Dell XPS vs. Apple iMac – Which Is Better?

by Rich Menga on Dec 28, 2007 | 51 comments

There’s been a lot of talk going ’round the internet lately about the new Dell XPS One. It is built as an all-in-one monitor+computer similar to the iMac.

After some intense research, I offer the following well-thought-out and poignant anecdote:

They both suck.

Now I’ll explain why:

I’m not going to talk about what operating system is better at all because it truly doesn’t matter. You’re either a Windows fanboy or a Mactard. Take your pick. You can debate pointlessly about OS accolades and flaws all day long but at the end of the day you’re still dealing with a computer built from kill-fast parts.

The reason why these slabs can fit so much into such a compact space is because the parts are smaller, i.e. laptop parts.

Let me give you the 101 on laptops.

Any laptop is designed to last 2 years. That’s it. If you can get more than 2 years out of any laptop, consider yourself fortunate. It doesn’t matter who makes it because the parts are essentially all the same across the board.

A regular big-box PC on the other hand has a life span of 4 to 5 years. This isn’t to say the OS will stay current (obviously); I’m talking about hardware. The bigger parts do make a difference and moreover the computer can "breathe" easier.

Both the iMac and the XPS One are built from parts designed to last 2 years.

Is it worth it to go with style over longevity?

Absolutely not. No way, no how.

If you want a compact computer, get a laptop. Don’t bother with the PC-pretending-to-be-a-laptop.

In addition, it’s FAR EASIER to change out or upgrade things like the optical drive, RAM and hard drive on a laptop. On my now-old Dell Inspiron 6000, the optical drive comes out by removing a single screw. The RAM takes two screws. The hard drive, one screw. All in plain sight, all easy to change out.

Don’t buy all-in-one slabs. Not worth it.

Like what you read?

If so, please join over 28,000 people who receive our exclusive weekly newsletter and computer tips, and get FREE COPIES of 5 eBooks we created, as our gift to you for subscribing. Just enter your name and email below:

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...

