Comparison: 2022 MacBook Air versus Dell XPS 13 Plus

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware
Apple's updated MacBook Air is a compact powerhouse of a notebook, and Dell's XPS 13 Plus tailors to the same market segment. Here's how the two notebooks stand in our hands on side-by-side comparison.

Apple's MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right)
Apple's MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right)


The M2 MacBook Air, packing Apple's latest Apple Silicon chip and overhauled with various new features, is arguably one of the best value notebooks you can buy. Combining a slim profile with performance, it is an attractive combination.



Naturally, this is territory that many notebook producers also try to occupy with their products. In the case of Dell, its XPS 13 Plus is a notebook that directly competes against the MacBook Air.




Dell XPS 13 Plus vs 2022 MacBook Air - Specifications

SpecificationsMacBook Air (2022, M2)Dell XPS 13 Plus
Starting Price$1,199
Best M2 MacBook Air prices
$1,299
On sale at Dell
Dimensions (inches)11.97 x 8.46 x 0.4411.63 x 7.84 x 0.60
Weight (pounds)2.72.71 (FHD and 4K+),
2.77 (OLED)
Display13.6-inch Liquid Retina,
Wide Color (P3),
True Tone
13.4-inch InfinityEdge,
Non-Touch or Touch options,
LCD or OLED options
Resolution2,560 x 1,6641,920 x 1,200,
3,456 x 2,160,
3,840 x 2,400
Brightness500 nits400 nits (OLED),
500 nits (LCD)
ProcessorApple M212th-gen Intel Core i5-1240P 12-core 4.4GHz,
12th-gen Intel Core i7-1260P 12-core 4.7GHz,
12th-gen Intel Core i7-1280P 14-core 4.8GHz
Graphics8-core GPU,
10-core GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory8GB,
16GB,
24GB
8GB LPDDR5 5200,
16GB LPDDR5 5200,
32GB LPDDR5 5200,
Storage256GB,
512GB,
1TB,
2TB
512GB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD,
1TB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD,
2TB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
Battery52.6Wh lithium-polymer,
Up to 15 hours web, 18 hours video
55Wh integrated,
Up to 7 hours of Netflix streaming
Networking802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6,
Bluetooth 5.2
BiometricsTouch IDFingerprint Reader,
Windows Hello
Camera1080p FaceTime HD720p HD, 400p IR
AudioFour-speaker sound system,
Three-mic array with directional beamforming,
Headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support,
Dolby Atmos support with Spatial Audio
Dual stereo speakers (tweeter and woofer),
Dual array microphones
PortsTwo Thunderbolt/USB 4,
3.5mm headphone,
MagSafe 3
Two Thunderbolt 4

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Physical Design

Like Apple does with the MacBook Air, Dell refers to its XPS 13 Plus as having a "lightweight design." Like Apple, Dell uses an aluminum outer enclosure for its notebook, which lends itself both to the weight and a premium finish.

Indeed, a closer inspection of the closed XPS 13 Plus offers many similarities with Apple's hardware.

While the MacBook Air has moved away from a taper to a more uniform thickness, Dell tries to fake a taper with its own enclosure. The sides start out thicker at the rear, with the edge narrowing towards the front to give the appearance of a taper, but really it is decoration for the edge.

Apple's MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right)
Apple's MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right)


The two are very similarly sized, with the MacBook Air having a footprint of 11.97 inches by 8.46 inches, while the Dell is smaller at 11.63 inches by 7.84 inches. Though Dell wins with a smaller footprint, it does lose out on thickness at 0.6 inches to the MacBook Air's 0.44 inches.

The weight is an oddity, as the configuration options for the Dell can slightly change its mass. The non-OLED version has a starting weight of 2.71 pounds, but going for OLED brings it up to 2.77 pounds.

The MacBook Air is referred to as 2.7 pounds, regardless of configuration. Really, this makes the two notebooks quite similar in weight overall, give or take a small number of ounces.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Display

Both notebooks have a display that's considered to be roughly 13 inches in size. Apple's is slightly larger at 13.6 to Dell's 13.4, but there are a lot more differences to consider.

