XPS 15 (L521X) Owner's Lounge

@BillatDell
I work for Dell Product Group Marketing. Father of 2, DFW sports fan, diehard Longhorn.
Round Rock, TX

@BillNOTatDell
Tech enthusiast. Product marketer. Father of 2, DFW sports fan, diehard Longhorn. Tweets are my own and not my employer's.
Hutto, TX

The page "twitter.com/BillatDell" says "Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!" The page "twitter.com/BillNOTatDell" does not mention that Dell is the employer.

Some change might have occured quite recently.

 

This is the reason I returned it because of no assistance. Dell has a history of screwing customers and not fixing problems. So you guys really think they are going to resolve this issue? Seriously, not going to happen.

 

Sure seems like he left... or at least his responsibilities no longer include web customer service.

 

Hmmm, the plot thickens. I wonder if they let him go because he publicly admitted that there is a problem with the wireless on the l521x, which may obligate them to actually do something about it. I guess if we don't get a satisfactory answer soon I'll be processing my return before my 30 day Amazon return window expires. Too bad though, I love the machine except for the wireless issue.

 

if he has resigned i can almost 100% guarantee that dell won't fix this wifi issue and will just deny deny deny. He was the only reason I have stuck with this laptop as I knew he would follow it up and promised a fix for everyone on this forum. Guess we will wait and see :S

 

If anyone else from Dell is watching, I suggest that unless we get an official statement admitting the wireless defect and guaranteeing a fix or product replacement that all current machines be returned. Personally I'll give them until next week to make a statement, otherwise mine is going back. I know there are other Dell employees on here that can pass this on to the appropriate parties.

 

Anyone on here think its a good idea to find all Bill's posts and save screen shots of them? As I stated before I kept this laptop because of Bill and his word saying it would be fixed and they are working on it. Now he may no longer be an employee of Dell and we might be out in the cold? I wouldn't want all of his posts to just disappear some how... it does happen! And that's the only proof we have that dell is aware of the issue

 

what if Dell just made him get a NEW twitter so he can have his separate account and a new Dell account? Wishful thinking but I am not into conspiracies

 

i just tweeted @dellcares about the wifi and they responded straight away so at least they are on to it. This thing will Bill is very weird though. Just want the wifi to work on this laptop otherwise it is perfect

 

Dell would have a hard time denying this type of issue. Especially considering that some of us have received USB WIFI adapters due to the issue. Lets just stay optimistic and see what Bills next post says. I imagine even if he is no longer helping that he will post on here one last time telling us.

 

Unless Dell's lawyers gave him a gag order...

 

In all seriousness, if Dell did something with Bill, the odds of me buying this laptop dropped to near zero. He was pretty much the ONLY source of information for updates.

Edit: Let me be clear, in case any other Dell reps are reading this: Bill was (and hopefully still is) the only reason I was still considering this laptop.

 

@MarkPozzi Sadly it is time to move on. I will be around to transition my duties & will post about it on NBR tomorrow. I'll still hang @ NBR

Just received the above from Bill. I will wait for his post tomorrow. Sad to lose him that is for sure. Having said that @dellcares has acknowledged the problem in a tweet to me and said they are working on a fix

 

BillatDell and BillNOTatDell both return a page not found on Twitter now. Looks like something bad may have happened after all.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

This is correct! just received the same tweet. Really wish I had followed through with my return and I hope nothing that was said or done to/for us here at NBR was the cause of this.

 

He's now just BillBivin

 

Whoops, I got it wrong.

 

From reading his last batch of tweets it sounds to me like this may not have been his choice, but that could just be my paranoid self reading too much into it. I'm interested to see what he posts here tomorrow and whether anyone else at Dell is going to stand up and acknowledge the issue and continue to work with us towards a resolution. I guess I will decide after his post tomorrow whether my laptop is going back now or if I will give them another couple of weeks to figure something out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Hi, all. It's true Dell and I are parting ways. I will leave a more formal announcement tomorrow. As of earlier this afternoon, I cannot speak on behalf of Dell. I just want to be up front about that and let you know that, as far as I am told, all of what I have said about returns, USB adapters and ultimate permanent solution are still true. I don't know if anything will change, but inasmuch as I can state at this point, everything so far remains status quo with regard to the WiFi issue.

 

Bill I am sorry to hear this. It was a joy having your assistance, I hope Dell realizes that this form of communication is invaluable.

 

Well..if they don't fix it within the two weeks I'm returning the computer.
Lucky for me I bought it through Best Buy....so they have 30 days to keep me as a loyal Dell Fan. >.>

 

I agree with you there. I pretty much refreshed the postings every day just to see if there was any update from Bill, or Dell.

I really hope it wasn't us either - from the throttling, to wifi, and now a display issue. Nothing is perfect, I just hope we didn't push things a bit too far.

