[Duncan]

Oh, for those that go to the overclocks forum, and might see a post by me there, the head-Fi version of my plight is the truth, there, I didn't want to have a super dumb (to them) first post, so changed reality slightly lol

 

[bowei006]

  Anyone has any thoughts about Acer predator's new technology which makes CD-ROM one more cooler? I mean, it could help in a laptop for gaming. 

 
I'm conflicted with it.
 
It's nice if it was modular and will work with any computer but it also makes me wonder if they are just trying to fill up space in a 17" laptop?
 
While modular designs are nice, if they wanted to go for 'pure' cooling functionality. They could just use the extra space and overhaul the entire design of the laptops cooling system and make it 'better' than just sticking a fan in place of the CD drive
 

  There really aren't limitations to refurb products. They basically make it so it's brand new and, since they can't resell it as new, slap on a lower price tag. I'm pretty sure we've heard horror stories about refurb, used, and new products. Refurb and new are generally the same (few exceptions) so any argument saying refurb is worse than new is probably from a result of confirmation bias.
 
Worst case scenario: refurbished products were used for 30 days and the conditions its in allows it to be returned under the return policy (hence the 30 days). The worst you will get is either 1) minor cosmetic issues like a few scratches or a small chip or something or 2) somebody needed a replacement because maybe the memory was faulty or something. The companies generally replace any faulty parts with completely new ones then test it and send it out again but with a refurbished label.
 
The best case scenario is somebody returned it BNIB (brand new in box) or returned it quickly after getting it and opening it because you know, Christmas presents that nobody wants always get returned (or regifted).
 
Separate heatsinks and fans for each is technically better. A combined system poses risk of one part throttling the other. That's like saying in a desktop if you were to cool your CPU and GPU off the same heatsink; it just sounds dumb.
 
And totally agree on refurb availability. All you can do is sit there and hope.

 
They have a 90-day return policy on the Dell Refurbs and the same warranty that new Dell laptops get (1 yr standard) so I didn't really give it any mind.
 
I don't really even care if it has minor scuffs as I saved a butt load.
 
 
I sat there for a week and hoped. But mah man Parikshi came through for me at Dell Outlet lol

 

[Dobrescu George]

   
I'm conflicted with it.
 
It's nice if it was modular and will work with any computer but it also makes me wonder if they are just trying to fill up space in a 17" laptop?
 
While modular designs are nice, if they wanted to go for 'pure' cooling functionality. They could just use the extra space and overhaul the entire design of the laptops cooling system and make it 'better' than just sticking a fan in place of the CD drive
 

 
Yeah, but some people could still want to be able to have both CD-DVD-Blu thingy and another cooler?
 
At least I would not waste that space on a DVD-ROM which I never opened since I bought my laptop. 
 
The best laptops for modularity are Clevo ones, and I will buy one very soon, because one of those can just survive more years. Especially if you buy one with a great display, like the UHD one, with 100% adobe rgb coverage. From that point on, you can simply add more hardware and it will be fine

 

[214324]

They have a 90-day return policy on the Dell Refurbs and the same warranty that new Dell laptops get (1 yr standard) so I didn't really give it any mind.
 
I don't really even care if it has minor scuffs as I saved a butt load.
 
 
I sat there for a week and hoped. But mah man Parikshi came through for me at Dell Outlet lol

Yeah I wish I could have gotten that.
 
Especially since I'll need to be looking for a laptop for college soon.

 

[bowei006]

Just got the Dell XPS 15 in! YAY
 
No scuffs or any sort of damage. It honestly looks like it was  an open box that someone returned. It pretty much has no sort  of damage or any signs of previous use on the aluminum body. 
 
Chargers and accessories were  packaged  new and it also came with a sealed  8GB USB 3.0 Recovery Windows  10 Install of the OS which is very neat. 
 
My only issue with it was the box they shipped it in. No damage or anything and everything is nice.....it's just how in-discrete it is. They pretty much ship it in a box with huge DELL stylized across it telling the world a laptop is inside. 

 
 
Although the purchase page noted  it would take  over  a week to arrive. It came in technically 2 business  days.  The estimate was  Feb8th which I was fine with but it arrived today on the 3rd which I dig.
 
--------------------------
Keyboard:
It's definately what I was expecting and what I heard. Everything is fine  except the space button. Kinda shallow but I'm getting used  to  it
 
Touchpad:
Reviewers  noted that this was  essentially the best precision trackpad/touchpad that Windows  PCs has to offer right now. The way they said it left me a bit weird  as they didn't promote it enthusiastically but rather just  threw it  in. NOW I KNOW.
 
It's because it is still quite crappy compared  to what Macs had even in 2008.
 
Holy crap.Much better than touchpads my friends  have on their new Ultrabooks yeah.......but  leagues behind the competition.
----------------------------
Display and Screen:
 
I'm still getting used to how the laptop looks. The 15.6" infinity edge screen in a 14" frame is  screwing with my eyes.  It looks super stretched out but I know it isn't. 
 
Windows is still very far behind with how it handles its  apps and screen resolutions, how  text looks etc even with Windows  10.  
 
