Comment by colordrops | Hacker News Reader

Comment by colordrops | Hacker News Reader

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I have an older XPS, the 9560, and compatibility with Linux has been pretty good, but the build quality has left a lot to be desired.

I had to replace the Killer wifi card with an Intel card, as the OEM one was flaky and this seemed to be a known issue that wasn't acknowledged by Dell.

The battery failed on me 3 times, and I eventually gave up on the warranty and bought a third party battery which I installed myself.

The power connector got loose, which required replacing the motherboard.

The case itself is not very stiff, so putting it over the edge of a knee or table means the touch pad won't click due to the flex.

Perhaps newer models have addressed these sorts of issues, but I'd be wary of buying another considering the Thinkpad I got for work has been very solid.

I also had to replace the Killer wifi card. After that there was nothing to complain about regarding Linux compatibility.

BUT I also had to replace the battery after a year or two (it was swollen to the point that I couldn't close the laptop anymore).

And finally the rubbery coating of the case degraded badly and turned into a gooey, sticky mess (apparently a known issue with this kind of material, for those living in tropical weather).

So I'm done with Dell for a while.

Yes, my first battery failure had the battery swell up so much that the touch pad didn't work anymore.

> BUT I also had to replace the battery after a year or two (it was swollen to the point that I couldn't close the laptop anymore

That happened to me too with the first one, but they actually on their own initiative sent me a new battery. I've had no problems with the second laptop.

I have a similar model and I can't stand the case flex issues. If you set the laptop on an uneven surface or try to work while holding it in your other hand, it'll flex and click the touchpad. I use this laptop while working on industrial equipment, so setting it on uneven surfaces or holding it while working is something I do pretty often. It's very annoying.

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