Is The New Dell XPS L521X Overpriced?

For me, with the 10% discount I got via negotiation on the phone it seems a fair price for the substantial step up in build quality on my previous laptop.

 

It is somewhat overpriced imho considering the issues (thermals, throttling) that it is plagued with.

 

Absolutely. When you get get every competitor for 20-30% below price, and usually better performance...you'd have to be a Dell employee or willfully deluding yourelf to think it's a good value.

 

If the prices were 10% less across the board, and a few simple customization options were offered (RAM, mSATA, HDD) then I would have gone for it the day it was released.

However, that is not the case right now, and since removing customization options lowers the prices (or so Dell claims), the prices right now should be at least 20% less.

 

It's competitor is the MBP.

 

First off, I must say: You guys must really want this notebook. Why else would you cause such a commotion about it?
If you don't want the notebook, then fine; go to a different forum section or get the new Inspiron SE. It has great specs for the price.

Sure, if you match spec for spec, then there are much better deals. But with the XPS you get much more than that.
You get an extremely well built machine, with great customer service and good specs.

If you want spec for spec, then get the Inspiron or some other notebook, but we all know you won't.
Instead, you will keep posting threads such as this, because you know that you want this beautiful machine.

 

It has more than one competitor.

 

The only ones defending this machine are the ones who have "bought into it." I get it, I know, it's no fun trying to rationalize an overpriced, unimpressive device when you just plunked down 20-30% more than it was truly worth.

The fact is the rest of us see the XPS 15 for what it really is: The emperor has no clothes. Keep lying to yourself but we will forever see the truth. And we will keep posting that fact until Dell changes their ways and pricing back to the good old days.

Oh, and as of this post, 16 out of 21 people agree with me so you guys are losing the argument. But you're enjoying your overpriced laptops, right? Well, that's important...

 

Voted for yes
Reasons:
1) Throttling
2) Worse screen
3) Performance per value is less than the competitors
4) Lack of customization

Laptop would be considered as a good one only if it was offered at 1099$ for base.

 

I own one and right at the moment to me it is bad value for money..I did receive a very good discount but it is not the point.
Like i posted in another thread the issues for the price should not be happening.
This is my very first laptop and if i had known i would be posting on a forum complaing about it i would not have bought it

 

Fair point, but then you do own the laptop so are able to give an educated opinion unlike certain others. For sure the issues need to be fixed, but Dell have one in place for the throttling and the wireless is obviously a driver issue. A similar problem with the L502X with wireless occured and it turned out to be a power saving issue with the intel drivers. I don't doubt that something similar is going on. If it was anything else, then reception and connection speed would be affected.

Alas, when you want to be front of the queue of a technology gadget, then you are always going to be an effective beta tester. If you want to avoid any teething problems and pricing issues, then it is wise to wait about six months after launch for the majority to be ironed out and prices to go down.

 

Still in the end if you are buying a premuim product it should work the way it claims to work.
What about the customer who knows nothing about computers who expect that if you pay a premuim it should just work.
Also it is not like as if the XPS is a totally new line ...Also dell have been around for years.
You are basically saying if you buy a new line of a certain product you are a beta tester for the first six months.
If i knew that i would have look elsewhere
Paying a premuim to be a beta tester is a joke I am afraid

 

I have been buying new release gadgets for years. I have never purchased a new product that has worked perfectly without issue out of the box. You only have to look at the Sony, HP and Samsung forums for example to see each of them have issues such as throttling or orange screens. Also this particular XPS is a new line, as it is a total redesign.

Personally, if you are the impatient type ( nothing wrong with that of course! ) then I would send it back and wait about 6 months. You can try one of the other makes, but none of them have the same form factor or slimness that this particular model and all of them have something that is wrong whether it be throttling or screen issues etc.

 

That is fine.
Still when you buy a product from a company that has years of experience in a certain field you would expect it's product to be working the way they claim.
Surely they would have tested it throughly before put it out to sell.
These bugs should have been picked up before it was released.
Anyway I have it and I am not sure if i want to keep it or send it back ..
I will wait to see what the dell rep has to say when he posts again

 

Could you do me a favour? Try the 15.5 beta drivers here

Version 15.5.0.30 beta

 

Personally, I think the new XPS 15 is the first XPS with a GPU worth buying since the SXPS 1645/7. However, I do think it's overpriced. Especially annoying is the total lack of customization (currently on the US and US EPP sites, you can only choose from 4 pre-configured systems, no pick and choose per component).

