I usually use a Mac at school, but I often do development on Windows, so I ordered a Dell XPS laptop. I received it today, after almost a month of waiting. Here I will catalog some of my observations on the Windows/Dell user experience. This list will hopefully expand as I notice new things.

1. The packaging is pretty cheap. The box is twice as big as that for my MacBook Pro, and things seem just randomly tossed inside.
2. Windows welcomes you in a most unwelcoming way. On the Mac it plays you a friendly tone and shows you a snazzy video. Not exactly useful, but the gesture is appreciated. On the Windows machine pretty much the first thing you see is a dialog box saying “click here if you agree with this end-user license agreement.” Twice. That’s like walking into an ice cream shop and getting kicked in the groin.
3. The IE title bar says “Internet Explorer provided by Dell.” Listen Dell people: I know I am using a Dell. You don’t need to put your company name in the IE title bar. It reeks of desperation.
4. External monitor support is clumsy.
5. The build quality is actually pretty good, although the track pad is small and its surface texture is lacking.
6. Please don’t put stickers on my laptop.
7. My first time logging in there was a flurry of various security programs complaining about other security programs.
8. The default items in the Windows menu are: Windows Media Center, Windows Ultimate Extras, Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Live Messenger Download, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, and Windows Mobility Manager. This is branding run amok, and somebody should be ashamed for putting the word “Windows” 8 times for absolutely no reason in the most important menu in the OS.
9. The Google widgets thing crashed the very first time it ran, then the second time it ran, then the third time it ran. It will be run no more.
10. I suppose you think you’re cool by making the multimedia controls entirely touch-based (i.e. no tactile feedback) but in fact you are just being dumb. Kind of like the kids in highschool who wore their pants backwards to be like Kriss Kross.