Mossberg: XPS One poses threat to Apple, Gateway

updated 01:10 pm EST, Thu December 27, 2007

Mossberg on Dell XPS One

Dell's recently-launched XPS One computer may pose a serious threat to Apple's iMac, says popular columnist Walt Mossberg. Like the iMac or the Gateway One, the XPS One combines the internals of a computer with an LCD monitor, making for an extremely compact system. Mossberg notes, however, that the XPS comes with features even the iMac does not, such as a TV tuner and a built-in card reader, as well as a wireless mouse and keyboard bundle which Mac users must pay extra for.

The design is also more convenient in some ways, with USB and headphone ports mounted on the side instead of the rear, and a dedicated button for turning off the screen without shutting off the computer. Furthermore, where simplified media playback requires a remote and a new menu (Front Row) on an iMac, XPS users must only interact with a touch panel on the system's right border.

Mossberg is ultimately recommending the iMac though, as he argues for the superiority of Mac OS X Leopard over Windows Vista, primarily because of the included iLife suite and less vulnerability to malware. He also notes that a comparable iMac is at least $100 cheaper, despite having a dedicated graphics card. [via Wall Street Journal]

By Electronista Staff

Post tools:

TAGS :

iMac, computers, industry, Dell, Gateway, Apple

BelugaShark

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

12/27, 01:23pm | report spam | close reply

x

first off, the iMac runs OSX and Dell runs Windows. So that alone refutes Mossberg's claim.

second, not everyone prefers a wireless keyboard and mouse for the simple reason of having to worry about changing batteries, or facing lesser Mouse performance.

Guest

Joined: Nov 1999

12/27, 01:38pm | report spam | close reply

Uh...

Uh, Belugashark, maybe you should read the actual article, or even the third paragraph of this MacNN story. I know, reading can be difficult for some.

"Mossberg is ultimately recommending the iMac though, as he argues for the superiority of Mac OS X Leopard over Windows Vista, primarily because of the included iLife suite and less vulnerability to malware. He also notes that a comparable iMac is at least $100 cheaper, despite having a dedicated graphics card."

bloggerblog

12/27, 01:44pm | report spam | close reply

yup

"USB and headphone ports mounted on the side instead of the rear" Agreed, this is much better and I still do not understand why apple take so long till they realize the obvious, like putting FW, USB, and Audio jacks in the front?? What is the hold-up

"... a dedicated button for turning off the screen without shutting off the computer." This is actually available on all macs, it's called the power-button. Click it and the computer goes to sleep, shutting off the monitor.

12/27, 01:46pm | report spam | close reply

RE: uh...

yeah I know... I was refuting the "pose a serious threat" phrase and not the third paragraph.

ClevelandAdv

Joined: Jul 2004

12/27, 01:51pm | report spam | close reply

threat from what?

A more expensive computer with fewer features, and inferior software. Sounds like another Dell clunker to me.

Robb

Joined: Feb 2000

12/27, 02:00pm | report spam | close reply

Form...

From an ascetics viewpoint, Apple doesn't want cords and wires sticking out of the side of the iMac. From a practical viewpoint, a single USB port and moving the headphone jack to the side would make sense.

Constable Odo

12/27, 02:01pm | report spam | close reply

I'd really like it if...

Apple would be kind enough to add a SDHC slot to their entire line of computers. I added one to my MacBook Pro via the Express Card/34 slot and it sure comes in handy for storage.

jarod

Joined: Apr 2005

12/27, 02:07pm | report spam | close reply

Someone's getting OLD

and SENILE. Time to sit back and eat marshmellows ol fella. Your days as tech critic has officially been flushed down the toilet by that insulting and totally ridiculous comment. DELL? Get real.

zl9600

Forum Regular

Joined: Oct 2003

12/27, 02:14pm | report spam | close reply

read the article, people

unless you're too cheap or lazy to go read the article at mossberg's website. he's one of the most respected critics for 'real people' tech, and every single pc and gadget maker dreams of favorable reviews from mossberg as it makes a HUGE difference in product success.

just re-read the final paragraph of this article. he acknowledges this is a vast improvement for dell, but ultimately votes for the apple.

i welcome competition for apple in design and functionality, even if it comes from hacks like dell. it benefits all of us.

so spare me the 'your career is over old fella' c***. it's so far from true and shows how closed minded people can be in both the anti-and pro-apple camps.

