Should I Buy A Dell Inspiron, Dell XPS or Microsoft Surface Pro 8?

jollster101 on 29/01/2022 - 21:32
Last edited 29/01/2022 - 21:42 by 1 other user

Hi all

I was about to pull the trigger on the Surface Pro 8 deal that was posted earlier today (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/680203) but thought I would have a quick look at the Dell 20% offerings given that promotion that is running. I found an Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 Laptop 11th Gen i7-1165G7 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Win11 (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/392973285191?hash=item5b7f087747…) for $1299 which seemed decent value.

I know it's not completely in the same league as the Surface but for $1299 the Inspiron seems pretty good for the specs of an 11th Gen i7 CPU, 300nit 1080P panel, 16GB Ram and 512GB SSD.

Then I saw there is a Dell XPS 13 9305 Laptop 11th Gen i7-1165G7 FHD 512GB SSD 16GB RAM Iris Xe Win11 which can be snagged for $1499. Maybe this one is a bit more comparable and again seems a good option compared to the Surface.

Would be keen to see what others think of the three options.

My current device is a ~5 year old Surface Pro 4 which has served me well. It has an i5 CPU, 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD. Usage is really just surfing with some Office application activity and when we go away we usually use it for watching TV / Movies that come from the various *arr apps.

Poll Options

  • 0
    Dell Inspiron
  • 23
    Dell XPS
  • 7
    Microsoft Surface Pro 8
Computing 13.3inch 15.6inch Computer Dell Laptop Microsoft Tablet

Comments

  • singingwolf on 29/01/2022 - 21:43
    +1

    Go the surface

  • Savas on 29/01/2022 - 21:56
    +1

    Dell XPS 9300. Surface is useless.

    • jollster101 on 29/01/2022 - 22:01

      Can I ask why the lean to the XPS? In the thread for the Surface I see that a major gripe has been the battery which based on my current SP4 I can understand.

      What else forms your viewpoint?

      • Savas on 29/01/2022 - 22:34

        I didn’t buy surface because it has a flimsy keyboard, bad trackpad, small screen, large bezels etc….

    • jv on 15/02/2022 - 14:14
      +2

      Surface is useless.

      Rubbish. I use mine to watch MAFS…

  • witsa on 29/01/2022 - 22:12

    Check out the dell refurb store, might be able to get an Inspiron or xps for cheaper

    • jollster101 on 29/01/2022 - 22:40

      There's a couple of i7 XPS 13's on the refurb store that could snag a couple of hundred $$$'s reduction. They still come with 12 months warranty so could be a good option.

      Cheers

    • jollster101 on 10/02/2022 - 10:57

      Quick loop back on this, I pulled the pin on an XPS 13 9310 2 in 1 yesterday and for $1239 including postage I got the following. The good thing is that Dell are also offering two years in home warranty instead of one and Windows 11 for no charge so a decent result.

      Thanks @witsa for the advice on checking on the outlet store.

      *Intel Core 11th Generation i7-1165G7 Processor (Quad Core, Up to 4.70GHz, 12MB Cache)
      *16GB 4267MHz Dual Channel LPDDR4x Memory
      *512GB PCIe NVMe x4 Solid State Drive
      *Windows 11
      *Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.1
      *13.4 inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 WLED Touch Display
      *Intel Iris XE Graphics
      *45 Watt E5 Type-C AC Adapter
      *4-Cell, 51 WHr Battery
      *US International Backlit Black Keyboard
      *Integrated RGB IR HD Camera and Microphone

      • witsa on 10/02/2022 - 18:59

        wow that's a good deal - even on the Refurb store I haven't seen it for that cheap and I can't see it anymore either.

        let us know whether it's any good.

        • jollster101 on 10/02/2022 - 19:58

          I think there is a rolling stock update on the store so its worth checking every day to see what they have released.

          Presumably it is all dependent on what gets returned for repair as to what becomes available.

      • Fairmont on 15/02/2022 - 14:12

        I'm after this model, but never seen it for that price on the outlet. Well done. Haven't even seen the clamshell get that low. Let me know if you see this price again :P

  • Benoffie on 29/01/2022 - 22:16

    Bit biased but we grabbed an XPS 2 in 1 9310 on sale. Teen using it now for Yr 12, loves it.

  • USER DC on 29/01/2022 - 22:51

    Both XPS and surface are great.

    I wont go for surface pro though, I'd go for surface Book or surface laptop.

    Microsoft has top notch service in my own personal opinion.

    Cant say much about Dell though. There products are of good quality too BTW, it mostly only depends on how you take care of them.

    If you only have choice btw XPS and surface pro . Would always pick the XPS (if however, XPS vs surface laptop/surface book I'd say all are even, hence there I'd go for cheapest)

  • atxreader on 30/01/2022 - 05:04
    +2

    I wouldn’t recommend the Surface, a few people complain about the battery and just regret it in general. I bought a refurbished XPS 15 and extended the warranty. I saved almost $1k. It works great not to mention you save them from repackaging with all the usual stuff, so helping lessen the waste. The track pad is large and so smooth. So far so good.

    • Savas on 30/01/2022 - 07:37
      +2

      I love my XPS 15 9500. The only downside from purchasing refurbished was that they don’t give you the USB C to USB A/HDMI dongle.

      • atxreader on 30/01/2022 - 07:39
        +1

        I got one included in mine.