Currently, the cheapest configuration with 2-year warranty is nearly $1500 and it only has an i5. I bought my current SXPS (except the SSD and the i7-840qm [originally came with 500GB HDD and i7-720qm]) with 2-year warranty for around $1200. I was thinking of upgrading soon, but I'll think I'll wait a little longer after seeing the new prices.

 

okay i will give it a try to see what happens

 

Great, let me know how it goes.

 

I'm so glad I bailed on dell, so tired of this. If they make a 15/16 ultrabook I might be in but seeing how they put in crappy screens I don't know.

I'm on vizio now with my ct15-a1 that cost me 1000

 

Some say the MacBook Pro is overpriced....until they hold it in their hands and feel the quality of the build and materials used.

Same thing applies to this laptop. I have bought and returned 5 of the latest Ivy Bridge latops and this is the best built most premium of the bunch

 

Laptops have always felt flimsy to me, being a desktop enthusiast.
However this laptop feels very sturdy and when I compare it with other competing models at microcenter the build quality was really distinguishable,

 

I'm not arguing with build quality. But if that's what matters most then (disregarding the OS) why not go with a MBP? The rMBP has a better GPU, CPU, display, heat dissipation, etc. for a base price only slightly north of the XPS 15. Build quality is a flimsy excuse to exonerate Dell's offering only (4) configs all priced 20-30% more than they should be and for what? An aluminum chassis that's helping to block the wifi signal as many have complained about, and Gorilla Glass nobody asked for? In addition, there are still complaints of overheating, throttling, an okay but not as great as its predecessor screen, and all of that mediocre middling commands a price premium? I don't think so.

I would spend $5,000 on a laptop if it gave me everything I desired. Price isn't the issue. Dell has presented a device that gives us stuff we really didn't want, with specs that don't quite measure up to their competitors, at a price that is borderline Apple-arrogant, with problems that may or may not get resolved prior to a L522x release. That's not good enough, not at any price point and not for anyone. Well, not for the educated consumer at least.

 

The 650M on the retina macbook comes with 1GB of VRAM, not nearly enough for a lot of modern applications, even if you look past that the performance gain is only roughly 20% that of the 640M. the 3610qm that it comes with is only a minor side grade.
It has no blu ray drive and no ethernet port and overall less IO options.
undeniably the retina display is a major pro but most processing intensive work, a la most of what I use my laptop for wont benefit from it.
When I ask myself, it it really worth the 900-600 dollar premium over the XPS, and for me it really isn't considering the limitations of the OS as well as the fact that it has practically zero self and vendor repair options.
I just can't see myself getting a retina macbook.

plus the fact that I got a free xbox worth 200 bucks with my XPS :3

 

Dell had some of the following spec on offer Saturday on the UK site for £586 ($912)
*Display: 15.6-inch 1080p, 350-nit brightness, Truelife (glossy)
*Processor: 3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3210M (dual-core, 2.5-3.1GHz, 3MB cache) with TPM
*Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 630M with 1GB GDDR5
*Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Memory
*Storage: 750GB at 7,200rpm + 32GB MSATA
*Optical Drive: DVD writer 8X
*Webcam: 1.3MP, dual array digital microphones
*Audio: Stereo speakers 2W x 2, Waves MaxxAudio 4
*Network: 802.11a/g/n wireless, Ethernet LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display
*Input: Backlit chiclet-style spill-resistant keyboard; glass multi-touch trackpad
*Ports and Slots: 3 x USB 3.0, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, 3-in-1 media card reader,
*Battery: 9-cell 65WHr Li-Polymer battery
*Dimensions: 0.91″ x 14.6″ x 9.8″
*Weight: Starting at 5.8 pounds
*OS: Windows 7 Professional
McAfee® SecurityCenter 15 Month Subscription
1 Yr ProSupport and Next Business Day On-Site Service
They want to know if I want to confirm my purchase at this price...do I?

