lap a lot when I'm at home. I've read about some getting hot but since I don't play games on the laptop I doubt I'd be stressing it that much. And is battery life in the real world as good as reviews say?

 

[azaran]

Quality wise, the XPS line has a pretty good rep. I personally haven't had any issues, but I also haven't had to buy a new one in a while. As for battery life, this is one area I'll give Apple the credit they're due. In general I've seen few PC laptops that can compare. Now granted a lot of times that's also due to PCs having a broader range of powerful components, but even the ultrabooks rarely catch up with Apple. As for temp, if you're not stressing it, the XPS should be fine. It does breath from the bottom, and will get hot if you're putting it under a real load, so placement can be an issue depending on usage. But generally if you're doing that you probably aren't just relaxing with it on your lap.

I'd look up reviews on the specific model you're looking to buy. I like notebookcheck.net as they tend to get pretty in depth with their reviews. I believe this is the review of the one you're looking at.
https/www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-2017-9560-7300HQ-Full-HD-Notebook-Review.195668.0.html

 

[itsjam370again]

Of the two, they're decent choices in terms of build quality. The XPS line from Dell is typically well made, I'm on my second one and have loved them. Apple, while not my preferred line, does make quality laptops. The Macbook Pros are solid machines and will usualy last a pretty long while before OS legacy issues will make you "need" to upgrade. My sister and several friends are Apple fanboys and I'm often their tech support, and have to say I get far less calls from them than paying PC clients. So putting aside any other factors, both are solid choices for being well built.

Now the biggest factor in choosing between the two really has to be which OS system to you prefer? I know of few people who don't have a preference between them. If you work better with Apple, then follow your heart to a Macbook, and vice versa with the XPS.

If you're one of those very few that honestly doesn't care, then I'd say go with the XPS. The larger screen will do well for what you want to do on it. The hardware is also MUCH cheaper for equivalent or even higher end parts. The Dell will also allow you to upgrade CPU (with the right model), RAM and SSD later on down the road if you decide to buy low and update later on. The Macbook gives you no options after purchase to improve anything. To be fair to the Macbook, you can still connect to the TV with it via a USB C to HDMI adapter so that shouldn't earn it a demerit.

Which model is the most upgradeable? im thinking about getting this one:
http/outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw%2fPR7UdRi2Wxjyv68DYAWng%2binQzxRWuEcJ5CehMHme4e%2bCqekq83VdnoFm%2f6uwu77NN3Ie5j5jVtlHHWJdqOauauP40%2bj51RVSf%2fsRHZbaiSw6BM7hppx9c6vsIA9jvuhYkk1JEJug0dtOY%2fNCl4M5ysEpQye2MXVtVTZHVTzcoPHXb72