Anyone think Dell's XPS design is weird?

I like Dell computers performance-wise but what I don't get is their XPS design.

So the XPS 15 and 17 are big-ish multimedia workhorses with a silver/gray/black border color scheme. The keyboard is black.

The XPS 15z and 14z are thin performance machines but with a silver/chrome color scheme. The keyboard is silver.

The new XPS 13 is a thin ultrabook with a silver/dark gray color scheme. It has a soft touch finish and those 1 button multitouch trackpads. The keyboard is black.

Why does the XPS lineup look so different?!? And I think the XPS 13 shouldn't even belong in the XPS lineup! It's an ultrabook, not a performance laptop! At least make it an XPS 13z so it's in the thin category. Personally I hate the design of the 15z and 14z because there's too much silver and white! Add more contrasting colors (or soft touch finish) and get rid of the chrome trim.

Does anyone think this way? Or am I the odd one here?

 

Actually I really like the look of my L702X with the exception of the Hard drive light being behind the monitor, wth lol

 

Let me throw some more mud in that water.

Adamo XPS:



Studio XPS 16:

 

I always found the Adamo and Z-series designs ugly. I like the XPS 13 ultrabook look though. I think the weird greys and stuff look bad. I like the Envy design though (when comparing similar multimedia notebooks)

 

I actually think the Studio XPS design was the best. The only problem was the cooling. If only Dell just put the current hinge-butt construction onto the Studio XPS body and added vents on the back. Then give it the same black soft touch finish as the new XPS 13 so there's no fingerprints.

 

Me too was little worried about looks of new xps 17 but still couldn't resist it because of great price and better specs than competition...
but when i received it and opened the package, the first word that came to my mind was "Coooooool"

 

XPS interior + studio XPS exterior = win

The new XPS line just doesn't look "sharp" enough

 

This. The Studio XPS was a gorgeous machine. Shame about the heat issues.

 

With XPS, Dell generally can do whatever. Also realize consumer notebooks can change look completely with 1 model generation passing. They find out what sells, what doesn't. The XPS line changed with the M1330/M1530 with those being multimedia notebooks while M1730 was their gaming DTR, being replaced with the Alienware M17xR1 and the whole XPS line changing direction to multimedia 100%.

 

My friend is still rocking a Studio XPS 16, and my dad had a XPS 15 until a month ago. They are good looking machines but only one thing bothered me; how the matte black paint scratched very easily off of the speaker grill.

 

I wasn't exactly excited about the look of the new XPS 17 when I was first shopping for it. But like gull_s_777 I loved it once I saw it.

Now I keep saying to my brother, "How could anything be more beautiful".
I suppose I really only see the interior of the laptop most of the time, but it is a really good design imo. The exterior I suppose is a little too silver/grey. I don't mind the lid, but all that silver on the bottom is a step too far I think.
So I guess I love the whole thing except maybe the bottom of the laptop

 

for me 17" can't call for notebook, better buy desktop,
design not important, i need the better 'cool' design. I don't want play the BF3, even on winter temperature up to 85-90C.

 

Studio XPS 16 were the best designed notebooks. They still sell them on ebay.

 

I really like the design and prefer that all the flashing lights are at the rear no distractions that way.

 

Good point

 

I love the look of my XPS 15. I watched lots of videos of it before it arrived on youtube and was pleasantly stunned when I unboxed mine. It looks awesome with the chrome trim and the gray metallic finish. It's also extremely sturdy when you pick it up. The only thing I'd change is the ability to remove the fan so I can clean the vents without taking apart the entire laptop. The 1080P screen is SIIIIIICK - THIS is how the internet was meant to be viewed, it makes everything look great, the colors are just incredible.

 

I enjoy the looks on my XPS. While I agree the Studio XPS was definately a looker, the current XPS lineup looks slick to me.

 

What's also weird is how the XPS line has so many different designs. Usually, when a company makes a lineup the design is the same but the size is different. For Dell, the XPS 15 and 17 is one design, the XPS 14z and 15z is another design, and the XPS 13 is another design!! Hell, the 14z and 15z are NOT even the exact same design. The 14z has an edge-to-edge glass display while the 15z has the black plastic bezel.

