XPS 12 Owners Lounge

My wifi works well too, I've had issues in the past with my router and had to set it to a more compatible mode to make it work reliably with all my gadgets, I have a Virgin Media SuperHub (UK). Have a play with the router setting especially the wireless 'N' related stuff...

 

My xps 12 wifi outperforms my cheap dongle wifi by 30:1 in a room 1 door/2 walls away from the router. Also, would it be possible to split the delivery dates posts into a different thread? Kinda spams down the OWNER'S thread

 

Agree with this.

By the way, for those wondering about styli, got the Jot Flip, which works very nicely with my XPS12.

 

I was thinking.

If you wear a glove and use a stylus won't that essentially act like palm rejection (aka digitizer)

 

I picked up a boxwave stylus on amazon. I really wanted to fabric style tip. Works awesome on my galaxy s3. Can't wait to try it on my xps when it comes!

 

Just got my La Robe sleeve in pumpkin, £10 off the eBay, brand new

 

Good fit aren't they? That's a good price too! I paid £18 from Amazon

So the long delay in receiving my XPS12 has another negative effect, as of 30th January Google have disabled the active sync interface to their free accounts, the effect this has is that Windows 8 Calendar, People & Email tile apps can no longer sync to Google accounts (Connection Error when trying to register new device). You can get the email app to work via IMAP but no push support. This is a real pain and there doesn't seem to be any free solutions. I linked another Windows 8 PC before the 30th Jan & that is still working fine so its definitely only tied to new devices trying to register onto Google accounts ...Anyone know any fixes that allow automatic updating of the Calendar app?

 

Haven't got my XPS 12 yet
Probably be a month yet!

 

You are correct, disabling palm rejection solves all of my touchpad issues as well. However, the problem for me is that the computer doesn't retain this setting after I reboot even though in the touchpad properties Palm Rejection will be unchecked. I have to enable then disable Palm Rejection to actually turn it off. This is annoying, as I have to do it ever time I cold boot the computer.

Anyway to write a quick script that can be executed at startup that changes the registry values directly?

 

Not sure what to say really. I am sure you can make a script I just am not educated on doing that but a free program should do it as I have seen them. Oddly, mine seems to retain the setting just fine. It shows disabled after each reboot and the trackpad functions normally. At least on my last xps 12. I am still waiting on my new one because I moved up from a base model to an i7.

Also, for people looking to upgrade the SSD, Newegg has the newest just released Plextor m5m 256 SSDs for a good deal. I bought one but am waiting on my computer to ship still. It has built in firmware 256bit AES encryption and has a server grade Marvell controller and is faster than the more common Crucial m4. The write speed is much faster than even the Samsung SSD that comes in the system. I will be installing it in place of my factory 128gb drive once it arrives

 

Greetings all,

Has anyone found a way to make a Windows 7 VM using Hyper-V? This macine has Vista writtenall over it. There are no drivers for anything less than Windows 8 and I have a couple of applications that need to run in VM's. W8 is too heavy for this.

Cheers

 

You can still sync all but the calendar. Go to your on-line setting/permission/add account (win 8).

 

Well Dell chat said the other day my system was built and would ship in 24-48 hours. 3 days later and website still shows in production. EDD is still 5 march and I ordered a i7/8gb/128 on 19th of Feb. Ugh.

UPDATE: Just received a phone call from Dell. Missed the call so they left a message. Said laptop is in final stage of production and should be delivered by 5 March.

 

FOR THOSE WHOSE TOUCHSCREEN INTERMITTENTLY STOPS RESPONDING:

Device Manager --> Human Interface Devices --> USB Input Device (FIRST one; ignore the two after it) --> Power Management tab -->

- uncheck the box "allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"

My touchscreen probably stopped working 5-6 times before doing this; it's worked flawlessly now for 4 or so weeks, and touchscreen is my primary way of interacting with my XPS 12.



FOR THOSE WHOSE WIRELESS CARD HAS TROUBLE CONNECTING AFTER RETURNING FROM SLEEP STATE:

Device Manager --> Network adapters --> Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6235 --> Power Management tab -->

- uncheck the box "allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"


In power settings (battery on taskbar --> More power options --> Change plan settings) --> Advanced power settings --> Wireless adapter settings --> Power saving mode -->

- set plugged in and battery both to "Maximum performance"



FOR THOSE WHOSE TRACKPAD INTERMITTENTLY STOPS RESPONDING:

Cypress Trackpad icon in taskbar --> Palm Rejection -->

- turn it OFF to eliminate problem; reduce sensitivity to decrease frequency of problem, but it WILL still occur

I also turned off gestures as well, since I find the touchscreen easier to use for them



All of this information is buried in this thread, but it's a big thread and people are missing some of it.

 

icedawg: thanks so much for that. I have posted all the previously but I am so glad to see you took the time to make the directions more clear. I don't have my base model xps to look at to do it any more. I hope everyone listens to those suggestions because they make the experience WAY more enjoyable!

