Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Review & Owner's Thread

I dont think so, since he seems to be asking

 

And you got a reply "its somewhere near the start of the thread"....

Over the last two days, I have read every single post of 186 pages and did not see "it".

Here is what I did to my wife's machine:
msconfig-set Remote State Service.exe to no start
services.msc: set Del DataSafe Online to StartupType:disabled
Set WMPNetworkSharing disabled
Set dell digital delivery svc to manu
Set Realtek Audio svc to manual
Set WWAN auto config manual
Set Max Audio Off (spkr and mic)
Uninstalled Dell Datasafe Backup apps (three)
Uninstalled Cozi Family Calendar
Uninstalled Bing Bar
Uninstalled Bing Rewards Client Installer
Uninstalled Microsoft Default Mgr
Uninstalled Microsoft Enhanced Search Mgr
Uninstalled the anti-virus, installed Microsoft Security Essentials

Might have been some more things but that's what I have written down.

Just noticed the reliability monitor stopped running after a batch of updating drivers (Quickset, Realtek Audio, touchpad, BlueTooth, USB3 Fresco host ctrlr) was battling flash plug-in crashing so trying too many things at once.

 

after being a bit disappointed with the 14 and the 15, I'm hoping the 13 refresh gets me on board. I did enjoy the 13 for the 2 weeks I had it, but I want a higher res screen (a 1600x900 like the 14 would probably be fine) and hopefully Synaptics for the trackpad instead of Cypress.

If the 13 had those, I'd be typing on it right now since it does everything else I really need it for.

 

Same here, I'd also like an 8GB option. I really like the size, I think it has the smallest footprint for a 13" of anything out there. I agree, the 14 and 15 were pretty lame (read heavy as lead).

 

+1 , 8gb + ivy bridge + better screen= perfect ultrabook

 

+2.....was looking at the Envy 14" Spectre but a bit too heavy with all that glass. Spectatcular screen though.

 

I know this is a n00b q but could you explain what the top 5 settings you changed do with regards to performance?

If anyone else has any suggestions on must-do upgrades/modifications to XPS 13 models please post them. Maybe we can start up a little Wiki for new owners.

 

I sure hope the refresh comes out way before February 28. I'd like to get my girlfriend a XPS 13, but it can't match up with the performance of the hated fruit's competitor.

 

September.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Can someone point me to the webcam software? It's not too clear which one it is on Dell's site and I'm on a connection where I have very limited downloads so can't try them all. Thanks.

 

Actually, I can't. I ended up reverting back to a restore point prior to those changes and driver installs to get the reliability monitor to work again.

The uninstalls in the list remained uninstalled.

I'd like to uninstall the MS Office apps and get rid of the click to run partition, but my wife doesn't want me to change anything during "good times", only when she is threatening to throw the system out the window. (Sometimes fear is smarter than courage?)

 

Hey Guys, I just bought this laptop for my mother last week during the refurb sale, and the laptop looks great, but I have one HUGE problem.

It will not connect to the wifi at my mother's house (Verizon Fios router). No other devices have a problem connecting including my ipad, iphone and other laptops.

It keeps saying "connecting" and the connects for a second then immediately drops and goes back to connecting.

I tried updating the drivers to the newest ones on Dell's website and still the same problem persists. Is there any fix for this? She loves this laptop, but if the internet wont work, itll have to go back.
__________________

 

Just a thought, you may not be using the correct encryption algorithm for the connection. On an IOS or OSX device, the selection of the encryption type may be obfuscated and selected automatically so you will connect without issue. On Windows 7, you will likely need to be more specific and select the exact encryption type.

In order to do this you may need to get onto the wireless router and check its configuration, you may also be able to tell from the configuration of your MBP while connected to the router.

 

I am planning to use XPS13 with i5-2467M processor for development activities. I plan to install & use Visual Studio, SQL Server, Netbeans and MySQL on this machine.
Other normal activities would be browsing internet, MS Word and excel. No gaming and multimedia.

Will this laptop stand up to my requirements?
I am worried because the CPU benchmarks are quite low compared to i5-2540M which is used in Lenovo X-220 which is from the same I5 processor family but not so low powered.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-2467M+@+1.60GHz

 

Sure - set up a *REAL* dev machine and use the XPS13 to remote desktop or VNC into it.

Sure, but take a lot of coffee breaks while the machine starts up SQL Server and Visual Studio or Netbeans and MySQL. SQL Server starts like a fat hog stuck in dried mud.

Forget that you want super light weight and small. I hear ya, cause I carry a big Lenovo T400 with Rational Architect, several non-Rational Eclipse environments, and the worst nightmare: Lotus Notes. They all want lots of disk, lots of memory, lots of processor and special services.

