Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Review & Owner's Thread

[ColPanic!]

Anyone got a suggestion on how to clean the palm area of this laptop?

I use a DRY microfiber cloth that is for drying cars. They are big and a tad bit more coarse than ones sold for electronics. Of course there is no danger of scratching but I find that these do very well for getting residue off the palm rest. They do get dirty and will need replacing but they are cheap.

[tmphelan]

I bought the XPS13 the first day of release through my Dell business rep. We have two very active Dell business accounts so I thought that I would get fairly high priority when/if it came time for service. I purchased the highest level of service agreement including accident coverage (thank goodness).
My XPS13 was in a Timbuk2 bag in an airplane overhead and someone must have had an open container of water in the overhead because my bag and laptop were soaked at the end of the flight. I thought the Timbuk2 would have protected from water but it didn't. When I opened the laptop it had water on the screen and keyboard. I did not turn it on until it had air dried for about 30 hours. When I did power it up the screen was clearly damaged.
Our IT director called Dell Support assuming that I could get "onsite" service while travelling. That's when we found out that "accidental coverage" requires shipping the laptop to Dell. I had to wait until I arrived back at the office 5 days later to receive the shipping box and ship it off. It was shipped on 7/23/12. It is now 8/8/12 and no one can tell me when I will receive my repaired computer back. At first the status said they were "waiting for a part". About 10 days later it said "part has arrived and it is being repaired" and "should ship back on 8/2".
I have tried all avenues including hours on the phone with support staff (clearly in India) with 2 different people promising to call me back within 24 hours. Neither called. I did gather from those conversations that first they ordered the LCD screen and it was backordered. When it arrived, 10 days later, they decided to order the "hinge". It was also backordered and they are still waiting for it. I asked if screen replacement always requires a hinge replacement. "Yes." I asked why they didn't order the hinge in the first place. "I cannot tell you that."
I have called and emailed my Dell rep and his manager with no luck: "Unfortunately we just cannot make that part arrive any sooner." He actually told me that the XPS13 is "not a business machine" and "if you had a Latitude I could get it repaired a lot sooner for you." I reminded him that Dell is certainly pushing the XPS13 to businesses and he said, "Well, don't get me wrong, it is a good machine and can be used for business but the parts are all backordered."
I have posted used Twitter and Facebook to "message" Dell as Bill_Dell suggested on this forum. I did receive two messages from the Facebook message and that person promised that she had "expedited" it but she said there is nothing she can do to get the part either.
I love(ed) my XPS13 and was using it as my sole computer for business and home use. I fing this level of support, especially for a Dell business user to be outrageous and very disappointing.
Lastly, I am still travelling and have ben without a computer for almost 3 weeks. I am writing this post on a colleagues MacBook Pro. Ironic.

[KJSTech]

Malware could be the issue. I would not expect a hardware problem to hit 2 machines at the same time, but software or malware is fairly common.

Are you running the factory build?

Yes, factory build. We did the Windows Anytime upgrade to make it Windows 7 Professional so it could join the domain.

I doubt its malware. They are both very smart executives and the machines run anti-virus, not to mention we have a web filter and e-mail filter that also scans anything going in and out.

The AV console has not alerted us to anything. We also contract a 3rd party (Dell Secureworks) and any time there is any type of malware trying to make an outbound connection, we are alerted immediately.

[Sam_A_1992]

@tmphelan, thats unlucky your laptop got soaked. And the service you recieved obviously hasnt been top notch. But i guess thats just how it goes as the sevice ive recieved before has been excellent. Yeah quite ironic where your typing this from. Good luck anyway in getting your fixed laptop back

[ingeniumed]

So is it still worth buying this notebook given the release of ivy bridge, zenbook prime style high res screens?

[lazy bum]

there are rumors of an XPS 13 refresh in the next few months that will likely add ivy bridge and an improved screen. I'm currently waiting for that refresh or for the big xps 15 problems to be resolved and its price to come down.

[eggy]

I am now officially furious about my laptop purchase....

The WiFi connection is absolute garbage. EVERY OTHER COMPUTER I HAVE OWNED IN THE PAST 6 YEARS has not had a problem connecting on the second floor of my house, except this one.

That's right, my brand shiny new computer connects worse than any other wireless device I have ever owned... and that includes my apple TV, my POS HP touchpad, etc. etc.

Seriously, how is this even fair to release? Will I be able to get a replacement when the refresh comes out???

[Sam_A_1992]

Seriously, how is this even fair to release? Will I be able to get a replacement when the refresh comes out???

If there is a problem with your wifi card ring dell, it could just be faulty and a replacement card could solve it. Or if it works and your just unhappy with the range, then you will not be given a refresh unless the whole machine needs replacing. You may be able to get a refund if your just unhappy with it. But the only thing dell will do is replace the wireless card or give you a refund.

[alphadog00]

@eggy

I use mine for business and connect to numerous wifi hotspots... no issues with wifi for me.

[eggy]

If there is a problem with your wifi card ring dell, it could just be faulty and a replacement card could solve it. Or if it works and your just unhappy with the range, then you will not be given a refresh unless the whole machine needs replacing. You may be able to get a refund if your just unhappy with it. But the only thing dell will do is replace the wireless card or give you a refund.

Here's the problem... Wifi works. but the range is really, really, REALLY bad. I'm talking bad to the point where anyone would agree that this is a horrible design flaw that has hindered performance and would not be acceptable on any other kind of device. I will look into having the wireless card replaced, though I doubt that will help because it does work.

Hopefully Dell will just refund my money if this persists...

@eggy

I use mine for business and connect to numerous wifi hotspots... no issues with wifi for me.

Again, it's not so much a problem with the wifi not connecting, but rather the very poor range when any type of obstacle is present. I sit in the room adjacent to where my router sits, and then up one floor, and my connection is intermittent at best. What the fudge...