 

No, it has a high price.. But so has my car a Citroen DS3 when I can get the same for less with a Citroen C3.. Only the looks are different.

 

^This. My thoughts exactly on the rMBP and what I tell people when they ask why i didn't go for the Mac.

 

I've read your posts over these past few days. If value-spec is ALL you care about. Why not go for the Inspiron Special or regular Inspiron?

 

There are several GT650m, and rMBP use version @900MHz that is better than a GTX660m.
less IO options? Don't You consider Thunderbolt ports?
In rMBP price you must consider that it comes only with SSD.

Maybe because he needs a Windows PC.

There isn't only Dell in the market.

 

If you want windows7 and 512 ssd there is still a price difference of 1000 €/$ compared with the mbpr. Please people come up with other brands if you really think there are alternatives.

 

What Windows 7 laptop would you recommend that matches the build quality and specs of the XPS? i7 ivybridge, 8gb ram, decent video (not doing any high end gaming on it).

I'm not trying to call you out, but I see a lot of people saying this one isn't great for the price and then not giving the superior alternative. MBP is out of the question for me (needs Windows).

 

Yep... That's the problem for us (good for DELL)... They managed to get the "perfect" laptop, and be the only one! They are alone in this category, no great competitors beside the fruit company. They nailed the market IMHO. And this lack of alternatives explains pretty well the rant going on about price, since Dell is the only option, and can ask the price they want for this reason! And we rant because we want this laptop (being the only option), but not at this price!

If there was more competition, I'm sure Dell would manage to sell it at a lower cost! Until another manfacturer realize they could make money competing against this laptop, we're gonna have to suck-up about the price I guess!

 

Just wait until the touch screens come out. Hopefully the XPS line will have one also; or at least a higher resolution screen.
Dell has already said that the touchscreens will increase the price of their computers and I've got the money saved up and ready to go.
If windows 8 produces better screens/touch screens, Dell has got me sold. I just hope that i can hold out until then.

 

The machine may be well-built but the customer service is outsourced to India who make things up on the spot and try to convince you its fact. And the last thing they want to do is actually repair your computer so they'll make you all sorts of tests and suggest undergoing unreasonable measures to rectify the problem.

 

I won't wait that long... But I'm not excluding replacing the screen at some point, assuming it can be done! However, I don't think I would... Seems pretty useless to me, a touchscreen on a laptop... I mean, hold your arms straight at your sreen, just for 2 full minutes, and you'll feel tired! Pretty useless!

Higher res? 1080 get us pretty small characters already, I'll need a magnifying glass further than that

So if you're saying it'll cost even more, for not so interesting options... I really have no reason to wait until win8! Plus buying now, you get the two OS for only $15 more! (not needing it, getting it free from university, but just saying)!

 

None of these options are hands-down better, every laptop has it's pros/cons, but there are absolutely other alternatives

HP Envy 15 (slightly worse specs, but slightly better price, similar build/looks): i7-2670qm (will probably update to ivybridge soon), 8GB RAM, AMD 7690M (between the XPS 15's Nvidia 630M and 640M options), 1080p "Radiance" LCD, 1yr 'regular' warranty: $1300

ASUS G55VW (better specs and price, good build quality, but not as 'sleek' looking) 15.6" Full HD, i7-3610QM, 8GB DDR3, Nvidia GTX 660M 2G GDDR5, 1yr warranty including accidental damage: $1220

ASUS N56VZ (better specs and price, similar build and looks): 15.6" FHD, i7-3610QM, 8GB DDR3, Nvidia GT 650M 2G, 2yr regular warranty, 1yr accidental damage: $1140

Personally, if I were to buy a new laptop today, it'd be the N56VZ. Spec sheet: http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Multimedia_Entertainment/N56VZ/

 

You do realise form factor is USP for the XPS, this is why it does not have a true alternative? People are not just buying it for specs, but the fact it is the nearest thing to a MBP and it natively runs windows.