Apple uses a Liquid Retina display, an LED-backlit screen offering Wide Color (P3) support and True Tone. At 60Hz and 500 nits, it's acceptable in terms of brightness, and its 2,560-by-1,664 display is more than enough for most people, even taking into account the space consumed by the notch.

For the XPS 13 Plus, Dell offers users a choice of four different monitors to go with their notebook. Not all options are available in all configurations, but they exist for most of them.

Apple's MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right) display differences
Apple's MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right) display differences


At the low-end is an FHD+ InfinityEdge display with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,200, a 60Hz refresh rate, a 500-nit brightness, and anti-glare coating. The impressive element is the extremely thin bezel on all sides, even the top edge that fits in a webcam without resorting to a notch.

It has a contrast ratio of 1,500:1, as well as 100^ sRGB coverage and 90% of DCI3 P3.

The next display up is the same specification as the previous display, except it is touch-enabled.

The third is an OLED version with a 3.5K resolution of 3,456 by 2,160, an anti-reflect coating, and touch support. It does have the lowest brightness of the group at 400 nits, but a great 100,000:1 contrast ratio.

Lastly, if resolution is life, the UHD+ display has a high resolution of 3,840 by 2,400, touch support, an anti-reflect coating, and 500 nits of brightness.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Performance

Apple's update to the M2 chip reads a lot like the M1 in general specifications, a chip that has previously proven its worth against its notebook-bound rivals.

The M2 uses an 8-core CPU divided evenly between performance and efficiency cores, along with a 16-core Neural Engine, 100GB/s of memory bandwidth, and a new addition of the Media Engine for video encoding and decoding.

It's supported by either 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB of Unified Memory, which assists not only the CPU, but also the graphical elements of the system.

Dell offers a choice of three processors in its XPS 13 Plus. All of them are 12th-gen Intel chips.

The lowest is the Core i5-1240P, which has 12 cores split into 4 performance and 8 efficiency cores, 16 threads, 12MB of cache, and a clock speed of up to 4.4Ghz.

The mid-range is the Core i7-1260P, which again has 12 cores in the same configuration, 18MB of cache, and a clock speed of up to 4.7Ghz.

At the top end is the Core i7-1280P, which has 14 cores with 6 performance and 8 efficiency cores, 20 total threads, 24MB of cache, and a max clock speed of 4.8GHz.

Geekbench 5 results
Geekbench 5 results


In our testing of both entry-level machines, the M2 in the MacBook Air bested the Intel silicon in the Dell. The M2 MacBook Air scored 1898 and 8941 on the single and multi-core tests respectively while the Intel Core i5-1240P scored 1336 and 6615.

Each of the machines performed great, making these highly-portable laptops surprisingly capable. We tried playing a few rounds in Civ VI, browsing online, and most tasks felt identical between the two, though load times were just a bit ahead on the MacBook Air.

Results for Dell notebooks equipped with the i7-1260P show results around 1,700 for single-core, and over 9,100 for the multi-core.

Searches for Dell XPS models using the Core i7-1280P in GeekBench's browser brings up single-core scores of around 1,700 again, but the multi-core is around 10,500.

At the high end, the Dell certainly takes the lead for multi-core tasks.

Memory consists of LPDDR5 5,200MHz dual-channel options, starting at 8GB with 16GB and 32GB alternates available.

As an extra wrinkle, there is a difference in thermal management. The MacBook Air doesn't have any incorporated fans, so it relies on heat dissipating through its aluminum body, which means it could hit thermal throttling faster than an actively-cooled notebook.

Dell has been working on the fans in the model, increasing the airflow of its dual-fan system without impacting noise levels. In theory, the Dell should be less affected by longer, more involved workloads, but that shouldn't really be a factor for the real world's lower intensity and shorter single-core workloads.