Post A Comment Using Facebook

Al
You are wrong about breathing easier. With their vertical stance and vents at the top, heat rises you know, the all in one ‘slabs’ cool more efficiently than your big box PC. The ‘slabs’ also use cooler laptop CPU’s. The fan hardly ever runs in my iMac.
What’s more, the laptop parts in a stationary desktop do not receive the physical shocks that they would in a laptop in someone’s backpack. Using the life of parts in a hot, frequently dropped laptop to predict the life of parts in a cool, stationary desktop is just a mistake.
http://www.mcubedsw.com Martin Pilkington
What a load of crap. Laptops are not made to last 2 years, they sometime last only 2 years because they are moved about quite a bit and not kept on a desk throughout their life like desktops. I’ve had an iMac Core Duo for coming up to 2 years now and only had a small issue with the optical drive which needed replacing. So the life of an all-in-one may be shorter than another desktop, though considering that they don’t face the two issues of poor cooling and being moved around all the time that laptops face I doubt this will be the case, but there are huge benefits to it. For one I don’t have to worry about finding space to put a tower. I just plonk my iMac on my desk, plug in the keyboard, mouse and power and that’s all the room it needs.
Arnold Ziffel
Hey, don’t want an all-in-one? Don’t buy one. But there are folks who like them. Why must you trash them? Are you one of those Microcephalic Fanboys?
kevslatt
I don’t know about the Dell, but the Mac uses a full-size logic board, a 3.5 in. SATA drive, a built-in power supply and significantly nicer speakers. None of these are laptop parts, but even if they were the MacBookPro is no slouch.
http://www.virtuallyknown.net Dave
Total BS: We run our business mostly on iMacs. They are solid, reliable and secure. In 10+ years we have lost less than 4 hours of database access to our Mac server—first Mac desktops now Xserve (which is a phenomenal machine). Most IT professionals think that stat is a lie… they cannot accept that non-Windows solutions can possibly be so reliable.
Our top management rely on MacBook Pros—laptops with large screens, keyboards and mice when used in the office. We keep them refreshed to the newest OS and software app versions for most of their useful life.
We typically retire our systems after 5 or 6 years—yes even the laptops. When we started the business we bought several three year old Mac desktop systems and retired the last one of them eight years later! We just keep re-tasking older units to lesser and lesser demanding functions.
If all you have is PC/Windows experience don’t pretend to be an expert on Macs.
http://www.frostedside.com/blog/ Rich Menga
I worked as a corporate laptop field service tech which included Thinkpads, Latitude and Macbooks. Every single one of them busted in less than 24 months. In real-world use you get 2 years out of them. That’s it. Believe otherwise and you’re a fool. Doesn’t matter who manufactures the unit.
Your slab is a great example of why small parts suck.
You had an optical drive issue because it’s a slot-load, i.e. a slim that’s laptop sized. Were it a regular standard sized optical drive, it wouldn’t have busted as quickly.
At least with a standard box you can replace and optical drive easily. With the iMac you have to literally crack the whole computer apart just to get at it.
If Dave’s Mac Pro had an optical drive issue, he could get a new drive in there in a matter of minutes. Big box with plenty of room to work. Very easy.
I don’t like slabs and I never recommend them to anyone no matter who makes it. You want compact, get a laptop. Otherwise go with the big box. If you’re going the Mac route, save up your pennies and get the Mac Pro. Dave did and it’s an awesome box that puts the iMac to shame in every way.
tom
you have no idea what you are talking about. Some components are the same as laptops, but far from all are. The iMac ships with a whopping 1TB hard drive… Are you trying to tell me that laptops are currently shipping with the same? Beyond storage, who cares if the components are the same. The benefits of the systems far outweigh the “disadvantages” you have outlined. The memory is fast, as are the graphics cards, and iMac owners continue to be productive long after your two year time-limit. Also, I hope you burn in hell for your little “mactard” comment. It really undermines your “journalistic” integrity. As an uncle of a child with a learning disability, I hope the negative karma points you’re building up here come knocking on your door soon.
wee bee
The article lack of knowledge of hardware. Laptop components are small is because it is specially made to save space and for automation. Therefore it was designed to tolerate heat fluctuation. Laptop get bashed and carried around that is the reasons why the failure rate is higher than desktop not the components size. I don’t believe that you have never experience desktop failure after few years of use.
Pietro Watanabe
Sorry, but the iMac doesn’t use laptop parts. Also just because the laptops you see in repair are less then 2 years old doesn’t mean the average laptop last no more 2 years. It only implies that breakdowns occur primarily within 2 years. You might only be seeing say 10% of the laptop population, the rest gracefully dying of old age.