I would love to lighten my backpack by three pounds, but (IMO) the Dell XPS13 drivers/operating system/bloatware/config are not yet stable, and the processor is designed to steal sleep as much as possible, not to crunch as fast as I want to work.

The icons are always rearranging when the desktop moves from the internal display to the external display at different resolutions and back. We always use an external mouse, and since some places only wired Internet is available - we have to carry an Ethernet-USB dongle and cable, and since no slot built-in - a memory card reader to transfer photos.

The machine has crashed hard, BSOD, about every two weeks since we bought it three months ago, which Dell support has remained attentive but ineffective. I resent having to get on the phone for an hour and fight off the initial suggestion to re-image the hard drive each time. (If your house has spiders every spring, would you tear it down and rebuild?) They don't have a clue why the machine crashed, but can always update a few drivers and call back to see if that fixed the problem. They are really very nice, but.

Its not a bad Facebook/Picasa/YouTube/Email platform but even at that my "has to be Windows" wife asks herself often if she should have waited for a Retina MacBook Air, (with no backspace key, and everything different). Just our experience...

Edit: After hearing that others have used/are using their XPS13 with dev environments - I'm looking for a rock to crawl back under. Looking forward to hearing more good reports.

 

thanks, I thought so. setting up a dedicated server and RDP into it is not an option for me.
I could opt for sql server lite or use a remote one if that is the only issue. I need Netbeans for Java dev and Visual studio and Mysql at the minimum.
So basically thumbs down for my use I guess

I was so excited to have a light weight dev machine

 

Anyone else using it as a dev machine any suggestions / experiences you care to share?
I have already ordered the machine so I am stuck with it.

 

Others on the forum are using it for Visual studio. I am running VirtualBox with Server2012 as a VM and it works fine.

Not sure about the other poster's example, my box has never blue screened and is solid. The fan kicks in during heavy CPU load, but that is it. My config and desktop icons are stable too - but I have seen many machines move icons around when resolution changes.

I did wipe mine clean and do a fresh intall of win7 ultimate though.

 

Just got mine from outlet last week.
I have updated the BIOS and the fan is not that loud now.
My idle CPU temperature is around 50C, is this normal?
And can anyone suggest a cooling pad, since the temp gets really high (>80C) during some heavy jobs.

 

Yep, been doing quite a bit of dev work on mine. I have run SQL, Visual Studio, VMs LAMP server, and even done some graphic work on it. This machine has been rock solid. I have had mine since the first day they were available. Never had a blue screen, yet.

 

The 80C range is not near the danger zone of this, although the fans do tend to get louder. I have propped up the back of mine (with coke bottle caps) to make it easier for the airflow. That dropped about 3-5C depending on the room temp.

 

cool!, thx for the feedback

 

I run Visual Studio, SQL Server Express, Oracle Express, plus a smattering of other tools like Expression Blend, etc on a daily basis. I don't have any problems whatsoever with performance on this laptop (I have the i7/256GB version). Everything is snappy. I even play the occasional WoW or Civ 5 on this machine without issue (albeit, in low resolution). Even with a second monitor, it works very well.

I did wipe my machine and install Windows 8. I don't have any BSOD problems. The touchpad driver has been wonky, but I almost always have an external Bluetooth mouse plugged in, so I don't notice it.

I disagree with the earlier poster about the stability and usability of this machine. Its been a rock-solid development machine for several complex development projects I've worked on.

If I had to complain about anything...the screen is a tad on the short side for heavy coding; however, I when its plugged into my 23" monitor, its my favorite machine to Dev on.

If you need to run lots of VMs, this might not be the best machine, as its limited to 4GB; otherwise, the swap disk speed of the SSD makes the small memory not really noticeable.

 

Yep. Can't wait till they get the 8GB Ivy model out. Come on dell get with the program...

 

thanks, that's refreshing. I will get mine on Friday. will let you know how it goes.

 

My PC is only charging up to 84 %. Anyone with the same issue?
Solution? Repair?

 

Seems to be a common problem with XPS 13, my unit drops to 92% from fully charged within seconds of pulling the plug off.

Running down the battery and a full recharge does a temporary reset but it gets back to square one soon.

 

I just noticed my keyboard backlight is on all the time and will not turn off. I think it is the new A06 BIOS - anyone else notice?

 

This is most likely by design. Full charging the battery shortens its lifespan, there's probably a software setting if you absolutely need a full charge.

 

Did anyone figure out a way to install video driver for XPS 13 in Windows 8? The intel drivers keeps saying 'doesn't meet requirements'. I am stuck! Any ideas pls?

