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Comment by krn | Hacker News Reader

> Yes, all those issues could be addressed by making Apple laptops thicker and heavier

Dell XPS 13 is both, thinner and lighter than Macbook Air, yet its battery replacement process is rated as "very easy"[1] by ifixit. The same applies to Dell XPS 15 vs Macbook Pro.

[1] https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Dell+XPS+13+Battery+Replacement...

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Looks like the Dell XPS 13 uses a single rectangular battery, though it still requires unscrewing the whole case, disconnecting a battery cable, and then unscrewing the battery, so it's not something you can do on the fly.

The 2018 MacBook Air battery isn't quite so neat and rectangular: https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/HvCgVPqVQtVI5K5X.h...

And you can see here how it fits into all of the available space in the computer: https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/QUm4KjJyARQaSorr.h...

Switching this computer to using a simple battery like the Dell XPS 13 is using means sacrificing a significant amount of battery capacity.

It's also worth nothing that the XPS has a 52Whr battery and the 2018 Air had a 50.3Whr battery. Although you probably get worse battery life with the XPS (config dependent maybe), you've stil got to hand it to Dell here.

In fact, Dell XPS 13 is twice as powerful as Macbook Air, but lasts only a little shorter on battery[1].

[1] https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-macbook-air-vs-dell-xps-13-i...

It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount. You can presumably get that back with the i5 model, but then you're not twice as powerful. Makes me want to get the latest XPS even though my 2015 model is still going strong.

Also note the 2019 Air they've got has a smaller battery again (49.9Whr).

> It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount.

The battery life gains in Macbook Air might come from the different series of processors used, rather than from the battery itself:

> The MacBook Air has Core i5 and i7 processor options, but they're part of Intel's "Y" series of CPUs, intended for thin laptops. They generate less heat and use less power, so you get longer battery life. The flip side is they're not as fast as a standard laptop with a "U" series processor.

Sure, it's certainly mostly due to the Y-series CPU. I'm just pointing out that difference in the 2019 model compared to the 2018 model that was mentioned in the parent comments.

If you were to compare it to the new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 which uses a 10th gen Intel chip and is marketed to have 17 hours of battery life, I think it'd be more than twice as powerful and that one would last just as long if not longer. But again, that might be an apples to oranges comparison with the different chip generations. But Apple always is a bit behind on adopting those new chips.

Oh wow, that now that sounds like an upgrade. Sadly it doesn't seem to be available in the UK quite yet.

Dell has some really good hardware design. I've been using the business-class Latitudes for years now (getting them a few years old off-lease; they're usually pretty lightly used in corporate settings), and they're extremely easy to work on. The old E4600/4610 models were really nice: they had a single captive screw on the back panel. Just loosen it and slide the panel off.

Just looking at the ifixit.com page linked above, the XPS looks very well-designed and easy to work on too, with just 8 screws holding the back panel on, while still being just as thin as a Macbook. It seems like Apple stuff is simply designed specifically to be hard to repair.

> Switching this computer to using a simple battery like the Dell XPS 13 is using means sacrificing a significant amount of battery capacity.

The point was, that despite getting rid of the single rectangular battery Macbook Air is neither thinner, nor lighter, nor more powerful, nor longer lasting on battery than Dell XPS 13.

I admit I'm really confused as to why this particular comment is being downvoted.

I own an xps 15. It gets mega hot and can't run anything without having to slow down performance because it is too hot. Whatever the optimal battery solution is XPS15 is not doing a good job of it.

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