http://tonersavers.com Rick
What crap. I have an ibook (toilet seat) that is still used everyday bought in 1999.
Have an titanium powerbook used every day bought in jan 2003
a blue and white g3 bought in jan 1999 running 24/365 still in use
and others
its the pc crap that dies after a couple days
what a crappy website
Arnold Ziffel
Sure, a Mac Pro is gonna beat an iMac hands down. We have a 3 GHz Quad Mac Pro with the 30″ Cinema Display, and it is an amazing machine. Still, there are a lot of folks who don’t need that sort of power and abilities–they just want a desktop machine that has a small footprint and won’t need a lot of upgrading.
I still use a 500 MHz Dual Processor PowerMac G4, and though it won’t run Leopard, it is still chugging along doing email, surfing, and iMovie projects…and it’s 7 and a half years old! We did have to get the power supply replaced last year, but that’s the only hardware issue we’ve had.
A co-worker just made the switch to Macs for her home ‘puter and bought an iMac, which she loves. It is the perfect machine for her. She didn’t want a laptop and saw absolutely no need for a Mac Pro.
Tony Ramirez
I still use my G4 powerbook (made in 2002) everyday. I take it to work on my Harley, and it has even survived one spill in the rain (in its case). I upgraded to a larger faster hard drive and maxed out the RAM. Don’t tell me laptops only last two years, I’ve almost tripled that lifespan. “Intense research” from you is just BS.
Matt
What a crap article. None of the debate suggested in the title and assertions without any evidential backup. Clearly a trawl for hits. And to suggest there is no difference between the OSs is just plain idiotic. I don’t get viruses, I get great software, my computer is fun to use and I spend no time on maintenance. I think you can guess which OS I use. Redmond, not a chance.
http://fischer.md Michael Fischer
I have to agree and disagree. I have no evidence that laptops stop working in two years. I do buy new laptops every two years for performance reasons (for the past 24 years), but never had one break on me. I recycle old ones among our research students, and they work as long as people can handle their lower performance. I still have two working mac portables. And this is not limited to macs … all higher spec models last longer than you want to use them.
On the other hand, I would agree that for a bit more the pro models are better, but mainly on performance grounds, not reliability.
Maybe corporate types don’t get the good stuff.
ardaz
Um…lets see, after intense thoughtful deliberation I can definitely say you – Rich Menga, are a Dell’tard of the first order. Sheesh, crawl back in your fetid hole.
Jim
What a tard. Your title says Dell vs iMac, which is better?, it should have read, “Should I buy an all-in-one based on my limited knowledge and experience.” So, do I put any weight into your little rant, hell no. I have have both a PC and Mac laptop going on 4 years and the only problem I had was on the monitor for the Mac due to the fact I took it to Iraq and Kuwait and it got a lot of sand in it. Other than that, no problems. Go cry somewhere else. Next time try to actually write an article that has something to do with the title newb.
Sticks
There are lots of users out there (like my family) that have easily achieved 5-6 years of reliable daily use with iMacs of various generations. That anecdotal feedback (for us) blows your anecdotal testimony out of the water. Re the life expectancy for lappies, my enterprise has a mix of Thinkpads, Latitudes, PowerBooks, etc. In real world use, the reliability seems to be tied to how much abuse an individual unit receives.
PF
You make some decent points, but you overstate your case on several issues. My Apple laptops last 5+ years of heavy road use. My office is filled with 3-4 year old cheap Dell laptops (let’s not discuss their downtime due to software problems). The cases may fall apart after a 4 years, but the innards still function for many years after. The iMac’s case isn’t going to crumple, so I don’t worry greatly about the parts. The lack of upgrade options is a legitimate issue. The biggest problems with the iMac (I haven’t used an all-in-one Dell) is that it is overpriced and difficult to fix when the eventual problem occurs. I would prefer a laptop with an external monitor. It costs even more and is equally difficult to upgrade, but the mobility makes it worthwhile.
Scott Schuckert
What a load. Right this moment, I’m typing on a PowerBook G4 Titanium, circa 2001. It gets taken to customer sites EVERY SINGLE DAY, and is used at home from the hot tub. (Talk about a hostile environment!) Never had one single mechanical failure, though of course the outer case is pretty worn and banged up. My spare laptop (also an Apple PowerBook) dates to 1997 and has also seen no failures.
You may not be able to make a wintel laptop last beyond two years, but that them and you, not anyone else.
AM
My PB G4, 12inch has lasted me 4 years and counting. Travelled over 100,000 miles every year with it – Europe, US, Asia – still going strong.
