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TuxTies's stats
- Review count6
- Helpfulness votes118
- First reviewApril 15, 2015
- Last reviewNovember 17, 2015
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.5
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNovember 30, 2015
- Last review commentNovember 30, 2015
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
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- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count3
- Helpfulness votes0
- First answerApril 15, 2015
- Last answerNovember 30, 2015
- Featured answers0
- Best answers0
TuxTies's Reviews
Customer Rating
4
Got the iPad Pro and returned the SurfaceBook
on November 17, 2015
Posted by: TuxTies
I wanted to love the SurfaceBook. I liked it so much I sold my Surface Pro 3 and 12" MacBook. However after 2 weeks the bugs and constant freezing and reports of docking issues on the net made me question the longevity of the Surface Book. The Surface book did sell me on using a larger tablet, so I went with a iPad Pro and a Dell XPS 15 w/ Infinity display. I found myself using the SurfaceBook in Clipboard mode for just surfing and YouTube, the only issue is it lasted just 2.5 hrs off the base. The iPad Pro gets really close to the 10 hrs for those tasks. No, it can't replace your laptop, but it does so many things right.
My Best Buy number: 0113038570
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+18points
22of 26voted this as helpful.
Dell XPS Laptop: Maneuver through games or design your own virtual worlds with this laptop, which offers stunning 4K Ultra HD resolution and 2GB dedicated NVIDIA graphics for smooth, detailed images and gameplay. The InfinityEdge touch screen makes navigation simple, and the Thunderbolt port enables high-speed connection to an external display.
Posted by: TuxTies
Pros: Great 4K Screen, Keyboard, Trackpad, Build Quality, Bang for the buck
Cons: Speakers, Front Camera
Neutral: Battery Life
Cons: Speakers, Front Camera
Neutral: Battery Life
When I heard about the XPS 15 I was hopeful, but reluctant. Then I saw the Surface Book and was like "Just take my Money". I was able to get the Surface Book on day one at Best Buy. After 2 weeks I was like "Give me my Money back". The SB is a good Laptop, buy too many bugs and I question the longevity of the base connector. Too many issues all over the net. However using the the SB in tablet mode sold me on large tablets, so I purchased a iPad Pro to replace that function.
Back to the XPS 15. Let me get the negatives out of the way. Speakers are at the front facing down. It is fine when it is on a desk, but when the laptop is on your lap the sound is very muffled. Nowhere near as clear as my MacBook Pro 15 speakers. Front camera quality is fine, but it is a chin camera. I get that there is no place to put it on top due to the Infinity Display.
The battery life is better than I thought it would be. I tried the first generation XPS 13 and was sadly disappointed with the battery life and trackpad. I can't get the 10 hrs Dell claims, but I did get on average between 6.5-7 hrs of mixed productivity apps and YouTube.
The screen is very bright even at 18%. 4K videos look great! All the reviews rave about the Surface Book trackpad is most like a MacBook, but I disagree, I think the XPS trackpad is closer to the MacBook. It is so much better than the last generation XPS 13. The build quality is great. The carbon fiber is smooth and a joy to type on. The Laptop is just as solid as a MacBook. This Laptop is a powerhouse that easily competes with a MacBook, yup it's fast. The 1 TB version is cheaper at Best Buy than ordering from Dell by $400.
In summary I have a 2013 MPB 15 and the 2015 Skylake Dell XPS 15. Both are great machines, however if I had to chose one I would choose the MacBook Pro 15, but if you are like me and need or want a Win 10 Machine I believe this is the best Windows laptop out, much better than the Surface Book that everyone is raving about.
My Best Buy number: 0113038570
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+40points
53of 66voted this as helpful.
Microsoft Surface Book Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: This ultrathin, high-performance laptop is equipped with incredible 3000 x 2000 screen resolution and the versatility of a tablet. It combines a powerful 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor and 8GB of system memory with discrete graphics so no creative tasks are too demanding. Use the included Surface Pen to mark-up presentations, sign documents, take notes and much more. Learn more.
