Surface Pro 4 v Dell XPS 12

AlfiestheCat

Looking for a convertible laptop and came across two deals. I'm not computer savvy at all really, just read a few reviews, and just need guiding in the right direction.

1. Surface Pro 4 with type over & pen £649 Currys:-
http://http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/microsoft-surface-pro-4-128-gb-10160694-pdt.html


2. Dell XPS £449 John Lewis:-
https://m.johnlewis.com/dell-xps-12-9250-laptop-intel-core-m3-128gb-ssd-4gb-ram-12-5-full-hd-touch-screen/p/2577803?sku=235400341&s_kwcid=2dx92700024307468094&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwxJnNBRAMEiwA8X_-QdR0fSbNYsO-DvpEzhTs86EMy9jmyBQ1DL4Gd6ATCrcxvUqrXhTSJxoCU7MQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


Is the Surface really worth £200 more than the Dell?

Ta

Jivesinger

How do you want to use it?

Is there some way you'll be using it that requires it to be convertible and might, for example, benefit from having the pen on the Surface?

Johnmcl7

I have the XPS 12 (well the identical Latitude 12 7275) and wouldn't recommend it, it's quite bulky as a tablet, it has no full size USB ports, no dedicated display output, the kickstand is part of the case not the tablet and batterylife isn't good.

The Surface Pro has one USB-C and one full size USB port, a dedicated display output, it's a bit smaller and lighter, its kickstand is builtin and it has better batterylife. The closest Dell model is the Dell Latitude 11 5175/5179 (Much the same as the older Venue 11 Pro) which has a similar design apart from lacking the kick stand.

I'd be careful this type of machine is what you want, the problem is Windows doesn't work well as a touch only tablet but these devices aren't great with their keyboards as the kickstand at the back doesn't sit well on a lap. An Android/Apple tablet is much better as a tablet device and a lightweight laptop is better for use when typing on a laptop or similar.

John

AlfiestheCat

Thanks to you both for your input. I'll only be using it for light stuff, browsing, Word processing, ITunes, etc, but I liked the idea of having a tablet too, exclusively to use for browsing on a bigger screen instead of using my Iphone! Killing two birds with one stone. I thought about getting an Ipad and although its ultra portable it just wont do what I want it to do (no USB ports) and costs as much, if not more, so cant afford both laptop and tablet. I think I definitely need a laptop. My HDD just died and I need something, although in no immediate rush. I thought the convertible would be a good replacement to tick all the boxes and the deals above looked impressive for the money. Should I just be looking for a standalone laptop then?

System

If the HDD has just died then the solution is to replace the HDD and if the old one was a normal one and not a SSD then replacing it with a SSD for around £40-£100 would make your old laptop feel infinitely faster and with improved battery life too.

Gloomendoom

AlfiestheCat wrote: »

Thanks to you both for your input. I'll only be using it for light stuff, browsing, Word processing, ITunes, etc, but I liked the idea of having a tablet too, exclusively to use for browsing on a bigger screen instead of using my Iphone! Killing two birds with one stone. I thought about getting an Ipad and although its ultra portable it just wont do what I want it to do (no USB ports) and costs as much, if not more, so cant afford both laptop and tablet. I think I definitely need a laptop. My HDD just died and I need something, although in no immediate rush. I thought the convertible would be a good replacement to tick all the boxes and the deals above looked impressive for the money. Should I just be looking for a standalone laptop then?

Frustrated by the lack of connectivity of my iPad, I bought a Linx tablet after seeing them used en masse by the local primary school. It cost £120 complete with a detachable keyboard and a case. It has two full size USB ports and runs windows 10.

Cheap and cheerful but it works very well for browsing etc. I've even got an old version of Photoshop running on it (paid for).

AlfiestheCat

So, I went to Currys to check out the surface, and came to the conclusion its too heavy as a tablet so will probably go down the laptop only route. I dont know anyone who can replace my HDD and the old one is from 2011 so I'm happy for a new budget one. Its just a bit of a minefield!