Even though the fans did kick in during benchmarks, they weren't overly noticeable. They did, however, stumble in properly cooling the machine. In high-performance mode, it reached nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the bottom while our MacBook Air was only about 85 degrees at its hottest.

On the graphical side, the MacBook Air is offered with 8 GPU cores in the base edition, with an option to go for 10 if required.

Dell uses Intel Iris Xe Graphics, which refers to the integrated graphics built into Intel's chips. It scored a 13743 on the OpenCL Geekbench 5 graphics test.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Connectivity

Apple is known for having a rather minimalist approach when it comes to ports on devices. It started to shift away from that viewpoint with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro releases, and it somewhat continued with the MacBook Air.

The M2 MacBook Air has a pair of Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, which will be familiar to long-term MacBook Air users. There's also the 3.5mm headphone jack complete with support for high-impedance headphones, which is similarly typical.

For the new addition, Apple added MagSafe 3, allowing users to charge their MacBook without sacrificing one of the two only Thunderbolt ports on the device.

Dell didn't get the memo about increasing connectivity, so it has the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and that's it. They can be used with Power Delivery for charging, and for DisplayPort output, as well as USB connectivity, but that's your lot.

There's not even a headphone jack, so you're stuck with Bluetooth headphones or using an appropriately equipped dongle or dock.

On the wireless side, both notebooks use Wi-Fi 6 for networking, with the Dell using Intel's Killer-branded 2x2 wireless card.

Bluetooth 5 is still the main one used by Apple in its notebooks. Dell opts for Bluetooth 5.2, which is helpful so long as you have the accessories that use it.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Battery Life

The MacBook Air houses a 52.6Wh lithium-polymer battery, meanwhile Dell says it has a 55Wh integrated battery in its notebook.

However, battery size isn't as important as how you use it.

According to Apple, the MacBook Air can manage up to 15 hours of web access, or 18 hours of video played from the Apple TV app.

Despite being bigger, Dell says its XPS 13 Plus manages up to 7 hours of Netflix video streaming, which is similar to the Apple TV app test of Apple's.

While usually there is a difference in opinion when it comes to testing out battery life, the reasoning seems to be quite equal in this case. Of course, everyday usage will result in variances from the observed battery lives, but it does seem to be a clear win for Apple in that regard.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Keyboards and Trackpads

Apple uses a backlit Magic Keyboard, which offers 12 full-heigh function keys, as well as a Touch ID sensor,

MacBook Air keyboard
MacBook Air keyboard


Dell uses a backlit keyboard with an incorporated fingerprint reader, practically equalling Apple at face value. Dell also goes for a "Zero-lattice" keyboard with large and deep keycaps that are "touch-friendly."

Touch-sensitive function row
Touch-sensitive function row


However, it uses a capacitive touch function row above the keyboard, providing media shortcuts along with function key access. Rather than a display, like Apple's disappearing Touch Bar, Dell uses backlighting to alternate between symbols.

As for the trackpad, Apple uses its Force Touch version that supports Force clicks, pressure-sensitive drawing, and multi-touch gestures.

Dell's flat keyboard
Dell's flat keyboard


Dell has a "seamless glass trackpad" that blends in with the rest of the wrist rest. It's roughly in line with the space bar, so in the same sort of region as the Apple version.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Storage

Apple offers the MacBook Air in a choice of four capacities, covering 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.

Dell's XPS 13 Plus starts off with a 512GB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD, with options for a 1TB or 2TB version.

However, unlike Apple, Dell does allow for the drive to be changed. Support documents detail how to access and switch out the solid-state drive for another, so it could be upgraded down the line.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Camera and Biometrics

The camera in the M2 MacBook Air is an updated version, with the 2022 edition using a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Up from a 720p sensor in the previous iteration, the webcam is also supported by the M2's Advanced Image Signal Processor to make the image as perfect as possible.

Camera comparison
Camera test comparison


Dell uses a 720p HD webcam, which is a lower resolution than the M2 MacBook Air. However, it does also have a 400p infrared capability, which enables it to be used with Windows Hello, a biometric security system.