Also, Does anyone know how to set the screen rotation lock to save the setting after a reboot? Sometimes I had a very hard time trying to get back into landscape mode when I forgot to lock the rotation.

 

Yes unfortunately the calendar is the one I want to work the most!

 

Great tips! Is there a way to make the keyboard popup when selecting text fields?

 

Very good question. You would think Microsoft would have made this the default setting lol.

 

Good thinking! I've just been trying this out now and works well. Wouldn't want to do this in summer though.

 

hello everyone, quick question (likely to have been asked before but this thread needs hours to read through):
i am buying the xps 12 but i am in the dilemma to go with the i7 or the i5. The rest will be the same (256ssd and 8ram). If i am not mistaken the i7 would be the 3667 which is last year's model but the i5 would be the 3337 which is Q1 '13. These are the cpus available in stock.

Now the critical info: my use is regular office use with some occasional heavy ppts and long xlsx, no gaming or video editing at all.

I always like to have something faster because windows machines drop in performance after time. In this this case however, i am thinking that the i7 would run hotter and/or eat more battery so i was leaning toward the i5. What would you recommend?

 

one_two I'd go with the i7.

I've got the 3517 and CPU usually runs around 50-60C according to RealTemp and I can get ~5 hours comfortably with similar usage to what you've described.

 

I had the same dilemma but eventually went for the i5 8GB 256GB as I wanted the longer battery life and quieter system. I've had it about 10 days now and its lightning fast and reading on here about fan noise on the i7 I would say I made the right choice as mine runs quiet most of the time. Mine was upgraded to the newer 1.8GHz 3337U CPU

 

Well from what I can see, its the other way round.
Looking at the UK Dell site:
The i5 is the 3317U which is a Q2 2012 model:
ARK | Intel® Core
The i7 is the 3537U which is a Q1 2013 model:
ARK | Intel® Core

 

thanks everyone for their feedback. I am in Greece and the i7 3667 model is in stock. This is no surprise as it is a Q2-2012 model. The i5-3337 which I am also interested is not in stock as it is a Q1-2013 model. I am leaning towards the i5 to be frank

 

Well my laptop just came! I was never notified it shipped by phone or email. Even the website showed it was still in production. Just glad its here! Its an i7 8 GB 128ssd ordered February 19 with edd of 5 March

 

Does anyone know how to default the keyboard backlight to OFF, I know you can turn it off with Fn+F6 but it comes back on after reset/restart/coming out of sleep. I find the backlight leaking out of the side of the keys really distracting when adopting the "super slouch" position on the sofa

 

I have the i7, although the packing slip states the older CPU it actually came with the new 2013 one. I easily get 5 hours + battery life and it is so quiet to the point that I began to think the fan wasn't working, (it is working - I can hear it when I press my ear to the bottom of the laptop, its just very very quiet)

 

Yay! I was kind of following your experience since I think you're in the US. I just joined this forum (Hi ); I bought mine on February 27 with an EDD of March 12. I hope mine comes soon. I'm in Hawaii.

 

Welcome! I am new here too and this is the only really active place to discuss our XPS! Yup I am in the US but on the main land lol. Good luck and I hope you get it soon!!!!!!!

 

Hello everyone,
I took my new XPS 12 out of the box 2 days ago and everything went well in the beginning
But after around 5 hours of use, every wifi that I would connect to is stated as Limited connection
Now I read online that the wifi adapter from intel is really buggy
Did anyone else experience this? My XPS12 can't go on the Internet so I can't download drivers to fix it either

 

I ordered my XPS 12 yesterday. On Dell's website, it said the estimated ship date is March 6. But after ordering, on the order confirmation, it says the expected delivery date is April 12. Whaaaa?

Does Dell really need a month for delivery?

 

And the rest!!! 2 months sometimes. Even longer if you have to send it bac for whatever reason

 

Same issues here.. wifi is very buggy on this machine.. I actually just picked up a SIIG USB to Ethernet adapter for now

 

bueller bueller?

 

Bye Bye,

Sending mine back to Dell and getting a Surface Pro.

Too noisy, too heavy and the WiFi is poor.

 

Had my XPS 12 for a couple weeks now. I have the i7/258GB/8GB model. Very happy with it overall. First thing I did was disable the auto-brightness in order to get a brighter screen. The "tent" mode is great for watching movies etc. I haven't really noticed any particular problems with it overall. Yes it is heavier than most tablets but it's quite useable for its intended purpose.

My main query just now is regarding the fan noise. Generally it is not a problem. With light use (e.g. browsing the internet, checking emails) the average temperature tends to fluctuate between around 50 to 60 degrees centigrade. It seems that the fan kicks in when temperatures linger in the high 50s or into the 60s. For a while the fan was coming on every minute or so and lasting for 10-20 seconds before turning off. When it comes on it is audible. I have the laptop plugged into a 24" monitor via displayport so I don't know if this is placing more strain on the CPU. I have also noticed that if I place the laptop upside-down (with the monitor closed over) then the temperature seems to be lower (with heat presumably escaping easier through the vents).

