Look how they massacred my boy... - Alienware M16 + Dell XPS Lineup

Alex LOVES the XPS 15, but Dell has decided to send it to go live on the laptop farm upstate. Luckily, they've replaced it with new XPS 13, 14, and 16" models that should be able to fill the gap left behind. With a new Alienware M16 to show off as well, Alex has a lot of ground to cover.

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CHAPTERS
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0:00 RIP :(
0:33 Alienware M16
3:56 Sponsor - bequiet!
4:30 The new XPS laptops
12:33 Outro

[crestofhonor]

The Alienware is fine. The XPS look like they got a downgrade. The loss of upgradable parts as well as the loss of actual physical keys for the function row doesn’t seem good at all

[HorsePuncher]

I believe that Dell's explanation for the touch bar on the XPS 13 plus was that capacitive buttons take up less internal volume than physical keys, freeing up more room for them to pack a cooling solution that can handle the 28W CPU they stuffed in there. I don't really think that excuse flies for the 14 and 16.

[shableep]

Removing physical F keys was a huge mistake on the new XPS laptops. Like someone else said: It’s the TouchBar that does nothing new, while doing the original worse. RIP XPS laptops. Press F to pay respects.

[cionheart]

They actually took almost all the drawbacks from the 13 Plus and brought it to the XPS 14 and 16: Touchbar, no HDMI and USB-A ports, no full size SD.

[leguile]

I feel like Alex is always whispering at us even when he's excited or yelling.

[tomihawk]

Been buying (and recommending) XPS laptops for years but that came to an end when they removed the function keys from the Plus. They're clearly doubling down on that stupid design choice so I'm out for good.

[GamersOrb]

Why it feels like Alex in this video being a sales guy by his body language and words instead of a reviewer?

[HomiebeaR_]

If it ain't broke, break it further - The touchbar

[onevoltten]

I was considering getting a new XPS laptop but without the F1-12 keys it's just a deal breaker.

[Garrettdx]

I appreciate him calling out Dell on their soldered ram nonsense.

[genethebean]

Moral of CES 2024: "Yea this is a leap year - as in we are leaping around performance metrics"

[OddlySatisfying]

If the 16" had full size SD card slot, we would make a bulk purchase of 10 XPS laptops.

[MrGraveful]

Alex! Blink twice if you'rte being held hostage. I really enjoy your reviews and it was you who made me notice the xps and buy it in 2020. I hope this is just because these aren't officially out yet but I sure hope you give your honest reaction when you're doing a full review on them. This is stuff you wouldn't remark as great if it were different brands/laptops.

[calebbean]

They did not improve the x16. They capped it.

[WhiteyHD]

Dell has lost me completely with the XPS now.
I think the plus design they have brought over to the normal lineup is horrible.
touch buttons are a horrible choice, dropping the fullsize SD to Micro is a big backstep.
The hidden touch pad seems annoying and I like to have a physical click not a haptic feedback.

I will be buying a laptop this year and was excited to see the refresh for the xps lineup but this has completely put me off now. Will be looking at other brands.

[RobBulmahn]

Previous gen XPS was way better. Better keyboard, physical F keys, full-size SD card reader.

[Villanousfats]

Ouch! Lack of physical f keys and soldered ram 😬 The major benefit of an xps, and I've been running the same xps 15 since about 2019, has been their conservative but well thought out design choices. There have always been things lighter, fancier and more feature rich, but they're built like tanks, pleasant to use, and very serviceable to replace batteries, or clean out keyboards. I fully expect several more years of not overly demanding multiple windowed productivity out of this laptop, in between being shoved into a bag, hauled between desks, jammed in an overhead locker on flights etc. with a few fixable things going wrong between now and then. I'm not sure I could expect the same from the latest gen for the same price.

As a example, when the barrel plug gave out on mine the motherboard got swapped out and the old ram, mem stick and WiFi card got swapped over to a fresh board that basically only had the processor on it. This cannot happen on the new one.

[K.F-R]

No. I want function keys. I want a touch pad. I want two CTRL keys. I don't want an "AI" key. I don't want a touch bar. I don't want half the things they think I want and I do want them to stop dumping conventions for the sake of it. Until manufacturers get it, I'm stuck with a - very excellent - three-year-old XPS-13.

[imopn]

Damn that's laying it on thick. I kept waiting for...but wait, there is more...for a limited time only Dell will include this amazing set of steak knives.

[djplonghead]

The XPS devices do look very modern, especially the trackpad, but physical buttons would have been well appreciated. If I wanted touch buttons I would get a dial screen laptop like the zen whatever.