Phenquestions
Dell has been doing an excellent job with its latest line of Windows 10 laptops. One of the newest of the batch is the Dell XPS 12, a laptop that can be transformed into a tablet without having to detach the keyboard from the display.
The big question right now is how would the XPS 12 fair against the Microsoft Surface Book. We know that both devices are quite the powerhouse, but in this comparison, only one can come out on top. If you're not in agreement, then by all means, shoot off in the comment area and let's chat.
Dell XPS 12 vs Surface Book
Let's get the ball a-rolling.
The Design:
The Dell XPS 12 is made from magnesium alloy, and the screen is docked on the keyboard in similar ways to the Surface Book. It can be removed with the press of a button, but unlike the Surface Book, the screen can only be tilted up and down.
When it comes down to the Microsoft Surface Book, this bad boy is a beast. The device has a premium look and feel due to the brushed magnesium construction. The screen can be docked on the keyboard for true laptop feel, unlike the Surface Pro 4, and it can be completely released from the keyboard to be an actual tablet. Users can even adjust the angle of the display in many ways thanks to what Microsoft calls, the “Dynamic Fulcrum Hinge.”
This thing is nothing short of a work of art, and no doubt others are going to follow Microsoft's lead on this one.
The Display:
The new Dell XPS 12 comes with a 12.5-inch screen. There's also a 4K option available, and we're certain it is going to cost an arm and a leg to own. We're going to focus on the 4K option since it is the best of what this new model has to offer.
The 4K screen packs a punch with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. The company also claims the display contains 100% color gamut accuracy, so it should look mighty fine. We should also point out that the tablet itself measures 11.5 -inches, but Dell managed to increase the size of the screen by using the Infinity Display technology found on the Dell XPS 13.
On the matter of the Surface Book, this beauty comes with a 13.5-inch display with a pixel resolution of 3000 x 2000. That's inferior to the screen on the Dell XPS 12, but not by much. Microsoft talks a lot about its new PixelSense technology that makes colors on the screen more vibrant. Furthermore, the touch responsiveness has improved when compared to the Surface Pro 3 and others before it.
The Hardware:
Dell made a decision to incorporate the Intel 2.7GHz Core M5 processor with two USB Type-C ports. One designed for power while the other is designed for accessories. The processor might not be the most powerful, but it is fanless so expect less heat and more battery life. On the matter of the RAM, it comes with 8GB, which should be enough for any computer user. Furthermore, it comes with up to 256GB of SSD storage.
Microsoft upped the ante by adding a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor that is based on the Skylake architecture. The speed here can go up to 2.7GHz, which makes it much faster than what the Dell XPS 12 has to offer. The Surface Book comes with 8GB of RAM, but it can be upgraded to 16GB.
Storage wise, the Surface Book comes with up to 1TB of SSD, something most manufacturers have yet to attempt. This is where things get interesting, you see, potential buyers who can burn a bit more cash can get the Surface Book with an NVidia GDDR5 GPU. The placement of the GPU is set inside the keyboard dock, so once the screen is detached, the Surface Book reverts to the regular Intel HD GPU.
When it comes down to ports, the Surface Book doesn't support USB Type-C but do have two USB 3.0 ports.
The Verdict:
While the Dell XPS 12 has a lot of exciting things going for it, we have to give the Surface Book the edge here, due to the better design and more powerful internals. It is definitely the laptop/tablet to beat going into 2016, and Dell hasn't managed to do that just yet.