CreepDogg

Mac Elite

Joined: Jun 2001

12/27, 02:19pm | report spam | close reply

Headphone Jack

Not so sure it's good to put it on the side or in front. I have external speakers hooked up to mine - would be unsightly to have that always hooked up in front or on the side.

Of course, an audio line out on the back and a separate headphone jack on side/front would be OK...

testudo

Joined: Aug 2001

12/27, 02:27pm | report spam | close reply

stuff

"... a dedicated button for turning off the screen without shutting off the computer."

This is actually available on all macs, it's called the power-button. Click it and the computer goes to sleep, shutting off the monitor.

And if you don't like that, you could always pull the white wire out from the socket in the wall. This turns off the monitor and computer as well.

Sorry, but some people like/want/need to leave their computer running, but don't want to waste the life of their LCDs (let alone the electricity). Especially if you're doing an extremely long task, like rendering a movie in iDVD, which takes hours, all of which seems to leave the monitor on.

From an ascetics viewpoint, Apple doesn't want cords and wires sticking out of the side of the iMac. From a practical viewpoint, a single USB port and moving the headphone jack to the side would make sense.

This type of thinking is just indicative of Apple's complete lack of respect for it's customers. Apparently apple feels it's more important that their stuff looks good and not be as functional then have it be functional and look a little iffy.

climacs

Joined: Sep 2001

12/27, 02:35pm | report spam | close reply

re: lack of respect

as usual, testudo posts while smoking crack. "Apple's complete lack of respect for its [sic] customers" must be why Dell and all other PC makers are ALWAYS trying (unsuccessfully) to follow Apple's lead in UI design.

Apple is the undisputed leader in industrial design, both for useability and looks. Only a complete moron *coughTestudocough* would assert the opposite.

howiethemacguy

Joined: Sep 2007

12/27, 02:50pm | report spam | close reply

re: yup

With these ports on the side, the computer would look like a** with a lot of devices plugged in. Apple has good reason for putting these ports in the back. Besides, the wired keyboard has a USB 2.0 hub built in.

bobthenob

12/27, 02:59pm | report spam | close reply

screen to sleep

System Prefs > Energy Saver > Put the display to sleep when it is inactive for: 15 mins

/ problem solved, no button necessary, no forgetting to press the button

fritzair

Joined: Oct 2000

12/27, 03:13pm | report spam | close reply

Plug in the back

Just ask the fellows on Diversey.(Chicago) Everything should plug in the back!!

12/27, 03:15pm | report spam | close reply

RE:screen to sleep

HALLELUJAH! Bob is right, this is easier than scratching your forehead.

gudin

Joined: May 2000

12/27, 03:34pm | report spam | close reply

re: testudo and climacs

While I agree that testudo usually has his/her head up his/her rear echelons, in the US, saying Apple has its . . . whatever, is fine. Apple is a thing in the US. I realize that in England, it is more generally true to refer to a company as plural, i.e. a group of people. Not so in the US. Thus, we have indisputable proof that testudo is either an American or educated in the US fashion (or a barely illiterate English person).

To address testudo's most recent silliness however, the bit quoted by YOU says the display goes to SLEEP not off. If you press the power button, you get a dialog asking if you want to put the computer to sleep, restart, shut down or cancel. Therefore, the sarcasm makes you look more like an idiot than the person you were trying to make fun of.

