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General discussion

Do you think the Dell XPS 15 is worth investing in?

Apr 25, 2018 5:17AM PDT

I need a new laptop and was thinking of investing in a high end laptop - the Dell XPS 15 (I considered Macbooks, but I don't like their keyboard, and prefer the Windows OS). I was really close to getting it, but I decided to go to a store to check it out. However, I was really disappointed with the experience - the laptop couldn't even handle a Microsoft Word document! At first, I could type fine with no problems. But when I opened a Wikipedia page on the Edge browser (chrome wasn't installed), and started typing into the word document, it would become unresponsive. I tried multiple times, but the word document would freeze up whenever the edge browser was open.

I'm just wondering whether this is a one off situation, and if I should ignore it and go ahead with the purchase of the laptop. Or, if this really is a problem with the laptop.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Discussion is locked

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No. Laptops are poor investment items.
Apr 25, 2018 8:52AM PDT

Resale values often are half to less when resold so "investing" is just a bad idea.

That said, your experience was very off putting. It's certainly not my experience on all the XPS models I've used. The store should be telling you what happened as I can't guess why but it doesn't happen to me on all the laptops at the office (we have many models but all perform well.)

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NO!
Apr 27, 2018 5:26PM PDT

After using $150 Chromebooks, I will never buy windows or Mac notebook again!

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Try another store?
Apr 28, 2018 3:55AM PDT

If you mean "investing" like Warren Buffet, i.e. potentially forever, then if you need a laptop, get a laptop. If you mean for short term use, then to resell, as Bob says, that isn't the best "investment".

That said, I've generally heard that the Dell XPS machines have a good reputation and this seems out of character. If the machine you tried was an unattended display model, then it may have some corruption from earlier viewers. Draw the attention of the store staff to it and get them to explain why it is disappointing. Or check one out in another store, if you have one near you.

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Over 1 Year and No Problems
Apr 28, 2018 6:16AM PDT

I've been running my Dell XPS 15 (1559) with Win-10/Office 365 for over a year and it's performed without a single hitch. I traded up from an XPS 13 to get the larger screen size...my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I like the touch screen when working with photo albums, but that's about the only use it gets here. The AC wireless is lightning fast and easy to set up no matter where I travel. With the exception of OneNote, I frequently use all of the Office 365 apps mostly in stand alone mode (e.g., not in the cloud) and find that they run flawlessly. The only "upgrade" to my XPS 15 laptop involved the hard drive...replaced the spinner with an Intel 500 SSD. Investment? No, but worth having in cases where a reliable, portable PC is needed...definitely!!

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No
Apr 28, 2018 9:34AM PDT

For many years I was in computer repair, and the ones needing repair most frequently (by a LARGE margin) were Dells. HPs were in a DISTANT second-place.

But you do not "invest" in a computer. You BUY a computer (or, as in my case, build your own). They depreciate MUCH more rapidly than, say, a new car. And unless you have bought the top-of-the-line it will already be obsolete. If you DO buy the top-of-the-line it will be obsolete a month from now,

(Of course I am typing this on a computer I built in 2011 that is still performing quite well. I am absolutely itching to build another, but this old thing still works too well to justify the expense.)