Customer Rating
2
I want to love the Surface Book, but…..
on November 14, 2015
Posted by: TuxTies
I was able to pick up the one and only Surface Book at Best Buy on the release date. I wanted to replace my Surface Pro 3 and 12” MacBook Retina. In the first week I was really pleased with the hardware and the experience as a whole with the detachable “clipboard”. It worked well. Screen is great, battery life is outstanding, I was so happy I sold both the for mentioned devices on eBay. Now I expected a few bugs with a first gen device, but it seems with every update one bug was fixed and then another occurred. One bug that recently occurred is there is no ambient light sensor in the keyboard, so you need to manually turn on and off the backlit keyboard. Doesn’t sound like a big deal except you really need to turn the backlight off in the daylight because the keys become impossible to read as they are lit clear white on silver. The recent update has turned the backlit keys into alt tab keys that move your cursor around instead of controlling the keyboard light. The next issue is when the “clipboard” is taken off and you palm hits the side of the screen it seems to bug out and freeze. The only way to get out of it is a hard reset. I found myself hard resetting this device very often for various freezes. The main reason I bought this is I need a windows environment for work and running bootcamp just does not work for me. So I now am writing this review from a new Infinity XPS 15 that I was able to pick up from Best Buy as well. It is a little bit more expensive, but you are getting so much more. Many reviews state that the Surface Book trackpad is very similar to the MacBook trackpad. It is good, but I think the XPS 15 trackpad is better than the Surface Book trackpad. Unless you really need the pen I would pass on the Surface Book or get a Surface Pro 4. Most of my complaints are software related and may be fixed, but there have been too many other user issues on the Internet relating to the detaching band that makes me question the longevity of this product past 1-2 years. It’s funny that I need to test so many windows machine to find the one that works well. With a MacBook I know what to expect and have had very little issues. I still have a 15” MacBook Pro, but I don’t regret selling my 12” MacBook retina and Surface Pro 3. The 12” retina has an outstanding battery and screen, but I found it hard to get any real work done with that screen size and the lack of adaptors for the type-c connector is mid blowing after it being out this long. I still can’t hook up my Cinema display. The Surface Pro 3 is also too small of screen to get real work done. Using it on a lap is not ideal and the battery life was not great. Is there the perfect windows machine, no. However, I would be cautious on a Surface Book purchase and wait for generation 2 when you are planning to spend a good sum of money on a laptop.
My Best Buy number: 0113038570
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+19points
25of 31voted this as helpful.
At just 2 pounds and 13.1mm thin, MacBook is our thinnest and lightest notebook and it's available in three gorgeous metal finishes. With a stunning 12-inch Retina display, Apple-designed keyboard and all-new Force Touch trackpad, it features fifth-generation Intel® Core™ M processors, fast PCIe-based flash storage, and all-day battery life. MacBook is designed for a wireless world and is the ideal notebook for customers looking for the complete Mac experience in our most portable notebook ever.
Posted by: TuxTies
I have been waiting for Apple to make an iPad similar to a Microsoft Surface Pro. I have a Surface Pro and a 15" Retina Macbook Pro for my transcoding and heavy lifting. I use to have an 11" Macbook Air that was great, but the lack of retina was annoying when all my other displays were so much better. I would have loved for Apple to make an iPad that runs OSX, however this is close enough. I use it for everything except heavy transcending tasks. The only negative is Apple not having adaptors at launch or still a month later for connecting to their own Apple Cinema displays.
My Best Buy number: 0113038570
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
5of 7voted this as helpful.
Shield your Apple Watch with this Speck CandyShell Fit case. Its durable dual-layer construction protects against damage from impacts and absorbs shocks, and its slim design doesn't add bulk to your device. This Speck CandyShell Fit case meets military-grade protection standards and is resistant to sweat, chemicals and extreme temperatures.
Posted by: TuxTies
I am going to return this case. I made up my mind within the car ride home. It looks good, however for the bulk I was viewing by the pictures online I quickly discovered upon opening the package that this case is just a snap on case. It does not go all the way around. For the bulk of this case it should go all the way around. They could simply add silicone plastic that wraps around the top and bottom at the point where the watch band meets to secure the case on. Then the case would have been perfect, but they didn't. I recently purchased a snap on case by Spigen for half the price and half the bulk. The problem with the snap on cases is they fall off easily if you brush up against something or simply putting on a long sleeve sweater. I had the spigen case for a week, one moment it was there the next it was not. I see this happening with this case since it is not as tight as the Spigen case. I have the black sport watch and not too sure how the anodized aluminum will hold up as someone who hits walls and counters constantly with my watches. I have ordered the resilient case by Spigen. At least this case will securely attach and is still almost half the cost and likely the same bulk of the Speck case. I use to love Speck cases for all my devices. They use to be a a segment leader for cases, however this is NOT THE CASE (pun intended) anymore.