MarkMS

Joined: Jan 2007

12/27, 03:39pm | report spam | close reply

Another way is to go to Systems Prefs > Desktop & Screen Saver > Hot Corners. Set up a corner and when you are performing a long task, just hover the mouse to that corner and voila! Sleeping screen.

You might save some of the life of the LCD, but energy is still being wasted. It doesn't make much of a difference if the LCD is on or off if you are using CPU/GPU intensive crunching.

12/27, 03:46pm | report spam | close reply

Re: more stuff

Apple is the undisputed leader in industrial design, both for useability and looks. Only a complete moron *coughTestudocough* would assert the opposite.

Sorry, but having to rotate the computer 180 degrees so you can plug an iPod into your computer is NOT leading the world in usability.

But what do I expect from people who proclaim something like the PowerMac G5 great in looks, yet lacks so much (except in weight, which it has way too much of - are they expecting hurricanes to be rolling through my office?)

With these ports on the side, the computer would look like a** with a lot of devices plugged in. Apple has good reason for putting these ports in the back. Besides, the wired keyboard has a USB 2.0 hub built in.

I don't know, Apple doesn't seem to mind all that stuff sticking out of the side of their laptops. But heaven forbid anything be accessible on a desktop!

And the USB port in the keyboard is nice (assuming you're using a wired keyboard, and it's an apple keyboard), it's not powered and, thus, won't charge your ipod or work well with devices looking for power.

zaghahzag

Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Aug 2006

12/27, 03:52pm | report spam | close reply

did anyone catch the name

XPS One, Gateway One. What's next? XPS Two?

Dell can't even come up with a good name without ripping it from a competitor. How truly lame.

Even if the dell ran OSX, it'd be a dell. Which means that it breaks and you're on the phone to India, being disconnected every 5 minutes. Dealing with a phone computer that tries to get you to talk to it to tell you things THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO REPEAT TO THE TECH SUPPORT GUY.

dell sucks.

12/27, 03:53pm | report spam | close reply

re: screen to sleep

System Prefs > Energy Saver > Put the display to sleep when it is inactive for: 15 mins

Problem is, for some tasks, the screen refuses to go to sleep. Again, mine refuses to do this when running iDVD.

To address testudo's most recent silliness however, the bit quoted by YOU says the display goes to SLEEP not off.

No, it doesn't. It says the computer goes to sleep, which also makes the screen sleep.

If you press the power button, you get a dialog asking if you want to put the computer to sleep, restart, shut down or cancel. Therefore, the sarcasm makes you look more like an idiot than the person you were trying to make fun of.

Exactly how? Doing what you say will stop the computer running. Which is NOT the point of wanting to turn off the monitor. Or do you just not understand the concept of turning something "OFF"?

I have no idea what the other part of your post was all about. Unless it was climacs pointing out I forgot an apostrophe on the word "its". OMG! Someone mis-punctuated a word on a message board! Let's mock them for it!

eldarkus

Joined: Feb 2004

12/27, 04:05pm | report spam | close reply

look people

Side, back, side, back.. Lets not argue about the problem and come up with a solution.

Put extra plugs on the bottom of the iMac. It's easier to get to than the back and better looking than the side.. and then Apple (or 3rd party) can make the iSkirt.. a nice lil skirt for the iMac that hides the plugs hanging down!! Everyone's happy!

and for the record, the reason Apple doesn't put them on the sides is for looks only.. there is no reason why they shouldn't add ports to the side/bottom/etc

12/27, 04:06pm | report spam | close reply

its

Wait, you left out an apostrophe when saying "Apple's complete lack of respect for it's customers?" Well, it didn't look to me that you did (the above is cut and pasted). It looks to me that you added one where it didn't belong. In any event, I was defending you, mainly because I was thinking climacs was commenting on you referring to Apple as "it" rather than "they." However, I may not have understood his/her complaint. So sorry. You were wrong all along, and I was also wrong to defend you.

