Secondary Laptop: New MacBook or Dell XPS 13?

[Gazella]

I have a 15" MacBook Pro Retina and I'm looking into getting a secondary laptop for portability. I am not sure whether to go for the new MacBook when it comes out next month OR the new Dell XPS 13. The XPS 13 seems great and has been getting positive reviews and I like the touchscreen feature. I don't know if I should get a Windows laptop as my secondary machine or if it's a mistake since I currently use all Apple products (iPhone 6, MBPr, iPad Mini Retina). I want something light and portable. Nice display, excellent battery life. So what do you think, new MacBook or XPS 13? Money not an issue.

 

[Marcos Buccella]

XPS 13 hands down. It's a great piece of hardware and I don't think you'll regret using Windows.

 

[Gazella]

XPS 13 hands down. It's a great piece of hardware and I don't think you'll regret using Windows.

For the past two days I've been watching and reading reviews on the XPS 13. I can't get enough of this machine, it is seriously gorgeous and the build quality looks incredible. But it looks like it's a heavy laptop, or is it not?

 

[azcruz]

In your shoes, I'd pick the Dell.
Sent from my Lumia 636

 

[WillysJeepMan]

I have a 15" MacBook Pro Retina and I'm looking into getting a secondary laptop for portability. I am not sure whether to go for the new MacBook when it comes out next month OR the new Dell XPS 13. The XPS 13 seems great and has been getting positive reviews and I like the touchscreen feature. I don't know if I should get a Windows laptop as my secondary machine or if it's a mistake since I currently use all Apple products (iPhone 6, MBPr, iPad Mini Retina). I want something light and portable. Nice display, excellent battery life. So what do you think, new MacBook or XPS 13? Money not an issue.

The Dell XPS 13 is indeed a sweet machine and IMO sets the bar for notebooks (of any persuasion).

But there are far more important things than sexy hardware. If your use cases and workflow are iOS/OSX centric, then adding Windows to the mix adds a level of complication that you might want to reconsider.

I have an iMac at my home office, an 11" MBA that travels to my work office, and an iPad 4 that I use for casual computing. If I was confident and comfortable with the direction that Apple is going in then I would've left it at that. (I also have a stack of Android tablets)

I have since upgraded my iPhone 4 to a Sharp Aquos Crystal (Android) and purchased an Acer Aspire Switch 11 (Windows). Adding Android and Windows into the mix has been a bit of a juggling act and I've been pretty satisfied with the result, but my long range plan is to migrate away from Apple and back to Windows.

The Acer Aspire 11 is essentially a Surface Pro 3 at 1/2 the price. The more I use it, the more I'm convinced that a tablet/notebook hybrid is important for my use cases.

Having said all that, what I'm suggesting is that you examine what you currently do with your devices, what you hope to do with this new device, and how important a particular platform is to you.

 

[several potatos]

The Dell is going to have more compatibility with more peripherals, due to the fact it has ports. If you get that MacBook and then need a disc drive, you'll be hating yourself.
I've held the Dell at my local MS store and it's such a good package. The lack of a bezle really shrinks the device size without shrinking power or screen space.

General thoughts: Touch screen is becoming standard. Don't get a device that costs over a grand and will lack a feature that important to future software. You may scoff, but imagine not having a feature of software you want because your $1300 mac was not enough hardware.

 

[Gazella]

Having said all that, what I'm suggesting is that you examine what you currently do with your devices, what you hope to do with this new device, and how important a particular platform is to you.

I'm not really integrated in the Apple ecosystem. Yes I have an iPhone 6, iPad Mini Retina, and a MacBook Pro Retina however I don't really use Apple services or softwares like iPhoto, iCloud, iMovie, App Store (I use it on iPhone and iPad only), etc. I also don't use iWork, I prefer and use Office. I use iTunes though but that wouldn't be a problem at all.

The 15" MacBook Pro Retina will be my primary laptop and it will stay at home because it's heavy and big. The secondary laptop, when I get one, I will take with me and I'll be using it for web browsing, word processing, watching videos, etc.

 

[several potatos]

That's all the secondary needs to do? You're looking way higher than you need to. I'll link some more suitable models

 

[Gazella]

The Dell is going to have more compatibility with more peripherals, due to the fact it has ports. If you get that MacBook and then need a disc drive, you'll be hating yourself.
I've held the Dell at my local MS store and it's such a good package. The lack of a bezle really shrinks the device size without shrinking power or screen space.

Yes I agree. I'm starting to think about that. One port is too restricting. Imagine having to charge the laptop and needing to plug in a flash drive. What would I do then? It's going to suck. And I'm not sure I want to buy that $80 dongle and another $80 for HDMI or VGA. I think Apple should've at least added a free dongle with the new MacBook.

 

[several potatos]

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...n-Laptop%2FproductID.309174500&token=XMtJDeTu
$230 with a year of office. Light, simple, sleek

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...-in-1-PC%2FproductID.314145300&token=rWA1iTec
$700 for a mid end tablet laptop hybrid

Check out the Microsoft store website for some good options. You don't need to spend a grand for the use you just described

 

[Gazella]

Check out the Microsoft store website for some good options. You don't need to spend a grand for the use you just described

Thank you. Yes the work I do isn't intensive, I won't use it for instance for graphic intensive softwares and such. But even so, I really want a laptop with a beautiful display, touchscreen feature, minimal bezels, and excellent build quality. I don't want something that looks cheap, the HP one does for example, it looks like a plastic toy

 

[azcruz]

I'm not really integrated in the Apple ecosystem. Yes I have an iPhone 6, iPad Mini Retina, and a MacBook Pro Retina however I don't really use Apple services or softwares like iPhoto, iCloud, iMovie, App Store (I use it on iPhone and iPad only), etc. I also don't use iWork, I prefer and use Office. I use iTunes though but that wouldn't be a problem at all.

The 15" MacBook Pro Retina will be my primary laptop and it will stay at home because it's heavy and big. The secondary laptop, when I get one, I will take with me and I'll be using it for web browsing, word processing, watching videos, etc.

Surface Pro 3 256GB, perhaps? Thinner than the Mac Book, has ports, much better processor.

 

[Stefan Holder]

Either one is a great buy.
Dancing on the rings of Saturn. L1320