        • Savas on 30/01/2022 - 07:41
          +1

          That’s lucky. I contacted Dell and they said it should come with an adapter, then I got another email saying that they don’t because it’s an “accessory”. Kind of annoyed me considering the adapter is listed in the product specifications

          • atxreader on 30/01/2022 - 08:03
            +2

            @Savas: If it’s listed on your itemised list when you purchased it, it should be part of your sale. Call them on the phone. I’ve always found I get better service on the phone. Years ago they would give you a discount for brand new purchases if you asked for it. Good luck.

  • jollster101 on 30/01/2022 - 07:08

    Thanks for the replies. One thing I also discovered is that the surface pro keyboard I have on my current device isn't compatible with the new SP8. That's a bit disappointing as it means another cost to achieve the same functionality as today.

  • GibbledyBobber on 30/01/2022 - 11:06

    As a windows tablet the Surface Pro is great but you sacrifice things like battery and price. If you don't specifically need the form factor of the Surface Pro just get a normal laptop. Even for a drawing tablet most people will be better off with an iPad.

  • drillvoice on 30/01/2022 - 13:08

    Any thoughts on my situation: I have a MacBook air m1 from 2021 and I'm thinking of going to Dell xps. Mainly for the os,l. I would sell my Air and also could salary sacrifice the XPS. Any thoughts on how they compare and whether it's worth it?

    • Techie4066 on 31/01/2022 - 16:37

      Why would you switch?? Software compatibility?

    • jm03 on 11/02/2022 - 07:47

      See my post below.

      I have the XPS 13 9305 and it's great.

      Build quality is high.

      I would say that it's the Windows equivalent of a MacBook Air…

      I'm curious: why do you want to switch?

  • jollster101 on 30/01/2022 - 16:43

    Been thinking a little more on this and look to be leaning towards an XPS (and potentially a refurb unit). It's a basic thing but I really like the touch screen functionality that I have with the SP4. If I was to go with a refurb there are a couple of 10th Gen i5 units that provide touch functionality but they only have 8GB RAM……..I would ideally like 16GB.

    Anyone out there with an XPS 7390 know if the RAM can be upgraded to 16GB?

    Cheers

    • jollster101 on 31/01/2022 - 11:05

      Soldered ram so it's 16gb as the base or deal with 8 for this model. Oh well.

  • jm03 on 11/02/2022 - 07:43

    Hey mate,

    I have the Dell XPS 13 9305 which I bought from The Good Guys On 1st Jan for $1425 with their 20% off boxing Day sale.

    It's a great laptop.

    Everything is great about it except I'm not impressed with the battery life.

    It's definitely not "all day" battery life.

    You might get 5 hours out of it…

    Otherwise it's a great laptop.

    • John
    • jollster101 on 11/02/2022 - 08:48

      Thanks for the info. I managed to get a 9310 refurb unit for $1239 including shipping, W11 and a 2 year warranty that they were throwing in. Pretty happy with that and it should be a good step up from my Surface Pro 4 (which has been a trusty device I have to say). Hopefully the XPS will be here in a few days.

      *Intel Core 11th Generation i7-1165G7 Processor (Quad Core, Up to 4.70GHz, 12MB Cache)
      *16GB 4267MHz Dual Channel LPDDR4x Memory
      *512GB PCIe NVMe x4 Solid State Drive
      *Windows 11
      *Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.1
      *13.4 inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 WLED Touch Display
      *Intel Iris XE Graphics
      *45 Watt E5 Type-C AC Adapter
      *4-Cell, 51 WHr Battery
      *US International Backlit Black Keyboard
      *Integrated RGB IR HD Camera and Microphone

      • jm03 on 13/02/2022 - 08:37
        +1

        Wow that's a fantastic price!!

        Well done, man!

        Did you buy direct from Dell?

        • jollster101 on 13/02/2022 - 21:34
          +1

          From the Dell outlet / refurb store that witsa put me onto.

          • jm03 on 19/02/2022 - 05:58

            @jollster101: Could you please post the details of that store?

            I would be interested…

            • jollster101 on 19/02/2022 - 06:52

              @jm03: The main Dell outlet store is https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet

              Specifically for laptops you need this link https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet/shop/laptops-tablets

              Then use the filter to refine your choice further.

              I received my XPS 3 days after ordering and love it. Not a mark on it so presume it was a hardware issue that was repaired.

              • jm03 on 19/02/2022 - 08:47

                @jollster101: Thanks for that.

                I had a look and they have some good prices there.

                I'm glad you're loving your XPS.

                Are you having any issues with the battery life?

                The battery life on my XPS 13 9305 is not so great and I've been troubleshooting it with Dell Support…

                • jollster101 on 19/02/2022 - 09:46

                  @jm03: I haven't actually timed how long I get from a full charge (or even know what they advertise from a full charge off I'm honest).

                  How long are you supposed to get with standard use?

                  • Fairmont on 19/02/2022 - 11:58

                    @jollster101: What did the the laptop come with? Did the 2in1 come with a pen?

                    • jollster101 on 19/02/2022 - 14:08

                      @Fairmont: Laptop, power supply and a little usb-c dongle that has a single USB A and HDMI port on it

                      No pen but then I didn't need or look for one when I purchased.

                      W11 and 2 year in home warranty thrown in was nice though.

                  • jm03 on 19/02/2022 - 15:41
                    +1

                    @jollster101: They advertise a 12 hour battery life for the Core i5 model…

                    Which, I would assume, would equate to around 7 to 8 hours for the Core i7 model…

                    There are some test conditions listed on their website where it mentions the battery life with a "*" next to it.

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