Is the Dell XPS One Better than the Apple iMac? 627
An anonymous reader writes "The Apple iMac is probably the standard all-in-one desktop computer. Great operating system, built-in software and design around solid, but pretty normal, hardware guts. According to Walter Mossberg, there's a new kid in town that not only matches it but is 'sightly ahead': the Dell XPS One. His latest review is already causing the usual suspects to weigh in. Mossberg says it is a better machine, but Vista and its built-in software make it inferior than Apple iMac's Leopard and iLife suite. Would you choose the better hardware of the Dell XPS One -which is more expensive- or the elegant design and software of the Apple iMac?"
Hmm... (Score:5, Informative)
First off, let's compare tech specs.
iMac (Low-end) $1199
20" wsxga+ screen
1GB Ram
250GB HDD
Dual Layer DVD burner
ATI Radeon HD 2400XT (128MB)
802.11n Wireless
XPS ONE (Low-End) $1399
20" wsxga+ screen
2GB Ram
250GB HDD
DVD burner Integrated Video
"WiFi" (doesn't say which)
Now notice that the only thing the dell beats the mac in is memory. However, for $150 you can upgrade to the same amount when you order an iMac (or get a stick on newegg for half that), and have a machine that still is $50 LESS (and with a real video card, a dual layer burner, and guaranteed 802.11n). Gizmodo also already agreed that Leopard was the better operating system (see the link in the article below the video). So this begs me to ask, why do they consider the more expensive, less equipped, and weaker operating system computer better than the other?
Re:Hmm... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Informative)
The Dell comes with a TV tuner. People who like Dells also like American Idol and Fox news.
Re:Hmm... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Hmm... (Score:2, Informative)
For those with mod points, mod Fear the Clam's comment up. It's a vital point I overlooked.
Re:iLife? (Score:3, Informative)
It probably includes Photoshop Elements and not full Photoshop.
My wife is really into digital scrapbooking. She has both Photoshop Elements and Gimp. She actually likes Gimp more than Elements.
From what I have seen iLife is a good tool for the average user.
Re:Neither! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Informative)
Do some homework (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Buy a Mac. (Score:3, Informative)
It's extremely easy to secure (and keep secure) a Windows box... While I agree that you shouldn't NEED to, it's still very easy to do...and the best part is, none of the software will cost you a penny. Legally.
Re:Hmm... (Score:3, Informative)
Surface appearances aside, it's time to talk about the quality of the internal hardware...Apple hardware vs Dell hardware.
Tossing all OS considerations, I think that Apple's hardware is traditionally much more robust and reliable than Dell's has been. I'm working in a shop that always buys Dell PCs and Apple iMacs. We have more problems with the Dells, hands down, than we do with the Apples. All other things being equal, I'd take an Apple.
I doubt I'll ever be in a position to try out a side by side comparison, because we're not buying Dell anymore, and (as one of the above posters mentioned) we don't like tossing a good monitor whenever the computer goes south, so we've been buying Mac Mini's since they came out as an option.
Still, if I was offered one or the other, I'd take the Apple.
Re:Do some homework (Score:5, Informative)
Also, "Fear The Clam" already noted my forgetting the TV tuner ( http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=400096&cid=21833078 [slashdot.org] ), and I noted this. Read others comments before you flame.
And Integrated Video versus a dedicated graphic card? Please. I just bought a Lenovo X61 with one of intel's latest integrated chips, the Intel GMA X3100 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA#GMA_X3100) and I have trouble playing Counterstrike on it ( i get about 25 fps @ 640x480). Not Counterstrike Source mind you, the original CS from 1999. My old Radeon 9800 out performs it greatly ( 100 fps @ 1280x1024), and that has about one third [270Mhz clock vs 800 Mhz clock] the power of the 2400XT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_ATI_Graphics_Processing_Units#Radeon_R600_series). Granted CS isn't a full benchmark (and it can't run on a mac) but it at least gives us a basic comparison between the performance of the cards.
However, yes, the dell does have 200Mhz more. I overlooked that.
