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Russell Shaw
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Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price

By | January 17, 2008, 5:41am PST

Summary: Review after review is underscoring how the new MacBook Air, debuted at Macworld this week, is so light and convenient at just three pounds. That fact cannot be denied. And when you are a road warrior like I am, light is good. But when it comes to choosing a notebook, I look at more than just the [...]

macbookair2.jpg

Review after review is underscoring how the new MacBook Air, debuted at Macworld this week, is so light and convenient at just three pounds.

That fact cannot be denied. And when you are a road warrior like I am, light is good.

But when it comes to choosing a notebook, I look at more than just the weight and portability. I look at the price.

The MacBook Air is slated to cost a minimum of $1,799.

Yet when I cross-spec the MacBook Air, with say, the Dell XPS M1330, I see that:

The M1330 starts at $1499. That’s $300 cheaper than the Air.

The M1330 has a 2 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor. The Air has a 1.8.

Hard drive size? M1330 has 160GB, Steve’s new dream (i.e. the Air) has 64GB. Sure I know the Air’s hard drive is a Serial-ATA and the M1330’s is a SATA HDD but so what. I am a digital pack rat and I need space and more space to store all my files.

Oh and did I mention that the MacBook Air has no user-removable battery?

And we haven’t even started to talk about the Dell XPS M1530. Yea, it is seven pounds including the adapter (six without) but it can be had for as little as $999. And a 160GB Hard Drive as well.

Here’s how these comparative numbers boil down to me. Maybe the Mac OS is a little better than Windows, but if I can save my business several hundred dollars at the cost of a pound or few- with more storage to boot- you know the way I’m goin.

I know many of you might think I am missing the point. Light is good, and any Mac notebook automatically beats a Windows notebook right out of the gate.

Or does it?

What if you could choose between a free MacBook Air and one of those newer Dell M series notebooks?

Poll

MacBook Air or Dell XPS?

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Topics

Apple MacBook, MacBook Air, M1330, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Russell Shaw

Disclosure

Russell Shaw

http://blogs.zdnet.com/ip-telephony/?page_id=1879

Biography

Russell Shaw

Russell Shaw passed away in March 2008. He was an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. A specialist in open source architectures and strategies, Microsoft applications, wireless networking, and multimedia content creation, Russell covered these fields regularly for several IT, business and consumer publications, including Investor's Business Daily and the syndicated IT news site NewsFactor.com.

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I've Seen It... Not impressed
darkharmonics 16th May 2008
I recently had my hands on a macbook air for a few days and i have to say that i'm not impressed. Its like a toy that is really neat, but that doesn't really do anything useful. Who can honestly say that they are wireless 100% of the time? Also, where is the built-in air card? If you are going for an elite machine for execs you need wireless broadband (not WIFI). Hot-spot reliance means that you need to have the latest wireless technolgy to keep even decent network transfer speeds. Not that most execs will notice that, but they will notice the occasional instability in certain offices that might just happen to be out of a WAP's range or in a dead spot of their room. This does still happen believe it or not.