-----------------------------
Usability:
 
Nice but could be better. It has a weird  distribution of weight with edges that don't have a lot of grip making it hard  to pick up from a table. Also it is VERY VERY hard to open up the screen cover.  There isn't any ledge. You basically have to pry it open like a clam while holding the bottom piece.
 
It is technically lighter  than my old Macbook Pro but it does 'feel' heavier  because  it is in a larger chassis and has a weird weight distribution.
 
----------------------------
Storage Speeed
 
I got 600MB/s in Writes and 1.8GB/s in Read on the NVMe SSD. A bit off from its official numbers. But reviewers noted  it is still the fastest drive they have seen in a laptop
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
-------------------------
 
Overall, very happy with my refurb purchase. But even with the XPS 15 which is noted  as one of the best high-performance Macbook Pro replacements/Windows  alternatives.  It is still behind Apple's Macbook Pros in design and how well the software integrates with the more  advanced human-interface devices these  computers support.
 
$1000 with a refurb that is essentially pristine is nice!
 
 
Quote:

   
Yeah, but some people could still want to be able to have both CD-DVD-Blu thingy and another cooler?
 
At least I would not waste that space on a DVD-ROM which I never opened since I bought my laptop. 
 
The best laptops for modularity are Clevo ones, and I will buy one very soon, because one of those can just survive more years. Especially if you buy one with a great display, like the UHD one, with 100% adobe rgb coverage. From that point on, you can simply add more hardware and it will be fine

 
Yeah but those are pretty few.
 
Clevo is nice but I like to stick with name brands typically
 

  Yeah I wish I could have gotten that.
 
Especially since I'll need to be looking for a laptop for college soon.

 
Next year my little grasshopper. Just make sure you buy it AFTER you choose your University and college of discipline. Some have requirements for laptops.
 
It's nice  but Windows OEMs still have  a long long ways to go in hardware to software integration and design before they reach the level of something that is truly a Macbook Pro alternative. 

 

[214324]

 

  Yeah I wish I could have gotten that.
 
Especially since I'll need to be looking for a laptop for college soon.

 
Next year my little grasshopper. Just make sure you buy it AFTER you choose your University and college of discipline. Some have requirements for laptops.
 
It's nice  but Windows OEMs still have  a long long ways to go in hardware to software integration and design before they reach the level of something that is truly a Macbook Pro alternative. 

Wait you think I'm going to run Windows on it? XD
 
Arch + GNOME 3.

 

[bowei006]

  Wait you think I'm going to run Windows on it? XD
 
Arch + GNOME 3.

 
Dell computers aren't exactly known for having great Linux hardware support or compatibility.
 
Especially in dual graphics switching units like the XPS15....and even worse. Nvidia GPUs. 
 
 
I'm also not sure how Linux is with the M.2 PCIe SSD that  this is using or its system support for NVMe. 
 
The precision touchpad, keyboard backlight also worry me in terms  of how Linux will be around it.
 
 
I'll be installing Ubuntu 14.04 in the  comming days so I can let you know.

 

[214324]

 

  Wait you think I'm going to run Windows on it? XD
 
Arch + GNOME 3.

 
Dell computers aren't exactly known for having great Linux hardware support or compatibility.
 
Especially in dual graphics switching units like the XPS15....and even worse. Nvidia GPUs. 
 
 
I'm also not sure how Linux is with the M.2 PCIe SSD that  this is using or its system support for NVMe. 
 
The precision touchpad, keyboard backlight also worry me in terms  of how Linux will be around it.
 
 
I'll be installing Ubuntu 14.04 in the  comming days so I can let you know.

I'm not sure I'm getting the XPS 15, but at the very least the Linux support for the XPS 15 will be partially there since it shares some drivers with the XPS 13 I assume, at least with things such as the touchpad.
 
Still considering the new Samsung ATIV Book 9's (not the Pros) and putting Linux onto that right now since I don't need the 960M too much in college, at least that's what I'm thinking for now since I do want a SFF build to bring with me.

 

[bowei006]

  I'm not sure I'm getting the XPS 15, but at the very least the Linux support for the XPS 15 will be partially there since it shares some drivers with the XPS 13 I assume, at least with things such as the touchpad.
 
Still considering the new Samsung ATIV Book 9's (not the Pros) and putting Linux onto that right now since I don't need the 960M too much in college, at least that's what I'm thinking for now since I do want a SFF build to bring with me.

Linux supports the Lenovo Thinkpads very well. 

 

[214324]

 

  I'm not sure I'm getting the XPS 15, but at the very least the Linux support for the XPS 15 will be partially there since it shares some drivers with the XPS 13 I assume, at least with things such as the touchpad.
 
Still considering the new Samsung ATIV Book 9's (not the Pros) and putting Linux onto that right now since I don't need the 960M too much in college, at least that's what I'm thinking for now since I do want a SFF build to bring with me.

Linux supports the Lenovo Thinkpads very well. 

Yeah that X1 Carbon 2nd gen I had awesome support for it.
 
Just don't really like ThinkPad design anymore.

 

[bowei006]

  Yeah that X1 Carbon 2nd gen I had awesome support for it.
 