As to the rest, true, I was thinking that putting the computer to sleep would solve the problem. However, I don't get why you seem incapable of understanding that sleep != off. In any event, I suppose there is some reason occasionally why one might not want the computer to sleep when they did want the monitor asleep. Doesn't seem to me a major issue though, as it is so blindingly easy to handle this in system prefs, as others have mentioned. You really do seem to have to complain about something at all times, so I guess I'll just accept that.

Deal

Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Apr 2001

12/27, 04:18pm | report spam | close reply

The cable thing

If the cable thing is so important, just get a short extension cable and leave it accessible. You can plug it into the back and then have it right there by your keyboard. It is actually easier to plug in than putting it in the side.

I like to use a 3M cable holder. Keeps it right where you want it and also, prevents you from yanking your computer off the desk if you trip on it.

Easily done!

Peter Bonte

12/27, 04:34pm | report spam | close reply

cables and monitors

The cable thing is a design decision you ether love or hate like most things Apple does, i always need an extra powered hub so i like the plugs in the back when possible.

The monitor turn's dim when idle for 5 min achieving 80% power saving, the extra dedicated button to turn it off is yet another design decision that actually makes a lot of sense. Users will be mixing up the power button with the monitor button and assume the computer is off when its only the monitor. Very important for a computer that looks identical to a monitor.

12/27, 05:01pm | report spam | close reply

Good point. I know a huge number of people who would have no idea their computer was still on if they hit that button.

Simple is still Apple's way. At least we have more than one button on our mice now :)

dliup

Joined: Jan 2006

12/27, 05:50pm | report spam | close reply

tesTURDo

No need to rotate iMac. Just stand up, tilt iMac forward (without moving base position), and you can see all the ports.

Mac laptops are designed to be mobile, to have lots of things plugged in and removed, therefore ports are accessible on the sides. While most PC laptops have ports in the back.

Desktops are not designed to have things plugged in / removed all the time. If you need to do that, than you would need a USB hub, no matter what computer you have.

Actually Testurdo, most PC users, like you have their desktop on the floor, when they want to plug something in, they have to get on their knees, move the computer, plug in the USB cable, move the computer back, hit the head on the desk, say ouch, and stand back up. So which is the better design?

You are used to the backward PC designs but you are too dull to realize it.

12/27, 06:11pm | report spam | close reply

@dliup

Testudo also has a Mac, he works with iDVD. Most current beige PC's and the Mac tower have USB, FW and audio jacks on the front like it should be.

12/27, 06:13pm | report spam | close reply

sleep vs. off

As to the rest, true, I was thinking that putting the computer to sleep would solve the problem. However, I don't get why you seem incapable of understanding that sleep != off.

Sleep, in all but 'restart time' is equivalent to off. Nothing happens when the computer is asleep, you can't connect remotely when it's asleep, you can't have it working when it's asleep. Because it is asleep.

With the monitor off (or asleep), you can have the computer running without lighting up the entire room with the monitor, waiting for it to sleep (if it will sleep).

In any event, I suppose there is some reason occasionally why one might not want the computer to sleep when they did want the monitor asleep.

I would think there is a lot of reasons, but maybe that's just me.

Doesn't seem to me a major issue though, as it is so blindingly easy to handle this in system prefs, as others have mentioned. You really do seem to have to complain about something at all times, so I guess I'll just accept that.

Again, if you read my post, you'd notice that there are times when the monitor WON'T go asleep.

And even if there are times it would, I guess I'm just old and crusty enough to turn off lights in my house when I leave a room, or turn off the TV when I'm not watching it. As such, turning off my monitor when I'm done with it is something I'd have a habit to do.

12/27, 06:27pm | report spam | close reply

Re: testurdo

No need to rotate iMac. Just stand up, tilt iMac forward (without moving base position), and you can see all the ports.

Yes, that's so much better. So rather than turning it, you have the concern of knocking or dropping it forward onto its screen. Thanks!