I love mac's look and feel and MAC OSX is awesome for easily-confused users, but I prefer my Ubuntu linux on my computers (including a 3rd gen macbook pro) and I'm not stuck on the simplicity factor. I like a fully customizable OS. With mac OSX you are kinda stuck in their paradigm.
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Evaluation criteria
Robert Crocker 17th Jan 2008
You're evaluating on price and not on weight. Shaving that extra pound off the box is going to increase price. The other big thing that you haven't looked at is battery life. The whole idea of an ultra-portable is that you're probably going to be spending lengths of time away from power outlets so battery duration is important. (Of course you can ding Apple for not being able to swap in a charged battery when the first one goes flat.)
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Yawn.
frgough 17th Jan 2008
And a desktop is an even better deal. There's more to value than sticker price.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price
aryu.limitless@... 17th Jan 2008
Why would Apple drop this travesty onto an unsuspecting public? Though the MacBook Air is a portable Mac DOES NOT make it anything other than a high-priced toy, especially considering the 64Gb HDD and the 1.8Ghz processor!
To be honest, I recently picked up a used Mac G3 PowerBook for $300, but only use it to transfer graphics and code from my BASIC and Pascal programming endeavors. I loathe companies that, at the expense of their user base, drops a stinker and expects those poor souls to relish in the aroma.
Sorry, Apple, I'm looking into some OTHER laptop! (Maybe I'll get another Compal; they're less expensive and work GREAT!)
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Once again, the MacBook Air, not made for you...
el1jones 17th Jan 2008
... it's made for a different group.
You're looking at a small convertible auto, when you want a big SUV.
And by the way, there are A LOT of high priced toys out there, desired by everyone who doesn't have one.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price
dufrane@... 17th Jan 2008
Both have SATA drives doofus, and both can be purchased with the optional Solid State Drives
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on
ludachrs@... 17th Jan 2008
More of the same.
Dell/Windows cheaper, Windows not that far behind OS
X, extra weight is OK if you save a couple hundred
bucks. So what, buy a Dell or Acer or whatever. What's
with the constance slam of people don't have a
problem paying a little extra for a "better" computer.
Every day I see hundreds of BMWs Mercedes, etc that
you could save thousand of dollars on if you bought a
used Toyota. Why do people make such a big deal out
of other people buying something they wouldn't. Buy
your "cheaper" computer and be happy with your
choice and let us do the same. I personally would never
consider a cheaper alternative of anything given the
choice (money) because I believe the old adage "You
get what you pay for is true" in most cases. My more
expensive Apple products last longer make me happier
and generally preform better.
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Go back to sleep... get the specs right!
jaxmac@... 17th Jan 2008
I think you were still asleep when you wrote this... The Air has an 80GB PATA the Dell has the SATA drive. The 64GB drive you talk about is a solid state drive which both have that option. The Dell processor may be 2.0 GHz but is not 800MHz front side bus with 4MB L2 cache like on Air. And as far as weight... I could carry two of the Air's compared to the Dell. 6 Pounds! I might as well carry a MacBook Pro which is still lighter and well... more powerful as well.
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OS X is a little better than Windows?
netzd 17th Jan 2008
OS X is a little better than Windows? What are you crazy? Hell, its a lot better than
Windows and the MacBook Air is not your average laptop; this devise was created for
people o the go who have a desktop computer at home. Its not designed to be the
end all of all systems.

According to the recent poll, the Macbook Air is preferred by more people than the
Dell, and that should tell you something?
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right right
troysusd@... 17th Jan 2008
well i am a business man and none of mine or my customers apps run on a mac, sooooo oh well wait i have one mac nazi, he is bent on owning a mac, we had to buy virtual pc and a license for windows xp. so he can run his "BUSINESS APPS" so sure macs are great if youre a pointy headed coffee drinking intellectual that equated to a starving artists mentality. So, sure the air is nice, its a gimmick , im surprised they havent had michael jordan push it since they could just call it the AIR MAC, LOL. gimmics. and hey im not a windows junkie either, but it works and it runs the world!
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what year are you from?
samkass 17th Jan 2008
VirtualPC hasn't run on Macintoshes in years (since before Apple switched to Intel chips), so I assume you're talking ancient history here. I work at a 10,000+ defense contractor, and Macs integrated pretty well into our system. Maybe if your company failed to integrate Macs and weren't able to take advantage of their increased productivity, you should look for the failures within instead of blaming others.
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If you don't value lightness, the Air isn't for you
samkass 17th Jan 2008
The MacBook Air is obviously for people who place a real value on lightness. Yes, you can buy a lot of machines that are twice as heavy and have many more features while costing less. Apple also sells MacBooks and MacBook Pros for those folks.

The MacBook is a better comparison with the Dell mentioned in this article, and has a similar price point, as well (starting at $1,100).

If you don't place a real value on extreme lightness and size, you probably won't see the value in an Air.
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po-tato, po-tawto
DigitalFrog 18th Jan 2008
Some people like rice cakes, I prefer a full flavoured potato chip. With dip.

