Ivy Bridge Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook for $595 + FREE SHIP @ Dell Outlet (REFURB) - 2/12 BACK IN STOCK

Quote from GuySakar : What on earth are you regularly downloading on the go, so large that you would need to carry around an external? I have this exact model (and FYI you only have I think 90 G free) and I download stuff all the time and as long as I delete movies and such after I watch them, I have yet to fill it up in 6 months. Time for a reformat anyways, so I doubt I will ever fill it. I purchased a tiny, near flush 32G zip drive thinking I would use it for extra storage and have yet to need it. But yeah, not coming with a freaking SD card slot is terrible. But what's worse is that the effing vents are on the bottom, meaning you can't really use it in bed, etc...

If it's not too much trouble, could you give a quick review of it? Just a quick list of the pros and cons you've experienced so far in owning the laptop. Thanks

Quote from z32tt : Is that the justification for having a stupid mini display port?

Why is mini display port stupid? It's a standard port, not something Apple invented. It can support higher resolution than HDMI and you can get mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters and cables for $10. It's not an issue.

Quote from yarnim : u aint missing out dont worry. why bother over this when lenovo U series are all over the place priced under 500

Can you link to a comparable Lenova for that price? I really want to try Lenova out, and these bottom vents are killing this XPS 13 for me. What kind of A hole decided to put them on the bottom. Just terrible design. That would be understandable if this was the first laptop ever created, but it's not.

Can't sit in a chair with a blanket and use the laptop without the fan constantly running and possibly overheating, can't use in bed, can't use on the carpet, etc...

Quote from tushnir540 : Does this have an HDMI port at least?

Quote from z32tt : Is that the justification for having a stupid mini display port?

DisplayPort handles higher resolution monitors, as well as a greater number of monitors than HDMI due to higher bandwidth.

DisplayPort is better, do some reading, then buy the cheap adapters.

Quote from GuySakar : What on earth are you regularly downloading on the go, so large that you would need to carry around an external? I have this exact model (and FYI you only have I think 90 G free) and I download stuff all the time and as long as I delete movies and such after I watch them, I have yet to fill it up in 6 months. Time for a reformat anyways, so I doubt I will ever fill it. I purchased a tiny, near flush 32G zip drive thinking I would use it for extra storage and have yet to need it. But yeah, not coming with a freaking SD card slot is terrible. But what's worse is that the effing vents are on the bottom, meaning you can't really use it in bed, etc...

idk, i mean, my current computer now is from 09 and it came with a 250gb hd. after 3 years of use, (grad school and pictures mostly, no music) i have about 80 free gb. i dont keep a lot of stuff on there but it would just be really frustrating to run out of space and either have to replace the laptop or upgrade the hard drive, or have to choose between deleting things and storing them on an external. a 128gb seems more like a tablet size hard drive. i dont need a terrabyte but i do need a 256 gig to keep this thing relevant for a few years.

Quote from BigRizzle : If it's not too much trouble, could you give a quick review of it? Just a quick list of the pros and cons you've experienced so far in owning the laptop. Thanks

No problem.

Fit and finish may be the best on the market. It just feels like money in your hands. You just want to touch it all the time (even after 6 months).

I think, the screen is extremely impressive. It is way more high def than any 1080P TV we have.

The trackpad was an issue, but is now resolved with the latest driver.

The main negatives for me are that the battery life sucks for its class ( around 4-5 hours in powesaver mode. I think the official ruling from pro reviewers, was 5 hours though), and the vents are on the bottom, meaning you shouldn't lay it on fabric or the like (bed, blanket, carpet, etc...) .

I wish it had an SD slot, but that's not a deal killer for me. It also has no ethernet port, but a USB to ethernet can be purchased for cheap.


Another thing, that might be specific to only mine, is that in a quiet room, there is a very present high pitched electrical sound. I rarely even notice it anymore, but worth noting.



In short, move the vents and I would sing XPS 13 praises.