Just don't really like ThinkPad design anymore.

 
I'm just not a fan of the price lol! Great support, build and usability yeah. But they are very pricey. Thinkpads that is

 

[214324]

 

  Yeah that X1 Carbon 2nd gen I had awesome support for it.
 
Just don't really like ThinkPad design anymore.

 
I'm just not a fan of the price lol! Great support, build and usability yeah. But they are very pricey. Thinkpads that is

I've started to notice how ThinkPads go 90% of the way and then fall flat on their face at the last 10%. There's a lot of very small things about the X1 carbon that began to annoy me with continued use that made me ultimately not feel so bad about returning it to the company I was an intern for.
 
I remember the biggest one was the fact that there's a gap between the screen panel and the surrounding rubber trim that always caught dust in it. The AG coating they used is also a freaking dust magnet, so double the trouble. My X1 carbon was strange in that if I scrolled too quickly (like a quick swipe in the touchpad) it would stall (even when plugged in on High Performance) and make beeping noises (refurb though so not sure if this happens all the time). You also need a proprietary adapter for ethernet and the port selection is poor. Heat exhausts out of the sides instead of the back which is annoying when using with a mouse since the air actually got pretty hot.
 
I've become a sucker for the ATIV Book 9 laptops because of the organic shape it has. It's fantastically comfortable to handle and the upcoming ATIV Book 9 laptops are fantastic in my eyes, especially the 15" screen which is like the XPS 15 in which it's the size of a 14" laptop; 1080p Matte panel, featherlight weight, fantastic form, 180 degree hinge, etc. Battery life is around 9-12 hours due to its extreme thinness but considering that it's not going to be used for power-demanding situations, it isn't a big deal to me. The 15" also comes with a USB Type C w/ Thunderbolt so if I ever need power I can use an external GPU (though the dual core CPU will be the bottleneck there).

 

[bowei006]

  I've started to notice how ThinkPads go 90% of the way and then fall flat on their face at the last 10%. There's a lot of very small things about the X1 carbon that began to annoy me with continued use that made me ultimately not feel so bad about returning it to the company I was an intern for.
 
I remember the biggest one was the fact that there's a gap between the screen panel and the surrounding rubber trim that always caught dust in it. The AG coating they used is also a freaking dust magnet, so double the trouble. My X1 carbon was strange in that if I scrolled too quickly (like a quick swipe in the touchpad) it would stall (even when plugged in on High Performance) and make beeping noises (refurb though so not sure if this happens all the time). You also need a proprietary adapter for ethernet and the port selection is poor. Heat exhausts out of the sides instead of the back which is annoying when using with a mouse since the air actually got pretty hot.

 
Maybe the stalling was both the touchpad and Windows lol
 
I've noticed that Windows 10, even now, has pretty crappy support for smooth multi-touch swipes and gestures. The movements are still too sharp and sudden and not smooth. Also they are either too sensitive at times or not enough making for it to not work as I would like. 

 

[214324]

 

  I've started to notice how ThinkPads go 90% of the way and then fall flat on their face at the last 10%. There's a lot of very small things about the X1 carbon that began to annoy me with continued use that made me ultimately not feel so bad about returning it to the company I was an intern for.
 
I remember the biggest one was the fact that there's a gap between the screen panel and the surrounding rubber trim that always caught dust in it. The AG coating they used is also a freaking dust magnet, so double the trouble. My X1 carbon was strange in that if I scrolled too quickly (like a quick swipe in the touchpad) it would stall (even when plugged in on High Performance) and make beeping noises (refurb though so not sure if this happens all the time). You also need a proprietary adapter for ethernet and the port selection is poor. Heat exhausts out of the sides instead of the back which is annoying when using with a mouse since the air actually got pretty hot.

 
Maybe the stalling was both the touchpad and Windows lol
 
I've noticed that Windows 10, even now, has pretty crappy support for smooth multi-touch swipes and gestures. The movements are still too sharp and sudden and not smooth. Also they are either too sensitive at times or not enough making for it to not work as I would like. 

Multitouch was much better in GNOME 3.
 
It might have been just Windows. I don't remember stalling issues in GNOME 3 with the scrolling thing.
 
There's also this really annoying thing in that if you dual boot Windows and Linux, Linux will use whatever power state your last session of Windows left it on and it's something you could see in battery life. I would get a report of 15 hours if I last used it in the Power Saver profile and like 3-6 hours if I left it in High Performance. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on.

 

[bowei006]

  Multitouch was much better in GNOME 3.
 
It might have been just Windows. I don't remember stalling issues in GNOME 3 with the scrolling thing.
 
There's also this really annoying thing in that if you dual boot Windows and Linux, Linux will use whatever power state your last session of Windows left it on and it's something you could see in battery life. I would get a report of 15 hours if I last used it in the Power Saver profile and like 3-6 hours if I left it in High Performance. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on.

 
At least that is a beneficial thing for you. Dualbooting Windows on Mac is horrible with how time is stored and handle on Macs lol
 
 
Anyway, diging the laptop. 
 
REALLY REALLY hate how Windows handles scaling. Half the crap was blurry or looked super weird. So I turned off scaling.