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Differences between Dell lines of laptops

S

skaertus

Senior member
I would like to know the differences between the different brands of Dell laptops.

I know that the Inspiron line is designed for residential use, cost-benefit, everyday laptops for consumers. The XPS line is the premium multimedia consumer brand. Vostro is made with small businesses in mind. And Latitude is designed towards corporate use. That I can understand. I can also understand the pricing differences between the models, and also the differences in specifications.

But I would like to know what specific differences are between these lines of laptops, in terms of small details that sometimes can only be perceived by using them. I found some threads on this and other fora and the answers I found were of no help for me: they were generic, stating that the XPS has a better build quality than Inspiron, for instance, but that doesn’t say much to me. I’m still confused on what exactly are the differences among these lines of laptops. I’ve seen Inspiron laptops at stores and Vostro laptops at meeting rooms, and I can tell they are different; the keyboards, touchpads and screens felt different. That’s the kind of difference I am looking for: details.

I would like to know which are the specific differences among these lines of laptops in terms of display (TN/IPS panel; brightness; viewing angles; color gamut; matte/glossy); keyboard (key travel; tactile feedback; position and size of keys; backlit or not); touchpad (size; quality; sensitiveness; multi-touch support); audio (quality; loudness); ports (number of ports; USB 2.0/3.0; HDMI); build quality (studiness; materials; design; ergonomics); battery life; webcam; and so on.

Can someone help me? What are your impressions?
 
I see inspiron as budget and XPS as the higher newer performance models and Latitude as business and vostro as budget business.


You can read about most of it here

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/solutions/en/which_notebook?c=us&l=en

Inspiron vs. XPS Inspiron laptops are designed to deliver an outstanding computing experience with exceptional reliability – offering performance and design at an affordable price. XPS laptops are built around the latest in high performance technologies and offer expanded services with an unrelenting focus on innovation, design, extreme gaming and exhilarating entertainment. XPS is the pinnacle of Dell technology, design and innovation.

XPS vs. LatitudeTM While XPS laptops offer the latest technology, the Latitude line is Network-optimized for businesses with more than 10 employees and designed to allow for managed transitions and a low total cost of ownership. Latitude is perfect for a large networked environment, long-term stability and business-class computing.

XPS vs. Dell PrecisionTM Dell Precision workstations are certified to run a variety of workstation-class applications and are optimized for the high performance requirements and processing demands necessary for many engineering, finance, software development, digital content creation, digital video editing and GIS applications.
 
The things you are wanting to know will not be consistent across lines.

For example, every Vostro doesn't have the same amount of key travel, and it may or may not be the same as a Latitude model.

The general differences between the lines is features and build quality.
 
DaveSimmons said:
Out of curiosity, and since you're asking us to do some work: why do you want to know? What are you trying to accomplish?
Click to expand...

Let me explain. Actually, I live in Brazil and laptops are insanely expensive here (I'll give you an example: a Lenovo Yoga, which costs US$ 999 in the U.S., runs for US$ 4,500 here in Brazil). One of the most affordable brands, though, and which does not rip off consumers so much, is Dell.

Although I've seen some Dell laptops in person, most of them are only available through the online store, and I won't get a chance to see any of them should I decide to buy one. I can understand the differences between the brands, but I am not able to test these laptops in person.

I've seen some Inspiron laptops in a store, and the Vostros that I've used (not the current version, though) felt different. The screen of the Vostros seemed to be matte, while the Ispirons had glossy screens. The keyboard of the Vostro seemed to have more tactile feedback than the one found in the Inspiron. These were differences I could tell. The descriptions of the lines (Vostros are meant for small businesses; Inspirons are made for consumers) tell nothing about those differences, although I found them to be relevant.

That said, I'm not asking you to compare all these laptops in detail. I'm just asking for your real world impressions. Perhaps you've seen and used these laptops, or even own one or two of them. So, I would like to know your impressions on the differeces between these lines; real world differences, details that called your attention when you were using the laptops.
 
Phynaz said:
The things you are wanting to know will not be consistent across lines.

For example, every Vostro doesn't have the same amount of key travel, and it may or may not be the same as a Latitude model.

The general differences between the lines is features and build quality.
Click to expand...

So, it means that my confusion on Dell's branding has some grounding? I can easily tell the difference among Sony Vaio lines of laptops, but I just don't see Dell laptops as being too much different from each other. They have similar configurations, similar screen sizes and resolutions...
 
Sorry to go a little off topic, but do you have the ability to buy a Lenovo? I think they hold up the best, but Dell is a close second.
 
ketchup79 said:
Sorry to go a little off topic, but do you have the ability to buy a Lenovo? I think they hold up the best, but Dell is a close second.
Click to expand...

Lenovo's offerings here in Brazil are very limited, and a rip-off. A ThinkPad Carbon X1 costs US$ 3,500. For this very same price, I can buy a 13-inch retina MacBook Pro. Not worth it.
 
skaertus said:
Lenovo's offerings here in Brazil are very limited, and a rip-off. A ThinkPad Carbon X1 costs US$ 3,500. For this very same price, I can buy a 13-inch retina MacBook Pro. Not worth it.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Have you looked at reviews, such as those by Anandtech? They use programs that will tell you the brightness of the screen in specific numbers, not just somebody out there saying 'this is good.'

I think a lot of answers to your question will come about with you telling us what the computer will be exposed to while you have it. Will it be exposed to lots of heat? lots of movement? Lots of battery use?

