I heard the XPS was a cheap machine...

Like title says, I heard that the XPS (1530) was a poorly manufactured machine and I should steer clear of it. At the moment it's between the Dell XPS 1530 and and HP CV5.

I'm just wondering if the Dell is a well running/put together laptop and why people would think it's not a good comp. Any opinons on the XPS appreciated

 

I bought the machine after having an alienware previously and an HP. It is bar none a better build quality. (although alienware in contrast at the time was the most powerful). But none the less the XPS M1530 really is sturdy- the metal finish makes it feel solid and of value- the unit is light and has a fairly decent footprint on a desk- and besides people complaining about a defect (as you see in EVERY forum) I have never had a problem with my XPS M1530. Actually I have been pleasantly surprised by the speed and quality of it.

 

well as any brand it always has its goods and bads, they have been reported to come poorly assembled ( parts not put in correctly, also some of them come with defective gpu's witch basically overheat and go kamikaze on your motherboard, but aside from that its a VERY nice computer, if not the best ive seen, i bought it knowing all these problems, just put in a long warranty and ur good

Cheap materials for construction ? absolutely not, its built with metal so its sturdy and durable, not made out of plastic , like other computers.

XPS vs hp??? i have had hp's in the past, and i havent been quite as satisfied as with my new xps

 

The machine itself felt solid for me, but I was disappointed with the one that arrived at my door. I didn't think my XPS m1530 would be defected after spending $1,600 and waiting nearly 30 days for it to arrive. It arrived with a horribly defected screen (almost as if water creeped into it, static noise look) and a defective touch pad. Got a full refund for it.

There are a bunch of others that have perfectly working XPS m1530. Just realize that people tend to come here either to a) learn of the machine and b) report some problems.

But yeah, other than the defects, the machine felt very solid. The one at Best Buy felt horrible (almost made me regret my purchase as it was in shipping process), but I was relieved to find out that it was because of the wear from potential customers.

 

With my experience with laptops the XPS M1530 uses some of the highest quality of materials I have seen in a laptop. The whole thing feels really solid, the only weak point is the hinges I'd say which could break if dropped onto a hard surface. It is mostly metal with plastic on the bottom and covering the speakers.

 

I'd say this is turning out to be best laptop I've had till now Its sturdy, stylish, powerful and not a cheap machine in any way. The build materials are supposed to be of good quality, and I am surprised with the overall quality (which includes the looks, feel, performance) which is turning out be pretty high I am very happy with this machine.

 

Most of the black 'plastic' isn't plastic at all, but magnesium alloy.

 

I laugh at the hp machines in stores after having an m1530.

 

although an hp may boost looks- just holding an XPS makes your realize what the metal does for the laptops feel and value-ish if looks and protection are important to you.

 

my XPS m1330 makes my old HP dv6500 look like joke. westcoast01 is right, HP may initially "look" nice, but after using an XPS, there is no comparison.

Not to mention that the XPS' metal-on-matte-black look is classic.

 

The materials themselves seem to be good, however the building process seems to leave a lot of defects and there are possibilities of you having problems with the build quality. But the materials are better or as good quality than you'll find anywhere else

 

You should take a look for yourself at the notebook at a retail store or kiosk. They are really nice.

 

My grandpa has an HP 6000 and my friend has an M1330 and there is really no comparison. Ya, sure the HP is perfect for the minimal usage my grandpa will give it, but in reality it's just a big chunk of plasic and the touch pad is pretty bad. The M1330 and M1530 feel niiiice.

 

Well whoever informed you that is WRONG!!!
Now, I'll tell you from experince that HP is a cheap machine! I had two of them before going back to Dell.

 

OMG no it isn't....The 1530 is my first laptop ever..and I took a very long time choosing what laptop I was going to buy....the 1530 was the *right choice*!!!

I really enjoy my 1530 and find nothing wrong with it at all. You, will certainly find lots of 1530 / 1330 owners here who feel the same way

I say the 1530 FTW over the HP
That is my own opinion though!

Cin'

 

I laughed at the title and OP, seriously.

Dell's XPS (Xtreme Performance System) computers (both laptops and desktops) are top-notch computers, there really aren't much computers on the market on the same level as XPS systems are. You could say it's like Alienware, as it looks good, is expensive and the hardware is powerful.

Comparing ANY HP to XPS laptop/desktop obiviously shows not knowing much about brands.
Most likely you heard such talk from either a serious HP fanboy/Dell hater or a salesman.

Seriously now, if you're buyng an XPS system .. you just can't go wrong, and I'm personally not any fanboy nor hater, but I've owned ~ 30 laptops in my life and XPS systems are indeed the very best so far.

 

The materials are adequate, they do the job well, and it's very solid. What became apparent after using my friend's Toshiba laptops is that they don't feel like they'll withstand abuse in the same way the Toshiba's I've used do. If you're careless, it's not hard to damage an XPS. That's not to say they feel particularly fragile, but look elsewhere if you want a machine that feels as reliable and stirdy as a battle tank.

 

I can actually think of a very good HP model that will outperform and outlast the M1530. The HP8510W has the workstation model of the exact graphic card, and is quite a fair bit better built than the M1530. In all fairness though, it's a business line, but you did mention "ANY HP". And before you start calling me a HP fan, I'll just point out that my 4 year old Dell is still running and I've been quite pleased with it.

Secondly, the HP Dv5t line belongs to HP's new lines, which are quite decently built, presumably better than the earlier DV6XXX/2XXX/7XXX lines.

I would agree with the user who said that the XPS line uses very decent materials, but the building process can be somewhat haphazard. I'm sure all of you, or at least most of you have read threads detailing poorly put together M1330s/M1530s. Spaced out lids, gaps between lid/hinges/parts/chassis etc.

 

This is probably the wrong place for the OP to ask for a objective opinion, as most of us have a XPS. But I'll second the opinions, the XPS really is a good quality maschine. The M1330 has it's problem with the heat, and other problems with Nvidia. But the chassis is really sturdy. Of the other bigger laptop-brands, I would only compare XPS with Lenovo and Sony. HP is way behind, not to mention several others... Also the Dell business-line is quite appreciated, I don't know that much about the other, cheaper Dell -lines (Inspiron, Studio).