The built-in Windows 8 Driver is no good, since the brightness will only go about 40% up and not higher, as soon as you manually increase brightness ,due to light sensor or something it goes to lowest setting.

 

FYI - A06 BIOS

Came out a few days ago - good stuff in it, but I my box it turned keyboard backlight on permanently. I rolled back to A04 and all is well.

 

Which cooling pad works best with xps 13. The vents are located differently so I am curious.

 

It ıs running Windows Update and Chrome and the temperature is 89 C both motherboard and processor. Is that normal??

 

I really want a xps 13 but does anyone know if a ivy bridge refresh will be coming? Also is the fan better now? Would also like to see a higher res screen.

 

Purportedly fall with 900p, 8GB ram options. I heard fan now is tolerable with newer bios.

 

Uhmmm, do you think no cpu upgrading?

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Got my XPS 13....

Absolutely LOVE it.

Problem is mine had some discoloration on the carbon fibre that would not wipe off, it's almost like there was a sticker that pulled off some of the finish. I called Dell and they gave me $45 off which was very nice of them, as I didn't want to send back the damn thing when mechanically it was working so flawlessly.

This computer is so damn cool though. I upgraded the bios and touchpad driver and though my touchpad does OCCASIONALLY freeze, it has behaved quite well. I think you just have to get used to where to touch it when doing 2 hand/2finger gestures.

My only question is this: Does anyone else find their battery life depletes even when the computer is asleep? I could have sworn I went down 5% over the course of 5 or 6 hours...

 

What number did you call ? And what did you tell them?
Cause there's also some flaws on the back of mine.

 

I just upgrade my xps system to Win8 Release preview.
I found a problem with the screen brightness adjustment.
1. I cannot get to the max brightness as I had in win7.
2. Once I increase the brightness, it'll dim after a few seconds. However, it'll stay stable after a reboot. But once I change it, it'll dim.

Anyone know a fix or what is the problem?

 

I just called the customer service number on the dell home site.

I don't believe they will give you a credit if you purchased a refurbished unit though. Mine was a new unit, so that's why I was surprised to find the cosmetic defect.

 

Just realised how overpriced the 13 is, comparing it to the alienware m14x

xps 13
i5 2nd gen
No dedicated gpu
4gb 1333mhz ram
256gb ssd
720p screen
n6230 wireless card
6 cell battery
NO optical drive

£1,148.99

Alienware m14x
i7 3rd gen cpu
2gb gt 650m
8gb 1600mhz ram
750gb 7200rpm
900p screen
blu ray drive
killer wireless N
8 cell battery

£1,393.98

So for another £245 you get all the extras of the alienware. Dell seriously needs to rethink their prices if they ever want me to buy a xps 13.

 

You can't compare them!
Are two different devices, for two completely different users!

If you game, buy Alienware...if you need portability and a great look, buy XPS13!

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IVB i5 and i7 for sure. Don't know (and don't care) about an i3.

 

It's an ultrabook! Compare it to an S9, macair, asus ux but not something that weight 5lbs+. That a discussion for the XPS15 forum...

 

I'm happy to know it! ^^ Actually I'm holding on to buy it just for this hypothetical upgrade!
At this point my question is "when?" Do you've some information about it? Have you listened some rumors?
Thanks for giving me this assurance!

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I can, they are both portable of similiar sizes, but dell is charging stupid amounts of money for the ssd in the xps 13 basically. Im not saying they're similiar, just using them both to compare what you can get for that money.

 

Hey guys, should I be turning Dell Intelligent Display and Extended Battery life settings on or off?
What exactly do they do?

 

Aside from the "similar" size (XPS13 0,24'' - 0,71'' / 12, 4'' / 8,1''; Alienware M14X 1,49'' / 13,27'' / 10,16''), portability is above all weight (XPS13 2,99 lbs; Alienware M14X 6,45 lbs). Try to travel all the day with an Alienware...at the end of the day I want to talk with your shoulder!
Separate discussion for what concerns the look. A gamer surely preferring Alienware M14X, but a business man...uhmmm...I think it's funny to see a CEO of a major corporation, pulling out from him suitcase an Alienware to show his powerpoint presentation! LOL :laugh:

I understand that you're just comparing what you can get for that money but it's as to compare amberjack sea with lobster, they are both fishes, they are both valuable but cost is different and their use in a dinner too. Are not comparable!

 

yeah thats fair enough. I suppose were expected to pay a high premium for looks and weight. Probably as im from the uk the price looks worse due to 20% tax we have to pay on whatever we buy. As the us xps 13 with 256gb ssd is $1,299 which is £830 but over in the uk the price for a 256gb config is £1,149 so $1,794. So we have to pay an extra equiv of $495 thanks to our crap economy.