My main question is - how do I enter the BIOS on this thing!!?

 

I think you hold down F2 key as soon as you power up (not from standby - you must shut it down fully first)...

 

No way! after such a long wait!!!! Generally I'm happy with mine and everyone I've shown it to love it...Surface pro is good if you using as tablet only or sitting at a desk with the keyboard attached ...not so good as a laptop i.e. on your lap!

 

I was originally going for the Surface Pro, is a great looking machine. It just wasn't powerful enough for my needs tho, as this device is replacing my main computer which is i7 2600k, 8gb, 1gb 560ti.
I still might get an RT mind, for browsing and what not. When they come down to £200 mind

 

That's such a shame after the long wait! I must say I'm having a completely different experience with mine, I wonder how 2 systems of the same spec can be so different? I guess weight is a matter of opinion, to me it's an extremely light laptop but then I've probably used it in tablet mode once - I bought it mainly as a laptop. Mine is super quiet to the point that I constantly worry the fans not working and my Internet connection has never dropped once.

I guess the wifi drivers may be buggy with certain routers/set-ups and I've been lucky enough to have a set up it likes. The fan must be to do with settings and mine is set to not constantly power on whenever I do anything or you just do much more CPU intensive things on the laptop than I do.

Let us know how the surface pro works out for you - it will be interesting to get a comparison.

 

Now this looks super cool especially as I sold my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 after I bought my XPS12..

Android apps running on the XPS12!!!!

I'm going to try it later when I get home as I do miss quite a few Android apps, Has anyone tried it on their XPS12?

Running Android Apps On The Surface Pro (Video) | Pocketnow

 

Yes I have used bluestacks for a while on my Alienware, and I recently purchased an XPS12 for my wife, (she loves it BTW) and last night downloaded the new bluestacks "optomized" for windows 8 and to be honest, it is just as slow as the bluestacks I use for windows 7 (which is significantly slower than your phone)

But, it is a cool thing to be able to use since we have a game we both enjoy playing on our phones and can play on our computers now too

 

OK, so I shut down, restarted, and pressed F2 but still no bios!

 

Will do, I have someone going to the USA for me this week

I think my problem is I have been spoiled by Surface RT, which got stolen with my Macbook Air. I only ordered the Dell as I could not get a Surface Pro at the time.

 

I dont know if you guys have heard of Chippy; if you did any research into Ultrabooks then you shouldve seen something hes done written!
Anyway, here he is at CeBit with the Intel Haswell reference model:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8socwWkBZEI

 

I just retried this and it definitely works on my XPS12...

 

Lenovo Helix?

 

You have to be quick and push it before the Dell logo appears. once you see the Dell logo BIOS is done and it's booting windows. If you hit F2 before the Dell logo, you should see the familiar Dell BIOS screen with a progress bar for a brief second and then settings will open up.

 

I just got mine today. It was quite quick in shipping I'd say. Put my order on 14th and got it today. Had a $100 off + 2% cashback + 1-day free shipping from a fatwallet deal. It was nice, right? Well the nicer part is that when I called Dell trying to cancel the order (so I could get a good deal on a refurb from Ebay), they offered me $145 more discount just to get me keep my order. So I of course said YES (and pretend like I had to, so i was not looking too shabby!) Considering these nice factors, I'd say a little over two weeks isn't that bad!

My GF has just got a surface pro couple days ago and returned it (her personal preference issue). I liked it, but it was too small for me to do some schoolwork like excel on it. The best thing about it was its pressure touch screen. No kidding, writing on Surface pro was much better than I can imagine on an iPad, or XPS12. But I gave that up for a more traditional ultrabook, i.e. XPS 12 because I do need to use it on my lap quite abit (instead of putting a cardboard underneath the surface pro when i'm on couch haha). Other things that's nicer on the XPS12's side is its smaller charger, which I can carry like a bigger phone (Note 2 much?). It's much thinner than Surface Pro's charger, and XPS 12 even has longer batt life than SPro. So I should have no issue with battery, at least when I'm around school and in-town.

Haven't got much to do with it as I just unpacked it 30min ago. Hopefully I'm not finding more flaws in the machine like some people did. I'd rather keep it for quite a bit until i saw some thing as attractive as that Chippy mentioned above.


Hope you enjoy your first sight on this little machine just like I did, and gnight!

 

Has anyone else had issues with the fan being on when charging. I noticed it yesterday that when I was charging it and the computer was off the fans would spin for some reason and returning this morning I noticed that the fans were on, probably the whole night. Can this be turned off or do I have to retain from charging it when its off?