The laptop market has several stellar devices that are vying with each other for consumer attention. Two devices that find favor with buyers are the MacBook Pro (2016) and the Dell XPS 15 (2017).
Apple's upgraded 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar that integrates Touch ID, and the Dell XPS 15, which the company touts is the "world's smallest 15.6-inch laptop," are grappling for consumer attention.
Here is a comparison of the two devices to help you decide which laptop you should purchase.
Display
The MacBook Pro has a 15.4-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 pixels. According to Apple, this display is 67 percent brighter compared with older generations and it also consumes 30 percent less energy.
The top-end model of the Dell XPS 15, on the other hand, boasts a slightly bigger 15.6-inch 4K Ultra HD InfinityEdge display with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, which betters that of the Apple laptop.
Processor
The Dell XPS 15 houses a quad-core i5-7300HQ processor. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro also houses a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, with Turbo Boost.
The MacBook processor has the clear edge over the two devices as it packs a core i7 processor vis-à-vis the Dell laptop's core i5.
The MacBook Pro has 16 GB of RAM, whereas the Dell laptop offers 8 GB of RAM. However, Dell offers users the option to expand this to 32 GB of RAM.
Clearly, the Dell laptop has the edge on this one. In fact, consumers have been unhappy why Apple chose to offer only 16 GB of RAM on its laptop. The lack of sufficient RAM basically means that professionals may not find the MacBook Pro utilitarian.
Storage
The MacBook Pro is available in 256 GB or 512 GB SSD options, whereas the Dell XPS 15's top-end model is available in 256 GB SSD.
Keyboard And Trackpad
The XPS 15 has a really good keyboard and trackpad. The keys are quite responsive, offering a decent depth and good, crisp feedback. Dell has also designed the laptop such that it has a smooth matte finish, which aids the user in placing their fingers on the trackpad easily.
The MacBook Pro on the other hand has a new Touch Bar that is quite a departure from older Apple laptops and lets users engage in several activities such as even playing games like PacMan.
Bluetooth, OS, Battery And Camera
The top-end variant of the XPS 15, which runs on Windows 10, offers a 97 watt-hour battery, but the support offered by the device's battery is not known.
Apple asserts the MacBook Pro's 76 watt-hour battery supports 10 hours of usage. The Apple laptop comes pre-loaded with macOS Sierra.
The MacBook Pro has a 720p HD camera, whereas the XPS 15 houses a Widescreen HD 720p webcam.
The Apple laptop offers support for Bluetooth 4.2 compared with Bluetooth 4.1 on the Dell laptop.
Price
The top-end XPS 15 is priced at $1599 and comes in a single hue. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, starts at $2499. The Apple laptop is available in Space Gray and Silver.
Apple has been inundated with complaints from MacBook Pro users that the laptop has battery drain problems. Moreover, the storage space offered by the device is quite less. Keeping these points in mind, the 2017 Dell XPS 15 may be a better bet as it offers higher storage if one deploys the expandable option.
While the Apple laptop may be equipped with a better processor, that alone may not give it the edge over the Dell offering. Pricing wise, the Dell laptop is more affordable.
Ultimately, it boils down to individual consumer preferences or what they want from a laptop, which will affect their purchase decisions.