 

Similar build of for the asus?
look between 35 and 40 seconds in this video and you will see the plastic fantastic of the asus Asus N56 review - multimedia Asus N6 laptop thoroughly tested - YouTube


The only comparable build is the macbook pro and probbably the HP Envy.

and with these two as comparison I think the price is high but not overpriced

 

Why would you want to buy something just because it looks like something else? If you want an Apple, buy an Apple. If you need Windows, just add it to a Mac, it's not that difficult.

Some people want ultra-thin, but you can't tell me that everybody looking at a decent multi-media laptop wouldn't trade 1cm of thickness for cheaper price, better components, better warranty, and less likely to have overheating problems (that 1cm of thickness probably is due mostly to a larger heatsink/fan that is actually capable of competently cooling such powerful components).

 

Mac's run hot particularly in windows and running bootcamp is not the same as running native especially with regards speed and compatibility and there are other trade-offs, particularly battery life. In fact it was a pretty rediculous to think anyone would buy a MBP to run Windows on it as the main OS. Finally I did not say everyone, I said people are not just buying it for specs. Oh and as to the warranty, I can't believe you even questioned the quality of Dells as it industry leading..

 

From the written version of review you linked to, located at MikesQuarter.com - Mike's rant on technology and gadgets

A plastic bottom isn't necessarily a bad thing either, it won't be as hot sitting on your lap. I don't see any huge difference in build quality.

Like I said originally, every laptop is different and has their own pros and cons. If your heart is set on the XPS 15, then buy and be happy with it. It's a great laptop, just overpriced. I just think you can't say they aren't other comparable quality, lower priced alternatives.

 

The XPS 15 has a silicone bottom, which is cooler than plastic and was specifically designed this way. There are no laptops on the market for windows made of the same quality of materials, hence it does not have a direct competitor.

 

I wouldn't, and I didn't. I've been quite happy with Dell's warranty on my SXPS16 (2yr premium at-home service). I've had my motherboard replaced twice, both with next-day in-home service and no issues with the customer service hotline. However, I did have to pay a bit extra for that warranty, it wasn't standard.

 

Trust me that thickness you speak is hardly 1cm and is pretty noticeable.

You also neglect to mention the battery. Dell wins in that category to all the ones you mentioned as well.

 

Sure, unfortunately dell followed the same path as apple and overpriced the laptop simply because they can.
that doesn´t make them any different then apple
If you fell comfortable to spend the money on this machine, please do so, the problem is that we are supporting this kinda attitude and if we continue to do so nothing is going to change.
Looking at the inspiration SE is a 700$ difference for a similar spec machine, does it cost that much for an aluminum case?
If dell had lower the price some 200$ no one would have complain, this is just to much.

 

Because Inspirion screen sucks more than current XPS screen. Simple. And Screen on XPS is a major advantage for buying.

 

@Risco, if early Dell customers are to be BETA TESTERS they should be advised of this by Dell.

Dell do not advise customers they are BETA TESTERS and instead of thoroughly testing their machines, do business according to what they can get away with. Teething issues should be resolved before an item ships. Dell's recent behaviour isn't in accord with their slogan "the power to do more" but is often instead in practice "DELL: THE DISEMPOWEREMENT - TO DO LESS"

Shipping a machine with major issues such as latency, fan noise, inappropriate levels of heat, and throttling is TOTALLY UNCOOL. It demonstrates a total lack of regard or respect for the value of customer time or experience, and this approach leaves an unfair burden on customer to take action to resolve problems they should never have faced.

So, an open question to the Dell reps, WHY are you shipping machines that informed users are classifying as being in BETA without full disclosure of this at the point of sale?

(I assume they won't answer - which tells it's own story).

As a second question, where in the INTEGRITY in this approach when this forum comprises some of the more competent and informed tech users and they still struggle?

What about the 80% of less well informed tech users who with busy lives are dismayed their machines DO NOT FUNCTION AS ADVERTISED then face an unfair burden of resolution?

How do you sleep easily at night when people in their 60's are constantly frustrated BY MACHINES THAT DO NOT WORK AS ADVERTISED which impinges upon their whole quality of life, causing stress, lost productivity, lost business, morale, inhibited creativity and a host of psychological stresses?