Apple has yet to include a TrueDepth camera array in a MacBook Pro or Air, despite using a notch in the display, so Face ID isn't an option at this time.

Both systems do offer another form of biometric security: fingerprints. The MacBook Air uses Touch ID on the keyboard, while a fingerprint reader in the Dell performs a similar function.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Audio and Microphones

On audio output, the MacBook Air has a four-speaker sound system, along with a headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support. There's also Dolby Atmos support with Spatial Audio.

Dell refers to its audio as "dual stereo speakers" with both tweeters and woofers. Two speakers are up-firing tweeters, while the other two are down-firing woofers.

Using the MacBook Air
Using the audio back in


To get audio back in, Dell employs dual-array microphones. Apple uses a three-mic array with directional beamforming.

Dell XPS 13 Plus vs M2 MacBook Air - Pricing

The M2 MacBook Air starts from $1,199 with the 8-core GPU, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. Going to the 10-core GPU is an extra $100.

Going for 16GB of memory costs $200 more, while 24GB is a further $200 again.

Moving from 256GB of storage to 512GB is $200 extra, another $200 from 512GB to 1TB, and a further $400 from 1TB to 2TB.

The most expensive MacBook Air, with the 10-core GPU, 24GB of memory, and 2TB of storage, costs $2,499 ($150 off with this activation link and promo code APINSIDER at Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama.

Dell's XPS 13 Plus starts with the Core i5, 8GB of memory, 512GB SSD, non-touch FHD+ screen for $1,299. Going for the Core i7-1260P, which also boosts the memory to 16GB, costs $1,549.

The top Core i7 chip, again with the 16GB memory increase, costs $1,699 (buy at Dell).

Increasing the storage from 512Gb to 1TB is $100 across the board, and $200 from 1TB to 2TB. Upgrading the memory from 8GB to 16GB is $100, but while it's $150 to go from 16GB to 32GB, you cannot get the Core i5 with 32GB of memory.

Going from the lowest-resolution display to the touch-enabled version costs an extra $100. Going from the base display to the 3.5K OLED is $300 more, with the upgrade to the UHD+ variant the same cost.

The highest-priced configuration with the Core i7-1280P processor, 32GB of memory, 2TB of storage, and the OLED screen, costs $2,399.

Not quite a MacBook Air

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a decent Windows notebook in its own right. That certainly cannot be taken away from it at all.

However, the general closeness of the Dell XPS 13 Plus to the appearance and operation of the MacBook Air does distract quite a bit.

Typing on the Dell XPS 13 Plus
Typing on the Dell XPS 13 Plus


If Dell is trying to make the XPS 13 Plus the equal to the MacBook Air, it's not quite met the brief.

The severely limited port selection is a problem historically felt by Apple, but here, Dell is the culprit. Sure, Apple's extra ports amount to a power connection so you don't waste one of the two Thunderbolt ports, but even Apple continues to embrace the headphone jack in its hardware.

As for performance, while the Intel chips can offer high performance, partly aided by active cooling, Apple's extensive push to save on power usage gives it a considerable lead on battery life.

There's no point to having all that performance only to not have the power to run it for an entire working day.

As a Windows notebook, the Dell XPS 13 is commendable, and a good choice for its potential users. But it isn't a MacBook Air, no matter how hard Dell tries.

Where to buy

Apple's M2 MacBook Air is currently on sale, with discounts of up to $150 off the systems and even bonus AppleCare savings.

The best M2 MacBook deals can be found in our 2022 MacBook Air Price Guide.

Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 13 Plus starts at $1,299 and can be configured with up to 32GB of memory and up to 2TB of storage.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    Wow, actual side by side photos of the devices. That’s pretty rare.