Giving up a large amount of power for a few less pounds just doesn't satisfy my appetite. This is 99% status symbol, 1% helpful to those who chronically over pack for business trips.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price
troysusd@... 17th Jan 2008
i have an xps m1710 and i dont care if its big i like it i love it, and it plays gears of war, call of duty 4 , fear, crysys, need i say more? can a mac do that? and if so can it do it better than my xps with a nvidia geforce 7950gtx go with 768 mb video ram ?not to mention my 200 gb hard drive and 4 gb of ram, and my intel core 2 duo at 2.6 ghz, yeah i dont think so
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Different Strokes
WaltFrench@... 17th Jan 2008
Yeah, I just upgraded to a 320GB disk and
since I also value my 17" screen size, I'm
not a candidate for MB Air. Even tho I
think it's the ideal machine for my wife's
needs.

But claiming that there are major cost and
manufacturer differences are totally
bogus. You can also get a plain MacBook
for $800 less, or a pricey Dell that's
different -- better some ways, worse
others -- that's a worse value to
somebody who wants a high-portable
machine for surfing, extended PDA and
even heavy MS Office work.

I don't get that UltraLights have done that
well because so many of them embody too
many compromises; maybe the DIFFERENT
compromises that Apple makes will help
the category take off. Helps that Apple has
almost-perfect integration for backup,
web, etc. I think they have a winner **for a
niche market**.
0 Votes
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Smugness of AppleFanBoys...
serpentmage 17th Jan 2008
I keep reading, well if you don't like then it was not designed for you.

What kind of elitist crap is that! If you are into that and overpaying for that I say all the power to you! I tend to prefer value. I have looked at the XPS and I do like it...
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How is that smug?
Tigertank 18th Jan 2008
If it's features don't appeal to you then get something else. That's not smugness, that's common sense.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price
roccomended@... 17th Jan 2008
My evaluation: MacAir advantages: 0.97lbs lighter and 1.4cm thinner with backlit display option. Dell XPS1330 Advantages: Faster processor option, up to IntelCore 2 Duo Processor (2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB, 4MB Cache) vs. up to 1.8GHZ.., Better Graphic Option NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS with 128MB DDR3 memory, Larger and Faster HDD, up to 200GB, 7200 RPM SATA vs. 80GB ,4200 PATA. More options for I/O Ports. More Wireless option, Wi-FI and Broad Bands Antennas, vs. only Wi-FI. Longer Battery life Option, up to 7 hrs with 9-Cell Battery vs. up to 5 hrs. Other nice to have: Built-in 2.0MP camera and Biometric Finger reader options are not included in the Mac.
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A Nit and a Note
Whyaylooh 17th Jan 2008
As has been noted a few times already, the hard drive in the Air is 80GB, not 64GB. The 64GB is the $999 solid-state drive option . . . which, by the way, you might be interested to know is also available for the XPS M1330 for $99 cheaper. Granted, when when you're talking nearly a grand, it still ain't cheap, but, still, 10% off for the same darned thing is 10% off.

Also, might want to note that the "as low as $999" is only for 1GB of memory, not the 2GB included with the Air. So, to get a little closer to (no pun intended) apples to apples, you're looking at another $100 if you bring it up to spec at purchase time, or doing a little after-market shopping at NewEgg or Fry's/Outpost. At least you do have the option to do that, though, or even bring it up to 4GB, if you're so inclined.

As far as the Windows vs. OS X comparison, and the people who poo-poo comparable non-Mac hardware because then they're using "Windoze" instead of OS X, like that alone makes it worth the extra outlay of cash, the M1330 runs the latest Ubuntu -- which, last I checked, doesn't require Windows -- juuust fine. wink