The amount of screen you get for how tiny the foot print is, and for what the thing weighs, is almost a miracle IMO. Worth the no SD slot, or ethernet port, or micro HDMI vs reg HDMI, worth the shitty battery life, etc...

Just not worth the vents on the bottom.

how many actual hours are people getting on these. i would like feedback from actual owners out there

Quote from GuySakar : No problem. Fit and finish may be the best on the market. It just feels like money in your hands. You just want to touch it all the time (even after 6 months). I think, the screen is extremely impressive. It is way more high def than any 1080P TV we have. The trackpad was an issue, but is now resolved with the latest driver. The main negatives for me are that the battery life sucks for its class ( around 4-5 hours in powesaver mode. I think the official ruling from pro reviewers, was 5 hours though), and the vents are on the bottom, meaning you shouldn't lay it on fabric or the like (bed, blanket, carpet, etc...) . I wish it had an SD slot, but that's not a deal killer for me. It also has no ethernet port, but a USB to ethernet can be purchased for cheap. Another thing, that might be specific to only mine, is that in a quiet room, there is a very present high pitched electrical sound. I rarely even notice it anymore, but worth noting. In short, move the vents and I would sing XPS 13 praises. The amount of screen you get for how tiny the foot print is, and for what the thing weighs, is almost a miracle IMO. Worth the no SD slot, or ethernet port, or micro HDMI vs reg HDMI, worth the shitty battery life, etc... Just not worth the vents on the bottom.

Stopped reading here.

Quote from missgord : idk, i mean, my current computer now is from 09 and it came with a 250gb hd. after 3 years of use, (grad school and pictures mostly, no music) i have about 80 free gb. i dont keep a lot of stuff on there but it would just be really frustrating to run out of space and either have to replace the laptop or upgrade the hard drive, or have to choose between deleting things and storing them on an external. a 128gb seems more like a tablet size hard drive. i dont need a terrabyte but i do need a 256 gig to keep this thing relevant for a few years.

Like I said earlier, this only comes with about 90 or so free if I am remembering correctly, so it's even worse than you think. And yeah, you do have to be aware of your storage, but that small awareness can make everything work. I doubt that, unless you are using a DSLR and saving images in raw mode, that you will fill this thing up with music and pictures. Movies, tv shows? Yeah, you will fill it up very quickly. Just erase after you watch. Or just stream.

You should be doing a factory image restore about every 6 months or so anyway, and by doing that, you really do free up gobs of space that you didn't even realize were being consumed.

I just re-read your post. I bet if you backed up all your stuff and reformatted, you would have way more tan 80 free. And I agree, 128 is not much, you are correct, 100%.

Quote from z32tt : Stopped reading here.

I agree, that statement was beyond horrible.

Quote from z32tt : Stopped reading here.

I knew that would piss screen snobs off. Awesome. Regardless, I love this screen. I don't do high end design work where I need an IPS or something, so for me, this screen is above and beyond what I need, and like I said, against any of our 1080P TVs, the screen is amazing.

In fact, I have had people actually go out of their way to comment on how good the screen looks.

They, of course, were not a screen snob like yourself, and were probably idiots worthy of death, as such.

Quote from antec5150 : I agree, that statement was beyond horrible.

Quote from z32tt : Stopped reading here.

Also. We're slickdealers here and consider everything when making statements, like price point, etc...

So please, show me a better screen, in an ultrabook, with the most current i5, with comparable specs & features, for the same slick deal price point.

Keep in mind, I purchased 6 months ago.

I eagerly await.

You could have stated it's a nice screen when compared to other 1366x768 resolution screens but what you said is a joke.

Quote from GuySakar : Also. We're slickdealers here and consider everything when making statements, like price point, etc... So please, show me a better screen, in an ultrabook, with the most current i5, with comparable specs & features, for the same slick deal price point. Keep in mind, I purchased 6 months ago. I eagerly await.

I'd fight another battle. The "no 1080p screen resolution in a 12" laptop" is the new "no hdmi".

For the record, I'm a resolution snob and am fine with 1366x768 resolution on laptops under 13" and under...