Dell XPS 18.....BEWARE Screen Lifting!!!!

I wanted to share my experiences with my recently purchased Dell XPS 18, with the hopes that others may be able to make a conscious decision if you're on the fence on whether or not you want to purchase this unit.

Firstly, This is a wonderful hybrid Tablet/AIO unit, meaning it functions as I believe MS intended for Windows 8. I have the I3 version with 4GB memory and 500 GB hard drive, and not one hiccup besides the wifi disconnecting occasionally. However, a simple disabling/enabling wifi fixes this issue. I would recommend that you immediately upgrade your memory to 8 GB to counter the sometimes sluggishness when opening multiple programs. Especially if you plan to create multiple user accounts and you often switch between them without completely booting down.

All in all I would say this is a fantastic unit and serves my needs primarily as a mobile unit around the house, and secondly as a AIO desktop unit. As a matter of fact I no longer need to use my conventional tablets ever since I purchased my Dell.

My one and only concern that I would like to inform potential buyers is the most important aspect of this unit, the screen. I am a tech junkie who has possessed just about every mainstream tablet known to man. Due to manufacturing issues sometimes you may receive a faulty product that isn't representative of what the manufacturer intended to release to consumers. However, with tablets one of the main concerns is dead pixels, unresponsive sections of the screen when touched, etc. In my case I received a unit with the screen lifting in both the upper right and left hand corners. I automatically had flashbacks of bad experiences I had with my Nexus 7 units. Fresh out the box I noticed that my Nexus 7 screen was lifting from the frame. Fortunately I was able to return it, but the second unit suffered screen lifting. I went through 3 units before I received a unit that was satisfactory and didn't suffer from screen lifting.

Of course with my luck my Dell XPS 18 suffers this same problem.....screen lifting that I noticed 3 days after I received the unit. I immediately contacted Support and was scheduled a In Home Site Service appointment to replace the screen :( To my dismay I called the number to the Technician service who would be fixing my computer, only to find out that the parts needed to fix my computer are on backorder. I immediately contacted Dell and was reassured that this was not the case and that my computer would be fixed within 48 hours from the time I initially contacted them. I was patient and waited for a service appointment 48 hours later which prompted me to call the Technician again, only to find out that Dell has never shipped them the parts or provided them with a tracking number for the supposedly shipped parts. Again I contacted Dell to find out that indeed the parts needed to replace my screen are on backorder with a ETA of another week before I will be back online with a fully operational computer.

As much as I love this computer, Dell's support has left a bad taste in my mouth. Their miscommunication and slow turnaround time is subpar in today's technological world. The only consolation I received is that they were sorry and it won't happen again, but the kicker is that I must still wait another week or two before I'm even called to set up a in home service appointment. If I could wind back the hands of time I would have most definitely waited until Best Buy had these units in stock and bought it from their brick and mortar location. Simply having to repack it and return it for a operational unit with no hassle or fuss.

Conclusion, I really like the fact that Dell has pushed the envelope by being innovative enough to create the best AIO hybrid at the time of this post. Beware that some units are defective off the manufacturing line as with any other product created. Most of the times you have good luck and receive a perfect unit, and unfortunately there are other times you receive a unit like mine. I would recommend to all buyers of this particular unit to please check your screen right out the box for screen lifting where the screen meets the frame.

If I would rate this product on its functionality alone, I would rate it a 10 out of 10. In reality customer service and support for a manufacturer's product must be equated in the scoring grid.

Thanks and enjoy!!