The Dell Studio 8100 XPS arrives along with the 27” U2711 2560 x 1440 non-glare monitor.  The 8100 includes Windows 7 Home Premium, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240, 8GB DIMM, WiFi, 1 TB Seagate internal dive, DVD read write, full size keyboard and optical mouse.  It also includes a Hauppauge Win TV-HVR-1250 tuner and Dell Media Center Remote set.  (See the earlier topic, Dell AND iMac, for more details on the specifications.)

I open the box for the Dell 81000 and have a completely different experience than when I opened the iMac.  Unlike the simplicity of the all-in-one iMac, my first impression is that there are lots of parts.  It turns out, most of them are related to the Remote Dell Studio, including a remote, IT Blaster, and IR emitter cable.  There is DVI to VGA and a DVI to HDMI converter and two antennae for the WLAN card. There are setup booklets, warrantee, and a number of setup disks for McAfee Security Center, Microsoft Works 9, OS Windows 7 Home Premium, and Drivers and utilities. (I suppose if the Elgato EyeTV tuner and software were included in the original Apple Package there would have been more parts there as well.)

The Dell 8100 CPU is about the same size as the Old Dell 3100, but somewhat lighter.  It is white with a glossy black plastic front protected by sticky plastic wrap.   I remove the protective wrap and find at the top a number of media card reader slots, in contrast to the single media reader slot on the side of the iMac.  Next down on the front panel I find a hidden optical drive ejected by a nearly invisible button on the right.  Next down is a door that swings down if you happen to find the hidden finger tab.  Behind the door is an optional drive bay.  Last is little drawer that slides down when you push on a little indentation on the top.  It reveals two more USB ports and another empty slot.  If you enjoy discovering hidden compartments, this front panel is for you!  All these empty slots suggest that internal drives and other hardware are more easily installed in the Dell than the iMac.

The front is slightly angled – Dell says to provide easy access from above.  There is a little indentation in the top, like a clip holder, that has two USB ports and a microphone and earphone jack – Dell calls it a “recessed media tray”.  This is a much improved layout from the old Dell Dimension 3000 which had these media connection at the bottom of the front panel where they were difficult to access and broke after some moderate use and several inadvertent kicks under the desk. The power button is on top for easy access. 

 
The back panel of the Dell has Studio XPS 8100 has a S/PDIF connector for optical digital cables, and eSata connector for fast external storage devices, an HDMI and 4 USB connectors.  It has a variety of audio connections include rear and side L/R surround connectors and Front L/R line-out and line-in connectors, as well as center subwoofer connector.  There are network (Ethernet), IEEE 134 and DVI connectors.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240 card with a dedicated memory 1024 MB has two Dual Link DVI HDTV connectors and an S-Video connector.   At the bottom of the back are the ports on the Hauppauge WInTV-HVR-1250 that include one cable and one S-video input and an audio and TV-in socket.

The color scheme of white and black CPU is carried through the keyboard and mouse. The keyboard, dark grey with white trim and bottom, is substantially bigger than the iMac nearly flat keyboard, and the Dell keyboard has additional function buttons on top for web navigation, and audiovisual controls.  One button is a shortcut to a calculator.  It has a slightly lower profile than then the old Dell’s keyboard, but has essentially the same functionality and layout.  Clearly Apple chose streamline simplicity, while Dell chose a little more bulk and functionality.  To the touch, the Apple keyboard has some regular resistance throughout the keystroke, while the Dell keyboard has a longer stroke with a more noticeable resistance.  Both feel fine.

The Dell mouse is white with black sides, and a scroll wheel on top.   While not as sleek as the Magic Mouse, the design is simple and straightforward.   It does not have additional programmable button like the Logitech MX compared to the Magic Mouse in an earlier topic, The iMac Arrives.  Both the Dell mouse and keyboard are connected through USB ports. 

While the publicity for the 8100 says it is “sleek and streamlined”, my first impression is that it has more-or-less the same profile as the old Dell Dimension, and the white and black format looks more like a kitchen utensil in comparison to the iMac’s high tech profile -- not that considering a computer as a utility instead of art is a bad thing.

I wonder how the new Dell’s insides compare to the old Dell. I know that the processor is an entirely different animal, but how different is the construction of the old Dell and new Dell?  To the naked eye they are pretty similar.  The noticeable difference is another fan in the 8100 and the bottom of the 8100 has an additional vent.  Hopefully it will be quieter than the old Dell.

Monitors – At first glance Dell 2711 vs. 27” Apple Cinema

I open the Dell U2711Monitor box, and it is a beauty!  It is simplicity itself with a non-glare matt screen surrounded by a uniform 1” black frame.  I see immediately the difference between the glare of the glossy iMac screen and the non-glare matt finish on the Dell.

Like the iMac the Dell monitor tilts front and back, but unlike the iMac, the Dell leg is attached to 360 swivel mechanism and it has a height adjustment of about 4”.   In contrast the iMac display has speakers and a camera and the Dell does not.

The Dell monitor is CFL (compact florescent light bulb) back-lit while the iMac Cinema display is LED (light emitting diode) back-lit.  Some reviews say the Cinema display can be too bright, but it is adjustable. 

Performance specs are almost identical for the iMac display and Dell display: 1560 X 1440, 16:9, and 6 milliseconds. 

Video control buttons are hidden on the right front of the Dell display versus keyboard activated controls for the iMac display.  They become visible with a small blue light when you touch them.  This is a nice esthetic, but not particularly obvious to the neophyte.  They include color and contrast settings as well presets for color, input sources, PIP/PBP (picture in picture / picture by picture) and presets, and personalizing the settings.  The iMac has similar functionality, but it is accessed through software and is more difficult to figure out. 

The Dell 27” is nearly bursting with ports.  HDMI, two DVI, a VGA port.   It has three additional USB ports, one of which is an upstream (PC) connection that allows the connection to a multi-channel speaker system.  The only disadvantage here is the placement of most of the ports are under the bottom of the display and are fairly difficult to reach.  In contrast the iMac has only one miniDisplay port (but the initial connection to the CPU is built-in).

If multiple ports and easy to use adjustments are important, the separate Dell display far outshines the Cinema display of the iMac.

 In the next topic, the Dell gets plugged in and set-up.