Dell XPS 13 as a Work Station

Hi,

Currently at home I have an external monitor connected to my old Dell XPS 13 which has a 1366x768 resolution. The external monitor has a resolution of 1680x1050, which I find okay for what I need it for. Basically I use the computer for (1) browsing the internet and (2) remoting into my work machine to work on mostly Excel and Powerpoint documents.

With all the reviews I've read on the new XPS 13, I'm very tempted to get one. I travel quite frequently so the compact size is definitely a huge plus. Also, the touch screen is cool and I think will come in pretty handy.

The question I have is: given the high resolution of 3200x1800 (I'm going for the highest specs model), is it possible for me to completely eliminate the need for an external monitor? Obviously a small screen is less pleasant to look at vs a big one if I need to spend six hours on an Excel spreadsheet or a Powerpoint presentation but I'm keen to hear what people's thoughts are on this. Given the resolution is so high, it's at least theoretically feasible that I could done all my work (say side-by-side PPT and XLS layout) on the laptop itself?

Cheers!

 

Depends on your eyesight, maybe.

Pixel count wise there's enough. If you decide to go this route I suggest using reading glasses (or change glasses if you're nearsighted) and pay attention to your sitting position every now and then. Health is a bigger concern than comfort if you plan to do it 6 hours per day.

It can be done if you give it some time. I can use 15" 4K laptops with 100% scaling just fine after a bit of getting used to.

 

Thanks, good to know that this is at least something possible to get used to! I think this is where the touch screen can be very useful: when something becomes too small, you can pinch in and out to zoom very quickly...

 

Keep the external display. Maybe with young eyes you can work all day on the small screen, but I think in the main one is better off in using a physically larger display when sitting at a desk all day long.

Dell makes a very nice 4k monitor in the 24 inch size. That's what I'm using as my external display, so I get sharp text at my desk and when I'm on the road.

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk

 

Makes sense, thanks! But how comfortable/uncomfortable do you think it is if I were to work on the laptop itself for say a few hours. Is it even a viable solution at all or am I completely crazy?

 

One can probably use anything for a few hours. I used mine last week on a cross-country flight and got some work done.

The small bezel size is wonderful in a plane. It looked like the seat in front of me could recline to its limit without crunching my laptop.

I'm hoping for a 15" incarnation this fall. I like 13" on a plane, but 15" is much better when I am hunkered down in a hotel room.

 

Definitely keep the external display. If 100% scaling on the 13" doesn't work well for you at least you can go back.