I agree with this 100%. I couldn't have said it any better...

 

"transition my duties" I guess this implies there will be a replacement for Bill... I doubt we will have someone as real and as forward as Bill...just when you thought Dell was doing something right "sigh"... He was the first real and honest rep I talked to at least we got the facts now we are just going to get scripted answers from phone techs who just tell you a different story each time you talk to them...Companies should move in the direction of what Bill did for us not away...In the world of giant faceless corporate companies it is the people like Bill which make us realize they are comprised of humans and they do care and that is what builds brand loyalty and without them we are merely looking for the best deal not the best company...today Dell lost one of its best...

 

No it doesn't. 540M and 640M have NOTHING to do with each other, except for naming convention (540M was mid range card of 5xx series, 640M is mid range card of 6xx series. As I said, 640M is produced in the same 28nm process SOME 630Ms are produced in and will thereby not consume much more power than 28nm 630Ms and will consume much LESS power than 40nm 630Ms.

When reducing the process you will not make "the gt 630m out of the gt 540m". No, they made a 630M out of the 540M which is ALSO 40nm and they made a new 630M from SCRATCH in 28nm. There are 2 different 630Ms! There are different 640Ms too, but all of them are 28nm.

Please read into such topics before making up assumptions on your own and stating them as the truth to people who ask questions.

 

Just got the laptop the other day. So far I am really liking it. Still working on the wifi thing, but have hit another annoying snag. I was using headphones the other night, and it the machine now believes that I have headphones plugged in, even when I do not. I assume this is a failed sensing switch in the jack (a little annoying since the laptop is just a day old). I was wondering if anyone knows a way of simply disabling the jack all together? Driving me up the wall...

 

Glad that I returned mine. Now without Bill even more...
Just hope I don't have to hassle for a full refund.

 

Can u now tell us the root of the issue? Is it the screen body limiting the signal or something else?

This is bad news for many people here but anyway good luck in your new job!

Ps. I guess we will never hear anything about screen issue you reported to dell back few days ago?

 

Looking at his posts on the XPS 13 forum. It seems he didn't leave on his own. He kept talking about being excited about the refresh of the XPS 13 later this year and how excited we will be...No one who wants to leave talks about the future like that...This was only a few days ago btw

 

Well for all us UK owners just spoke to Dell XPS tech support in the UK and they are aware of the issue and have no problems in sending you out a WiFi dongle if you give them a bell. Just had mine sent out today hassle free. Was told also when the problem is found we will be emailed. Also no restocking fee if you decide to return the laptop. Make sure though you ring XPS tech support and not the normal support as you will get nowhere.

 

Did you guys get Bill fired over these crappy overpriced dells. I gave up on Dell once this xps 15 came out. Dell no longer makes computers that make sense to me. I really don't get what this computer has that you want. All I see is a bunch of problems and its overpriced.

Pure ICS only

 

Bill - I am sorry to hear this as your upfront and honest approach have been key to my sticking with this laptop on this WiFi issue. I certainly hope that this isn't the reason why!

 

I want build quality and "appearance" (I like "sandwich" look not clam, such as Asus Zenbooks). About everything else you are right, unfortunately...
But about wifi - anybody there have WWAN model? Because of different lid!
"Premium full-grain leather: Enjoy the long-lasting strength and beauty of a full-grain, black leather display-back, purposefully used to reduce interference with XPS 14’s mobile broadband antennas."
New! XPS 14 Laptop with Integrated Mobile Broadband | Dell UK

Maybe its solution...?

 

wow that is very interesting....best part is that it is FULL GRAIN leather and not the cheap Genuine leather....the plot thickens!

 

Hi there,
The Bill's departure from Dell is a f... bad news. I just hope this wifi story is not the root cause of his move.

I've just talk to the Dell customer service in France. His answer was:
- We (in France) received a mail from Dell HQ
- Yes, the new Lx21x series has a wifi problem (both 4 & 5)
- No, there is no software fix
- Yes, Dell is working on a fix
- Yes, we can offer you a wifi dongle the time for the fix to be available
- No, there is no release date for the fix

Then I asked: "and when the fix will be released, will you contact each customers?"

Answer: "No, just call back us from time to time, I'm going to record all this information into your file".

All I have to say is this guy has been pretty honest, no bull, I appreciate that.

 

I know y'all are interest in what happened to Bill, so here is an article that might explain a little.


Business, Personal Finance, Technology, Employment news for Austin and Central Texas | Statesman.com

 

For starter i was talking about the gt 630m that is on the xps 15 that is the 28nm version, i thought i made that clear.
Here is the gpu-z made by downlinx
techPowerUp GPU-Z Validation 642re

THIS version is literally a gt 620m with the sole difference that it has ddr5.