    Can you also compare the fronts?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 18
    Informative article. If your in the Apple ecosystem already it is a no brained what you will bug.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 18
    jwdawsojwdawso Posts: 389member
    This is not a review, but rather a paid advertisement. There is no assessment whatsoever. How do the keyboards feel when typing? The trackpads? How do the speakers compare listening wise? How do the displays look? The “AppleInsider” brand is being milked. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 18
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    jwdawso said:
    This is not a review, but rather a paid advertisement. There is no assessment whatsoever. How do the keyboards feel when typing? The trackpads? How do the speakers compare listening wise? How do the displays look? The “AppleInsider” brand is being milked. 
    Yup. It is not a review. It's a comparison. Very popular and much requested type of article here AI, and fortunately, they don't take a lot of work-hours for them to do.

    Whether something is "review" these days is a very good question, even for the formally named "review" articles. There aren't any in-depth evaluations, from a customer perspective, from reviews these days.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 18
    Battery life alone shows Apple M2 is superior in technology. 
    jony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 18
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    As an extra wrinkle, there is a difference in thermal management. The MacBook Air doesn't have any incorporated fans, so it relies on heat dissipating through its aluminum body, which means it could hit thermal throttling faster than an actively-cooled notebook. 

    Dell has been working on the fans in the model, increasing the airflow of its dual-fan system without impacting noise levels. In theory, the Dell should be less affected by longer, more involved workloads, but that shouldn't really be a factor for the real world's lower intensity and shorter single-core workloads. 
    x86 laptops use performance modes. The ultra/high performance mode will trade increased noise and heat and less runtime (only having 3, 4, 5 hours runtime) for more performance. There is still some throttling with the XPS 13 Plus in this mode, and it throttles about 10%, and throttles just as fast as the passive MBA. Gets hot. Surface temperatures will get to 120 °F in this mode. Would like someone to double check notebookcheck.com's idle temp measurements though. Seems hotter on the XPS 13 Plus than it should be.

    There is an optimized mode or a balanced mode. This will throttle performance like 30 to 50%. You get less performance a cooler running laptop with it. Then, there will be a quiet mode where the fans are mostly off or idle, but performance is throttled a lot, more than 50%. Not sure about temps.

    Performance between Apple Silicon and x86 is essentially at parity in ultrabooks, and Apple's Macbook Pro 14 & 16 are ultrabooks, or are perhaps a tier above it. The big difference is Apple will have longer runtimes, quieter machines, and cooler to the touch machines. There isn't a way out of the box for the XPS 13 Plus and other ultrabooks. An Alder Lake can turbo up to 60 to 70 Watts in an ultrabook form factor, and that achieves performance parity with the M2 CPU running at 20 Watts. That means either less runtime for the same performance at higher noise and heat levels, or less performance for near the same runtime.
    muthuk_vanalingamrezwitswatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 18
    jwdawsojwdawso Posts: 389member
    tht said:
    jwdawso said:
    This is not a review, but rather a paid advertisement. There is no assessment whatsoever. How do the keyboards feel when typing? The trackpads? How do the speakers compare listening wise? How do the displays look? The “AppleInsider” brand is being milked. 
    Yup. It is not a review. It's a comparison. Very popular and much requested type of article here AI, and fortunately, they don't take a lot of work-hours for them to do.

    Whether something is "review" these days is a very good question, even for the formally named "review" articles. There aren't any in-depth evaluations, from a customer perspective, from reviews these days.
    You are right - it’s a comparison, not a review. It is still a paid advertisement. BTW - a comparison doesn’t mean just comparing the spec sheets. The speaker sound can also be compared. The screen quality can also be compared. The track pad feel can also be compared. Etc, etc.  AI is just hurting its brand by accepting advertisements like these. Disappointing. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 8 of 18
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    jwdawso said:
    tht said:
    jwdawso said:
    This is not a review, but rather a paid advertisement. There is no assessment whatsoever. How do the keyboards feel when typing? The trackpads? How do the speakers compare listening wise? How do the displays look? The “AppleInsider” brand is being milked. 
    Yup. It is not a review. It's a comparison. Very popular and much requested type of article here AI, and fortunately, they don't take a lot of work-hours for them to do.