Re:Neither! (Score:3, Informative)
It uses a H-IPS panel, which provides great color accuracy, contrast, and brightness from almost any viewing angle. There are only a couple other 24" H-IPS displays on the market, and they cost $1250-$1500. Yes, just for the screen.
So, in effect, you're getting the rest of the iMac for $300-$550.
Re:Personally? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Personally? (Score:4, Informative)
Likewise, I predict that extremely-high-resolution displays are just over the horizon. It's almost 2008 -- we should be able to make a display that can at least come *close* to the resolution of a laser printer. Take a look at the financial section of your newspaper, hold it up next to your computer screen, and you'll realize just how poor our current display technology is. In 4 years time, when it's time to replace your Dell or iMac, I imagine that you'll want a better monitor.
Either way, I'm sticking with Apple. The Dell doesn't have any compelling features over Apple, and the price frankly isn't that good either. Being able to run Mac OS *or* any version of Windows (simultaneously if you want) on the iMac is the dealbreaker, considering that just about every other aspect of the machine is the same.
Re:Hmm... (Score:3, Informative)
That said, my current Dell Inspiron 9400 is the best laptop I've ever owned... it's Core Duo and 2 gig rock, and I have yet to have a single OS crash, but I run Linux. For the first time ever, I told management I'm happy with my current machine, and don't need a new one in 2008... maybe in 2009. At $1,250, I can't complain about the price. I think that's the real difference between Apple and Dell: Apple has real people involved with you and your purchase, and real people are expensive. Dell just makes great hardware at great prices.
Re:Personally? (Score:3, Informative)
Your choices these days are lame TN-based LCDs, or slightly better but still inferior MVA/PVA-based LCDs. The consumer market decided it wanted cheap LCDs, not good LCDs.
Re:Hmm... (Score:4, Informative)
It is, indirectly. Actually, my post was modded 30% Funny, 30% Troll and 30% Informative.
(This post is Informative.)
Re:"Standard all-in-one desktop computer?" (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Do some homework (Score:2, Informative)
I just bought a Lenovo X61 with one of intel's latest integrated chips, the Intel GMA X3100 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA#GMA_X3100) and I have trouble playing Counterstrike on it ( i get about 25 fps @ 640x480).
Hmm... maybe you're having some driver problems? I've got an HP laptop with an even older Intel integrated than yours (the GMA945), and it runs CounterStrike just fine - I get on average about 40fps @ 1024x768, though it usually runs at about max (72fps), only slowing down to about 30fps during crowded situations, but without hiccups.
Agreed on your point about integrated vs. dedicated video, though. And I also think the iMac is better offer, overall.
What's Apple's market share again? 3.1416 % (Score:3, Informative)
or something like that?
According to the Fool [fool.com] Apple's market share is 6.3% slice of the domestic PC market, twice what you say. However that's still a small share of the market. However it looks as if Apple Macintosh Computers Likely To Gain Market Share [cnn.com]. And a Wharton Prof Debunks Market Share Myth [seekingalpha.com].
FalconRe:Interesting comparison to cars. (Score:3, Informative)
"Flex fuel" is bullshit. All it means is that they use slightly better rubber hoses and have extra programming in the ECU. It doesn't actually help anything (at least not until ethanol from sources other than corn is widely available); it's just a way for US auto makers (in collusion with the corn lobby) to weasel out of real improvements!
Yea, corn gets all the publicity while sugar cane is a better feed source than corn and Switchgrass is even better than sugar. Corn gets it because the corn lobby is big and they get a lot of subsidies.
FalconRe:Stop effing saying INDUSTRIAL DESIGN (Score:3, Informative)
From Wikipedia on Industrial Design: "Industrial Design (ID) is the professional service of creating and developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value and appearance of products and systems for the mutual benefit of both user and manufacturer."
Re:Apple ALWAYS loses in my house (Score:3, Informative)
Virtualization isn't really a joke, but I've had nothing but bad luck with Parallels. It has corrupted my Windows startup partition three times, and caused my first ever kernel panic in OSX (I've been using since 10.0). It even broke booting up in Bootcamp mode because of whatever it did to Windows.
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Personally? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Hmm... (Score:2, Informative)