It’s funny, sometimes it’s the little things that make us change. I was really pretty pleased with the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 I was using, but then a series of semi-related events came together, and changed things for me.

Surface Pro 7 Battery Issue

First, I started having battery issues with the Surface Pro 7, and that disillusioned me with the computer. I first noticed it about 6 months after I got it, but it wasn’t very severe. Then, shortly after the warranty expired (and this was one of the few times I didn’t buy an extended warranty), it would shut down after 15 minutes or so. And this wasn’t a gradual shutdown, that battery would show 95% or more one moment, and the next the computer was off. I’ve since learned that this became a common problem for the Surface Pro 7, but I wasn’t aware of it at the time.

New Computer for My Pastor (and Me)

About this time, my local church decided to purchase a laptop for our new pastor. One of the members mentioned a great deal he got on a Samsung all in one computer for his son. I took a look at it, and though it wasn’t their top of the line model, it was a pretty decent looking computer at a fair price. I especially liked the “flip and fold” design. I decided to take a closer look at what Samsung offered in the line.

I settled on a Samsung Galaxy Book2 360, with an i7 processor, 8gb memory, and a 512gb ssd. I got the computer and was super impressed with the feel of it, and how well it was put together. Though I knew I wouldn’t often use it as a notebook, I could see where that would come in handy from time to time. And the screen was amazing.

But there was trouble in paradise. First, when I checked on my profile with Samsung, I couldn’t find information on the warranty. After being bounced around to several call center folks, I finally got someone that cared for computers instead of phones. After some back and forth with the tech I got, he offered me a 10% refund instead of me sending it back. Then, a few days later, my refund came, but it was $100 instead of 10% (of a $2000 purchase). When I called back, I was told that the highest refund they were authorized to give was $100. That’s not good.

Then a couple of days later, the USB C port started flaking out. First the ethernet no longer worked on the docking station (which uses that port), then the mouse quit. Then it failed to (using the same port). When I called Samsung, I found there were no local repair facilities, so I was going to have to ship it back. Between the poor customer service, the problem on the refund, and now this, I decided to return it for a refund. I needed a computer I could rely on for longer than 2 weeks.

Bye Bye Book Pro 360, Hello Dell XPS 13 2 in 1

Overall, I’ve been pretty happy with my higher end Dell purchases. I took a look at their lineup of small form factor laptops, and the XPS 13 7390 looked a lot like a “mature” version of the Samsung Book Pro 360 I had such high hopes for.

I found an open box sale at Best Buy, so I got a hefty discount on a model with an i7 process, 16gb memory and a 1tb hard drive. Twice the memory, twice the storage, and I even saved some money because of the discount.

Unboxing the computer, I was very impressed. A slightly smaller form factor, but with the edge to edge screen, it “feels” much bigger than it is. The brush aluminum case looks great, the keyboard feels good, and hinges feel tight and substantial.

And this thing just screams on speed and power. I did some video editing on it, and it performed fine. Drive speed is fast, and boot time is short. Probably my one minor complaint (well, OK, maybe two) is that it won’t log me in using facial recognition, and I’m not fond of the fingerprint reader being part of the power button.

I’m going give this a few months, and revisit this page to give an update, but I think I’m going to be happy with this one.