    Whether something is "review" these days is a very good question, even for the formally named "review" articles. There aren't any in-depth evaluations, from a customer perspective, from reviews these days.
    You are right - it’s a comparison, not a review. It is still a paid advertisement. BTW - a comparison doesn’t mean just comparing the spec sheets. The speaker sound can also be compared. The screen quality can also be compared. The track pad feel can also be compared. Etc, etc.  AI is just hurting its brand by accepting advertisements like these. Disappointing. 
    Your take is rather extreme. AI is a tech website or perhaps blog. They make money through ads and affiliate links. They aren’t being paid by Dell or Apple to write the article.

    Comparison articles, just comparisons of the paper specs, like these are one of those cheap-to-do articles that people want to see. So, they do them. They have been doing these comparison articles for years and years now. 

    If you want to read an in-depth comparison of hardware, you are not going to find it on sites that are trying to be a business. You may find it as blog entry somewhere as someone’s passion project, but it’s not going to happen with more formal tech websites. 
    muthuk_vanalingamwilliamlondondewmepscooter63rezwitswatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 18
    The Dell XPS can power dual external displays. A big feature these days. 
  • Reply 10 of 18
    JP234 said:
    Well, they didn't mention that elephant in the room: The Dell laptop runs Windows. The MacBook laptop runs MacOS.

    That's really all you need to know, no matter how which you prefer.
    If it runs Windows, who cares. I sure don't.
    jony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 18
    jwdawsojwdawso Posts: 389member
    tht said:
    jwdawso said:
    tht said:
    jwdawso said:
    This is not a review, but rather a paid advertisement. There is no assessment whatsoever. How do the keyboards feel when typing? The trackpads? How do the speakers compare listening wise? How do the displays look? The “AppleInsider” brand is being milked. 
    Yup. It is not a review. It's a comparison. Very popular and much requested type of article here AI, and fortunately, they don't take a lot of work-hours for them to do.

    Whether something is "review" these days is a very good question, even for the formally named "review" articles. There aren't any in-depth evaluations, from a customer perspective, from reviews these days.
    You are right - it’s a comparison, not a review. It is still a paid advertisement. BTW - a comparison doesn’t mean just comparing the spec sheets. The speaker sound can also be compared. The screen quality can also be compared. The track pad feel can also be compared. Etc, etc.  AI is just hurting its brand by accepting advertisements like these. Disappointing. 
    Your take is rather extreme. AI is a tech website or perhaps blog. They make money through ads and affiliate links. They aren’t being paid by Dell or Apple to write the article.

    Comparison articles, just comparisons of the paper specs, like these are one of those cheap-to-do articles that people want to see. So, they do them. They have been doing these comparison articles for years and years now. 

    If you want to read an in-depth comparison of hardware, you are not going to find it on sites that are trying to be a business. You may find it as blog entry somewhere as someone’s passion project, but it’s not going to happen with more formal tech websites. 
    I still think this is a paid advertisement! :) But I also enjoyed our back and forth! 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 12 of 18
    Your performance comparison is terrible.

    The Dell is only capable of matching the M2 when plugged in. And even then the M2 is still faster at many tasks.

    Run them on battery and the M2 obliterates the Dell. Most YouTube reviewers trying to paint the M2 in a bad light always test plugged in. The very few who have tested on battery expose Intel for what they are - power inefficient designs that only perform good when plugged in and throttle like crazy on battery.

    These are laptops, not desktops. Their performance on battery is what counts. And the M2 crushes Intel.
    jony0williamlondondewmeforegoneconclusionpscooter63rezwitswatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 18
    vishalca said:
    The Dell XPS can power dual external displays. A big feature these days. 
    Dual displays with XPS are limited to 4K or lower resolution. XPS cannot run a single 6K monitor like the M2 MBA either. 
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 18
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    vishalca said:
    The Dell XPS can power dual external displays. A big feature these days. 
    But is it really for this particular laptop? 
    williamlondondewmewatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 18
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    JP234 said:
    Well, they didn't mention that elephant in the room: The Dell laptop runs Windows. The MacBook laptop runs MacOS.

