Review: Dell XPS One 2710

About a month ago, I purchased a refurbished Dell XPS One 2710 all-in-one desktop Windows 8 PC from Costco.com (online) - to replace my 7-year-old Apple iMac.

The Dell desktop PC arrived quickly and booted just fine. I really disliked Windows 8 and decided to install Windows 7. I ordered a Crucial M4 mSATA SSD (256GB Flash) and installed it inside the Dell with Windows 7. Now, I could boot either Windows 7 or 8.

The computer has been running great for the past month until two days ago.

Suddenly, the Dell PC started experiencing problems connecting to my Asus RT-66U router for no apparent reason. It would connect and then randomly disconnect in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

I contacted Dell support, and after 30 minutes of analysis, the technician requested that a new Dell DW1703 wireless card be sent to me to correct this issue. A Unisys repairman came in the next day and replaced my  DW1703 wireless card. However, the repair did not fix the problem, and the PC still has intermittent connectivity.

Another Dell representative called me on Friday morning to ask about the Wireless repair, and I explained that no progress had been made. We tried lots of various things for over 90 minutes without any resolution. How many times can one install and re-install drivers?

Now, I need to decide whether to purchase another PCIe wireless card and install it to see if this solves the issue or return the computer to Costco and buy another iMac.

I finally decided that I had enough debug time with Dell. The iMac seemed too tempting. I decided to return the Dell XPS One to Costco.

Today, I packed it and returned it back to Costco. Now, I need to see which iMac is the most suitable replacement.

Read More

Kayaking on Donner Lake

Today, we decided to visit Truckee and the nearby Donner Lake to enjoy the last remnants of late summer at Lake Tahoe. The day was sunny and warm but became overcast in the afternoon, with a light shower.

The beach around Donner Lake was nearly empty, and few people were around.

Alex and Sasha did a few rounds of kayaking on Donner Lake. The water was cold, but they did not mind and had much fun.

Here is a short video of their kayaking:

Inna and Alla also got to try out the ocean. They got caught in a light shower on the lake but didn't mind. Inna went swimming in the cold lake afterward.

We went for a short hike around the lake, covering the flat ground with many pines.

The trail was not asphalted, so Alex could not ride his scooter.

After the hike, we returned to our residence for dinner.

Eggs sunny side up coming right up.

Alex, little Sasha, and Liza enjoyed the hot tub.

Sunday, September 14, 2013

We decided to try mountain biking from Squaw Valley to Lake Tahoe along the paved bike path nearby. The path follows the Truckee River, and we enjoyed the beautiful Lake Tahoe National Forest.

A few people were rafting down the Truckee River. It seemed shallow in places.

Read More