Mac laptops are designed to be mobile, to have lots of things plugged in and removed, therefore ports are accessible on the sides. While most PC laptops have ports in the back.

How often do you need to plug/unplug stuff into a laptop that makes plugging it on the side so much better? Drop it onto a desk, plug it in, do work. When done, get up and unplug.

Then again, many PC laptops also can use docking stations, which means no unsightly mess and no leaning all over the place to get to cables. But, hey, who wants something as easy as a docking station.

Desktops are not designed to have things plugged in / removed all the time.

They aren't? Why not? Isn't the whole point of these wonderful USB and Firewire ports to plug and unplug external devices?

If you need to do that, than you would need a USB hub, no matter what computer you have.

No, I would need to do that only because I wanted to have easy access to the ports, no matter what computer you have. Why should a user have to spend another $30 after spending well over a $1000 just because they transport their iPod to different places, or use a thumb drive or media card readers or the occasional external drive?

Actually Testurdo, most PC users, like you have their desktop on the floor, when they want to plug something in, they have to get on their knees, move the computer, plug in the USB cable, move the computer back, hit the head on the desk, say ouch, and stand back up. So which is the better design?

You are used to the backward PC designs but you are too dull to realize it.

Apparently you live in a rose-colored "Macs are perfectly designed and PCs haven't changed in 20 years" mentality. But you should look at a PC or two. You'd be hard-pressed to find one that did NOT have USB ports on the front (and more than one), let alone an audio out jack (and perhaps even a audio in port).

Then again, the Dell monitor hooked up to my Mac and PC (yeah, it's hooked up to both, since Dell makes a monitor that actually realizes people might use it with more than one computer), and it has USB ports on the side as well as the back, I don't have to go crawling around, reaching around, or looking around, for most things.

12/27, 06:54pm | report spam | close reply

mo turdo

Nope, no one has ever knocked over an iMac before. And I know tons of Mac Geniuses.

In case you never touch an recent iMac, iMac pivots at the center of gravity. So you will not knock it over under normal usage.

Some people like their cords on their desktop all tidy. Some people like cord sticking out of the side. You can have it your way, but other people will have it their way. However, anyone with taste will not want to have cords sticking out from the side.

As to laptop, if you use a mac laptop, you will know your explanations do not hold up.

mmmdoughnuts

Joined: Feb 2006

12/27, 07:01pm | report spam | close reply

Some English @ Ya'll

"Its" is the possessive pronoun; it modifies a noun.

Climacs pushed Testudo's monitor off its stand.

"It's" is a contraction of it is or it has.

It's a sad day when english is butchered.

12/27, 07:56pm | report spam | close reply

sry and tx

"when it's only the monitor"

I learned English from the BBC teletext and internet, it's hard to find correct spelling with goog as a spellcheck. :-)

nat

Junior Member

Joined: Mar 2002

12/27, 10:15pm | report spam | close reply

holy c***

why do we bother? clearly testudo knows all. there's only one way to do things, one way to think about things, one way to see things - his way. there is no middle ground. he is THE VOICE OF REASON. just ask him. no one on these boards is worth the air they breath.

all he ever does is quote others and tells them how wrong wrong wrong they are.

think about it. has he ever agreed with another poster? ever? that says it all. stop responding to his nonsense and maybe, hopefully, he'll just go to another board. ignore him. it's the best thing we can do.

hezekiahb

Joined: Jun 2006

12/28, 12:08am | report spam | close reply

back/side/front

This is a very difficult decision I think. It would be nice if it had them in the bottom & the back!

Side, stupid cause anything you plug in has to stick out the side of my screen.

Front, I don't see how you could say it makes more sense for it to come out the front than the bottom.