I would like Dell to stick to one, aesthetically pleasing design.

 

I'll second this. Those flashing lights are on the front of my Vaio F, and do I really want to see a light blinking in my peripheral vision every time the HDD is accessed? No. I don't. If I need to know that, it's during troubleshooting, not during ordinary use, and I think having them where the XPS 15 places them is still perfectly good for troubleshooting.

 

XPS design is sucks!!!!!!except USB and Battery chg location in the back..it is just a ugly design compare to HP,SONY,TOSHIBA ETC

 

Agreed. The SXPS 16 is a sexy machine. Its looks are one of its major pros, in addition to its RGBLED screen. Cooling is still crap though, but my cooler helps. Vents on the side (for better cooling) would have made this one of the best designed and looking laptops ever IMO. I'd repurchase the machine again in a jiffy if it was only redesigned with better cooling (And of course more up to date internals).

As for the XPS 15, the look/design is decent overall. Definitely doesn't look better than the SXPS 16, but cools better.

 

Why are you on these boards all you seem to do is moan?

 

My GF has a new XPS, while I have the original studio XPS 16. I have to say I like mine better.

 

I have a XPS 15 (L502X), ordered it with a custom external casing for the back side of the screen since it looked nice and the price got lowered by the offer. (the final price were lower than 600€! even with shipping included )
here is the design I ordered


I like the design, however, I dont like the hdd led, it is away from my view, so I cant monitorize when the HDD is busy or not :/

I also dont like that the main hard drive is not easly accesible like on another laptops wich just need to remove 1 or two screws and 1 small plastic thing, missing also a fourth usb port and some extra battery life, appart from that, its fine.

<3 the custom skin and the waves max button/custom button and options button, cute and usefull

and the button at the battery pack, indicating the remaining charge with leds is awesome.

also going to order soon the spanish baklit keyboard

 

From reading everyone's replies here, it seems anyone that owns or did own a Studio XPS 16 thinks it's nicer and anyone that owns a newer XPS thinks it's nicer.
There ain't nothing wrong with this, but from what I'm reading people's opinions reflect what they own.

We aren't exactly getting unbiased opinions here!

Just out of interest, wasn't the Studio XPS 16 the one where, when you removed the battery there was a giant block missing from the laptop just under the screen? Screams ugly to me

 

I have the L501x. and the 15z

My only issue on the design is you have top take the laptop apart to get to the hard drive, Etc. no access panels.

other than that, they look and feel great.

 

I love the look of my Dell XPS 15 L502X, but I would loved some media buttons instead using the FN key to access them.

 

Yes, me. I think the design is weird. But at the same time, the L702x is also very nice and solid.

What I like:
*Keyboard and Mouse, very solid and soft clicks.
*Nice Palmrest
*USB 2.0 on the top side above the optical drive instead of towards the bottom where my hands keep on hitting when a drive is plugged in.

What I hate:
*HDD status indicator light is on the back,
*No NumLk indicator on key,
*Power Jack is located on the back,
*The BRIGHT NEON BLUE ring light on the power connector that glows up my whole room at night.
*No support for elevation, not sit high enough to draw air for venting.

Of all the room left on the top right/front alongside the Wave audio, they could of at least imbed a small indicator light for the HDD. Some say the light is too much, well, let me tell you; I hope you guys don't have a lighted keyboard because the thing (along with the Dell control indicators) lights up like a frickin' Christmas tree, so a small HDD led light up front wouldn't hurt one bit because I like to monitor the status of my drive activities. I still couldn't figure out what is the point of putting the light back there -- besides me lifting the laptop every now and then just to take a peak at my HDD indicator.

 

That's easy press the "cogs" touch button to open windows mobility center and change the setting at the bottom where it says "fn key row" and change it to "multimedia"

Done.

I use the multimedia keys all the time for volume and brightness changes, very fast and useful. I love my XPS, it has helped me make money with my online business by utilizing it's power, speed, and massive hard drive

 

D'oh! didn't see that thnx!

 

i think i prefer the looks and feel of the dell m1530/xps 16. the L501x/L502x are just way chunkier... not sure how/why dells design team decided to make that huge of a change and dont even get me started on trying to get to the fan/heatsink/cpu&gpu now... christ sakes