Laptops have come a long way over the years. Even Dell's Inspiron should last a while, as long as you take care of it. (This information comes from the experience of others. It has been about 10 years since I owned a Dell laptop.)
 
ketchup79 said:
Gotcha. Have you looked at reviews, such as those by Anandtech? They use programs that will tell you the brightness of the screen in specific numbers, not just somebody out there saying 'this is good.'

I think a lot of answers to your question will come about with you telling us what the computer will be exposed to while you have it. Will it be exposed to lots of heat? lots of movement? Lots of battery use?

Laptops have come a long way over the years. Even Dell's Inspiron should last a while, as long as you take care of it. (This information comes from the experience of others. It has been about 10 years since I owned a Dell laptop.)
Click to expand...

The laptop will definitely be exposed to some heat; I live in Brazil, and it's quite hot here, especially during the Summer.

Lots of movement also; I will carry it with me all day, and I expect it to be sturdy.

And lots of battery use too. I expect the battery to last a whole day of intense work, and my work days usually exceed 8 hours...
 
your best bet, take a vacation to US ands buy one locally to bring back**** probably cheaper too and u get to visit us 🙂
 
fire400 said:
hp elitebooks are better than dell's business line, personally.

but lenovo is clearly at the top.
Click to expand...

All HP Elitebooks here in Brazil are still using Sandy Bridge processors. HP is not worth buying here as well... they don't update products as much as they could.
 
ketchup79 said:
Agreed, it would be worth it, You would also be able to physically see and use before you buy
Click to expand...

The last time I was in the U.S., I went to a BestBuy store and I was really disappointed at the offerings. All laptops were cheap and crappy, and I couldn't find any one that could fit my needs (except for Macs). Is there some chain of large electronics retail stores that actually sells premium and higher-end machines?
 
skaertus said:
The last time I was in the U.S., I went to a BestBuy store and I was really disappointed at the offerings. All laptops were cheap and crappy, and I couldn't find any one that could fit my needs (except for Macs). Is there some chain of large electronics retail stores that actually sells premium and higher-end machines?
Click to expand...

Where in the US? There is a Tiger Direct outlet about an hour from here. Huge selection, from $400 base IBM models to $2,000 Think Pads, right there in the store.
 
ketchup79 said:
Where in the US? There is a Tiger Direct outlet about an hour from here. Huge selection, from $400 base IBM models to $2,000 Think Pads, right there in the store.
Click to expand...

I was in San Diego. My next trip, though, will probably be to New York next year (June or July). I hope Haswell gets released until then.
 
Maybe... Supposedly, leaks are pointing to Q2 (March-June, so most likely June) but you never know when something's going to be delayed, say until August when back to school shopping starts. Make sure to hit a Microsoft store as they seem to have a wider variety of laptops and higher quality too. Other option would be to order on ebay.
 
ther00kie16 said:
Maybe... Supposedly, leaks are pointing to Q2 (March-June, so most likely June) but you never know when something's going to be delayed, say until August when back to school shopping starts. Make sure to hit a Microsoft store as they seem to have a wider variety of laptops and higher quality too. Other option would be to order on ebay.
Click to expand...

I've been to a Microsoft Store, but I found there were not too many options. the Acer Aspire S7 was there, but I found it underwhelming (the screen was not as good as advertised, and then I learned it is indeed a TN screen and not IPS; and the keyboard did not provide enough key travel).

I hope these leaks are right. I've heard rumors that Intel would release ULV Haswell processors only in Q3 2013...
 
If you are going to use it for work, then go with latitude ... they are durable and built sturdy. They come with a discrete video card. If your a gamer get an XPS... nice monitor high end graphics card with nice monitor. If your somewhere in between then probably a Studio. The line is a mix with some having better screens ... some have GPU cards , some dont.
 
skaertus said:
I would like to know the differences between the different brands of Dell laptops.

I know that the Inspiron line is designed for residential use, cost-benefit, everyday laptops for consumers. The XPS line is the premium multimedia consumer brand. Vostro is made with small businesses in mind. And Latitude is designed towards corporate use. That I can understand. I can also understand the pricing differences between the models, and also the differences in specifications.

But I would like to know what specific differences are between these lines of laptops, in terms of small details that sometimes can only be perceived by using them. I found some threads on this and other fora and the answers I found were of no help for me: they were generic, stating that the XPS has a better build quality than Inspiron, for instance, but that doesn’t say much to me. I’m still confused on what exactly are the differences among these lines of laptops. I’ve seen Inspiron laptops at stores and Vostro laptops at meeting rooms, and I can tell they are different; the keyboards, touchpads and screens felt different. That’s the kind of difference I am looking for: details.

I would like to know which are the specific differences among these lines of laptops in terms of display (TN/IPS panel; brightness; viewing angles; color gamut; matte/glossy); keyboard (key travel; tactile feedback; position and size of keys; backlit or not); touchpad (size; quality; sensitiveness; multi-touch support); audio (quality; loudness); ports (number of ports; USB 2.0/3.0; HDMI); build quality (studiness; materials; design; ergonomics); battery life; webcam; and so on.

Can someone help me? What are your impressions?
Click to expand...
You can directly contact Dell at the toll-free number
+44-800-046-5288
or you can visit there website Dell Support Number. They will clear all your queries and are available 24x7 to help you out.
 
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