XPS 11 Owner's Lounge

bman, yes, see above. Remember to activate pen input by going to Services: input: pen/keyboard: enable.

 

Where exactly are these settings?

Thanks

 

Services is in Administrative Tools in Control Panel.

 

After two weeks with my XPS 11, I have to say I really like the device. The resolution is great and the build quality is really excellent. For my needs I think the performance is excellent as well. The touch keyboard gets some getting used to but after a few days it's really not that bad and something you can live with. I disabled the touchpad gestures which were driving me crazy at first. I tried tablet mode the other day for the first time and like most in the thread it goes to sleep when left idle for a few minutes. This caused my browser to close and I lost any activity I was doing. For those who have contacted Dell about this issue, what have they said? I'm in the crossroads because I'm leaving on Sunday for a month, and really bought this laptop because of its portability for travel. Do you guys recommend me calling them right away or should I wait? Thanks

 

I got into that menu but i dont see where it says input

can you please explain more

thanks for your help

 

I am trying to see if mine goes to sleep too. DO you just put it in tablet mode and leave it be for a little?

 

thanks, but like spridell I cannot find any process in services that has to do with input (pen/keyboard) or anything close.

 

ok I found this "TabletInputService, Enables Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel pen and ink functionality" if that is it the service was/is already running. Tried to stop and restart it but still no pen input at all. Any suggestions.

 

mine would go blank when I put it tablet mode immediately. there was no delay as soon as I folded the screen back the screen would go blank..

 

Yes for me too the tablet mode issue for anyone asking is that it goes immediately into sleep mode as if the lid was closed. For me at least changing the closing lid options to do nothing at least means it will blink off then on again but still has issues with randomly going off again in tablet mode.

Just got back in touch with Dell support and spoke with a supervisor in the xps department. To clear up some things the xps clearly has a digitizer in some models however after speaking with support the digitizer functionality has apparently been removed from the xps and it's advertising as of December 19 (don't know about that) and they will not be supporting the digitizer. The tablet mode blinking is being supported and they are offering me a replacement model. I asked if I could instead get a part replacement under my extended warranty and apparently I will be contacted by the support team yet again on Friday when they can get info from their technical team about whether a part replacement could be arranged. Probably a wasted effort.

 

Knock on wood but so far I am having no problems with the screen going blank when I put it in tablet mode.

I tried a couple of times today and so far so good.

 

Wow. That sucks. They hype it all up and they remove it? Really? Manufacturers are really blowing it on this generation.

There is a last resort alternative. The machines with digitizer support seems to have higher resolution when using a capacitive input as well. For example, the Dell XPS 12, Yoga 11S had shoddy writing quality when using a capacitive "pen". But the Digitzer supporting models like the Vaio Duo 13, and Surface 2 Pro had higher quality.

 

Here's the follow-up to my screen problem in tablet mode. I worked with the dell support team to 1. reinstall drivers. 2. refresh the pc to factory setting 3. they shipped me usb with win81 and I reloaded from there. 4. They sent out a new LCD panel and assembly and dell service tech replaced parts.

I still have the problem and I assume it is some failure of a sensor or motherboard. Dell is now just going to replace the system. It is supposed to ship next week.

thanks to everyone who responded with help and advice.

 

yes I am getting a replacement as well but I preordered this while they were advertising with pen support. ultimately if the pen is not supported than I have no use for this device. I noticed that the active pen is completely removed from dells site. This is my first experience well dell and its kind of leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Im really hoping they release a pen that will work but Im running out of time if I want to return it. Dell?

 

Yes I just noticed as well the pen has been removed from the site.

 

The pen is out of stock for now. I was trying to order extra pens for my Venue Pro, so I could have one for each. Customer Service says it should be available for order on January 10 or the 15th. Also there's going to be a firmware to upgrade the Synaptics touch/pen layer for better support. If your system says Pen in the System Information screen, then it has pen support.

 

I'd imagine the stylus would stay up for sale as the venue 8 pro seems to still be advertised with it. However when I specifically asked if own support was a problem that might be addressed the future I was told no. When I told dell I purchased the computer before that change and even purchased and I'd like too keep the computer if the problem was fixed I was told to return it and forgo the replacement.

 

hey guys, if you change Windows volume, then for, like, 2 seconds the sound card will be activated(?) as if you have activated some sound (well of course you did, that "ting" sound, but I'm not talking about this, but rather what happens right after it), do you experience some white noise in the background? Or when you watch video over media player, try muting the sound in media player while it is still playing the video - do you hear any white/static noise?
As far as I know, you can only hear white noise through headphones/earbuds, in other words the white noise can be coming out only from headphone's audio output.
Does anyone have it?

 

any updates on replacement models fixing tablet issues or pen support?

 

My replacement is supposed to ship on January 9. I will reply as soon as I find out.

 

Any updates on battery life? Your average?

 

I've gotten about 7 and half hours surfing the internet.

 

Mine never lasted beyond 5hrs surfing the internet at minimum brightness and with processor power restricted to only 30%! Fully charged capacity is only 34.28

 

I got lower times using Chrome, but using IE in the metro interface seems to be more battery optimized.

 

I received my XPS 11 Christmas day, and I'm having battery issues. I called Dell today and they are sending a tech out to replace the battery, AC adapter, and motherboard. When the laptop is on, it will not charge properly. They could not determine over the phone whether it was the battery, the AC adapter or the connector on the motherboard, so they are going to replace everything. Not a good start with this device.

Also, I asked whether this XPS 11 contains a digitizer screen and he said NO it does not.

 

I'm amazed by what some of you are reporting.