Nope, I'm not the market for whom this is aimed. (Yep, according to your fellow ZDNet alum David Morgenstern, I'm another one of the "dumb" people out there.) I need a laptop that is functional, not to impress the other CEO's on the private jet. But for folks who feel the need to possess the Paris Hilton of laptops, I'm sure this machine is quite impressive, and worth paying the Jobs Tax to get.
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Is it really a lot lighter
garyfri@... 17th Jan 2008
I know everybody druels over apple and I do think the notebook is nice, but I have to go with the Dell. Here is why!!! FIRST You can not use the remote disk with any computer. You have to have the software pre-installed on the DVD-ROM computer. I am a thumb drive warrior as much as the next one, but I still find use with a DVD ROM. All when you add the add another $99 for the DVD drive which adds another 1 LB to the total weight (making it 4 lbs) and that matches the 1330 which comes with a DVD rom.
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Like the I-phone, the AirMac is cool ....
kd5auq 18th Jan 2008
Both the I-phone and AirMac appear to be cool products
IF YOU HAVE MONEY TO BURN. But for both there are
equivalent products at a lower price that don't have
the "coolness" but are more capable in the real world.
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I know it's only storage, but ...
Mike Karp 18th Jan 2008
"Sure I know the Air???s hard drive is a Serial-ATA and the M1330???s is a SATA HDD but so what. "

Huh? SATA is the acronym for Serial ATA guys.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on
jorjitop 18th Jan 2008
A much better choice that compares well with the weight of the MBA is the Sony Vaio SZ series. You don't give anything up with it, except, unfortunately, the Mac OS.
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RE: MacBook vs. Dell XPS
MadMac52 18th Jan 2008
I use a Sony TZ. Lighter (2.7lbs w/batt), longer battery life (4-7hrs), more features (802.11 a/b/g/n, Sprint Mobile Broadband, DVD burner, camera, mic, finger print reader, etc.), and is running Vista Business. What's not to like when on the road.
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First time you bump a desk that your light weight mac is on
DanLM 18th Jan 2008
And it bounces off and hits the floor because it is too lightweight for any type of josteling around... Then tell me what you think of your 'click toy' that you had to have to be cool.

I think the new mac is just STUPID, and I like mac's.. This is a waste because it can't take a beating... And more of these toys will become paperweights because of all of the compromise's made to keep them light.

What ever... I have a door that needs proped open, I'll take your air mac when you've destoryed it... That should be probably the first time your going through a air terminal and they bounce your bags all over the place.

Dan
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Light as a feather
radams36@... 18th Jan 2008
But, Dan - if the MacBook Air is so light, any time it's knocked off a table, it will just float to the ground like a feather, with essentially no impact.



I must admit, it has a definite 'cool' factor to it. But that non-user replaceable battery alone would be a complete deal killer for me. And lack of an Ethernet port is a problem, too, even if it does have wireless. I'd complain about the lack of an optical drive, but the external one for $99 is OK, in my view.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price
ht_z 18th Jan 2008
Due to numerous problems with DELL service and attitude, I just bought a Lenovo Thinkpad. What a super machine! Every bell and whistle, lighted keyboard, XP Pro, lightweight and great battery life.
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Dude, I have a dell
007baf 18th Jan 2008
I have a brand new Dell D830 Latitude and it blows chunks. You may THINK you're saving money, but I waste more time on this heap waiting around for it to recover from crash after crash. I realize Vista is probably a part of it, but my desktop Vista gives me no such issue. I wasted 2 hours yesterday fighting with it, while my client waited for me to get some work done that would save him near $24 million. So, I wouldn't go jumping to buy a Dell. Oh, and this isn't exclusive to me. We bought four of these things and 2 work and 2 waste copious amounts of our precious consulting time. The one guy with a MacBook has none of these issues.

So, Mr. Shaw, I will be ditching this Dell piece of junk for a new MacBook Air. Is it worth the $300 extra? Just ask my frustrated client.
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You're comparing 2 different classes of laptop
t0mt0m 18th Jan 2008
Why not compare the upcoming new MBP against the XPS?
Otherwise you're not comparing like with like, a schoolboy error.
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What kind of article is this?
cmjrees 18th Jan 2008
They're not even the same class of computer. If you want a ~$1000 laptop they have
the Macbook.

