Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 5th gen or Dell XPS 13 current?

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  soupie62 on 25/04/2019 - 18:25

  +1

  You've answered your own question, you just want someone else to agree.

  You've had problems with Dell models in the past, I see no reason why that would change.
  You've had NO problems with Thinkpads in the past, I see no reason why that would change.

  Go Thinkpad !

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  petey bobby on 25/04/2019 - 19:27

  Hhhhhh thanks for the reply. I think im hesitant because of the difference in spec and ive never used a XPS which is supposed to be there top of the range in build quality.

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  eug on 25/04/2019 - 19:43

  +1

  The ThinkPad is a 7th gen i7, the Dell is an 8th gen i7. That's not a bit better, that's quite a lot better. I'm a big ThinkPad fan but if I literally only had only those two to choose from, I'd go with the Dell.

  The Dell you linked doesn't have a touchscreen btw. I don't think I could buy a laptop without a touchscreen myself. :)

  • 

    magic8ballgag on 26/04/2019 - 12:27

    -1

    I don't think I could buy a laptop without a touchscreen myself. :)

    I'm curious why that is?

    • 

      eug on 26/04/2019 - 13:50

      After years of using a touchscreen, I find it really convenient when it comes to tapping on dialog boxes, scrolling webpages, and moving around and zooming in/out of PDFs. Being able to just tap on an OK or cancel button right on the screen in many situations is faster than moving my hand from the keyboard to the trackpad, then moving the cursor to the button, then clicking it.

      I do scroll and zoom with my trackpad, but I still find it more intuitive to do it on-screen - just like a phone or tablet.

      Whenever I'm doing something on someone else's non-touch laptop, I find I frequently tap the screen even though I know it isn't a touchscreen. It has become second nature as it's so intuitive.

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  petey bobby on 25/04/2019 - 19:48

  Thanks for the reply and pick up on the touch screen. Appreciate your opinion :)
  So build quality wise are there much of a of muchness ;)

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  petey bobby on 25/04/2019 - 19:50

  these where the 2 that had come down to wanting premium build quality but Im also open to other suggestions
  Budget is 1500-1700ish

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  Muffinman01 on 25/04/2019 - 21:10

  +1

  I got the same XPS you're looking at around 12 months ago.

  Haven't had any issues, and the actual device itself looks quite slick in person.

  I was also tossing up between a few different models, a trip to my local JB helped make the decision easier.

  Muffinwoman has a 13" Macbook pro, but is jealous of the premium feel and smaller form factor of my XPS.

  Also, it's worthwhile going in to a JB if you can. I told them about a 20% off deal that was running at the time, and used it to my advantage to haggle the price down to $1500 (still haven't seen it this cheap anywhere else since).

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  thestu on 25/04/2019 - 21:53

  Gen 5 think pad i7 is only dual core! 6th gen is the one you want. New model coming in June, I'd wait for discounted 6th gen!

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  petey bobby on 25/04/2019 - 22:12

  Thanks for the replies, yeah i wish i could wait :(

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  spicspec on 25/04/2019 - 22:41

  +1

  I was making this exact same decision not too long ago.
  I ended up buying the exact XPS that you've linked so I'll speak to my experiences with it and also some general information I gathered when I was making this comparison myself.

  The XPS is smaller but slightly heavier than the X1. The screen on the XPS is much nicer. You mentioned that the XPS has the benefit of a touch screen, but note that a touch screen always uses more power than a non-touch screen and I'd assume that the X1 would have slightly better battery life. I've found that this isn't an issue for me, and I can generally go 7-9 hours without plugging my XPS in. The XPS is quad-core 8th gen, compared to the dual-core 7th gen in the X1. The 8th gen core is significantly better for tasks that actually use multiple cores, and slightly better for tasks that don't.

  Personally, I haven't had any issues (technical or otherwise) with my laptop. I don't do anything too intensive (just regular student stuff) so the fans are always silent and the laptop is always cool.
  You haven't explained what you want to do with the laptop so I'll just explain the factors that I considered important:
  Keyboard: They both have good keyboards, I think Lenovo ultrabooks are generally cited to have the best keyboards but the XPS is not far (if at all) behind.
  Trackpad: The X1 has the buttons on top of the trackpad that slightly restrict its size. The trackpad on the XPS is smooth and precise and, arguably, the better of the two.
  Screen: XPS is nicer, but smaller (13 inch vs 14 inch).
  Appearances: The edge-to-edge QHD+ display, the smaller form factor and the materials of the XPS means that it looks significantly better in my opinion.
  Portability: X1 is lighter but a bit wider/thicker. Personally, weight is slightly more important when it comes to portability.
  Durability: X1 is more scratch resistant.
  Battery: Not sure, I'd assume you'd get an hour or two more from the X1.
  Ports: Fairly similar across the board.

  If you're looking for a straight-forward, work device, then I'd go for the X1 (you can even put a sim-card in it, if you do a lot of work on-the-go and use data).
  If you care about the looks, I'd go for the XPS.

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  petey bobby on 26/04/2019 - 10:01

  Thanks for your detailed reply. To be honest this will be a home laptop, i use my thinkpad for work and ill take this one out and about every now and then, but mostly at home with my wife so wont be rendering or photoshopping etc much.

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  dragon69 on 26/04/2019 - 10:01

  Good summary by armtastic. I've had an 9350 XPS13 for several years (2016, I think) and it's been faultless. My two sons have XPS15s and they likewise have had no problems. Thus I can't comment on Dell's after sales service.
  I have replaced the original 256GB SSD with a 500GB Samsung 950 Pro (and am considering installing a 1TB 970 Pro), My model has webcam in bottom left corner (good for nostril views <g>) but I don't use it so it doesn't bother me.

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  petey bobby on 26/04/2019 - 17:13

  Thanks guys. Just to throw a spanner in the works what are peoples thoughs of the Yoga 730 15" or 13" for build quality?

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  [Deactivated] on 26/04/2019 - 19:25

  The Dell you linked isn't the current model, it's 2 years old.

  This is the most recent model.