On Windows 8.1 homescreen, just start typing "services"

several options will appear. click on the one that simply says "services" and has a blue icon with a picture of a gear

scroll down to "Touch keyboard and handrwriting panel service"

Click on that, and it gives you the option to enable pen and ink functionality

I enabled that as "automatic"


I highly doubt they have begun manufacturing an xps 11 with different specs.

More likely the so-called xps service people don't even understand this machine.


I am drawing in tablet or laptop mode with Dell's active stylus on any number of programs.

 

Mine is set to "automatic"

Using the Dell active stylus works but its horrible. Miss clicks, extra lines being drawn, hovering is horrible etc....

I have calibrated the pen 5 times and still nothing works. Its still crap.

 

Yup I too have done all of that but absolutely no response at all from my model. Pen still works fine with Venue 8 Pro.

 

So you get NO RESPONSE AT ALL?

doesnt even recognize it?

 

Nope none at all which is really strange considering i dont have the issue reported with accuracy on the tablet. Dell also will offer no help with this as their official line now is that the XPS 11 will not support the pen. I think the differences here might come down to manufacturing dates with new models no longer supporting the pen.

 

Thats crazy how it wont even recognize it and its the same computer.

When did you order yours?

I ordered mine from DELL the day it became available.


I wonder if they did put different parts in different computers

 

I still make many mistakes on typing. The issue is not the sensitivity of the keyboard, that's high enough. The issue is that I just miss the keys while typing blind.

The vibration feedback for the Windows logo below the screen seems actually to be generated somewhere below the Enter key. I assume this could be activated with a firmware or driver update, but is likely to eat into battery life (which is my theory why Dell had to take it out).

But I am struggeling with another bug: from time to time the touch layer seems to get just deactivated. When I turn off to sleep and on again, it's back. Anyone else having this issue?

And I am a bit disappointed by Windows 8.1. I have an iPad 3, and there is still lightyears in between in terms of system usability and app support. Also the 200 % scaling is not always working too well, for example Chrome has very fuzzy fonts.

Another question to the group: did your AC adapter come with a second plug without cable (please look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mouhIXLWWd4 at 0:50min). I LOVED it when I saw the video, but then mine did not have it! I need to call Dell about this, but I could find it nowhere else on the web.

Did anyone find a shortcut to quickly toggle between the normal F keys and the Windows keys? I know it can be changed in the Dell settings, but I like to use both from time to time ...

 

In regards to the AC adapter, yes mine came with a second little plug. Really cool since you dont have to use the 3 prong plug.

 

IT AIN'T THE HARDWARE (sorry for the rude caps)--

I just downloaded BlueStacks (free), which allows you in a separate window to open and use Android apps and sync with your google play account (check them out). There are issues with this way of using Android on windows, but they are quickly being ironed out as manufacturers like samsung and asus are creating dual OS machines. Anyway, in apps for android, like sketchbook and Lecture notes and other drawing and writing apps, they perform flawlessly in laptop or tablet mode, digitized active stylus works like a dream, especially noticeably improved ofer performance in windows is pressure sensitivity, which is both very sensitive and smooth.

Yet another wrinkle....

 

I didn't order mine until 11/21 and it didn't ship until 12/12. So I don't think I was part of the initial shipment.

 

Follow up: I just received my replacement and I'm happy to tell you that tablet mode is working great for me now.

I have not tried a pen yet. But the rest of the system is working great.

 

Mine arrived last week though I just opened it up to play with it today. The keyboard is a little irritating needing harder taps than I'd like, but I feel I can get used to it hopefully. It's closer to a software keyboard than a hardware so could do with an autocorrect.

Has anyone else noticed a super-saturated high contrast to the colours? I've adjusted a few of the intel settings in the HD control panel but it's still too garish. Is this something to do with the eecolor feature of the laptops?

The screen stays on in full flip mode, I don't have a pen to verify accuracy, have yet to check the battery capacity.

Edit: the touch screen seems to be cutting out for some reason needing a restart... anyone else seeing this behaviour?

 

That sounds exactly like the behavior I mentioned in my post above. From time to time the touch functionality of the screen is just gone. Dead. Then I turn off to sleep, and on again, and then it's back.

 

So I sat down with the xps 11 and the stylus from my venue 8 pro. I could not get them to work. It won't do anything with the pen,

 

Need some help from fellow XPS 11 owners.

Just collect mine. When I was doing the system set up (keyed my Microsoft account & wifi account, there was no sound when I press any key on the keyboard). Then when the system goes into the desktop mode and when I select any application (like word, IE or notepad). Every time when I hit any key on the keyboard. There is a click sound. This loudness in fact can be control by the speaker control. So if I mute my speaker the sound completely goes off. Called DELL and they went into my system remotely for 2 hours and could not solve the issue.

Is my system behaves normally?

Any owners advise will be much appreciated. Thank you

 

I'm not in front of my XPS 11, press the F7 key (maybe F8) and you can turn off the click sound independent of the system sound.

 

I think it is F10, The key with the keyboard graphic.

 

Hit F10 in Desktop mode for the keyboard settings dialog

 

It sounding more and more that the first batch Dell shipped out they made them with screen being able to use the pen. After that batch they are now making them with the screens where the pen doesnt work.

 

Has anyone been able to fix the screen resolution changing when the computer goes to sleep?

Seems like every time I push the sleep button or if I let it go to sleep, that the screen resolution changes and I have to restart to fix.

 

I had this problem after updating the graphics driver from the dell web page. I had to do a complete restart which resulted in everything working fine.

 

Does really the screen resolution change? In my case it is the magnification that is jumping back and forth between 100 % and the desired 200 %.

 

Yes. You're correct it is the magnification. It is going to "smallest". Whenever the laptop sleeps.

 

Has anybody got NFC to work, in fact can someone tell me where in the XPS 11 it is located.

 

Thanks to all members that reply to my issue. Yes is the F10 key