Update on XPS 13/15 2016 Developer Edition availability

While I loved my Precision 5510 while I had it it's been frustrating dealing with Dell support. My laptop is currently in support purgatory (issue with the display) on a parts hold and has been since 2/29. I keep checking the status when the estimated date for the part is supposed to arrive but it keeps getting pushed back. I could have ordered another new one and had it in my hands long ago!

Sorry for ranting but I just needed to vent...

Ya'll are being complainy-pantses :) The best we're going to get are mashups of the parts used for the DE and non-DE XPS 13, and a matte QHD display isn't going to happen.

Hi Hello-world,

the XPS 13 DE should be coming to Europe in a matter of weeks

stay tuned!

Hi Sputnik team!

I'm tracking your work for over a year now and I'm currently preparing to make the jump from mac to linux.

I'd love to get a Dell XPS 13 and I'd love to be able to support your work but, as other mentioned, I need a portable, developer focused machine. Which means that things I focus on are:

* Battery
* RAM
* Battery
* Battery
* Battery

Everything I read so far about XPS13 is that QHD screen uses significantly more energy than FHD, and that i5 may also be more battery friendly (although as significant as screen).

That means that I'd love to get a configuration with FHD, 16 GB of ram, and preferably i5, but i7 would be ok.

Now, it seems like the RAM is not replaceable, which means that I'm stuck with what I'll buy. And it sounds like not only for DE, but for Windows XPS13 as well, the only option to get 16 GB of ram is to get QHD.

I have to say that I struggle to understand it - the laptop I'm looking to replace - MacBook Air 2013 - has 8GB of ram.

How can you be selling a high end laptop in 2016, that is supposed to last till, say, 2018, with 8GB ram only (or forcing QHD)?

Is that a technical limitation or business decisions?

If it's business, is there a chance (I think Baron indicated it, but I'm not sure) that you will add FHD+16GB ram at some point?

Unfortunately the XPS 13 DE has not been available in Australia.  I have just reached out to our team there to see if they might pick up this time around.

thanks!

I still will get the DE i5/8GB probably because I really want to support you and I should have no problem selling it, but I would hope for 16GB instead ;)

HI DELL-JARED is there a time frame of when the type-c dock support will be available. Will it be in 16.04 

Does the xps Dev edition have a similar battery life like the Mac book? (not capacity!! I only mean recharge cycles and general quality in term of long lasting)

@Abraniecki, thanks for the support!! :-)

...we need to sell off the i5 inventory from the previous gen before we offer the i5 config from this gen (and we are getting pretty close)...

Sell FASTER, darn it! ;)

Does the xps Dev edition have a similar battery life like the Mac book? (not capacity!! I only mean recharge cycles and general quality in term of long lasting)

Almost all reviews will back up the statement of significantly faster battery drain than stated by Dell, with real-life tests showing 6-9 hours on a full charge using Linux. The QHD touch screen will decrease your time on a charge, too. Battery drain on the 2016 models is - at best - same as the 2015 XPS 13 models. 

Also, bear in mind the most common tests use Windows on XPS 13, and there's wide agreement that Linux doesn't have the same power-saving features, so you will get less out of a single charge (call it 6-9 hrs on Linux) vs 7-11 hrs on Windows. This is assuming ~60% brightness,  constant 1080p video playback, a few open browser tabs, and WiFi on.  The Macbook is about 8-9hrs under similar drain w/ 80% screen brightness. 

So, faster drain = higher cycle count = faster degradation. Apple's internal docs say they'll warranty replace any battery that doesn't hold 80% of its original full-charge capacity after 250 cycles, counted as total charge and discharge. You can use that as a point of comparison for how long (at least Apple) thinks their batteries should last. 

Back of the napkin guesstimate, you'll cycle your XPS 13 battery about 1.3 - 1.4x as often as similar usage on Macbook. Part of that will be driven by the higher-res display on the XPS 13 though, so just be aware it's not a fair spec-for-spec/head-to-head comparison. 

Liquidate those old i5s so we can get the new ones :)

Guys I am able to get 8 hours on the 16.04 release of ubuntu with 4.5 kernel . Biggest problem is usb type-c docks.

Anybody from dell care to comment if the xps 13 will work with this adapter www.startech.com/.../thunderbolt-3-to-dual-displayport~TB32DP2  which will be available end of this month to connect 2 screens till the dell dock wd15 and TB15 get driver support from Dell.

I have been using a 2014 XPS 13 with Ubuntu 15.10 for 5 months with dual monitors on the D3100 dock.  It works great. Please see 

http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/os-applications/f/4613/t/19670164