    That's really all you need to know, no matter how which you prefer.
    At the risk of sounding obvious, and putting all personal preferences aside, you are exactly correct. For business users the very first step in the purchase decision tree is typically whether you need to run Windows apps and/or have a Windows centric enterprise or whether you run Mac apps and have a Mac or Mac-compatible enterprise. Most of the second tier and lower feature versus feature comparisons don't even come into play until you settle on whether you're getting a Mac or a Windows machine. Once you've settled on what species of computer you'll need it's very unlikely that you'll look at the other side at all. Who cares if a Windows PC spits out a perfectly cooked grilled cheese sandwich every time you press Ctrl-Alt-Del if you aren't living in that world? 

    Personal and home users typically have more flexibility but they still need to know whether the software they are familiar with or planning to use runs on their platform of choice. Most of my personal friends and acquaintances run Windows. Why? Mostly inertia, it's what they use or used at work or maybe they are gamers. It's all they know. There's also a perception that Macs are "too expensive." No amount of explaining TCO or longevity or quality customer support will change this perception.

    So yeah, seeing feature-by-feature comparisons between Windows PCs and Macs in 2022 is more entertaining than informative for a lot of people, especially those who already own or are already fully committed to a Windows PC or to a Mac. You aren't going to convince a dog person to give up their dog and get a cat or vice versa. It's like comparing a Beagle to a Burmese. 
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 18
    rezwitsrezwits Posts: 878member
    Your performance comparison is terrible.

    The Dell is only capable of matching the M2 when plugged in. And even then the M2 is still faster at many tasks.

    Run them on battery and the M2 obliterates the Dell. Most YouTube reviewers trying to paint the M2 in a bad light always test plugged in. The very few who have tested on battery expose Intel for what they are - power inefficient designs that only perform good when plugged in and throttle like crazy on battery.

    These are laptops, not desktops. Their performance on battery is what counts. And the M2 crushes Intel.
    So F-ing true!
    dewme said:
    JP234 said:
    Well, they didn't mention that elephant in the room: The Dell laptop runs Windows. The MacBook laptop runs MacOS.

    That's really all you need to know, no matter how which you prefer.
    At the risk of sounding obvious, and putting all personal preferences aside, you are exactly correct. For business users the very first step in the purchase decision tree is typically whether you need to run Windows apps and/or have a Windows centric enterprise or whether you run Mac apps and have a Mac or Mac-compatible enterprise. Most of the second tier and lower feature versus feature comparisons don't even come into play until you settle on whether you're getting a Mac or a Windows machine. Once you've settled on what species of computer you'll need it's very unlikely that you'll look at the other side at all. Who cares if a Windows PC spits out a perfectly cooked grilled cheese sandwich every time you press Ctrl-Alt-Del if you aren't living in that world? 

    Personal and home users typically have more flexibility but they still need to know whether the software they are familiar with or planning to use runs on their platform of choice. Most of my personal friends and acquaintances run Windows. Why? Mostly inertia, it's what they use or used at work or maybe they are gamers. It's all they know. There's also a perception that Macs are "too expensive." No amount of explaining TCO or longevity or quality customer support will change this perception.

    So yeah, seeing feature-by-feature comparisons between Windows PCs and Macs in 2022 is more entertaining than informative for a lot of people, especially those who already own or are already fully committed to a Windows PC or to a Mac. You aren't going to convince a dog person to give up their dog and get a cat or vice versa. It's like comparing a Beagle to a Burmese. 
    Thing is this is become such a farce in the future.  So many companies are using "Web Access" or "Browser Access" to a companies home base (what used to be highly proprietary custom "office/business" written by some private company) software.

    i.e. The old school proprietary (only runs on Windows) software days are NUMBERED HARD... (especially in medical, not for equipment mind you but databases and other forms of B2B communications).
    edited August 2022 watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 18
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    For many people buying such laptops, one of the main uses is to browse the web. Could you post the results of Speedometer 2.0?
Sign In or Register to comment.