My Best Buy number: 0113038570
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+10points
11of 12voted this as helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Cell Phone for AT&T: This phone's brilliant touch-screen display wraps around the left and right edges of the body to offer innovative new ways to get notifications and manage your contacts. It comes packed with features, like a fingerprint reader, advanced cameras on both sides of the phone, and a heart rate monitor. Plus, Samsung Pay allows you to swipe this phone as if it were a credit card to process fast, secure payments without pulling out your wallet.AT&T Next option available. Learn more ›
Customer Rating
4
Great Hardware, but TouchWiz ruins the User Exp.
on April 15, 2015
Posted by: TuxTies
My phone use background:
Current Phones: iPhone 6+ (64GB) & Samsung S6 Edge (32GB)
Apple: All models from iPhone to iPhone 6+
Android: Samsung Nexus 3, Sony Xperia Z, Samsung Note 3, LG G3, HTC One M6, One Plus One, Samsung S6 Edge
Current Phones: iPhone 6+ (64GB) & Samsung S6 Edge (32GB)
Apple: All models from iPhone to iPhone 6+
Android: Samsung Nexus 3, Sony Xperia Z, Samsung Note 3, LG G3, HTC One M6, One Plus One, Samsung S6 Edge
I would consider myself primarily an iPhone user. I keep wanting Android to get better. Over the years it has. I have issues with the lack of uniformity in user experience on core apps that manufactures like to dress up with their own user interfaces. HTC's user interface is probably one of the better ones for Android, but is starting to feel old. The fact is the stock android experience is great and I find the manufacture skins unnecessary. Thus the reason the S6 only gets 4 stars. I dislike TouchWiz! It's like Samsung hired a 5th grader to design the user interfaces. However with the S6 TouchWiz has been toned down, but not enough. I would say they expanded their budget and hired a 10th grader to design the interface. The theme engine has potential, but the themes in there are lacking and suited for the Japanese Anime sub culture. That said the stock them is ok and much better than the past couple years. This has been the only TouchWiz version that has not completely turned me away from the phone, but it still has it's issues. Overall the user experience is fast and fluid.
Syncing with a Mac is not straight forward. The S6 does not support the Samsung Kies app. Instead they want you to transfer data from an iPhone or other Android device with their new Smart Switch app. The Smart switch app is useless and allows no way for you to manage your device music, pictures and videos from your Mac. I had to get the Android File Transfer app from google in order for me to take pictures and videos off the device and onto my mac. If you prefer to use cloud sync methods then you will be fine, but I like to organize my own files.
Other software issues I've encountered. I use Google Music on my iPhone and S6. When I plug the phone into the USB outlet on my BMW it will only see music in the actual music app. You can not play music from Google Music via USB, it can only be done via Bluetooth, which has a slightly diminished sound quality verse the USB. The iPhone works both ways with google music and displays album art.
Other software issues I've encountered. I use Google Music on my iPhone and S6. When I plug the phone into the USB outlet on my BMW it will only see music in the actual music app. You can not play music from Google Music via USB, it can only be done via Bluetooth, which has a slightly diminished sound quality verse the USB. The iPhone works both ways with google music and displays album art.
Battery Life: Battery life is pretty decent. The rapid charger is nice and gets you the needed juice in a short amount of time. I also have the Samsung wireless charging station and it is nice to be able to just throw the phone on there. The battery will get you through the day easily with mild use. Heavy users will need to charge at least once. That said I'm not totally disappointed with the battery.
Camera: The iPhone 6+ camera is awesome, the S6 camera is surprising just as good if not slightly better. It actually shocks me to say this. The color, focus and mechanics is spot on and is just as good as the iPhone 6+.
Fingerprint Reader: It works well most of the time. The iPhone 6+ fingerprint reader is slightly better, but not much. At this moment I have not found many apps for samsung that takes advantage of the reader in the same way apps for iPhone intergrate into 3rd party apps.
Hardware: The phone looks great and the build quality is great. It's on par with an iPhone, finally If you need external storage or removable battery this phone is not for you.
Screen: It's awesome! with a QHD screen you can't go wrong. Get the curve. It looks great and gives the apps a new dimension, also swiping is easier. Do yourself a favor and protect the screen. In a drop I can see it taking a good hit. I purchased the Incipio case with a Zagg screen protector along with the 2 year warranty. This will not be a cheap phone to replace.
Overall the best android experience I've used in the past 2 years. If you like Android go for it. iPhone users- it's a good option, but you may find yourself missing the iPhone uniformed user experience that is still lacking on Samsung TouchWiz.
My Best Buy number: 0113038570
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
2of 3voted this as helpful.