Why do you have a ridiculous, bureaucratic support process that attempts to FOB OFF customers with ridiculous statements and claims? (The only reason I can say this is I've been using computers for 28 years, and using PCs since 1992, so as a power user, I know when I'm being FOBBED OFF which I was extensively regarding my L702x).

My advice to anyone considering Dell:
- The strong repeated sentiment of this forum is that consumer laptops (and their support) can often be a time wasting nightmare. If you buy a machine that is effective in BETA TESTING, you are facing a risk of not being able to get on with the task at hand, facing extreme stress and frustration, wasting loads of time on the phone, having to arrange your schedule multiple times for support call outs that may not work, and dealing with many maddening issues. All of this costs you your emotional capital / morale and your time.

- Some people claim that Dell's business machines seem to be better supported, and for this reason the avoid consumer machines like the plague. Consumer machines include the XPS L521x.

- It seems to me to be very unfair that Dell, IMO, profile the psychology of average computer users and orient their business practices according to what they can get away with. They understand that if users have limited tech competency and lead busy lives, most do not have the wherewithal to spend tens or even hundreds of hours following up with Dell to get a computer to work properly. Even if you are an advanced expert user, you can waste a lot of time dealing with things DELL SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN RIGHT BEFORE SHIPPING.

So - as a reader, ask yourself why am I so vocal about these issues? and what kind of frustration would form such a perspective I express to help you in your decision? This might give you an inclination about how I feel following my ownership of Dell XPS L702x over the last year.

 

Alright, I mostly agree with that, just sounded a bit harsh, but still based on some hard truth...

However, name me one company better at this than Dell... ??

My point : We're trapped, there are no alternatives, beside not buying anything! Maybe we should start our own company?

 

Is the XPS 15 overpriced? Of course it is, when compared against other laptops in a value proposition exercise. In the same way a Macbook is overpriced.

Then again, the new XPS 15 isn’t aiming for the category it once was.

I’ve previously owned a 27” iMac and Macbook Pro, although over the last year I’ve moved back to Windows based machines. There is one defining characteristic about products made for the ‘premium’ area of computer, the build quality.

When you pick up a Dell XPS 15 or Macbook Pro, you feel like a great deal of R&D, time and quality material has gone into the product you’ve just purchased. This isn’t some bolted together piece of technology; it’s a crafted and refined slab of awesomeness.

Now if I take the Lenovo Y580 as a comparison, a laptop which is a good £200-£300 below the XPS 15 i7 version in the UK, yet it offers far more performance for your money. You’re furnished with a 660M, a bluray player and other slight bumps in overall configuration. Then again, you also have product designed and put together like many other laptops on the market. It’s much thicker and it doesn’t have the same ‘premium’ feel. You aren’t going to be picking it up and getting that warm fuzzy feeling. Personally, i'm one of those customers who prefers the latter.

You will always find a price disparity between products in this area of the market, from cars to houses and beyond. Also, a product like the XPS 15 will undoubtedly of cost Dell more to develop, produce and manufacture than any of their other lines. While I do agree they’re perhaps taking advantage of what people are willing to pay in this segment, I doubt they’ll wholeheartedly ripping over customers. Can't imagine their margins are anywhere near Apples.

The Dell XPS 15 isn’t without its problems; it is priced so closely to the Macbook equivalents that they really couldn’t afford to mess up. Unfortunately, they have landed a little short of the mark in my opinion, with the throttling issue, wifi reception problems and general lack of configuration on order.

However…. It’s nice to see Dell try and release a product line in that category and give people an alternative to a Macbook, once some of the issues have been resolved by a BIOS update (Or other means) then it really isn’t far away from hitting the nail on the head.

I hope it continues, as currently no other manufacturers have had the balls to take on Apple in this kind of product category.

 

I agree with everything you say - Dell has handled the L521X release very poorly, and it obviously needed more time in development & testing.

However I don't think this poor attitude to quality and service is limited to Dell - it seems endemic in the whole industry. Browsing the threads in the other manufacturer forums, this seems alarmingly common. I guess it's actually even wider spread than that, crap quality and service seems everywhere these days.

I suppose it's ever-reducing margins and pressure on costs - it doesn't seem that long ago that I was paying $5k for a top-end notebook. But it does make me sad.