Someone fire this idiot, he's a complete waste of space and bandwidth.
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Serial-ATA and SATA are the same.
Narg 18th Jan 2008
The AirMac's storage is a flash drive, where the Dell is a true mechanical HD. Their interface to the machine are identical.
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he meant...
doh123 19th Jan 2008
he meant parallel-ATA... PATA vs SATA... i think he just typed the wrong thing and
didnt catch it. The 1.8" drive in the MBA is a PATA drive.
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Other reasons to go XPS 1330
Narg 18th Jan 2008
The Dell has an optical drive built in. And BTW, it's under 4 pounds, so it's really not that much heavier than the Mac. You can get an ultralight LCD option that takes it closer to 3 pounds. But the LCD, real hard drive and battery options make it much much better than an AirMac.

Besides, if a PC was made with the same specs as the AirMac, guess what... IT WOULDN'T SELL!! Duh.
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totally agree... scarasim off. ;o)
DanLM 19th Jan 2008
I am extremely hard on my desktops/laptops... I have a heavy hand when it comes to typeing. Im a clutz, I would nock it off the desk. And your right, not being able to replace the battery is an issue.

I just don't see the application for it other then its cool... Sorry, I don't buy anything just for the cool factor.

Dan
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the Standard Macbook is a closer comparison.
doh123 19th Jan 2008
the Standard macbook is a closer comparison. Its slightly heavier, but almost the
same volume as the Dell "ultra" portable.... and has better features than the Macbook
Air your comparing... as well as being much cheaper. Base price is even cheaper than
the Dell.
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RE: Yes, the MacBook Air is light. But so what-Dell XPS is a better deal on price
pablo Dante 19th Jan 2008
Although I voted the Dell, David Morgenstern is right: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1196
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wrong premises
www.trash0@... 30th Jan 2008
Sure.

Except you make 2 fundamental mistakes in your
reasoning:

1) Windows and OSX are by no means 'similar'; OSX is
a full blown unix system that will support powerusers
and coders beyond the usual mac crowd.

2) Therefore, your idea of bring a Dell into the
comparison is just not serious.

3) It follows that for a person who would buy a
machine that can run osX AND who wants a super
portable machine the air is really a very good option
despite the obvious compromises.

I wish you would be capable of more professional
journalism writing for ZDNET; and it really annoys the
crap out of me that a more intelligent level of review
can not be offered.


F off.
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Wrong Premises? I think not.
j9sflk 10th May 2008
How incredibly narrow minded of you. The comparrison between the XPS and the Air was inevitable from day one, given the fact that they're competing for the same ultra-portable demographic.

In no way was this article ever meant to trash OS X, it was simply meant to show that the Macbook Air is a horrible value, which is completely true. There is no:
1. Disc Drive (Available through USB)
2. 2nd USB Slot; if you're using the superdrive, than you cannot have another accessory plugged in.
3. Ethernet slot; you're stuck with wireless.
4. Removable Battery; if it needs changed, you have to have your laptop serviced. The same goes for RAM upgrades

I find it offending that a person can read ZDNet and have such a narrow, close minded view about Apple products. The fault in this situation does not lie with the review, rather it falls back to the idiotic Mac fanboy, who can't seem to realize that Apple released an extremely portable, flawed laptop.

This comes from a guy who's owned a Macbook for over a year, so the inevitable "he own's a pc!" arguments do no apply. I'm happy with my product, yet I realize that it isn't perfect and that there were probably better deals on the market when I bought my Macbook. Perhaps
the previous member should tone down the Steve Jobs propaganda, if only just for a bit.
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I've Seen It... Not impressed
darkharmonics 16th May 2008
I recently had my hands on a macbook air for a few days and i have to say that i'm not impressed. Its like a toy that is really neat, but that doesn't really do anything useful. Who can honestly say that they are wireless 100% of the time? Also, where is the built-in air card? If you are going for an elite machine for execs you need wireless broadband (not WIFI). Hot-spot reliance means that you need to have the latest wireless technolgy to keep even decent network transfer speeds. Not that most execs will notice that, but they will notice the occasional instability in certain offices that might just happen to be out of a WAP's range or in a dead spot of their room. This does still happen believe it or not.

I love mac's look and feel and MAC OSX is awesome for easily-confused users, but I prefer my Ubuntu linux on my computers (including a 3rd gen macbook pro) and I'm not stuck on the simplicity factor. I like a fully customizable OS. With mac OSX you are kinda stuck in their paradigm.

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