TuxTies's Review Comments
Dell XPS Laptop: Maneuver through games or design your own virtual worlds with this laptop, which offers stunning 4K Ultra HD resolution and 2GB dedicated NVIDIA graphics for smooth, detailed images and gameplay. The InfinityEdge touch screen makes navigation simple, and the Thunderbolt port enables high-speed connection to an external display.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Good MacBook Pro Alternative
By TuxTies
Pros: Great 4K Screen, Keyboard, Trackpad, Build Quality, Bang for the buck
Cons: Speakers, Front Camera
Neutral: Battery Life
Cons: Speakers, Front Camera
Neutral: Battery Life
When I heard about the XPS 15 I was hopeful, but reluctant. Then I saw the Surface Book and was like "Just take my Money". I was able to get the Surface Book on day one at Best Buy. After 2 weeks I was like "Give me my Money back". The SB is a good Laptop, buy too many bugs and I question the longevity of the base connector. Too many issues all over the net. However using the the SB in tablet mode sold me on large tablets, so I purchased a iPad Pro to replace that function.
Back to the XPS 15. Let me get the negatives out of the way. Speakers are at the front facing down. It is fine when it is on a desk, but when the laptop is on your lap the sound is very muffled. Nowhere near as clear as my MacBook Pro 15 speakers. Front camera quality is fine, but it is a chin camera. I get that there is no place to put it on top due to the Infinity Display.
The battery life is better than I thought it would be. I tried the first generation XPS 13 and was sadly disappointed with the battery life and trackpad. I can't get the 10 hrs Dell claims, but I did get on average between 6.5-7 hrs of mixed productivity apps and YouTube.
The screen is very bright even at 18%. 4K videos look great! All the reviews rave about the Surface Book trackpad is most like a MacBook, but I disagree, I think the XPS trackpad is closer to the MacBook. It is so much better than the last generation XPS 13. The build quality is great. The carbon fiber is smooth and a joy to type on. The Laptop is just as solid as a MacBook. This Laptop is a powerhouse that easily competes with a MacBook, yup it's fast. The 1 TB version is cheaper at Best Buy than ordering from Dell by $400.
In summary I have a 2013 MPB 15 and the 2015 Skylake Dell XPS 15. Both are great machines, however if I had to chose one I would choose the MacBook Pro 15, but if you are like me and need or want a Win 10 Machine I believe this is the best Windows laptop out, much better than the Surface Book that everyone is raving about.
TuxTies
Vs. Current Spec MBP
November 30, 2015
If you are looking for a MBP in the current version I would wait for the refresh, which will use a current processor. However, there are good deals on a 2014 MBP's. I would get a 2014 over a 2015 for the cost savings since the performance gain of the 2015 is minor and the force touch trackpad is not a must have. I've read another reviewer that this Dell is 15% faster than the top of the line MBP.
-1point
0of 1voted this comment as helpful.
TuxTies's Questions
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TuxTies's Answers
Dell XPS Laptop: Maneuver through games or design your own virtual worlds with this laptop, which offers stunning 4K Ultra HD resolution and 2GB dedicated NVIDIA graphics for smooth, detailed images and gameplay. The InfinityEdge touch screen makes navigation simple, and the Thunderbolt port enables high-speed connection to an external display.
Signature edition?
Is this the signature edition like on the Microsoft site? I don't want to have to deal with the boatware best buy likes to put on their machines.
No, but there is not much boatware and worth the savings over the signature edition.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
TuxTies
Dell XPS Laptop: Maneuver through games or design your own virtual worlds with this laptop, which offers stunning 4K Ultra HD resolution and 2GB dedicated NVIDIA graphics for smooth, detailed images and gameplay. The InfinityEdge touch screen makes navigation simple, and the Thunderbolt port enables high-speed connection to an external display.
Does this have a Thunderbolt port in addition to the 2 USB ports?
One of the reviewers mentions a Thunderbolt connection, but I don't see this listed in the Specifications. Is there a Thunderbolt port and, if so, is this in addition to the 2 USB ports listed?
Yes, Thunderbolt 3 Type-C.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
TuxTies
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Cell Phone for AT&T: This phone's brilliant touch-screen display wraps around the left and right edges of the body to offer innovative new ways to get notifications and manage your contacts. It comes packed with features, like a fingerprint reader, advanced cameras on both sides of the phone, and a heart rate monitor. Plus, Samsung Pay allows you to swipe this phone as if it were a credit card to process fast, secure payments without pulling out your wallet.AT&T Next option available. Learn more ›
External memory
Can you use a Mini SD card for external memory?
No
9 years ago
by
TuxTies