Why are the XPS models so much pricier?

Am I missing something, or are XPS models with similar specs to Inspiron or Vostros up to $1000 more? Is Dell just ripping "gamers" off?

 

Remember the XPS is a premier brand and has a reputation....of course like Alienware is a boutique brand which is well known through the gaming community.

 

With an XPS people are paying for the name in a lot of cases, like any premium brand; for the most part...

For instance, I don't consider the XPS M1330 to be a gamer's notebook... IMHO it is a thin and light notebook designed for general thin and light tasks. Dell slapped the XPS name on it so they could charge a premium over the I1420...

Unless you need bragging rights or something exclusive to the XPS series (like SLI) i recommend you stick to the Inspirons... Not sure how much I'd like SLI and etc. in a notebook anyways... 1 hour of battery life and 10lbs isn't pretty useful...

But to each his own

 

Advertising! thats the key.

people who wish to game and are not into researching or people who just want things THIS MOMENT, tend to buy from the well advertised places as they assume they are better. they see the adds which make what the company has seem more valuable. so they see the commercial which make life seem simple and easy and they pick up the phone and buy one.

so, thats why i believe advertising is the number 1 part in it. they charge more to cover advertising and because they know they can, and people go to them giving them money to keep funding, and malicious cycle of capitalism continues!

 

while I agree in most cases that the XPS name is for gaming or so they can charge more. The m1330 although not a gaming machine is probably the best 13" gaming laptop on the market there isn;t much that competes at this size. And also being the only dell with the LED screen gives it a bit more class than the inspirons thus allowing it to have the XPS branding.

 

You're not paying for the machine. You're paying for the brand. You can configure similar Inspiron/XPS's and the price difference can be almost $1000. It's silly, really.

I personally can't stand the design of the Inspirons. They're chunky plastic.

 

Well, you have to remember that he XPS m1330 is much smaller than the Inspiron 1420, even though it's only an inch smaller, it's much thinner, and lighter.

 

Yeah, people would have a point but since there is no Inspiron 1320. XPS also has better support I believe.

 

Everything about XPS is different than a normal system from the moment you receive your system. There is a designated number especially for XPS clients. the Techs are trained, unlike most other phone answering Reps.

The build of an XPS is so much different from any other laptop as anyone can tell once they have one in their hand. Its built to be very tight and solid. You wont often see these babies breaking first drop and if it does, they already have someone on the way to fix it.

If you have any issues, most times they will have a tech or part to you within 24 hours, no questions asked.

Now when you receive it, first...there are the little extras such as the XPS bags and cases with ear buds and IR remote and so on.

This is to include a complete set of disks so, if you wanna do a clean install, its all right there. try doing that with a Lenovo, HP or Sony anymore.

The manual is complete and thick. It even teaches you how to upgrade and add to your system. Further, if you want, there is XPS Tech help right there to walk you through it if you need that.

And we could go on and on...

We could go on about he part quality or that fact that the line is daring competitors to keep up with them with every model...or the fact that they will try new ideas as with the new "Ugly Betty" design of the M1730... Its termed the Beast actually..

and on and on...

Fact is that the XPS name alone is enough to keep its customers coming back, more so than the laptop. Its a feeling of comfort that everyone should have when they own their PC.

EDIT!!! Having said all of this, don't be thinking I am owned by Dell as it is termed. Myself and Dell have gone head to head a number of times on issues. With respect to the XPS line however, even with the recent growing pains of the m1330, I can say one thing that never seems to deviate...the customer comes first and is treated like that. The customer is right and thats just the way it is. Dell will bend over backwords to ensure XPS customers return which is why I did.

Little example of this... When I owned my m1210, one day I was on the internet and reading that some guy was getting 7 hours out of his battery; I was only getting 4 plus. I called and spoke to them about it. They discussed possible reasoning but then asked me if Ide like to switch to a new battery? I said yes to which it arrived at my door two days later. No questions asked.

 

The XPS machines have very little competition in their space(s).

If your notebook has to be thin and light - 4 pounds or less, yet you want enough muscle for the occasional game (DX10 generation games, that is), you really don't have much choice other than the m1330 and perhaps the Sony SZ machines. The Macbook Pros aren't bad in this regard, either, although they are more in the 5-6 pound range. What do all these machines have in common? $$$ - no $800 Inspiron prices to be found here.

At the other end of the weight scale, if you need a serious gaming rig, with SLI, for LAN parties, moving around a lot, etc, you can pick between the 1730 or perhaps something from Alienware, Voodoo and the other boutique shops. Again, what do they all have in common? $$$

These are very specialized machines compared to mainstream notebooks like the Vostro and Inspiron line. With specialized features come specialized prices.

 

Well, for a XPS, you are partly paying for the image, but more so for the options. No other laptop in the Dell line offers SLI, Algia Physics, C2C Extreme CPUs, etc. This is of course referring to the m1730. As for the m1330, it is smaller than all the other notebooks in the line up, making it special, so it was badged an XPS. Now for the m1710 is sorta confused now, as its successor has already been released. Only consider it if you want a cheap occasional gamer laptop.
Thats all I have got to say...

 

I'll take your word on that... As even "trained" tech reps usually don't know a lick about computers, but since I haven't talked to XPS support I won't say they are dirt... But Most of your other points don't give the XPS any extra sway..

My i1520 feels SOLID! I'm still not sure it this case is made from plastic or metal (the lid back and bottom) as it is just plain solid. Compared to my i5160 it is amazing... The 5160 was def. plasic. This feels like it could survive a serious fall (though my i5160 surived some serious torture; like me throwing it across a room) and not have an issue...

Since I have complete care and on site I'm sure they will have someone out to fix this too if it is dropped.

I've never had Dell take longer than 24 hours (business days) to get a part to me. And I've owned Inspirons for eons...

 

When Dell launched the XPS originally it meant serious gaming hardware gone mobile... A fight against Alienware, Voodoo, and Falcon Northwest... The M1330 might have its place, which I'm sure it does, but it isn't a serious gaming notebook. It is a thin and light that shouldn't be in the line up of serious gaming notebooks.

IMHO the M1330 would be a better fit in the Inspiron section really...

I think Dell might be ruining their XPS brand by having the M1330 in the lineup personally.

 

Premium name, premium service, premium price.

 

What the hell are you talking about dude? The XPS M1710 is only a "cheap occasional gamer laptop"? Man get back to earth. The M1710 is still very expensive and the beast of the 7950 GTX doesn't make it an occasional gaming laptop, it's still one of the most powerful laptops out there. Please don't make claims like that.