The core is based on gf 108 Fermi core reducing the bandwidth to 64-bit and the manufacturing process to 28nm. that is what i meant when i said it is made out of the gt 540m. maybe i should have been more explicit there.

As for power consumption here are two reviews, on of the xps 14 and other of the acer timeline ultra m5 14 inch.
Review Dell XPS 14 Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
Review Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5-481TG Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Both have ulv processor, and both to throttle under stress test, the difference is the graphic card. the xps 14 has a gt 630m and the acer has a gt 640m LE.
the power consumption under load for 3dmark06/prime95+furmark is
34.7/46.9 Watts for the xps 14
52.1/60.6 watts for the acer

No doubt the gt 640m ddr5 will consume more.
And not all gt 640m are on 28nm, there is a version of the gt 640m LE present on lenovo that is made on 40nm with gf108 core clocked 762MHz and ddr5.

Now how about you do some research before insulting people.

 

Ahh interesting, sad, and hardly surprising.

Funnily enough they could have saved a hell of a lot more money by just testing this laptop a bit more before release. Think of how much all of those returns and lost sales would add up to.

 

Man, I wish there was something we could do it's a shame to lose Bill for us and Dell. He was easily one the best employees they had and was probably a main reason they sold as many XPS's (I'm assuming it was low to begin with because of that article).

So sorry Bill it was a pleasure working with you, I will be keeping the laptop mainly because the WiFi issue doesn't bother me as I'm stuck in a dorm room most of the day.

 

Yep that is the solution we are going to get too...doesn't look as good as the pure aluminum ...Leather looks nasty LOL (it would look better if the whole back was leather/black at least it doesn't look like a sticker or an afterthought)...Also the 15z LCD covers where very thin and flimsy for a reason...So I guess if they cant find another way to fix the wifi this will be our solution...maybe they can use CARBON FIBER and Paint it silver might work to keep the same look ...

 

so sorry to hear about bill smh.... im reconsidering getting that l502x now .... since the l521x is out of the question for me now

i agree if dell had tested this system before releasing it .... they would have had my money .... after reading that article i would like to see where all of dell's systems go from here in both design and internal specs ....

 

Just had an idea
How about buying two small antennas and place them on the silicon base just under the battery on the front vents with two side tape, it would be quite cheap and easy.
something like this
5X Internal Antenna for Wireless Mini PCI PCI-E WIFI Card | eBay

It should get a good signal there with the vents and silicon cover.

 

Just what I am going to do. I have already ordered a few antennas on eBay; I am waiting for them to arrive.
I will give a try to see if will be any better. I will use heat resistant tape to fit them, just in case....

 

Is Lorna still working? Can we still ask her for a usb dongle if we buy the laptop and it has wifi problems? I just placed my order yesterday

 

Nice, keep us updated!

 

Indeed it is sad if Bill is no longer with the company. Even with all of my negative naysaying, I still respected and admired the man's devotion to a company that clearly only ever had its own best interests in mind. It's a shame when an employee cares more about their company than the company does. When a company fails to live up to market expectations, the wants of its consumers, and then drops the ball with regards to quality control, the first ones to lose their employment always seem to be the very ones who deserve to keep it. Whatever the true story is or whatever the future holds... Bill, on behalf of all us, you have approximately 1,000+ references on these boards to help you find a new home. Good luck.

In the meantime, I have returned my L521x citing wifi, display and throttling issues. If Dell gets its act together, I may return to said device. But by then, I may have already moved on. We'll see.

 

You're lucky...I had the exact same answers from Latinamerica except for a NO in the penultimate answer, which was the only reason I called...way to go! Never buying Dell again even if they fix this. 6 months of issues since L502x. Too bad. Probably going to sucumb to Apple for my next purchase, after all it's almost the same design with a way better OS and working WiFi.

More than nasty if you ask me...and I do think it looks like a sticker. The entire lid should be made of leather, not 7/8 of it.

 

can you show us a diagram or photo of the area you plan to put these antennas? They are 36 inches long

 

The idea would be something like this

I guess it wouldn't be a problem to stick them to the battery instead of the base, it would be more neat and easy too
as for the cable being to long, i could always buy a shorter one or just stick the rest in there with a piece of tape.

 

I think maybe Dell should do with WiFi is similar to what Apple have done and mount the antenna where the optical drive opening is.

Apple's new MacBook Pro has antenna mounted to optical drive frame

 

"Pretty clever!" Indeed.

For the XPS 15, adopting such an approach is not simply a "fix": it's a design change that affects many other things. I don't think the whole cycle, from prototyping to modification to implementation to procurement to integration to testing to retooling to manufacturing, can be rebooted, just like that.

With software, like Windows 7, you can post "SP" fixes. For a faulty component, you can send out replacement parts. Not with this.

Next iteration, L522X, maybe.