It needs to be both Back & bottom, keeps the nice clean look while allowing easy access for jump drives & other frequently removed devices.

ctj

Joined: Jul 2002

12/28, 01:06am | report spam | close reply

@testudo re: keyboard

The new Apple keyboard (wired, with USB 2.0) does allow for charging iPods or other devices. That's how mine works (and is mentioned on Apple's site here: ).

bjojade

Joined: Jun 2007

12/28, 09:57am | report spam | close reply

Simple fix.

If you want USB ports on the side, simply get yourself a small usb hub and sticky tape it exactly where you want it. Total cost, $20, problem solved.

Regarding turning off the display to save screen life, you need to be aware that with the florescent tubes in the displays currently, the act of turning on the display is much harder on the lamps than leaving them on continuously. The electrical usage is minimal for the lamps and should not be a concern.

If you want to have the display not light the room, you can easily DIM the display to minimum brightness. Yeah, you have to click the brightness button a bunch of times, not just once, but I'm sure you could write an applescript to do that in just one click.

rjwill246

Joined: Jul 2003

12/28, 09:58am | report spam | close reply

Regarding Walt

He is a great reviewer but even positing that the Dell is a threat is, as the first poster says, ridiculous. Two different markets. Perhaps he is worried that ONLY the iMac creates switchers, which, as far as I can tell is not true.

So the flaming and misleading headline is barely made up for by his summary. Idiots often don't read anything after the headline and would easily conclude that an expert has proclaimed Dell the winner in the iMac vs Dell confrontation!!!

12/28, 09:59am | report spam | close reply

Re: Some English @ Ya'll

"Its" is the possessive pronoun; it modifies a noun.

Climacs pushed Testudo's monitor off its stand.

"It's" is a contraction of it is or it has.

It's a sad day when english is butchered.

Yeah, but it just goes to show you how utterly confusing English can be. Because, for some unknown reason, every other possessive vs. contraction on "is" is exactly the same. "Fred's computer" and "Fred's coming". But "it" is 'magical'. It only gets (or is it get's?) an apostrophe one way, not the other.

12/28, 10:01am | report spam | close reply

Sucks for buyers

How about everyone that bought movies? They are now tied to the machine that bought them. When that machine dies, so do the movies. Wasted investment to be sure!

12/28, 10:58am | report spam | close reply

@bjojade

Not sure what this has to do with the subject but iTunes movies can be played on up to 5 computers and can be transferred to others. I think this is a post for the amazon thread

05/24	Apple seeds eighth OS X 10.8.4 beta...
05/24	Motorola appeals dismissal of ITC complaint...
05/24	Apple cuts prices on refurbished iPads...
05/24	Best Buy to start month-long $50 discount...
05/24	Rain continues to cause problems at...

05/24	Motorola appeals dismissal of ITC complaint...
05/24	Best Buy to start month-long $50 discount...
05/23	AT&T GoPhone may get iPhone, LTE/HSPA...
05/23	Google posts Chrome 28 beta, integrates...
05/23	Google in 'holding pattern' with Apple...

Mossberg: XPS One poses threat to Apple, Gateway

updated 01:10 pm EST, Thu December 27, 2007

Mossberg on Dell XPS One

Related Articles

Recent Articles

x

Uh...

yup

RE: uh...

threat from what?

Form...

I'd really like it if...

Someone's getting OLD

read the article, people

Headphone Jack

stuff

re: lack of respect

re: yup

exactly

screen to sleep

Plug in the back

RE:screen to sleep

re: testudo and climacs

screen to sleep

Re: more stuff

did anyone catch the name

re: screen to sleep

look people

its

The cable thing

cables and monitors

Peter Bonte

tesTURDo

@dliup

sleep vs. off

Re: testurdo

mo turdo

Some English @ Ya'll

sry and tx

holy c***

back/side/front

@testudo re: keyboard

URL didn't get in last po

Simple fix.

Regarding Walt

Re: Some English @ Ya'll

Sucks for buyers

@bjojade

Login Here

Recently Commented Articles

Related Forum Posts

Most Read

Electronista Marketplace