XPS 15 or Vostro 3550?

Hi there,

Looking at purchasing a new laptop that would last me 2-3 years and am torn between the new Dell XPS 15 i5 processor and the new Dell Vostro 3550 i5 processor.

Anybody have the new Vosto yet? - Opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

You may want to check out the Latitude E5520 and E6520 since the latitudes are quite a bit better than the Vostro series.
Dell Latitude E5520 Details | Dell
Dell Latitude E6520 Details | Dell

Be sure to get at least 4GB RAM (unless you're buying and installing it later which I actually recommend if you're willing to because it's cheaper), and the 1600x900 or the 1920x1080 display (not the base 1366x768; also the E5520 only goes up to 1600x900 but the E6520 has a 1920x1080 option)
There's also the 14" E5420 and E6420 if you'd like a smaller form factor:
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/latitude-e5420/fs
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/latitude-e6420/pd
(get 4GB RAM, 1600x900 HD+, i5)

Regarding the XPS 15, the only upgrade I'd say is really necessary would be the B+RGLED 1920x1080 display, because it's just so good and it's the main selling point of the laptop (though you probably already know this )

 

The screen isnt that important unless you intend to use the laptop for heavy video editing, specific design/ark work on a regular basis. Besides, a 1080p on a 15 inch screen is over the top. A 900p is much more adequate and would be more easy on the eye. There are numerous comments on the 1080 display on the XPS that the screen is too bright (even at the lowest setting) and tends give eye strains and migraines when looking at it for a prolong period of time. Not to mention the adjusting the DPI setting as texts will appear too small.

although there are pros to it there are cons aswell.

also the xps also has heat/fan issues that quite alot of users are experiencing.

it really depends what you'll be using the laptop for? XPS is more of a entertainment system while the new vostro will be for business and work purposes. Plus if you care about the design, Vostro wins hands down.

 

Not really. It makes things a bit smaller than some people like, but 1920x1200 in 15" which they don't even make anymore makes stuff even smaller.
It's better to be over the top than "way under the bottom" with 1366x768.

I would agree that 900p is a better balance for a lot of people, but given the choice between 720/768 and 1080, you should go for 1080.
Video editing far from all you use high resolution for. The reason I say it's the most important upgrade is because it benefits almost everything you do, way more than an upgraded processor or a few extra gigs of RAM could. It benefits web browsing so you don't have to scroll as much, it benefits working with spreadsheets because you can see more cells, it benefits multitasking because you can put two windows side-by-side, you name it.

And I've never heard a complaint about brightness.

 

like i said before, there are pros and cons of a 1080 display. Also the upgrade fee does not justify it especially for a small screen.

 

hmm. I stand corrected.

well if one finds it too bright, it is possible to calibrate the panel to a lower brightness, all you have to do is drag the red, green, and blue sliders down by an equal amount in the Windows calibration utility.

 

Besides the screen resolution. What other considerable diferences are between these models? (battery life, durability, performance, etc...)
Thanks

 

the 3550 is a steal right now

$779.00


Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2410M processor 2.30 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.90 GHz
Microsoft® Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service
4GB DDR3 at 1333MHZ, 1 DIMM
320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
AMD Radeon™ HD 6630M (128-bit) 1GB Graphic
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services, 15-months - A $39 Value!
Aberdeen Silver
6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Service
My Services & Warranties
No Onsite System Setup
Also Included
Vostro 3550 Laptop
15.6 inch High Definition LED Display (1366 x 768) with anti-glare
Intel WiFi 1030 802.11 b/g/n/BT3.0 Combo
Aberdeen Silver WIFI
8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability
Fingerprint Reader with DigitalPersona software
Backlit Keyboard with Gesture Touchpad
Integrated 2.0 MP FHD Webcam and Digital Array Mic with Dell? Webcam Central
No Mobile Broadband
Bottom Base DVD
Energy Star 5.0 Enabled
90 Watt AC Adapter with cord wrapping
Purchase is Not Intended for Resale

 

Vostro is lighter and more portable than XPS 15, despite the same screen size. XPS just feels bulkier. Personally, I like the looks of Vostro better, but its the least important aspect I'd pay attention at. However, XPS has a 2.1 sound system and superior speakers. It will be able to serve you as a home stereo (Vostro is absolutely crappy for music listening through its speakers as there is no bass output whatsoever).

 

Maybe so...but such a low resolution (calling it "high definition" is highly misleading) screen on a 15" laptop is just a travesty. Maybe 1080p/WUXGA is overkill....but 1366x768 is terribly low...

 

As a new XPS L502 owner w/ the 1080 display, I'll chime in;

- On a 1080 display, you have the option of turning down the display resolution to 1600x900. You can't do that on a 1366x768 display, obviously.
- In regards to the brightness of the screen: it's fairly bright, but not overly so.
- The color saturation, however, is a bit ridiculous. Out-of-the box, the primary colors are bright and sharp - and saturated to the point of the colors are neon-like. Unless the display color is calibrated a bit (which I need to do on mine) I can see how general-users think "dang this display is bright". I've messed around with graphic design and 3d modeling, so it's perfect for me and I love it.
- The speakers are awesome on this thing. My wife - by no means a tech-nerd(yet) - even noticed the quality of the sound passing by.

 

You have XPS L502 or XPS L502X? You did not encounter screen problem such as bad viewing angle, poor brightness etc.?

Are Vostro's speakers equally terrible as Lenovo G560 speakers?

 

I own both the 3350 and the L502x. The speakers on the Vostro are useless for music and are generally not great.I understand the 3750 has 2.1 sound and is a lot better though I've not heard one myself.
XPS 15 speakers are the best laptop speakers I've heard - loud and clear with reasonable bass.Really transforms games,Youtube,DVD etc.You can get rid of external speakers cluttering your desk.
3350 screen resolution is OK for me mostly but with some web sites there's a lot of scrolling required to see stuff.I think the Vostro looks better and the XPS has an odd design, but the XPS seeems a bit sturdier made and has a keyboard with less flex.The XPS reflective screen is annoying sometimes, but in dimmer environments it is a joy to use.The brightness is easily turned down to comfortable levels and the high brightness capability is very handy for outdoor use.

 

I cant comment on the vostro but i have a xps and can only say good things about them, with xps not many laptops can come close to the sound quality from the JBL speakers. But depends what you will use it for i suppose.