iMacs are still the only choice for those who want a large monitor computer 19inch or more with a small footprint.
And if you enjoy doing this – you need to get a life.
“change out or upgrade things like the optical drive, RAM and hard drive on a laptop. …… the optical drive comes out by removing a single screw. The RAM takes two screws. The hard drive, one screw. All in plain sight, all easy to change out.
its same with all the geeks, if ” THEY like turning screws and plugging, unplugging stuff – then EVERYONE else MUST like it TOO – or else EVERYONE else is a RETARD”. GEEKS RULE!!
AM
George
My daily experience is technical services manager for one of the leading entertainment and media companies on the planet Earth.
I have 300 Macs and 800 PC’s under my watch along with 1 Mac tech and 8 PC techs.
My experience is opposite this bloggers experience. I just outfitted an entire creative department with 80 iMacs after a near 15 month review with several iMacs.
Additionally I have a dozen Titanium Powerbooks bought in 01-02 timeframe.
I can’t replace them because they all work, still.
Personally, I have a couple of MacBook Pros in my house, again , no issues.
Interesting how experiences and conclusions differ.
Will Cushman
I think this article needs to be read with the perspective that it was written by someone who primarily repairs computers, not a user’s perspective. The article should be read with that in mind.
I am a long, long, time user of Macs and am writing this on my brand new iMac. I currently have another older one, a MacBook, and a G5 Power PC tower. All have been reliable and a joy to use. Never a virus and rarely a system crash.
I do not upgrade my Macs, except to self install extra RAM. I can see where repairing or upgrading a laptop or an iMac or a Dell XPS is more difficult than working on a tower unit but saying that “they suck” is misleading. I assumed that the article was written in a provocative manner to attract attention and I took it as such.
filecat13
Maybe in the hands of klutzes, jerks, and morons a quality laptop will only last two years (or less), but this piece is far, far off the mark. Let’s see, my ten year old PB1400 which traveled to Europe and back still works fine, though it’s as slow as a dog by today’s standards. It’s never been down once. My nine year old PB G3/233 still works perfectly after more than 350,000 miles of travel and meetings. It’s never been down once. My six year old PB G4/667 is in use every day as a remote server and media server. It runs 24/7, has logged over 200,000 travel miles without missing a day, except the day I replaced the HD with a larger, faster drive.
My current MacBook Pro 2.33 17″ replaced a PB G4 1.5 17″ which ran flawlessly until my IT guy installed the wrong memory. Moron. After it was repaired, it worked as new, and I gave it to the receptionist to use for intensive data entry and other duties, where it works without fail.
Every Mac laptop I’ve ever owned or used is still in service. Every single one.
Now, my SONY VAIO laptop lasted 13 months before the keyboard failed. Fixed it, then the video card failed. Fixed it, then the hard drive controller failed. Fixed it, then the power adaptor failed. MS wanted to force me to buy a new software license since it was “no longer the same computer” according to its software activation. So, I threw it away.
My Compaq Pressario lasted nine months before the memory went bad. Replaced it, then it got infected (despite Norton) and toasted the HD. Replaced it, and MS locked us out until we proved we weren’t stealing their stupid OS, then the USB controller failed. Replaced it, and the wireless networking went out. Gave it away to my mother-in-law. Poor woman.
Ax
I have two G3 Pismo’s and a early Ti-Book still working just fine after 7 years for the Pismo’s and 5 to 6 years for the Ti-Book. All the companies I’ve dealt with keep their laptops at least 3 years, not 2. How well it’s treated is one of the major factors on how long they last. Another factor is the OS. I’ve seen PC laptops 3 years old or rendered unusable with Windows XP and all of it’s service packs. I’ve also seen Mac laptops way older then 3 years running quite nicely with OS X Tiger.
Scott
I will agree that an iMac uses laptop parts, but I would like to see quantitative evidence that a laptop on average lasts two years. There are several million Mac and PC laptops in schools in mobile carts that get heavy use that are around longer than 2 years. I have an original tangerine iBook, a white iBook and a Powerbook G4 that are all fully operational and have never needed repair. These machines are all well over 2 years old. I have an iMac G5 rev B that is nearly 3 years old that is very easy to work on. Three screws on the bottom allows the back to come off that exposes the entire inside of the computer which I can replace the HD or optical drive myself. The only repair this machine needed which was covered under warranty was a new power supply. My new 24″ iMac doesn’t have that feature, but RAM is easily installed with the removal of one screw. Of course a Mac Pro puts any iMac to shame, it uses Quad Core Xeon processors!! You can’t even compare the two. For what it costs for a Pro compared to an iMac, I could by a new iMac in two years and be money and technology ahead.