Dell have changed my mind

[blah]

I am an IBM fella, had Thinkpads all the time, on the last one that served me 3 years strong I've broke PCMCA slot when dropped it on the WNIC and Firewire cards plugged, so no more connectivity with the "space" anymore, which means need a new laptop.

Was searching and boiling my brains out what to get next, not too much on the cash right now, and still need something that is playable and workable at the same time, IBMs are way too spendy in playable area, so was thinking to get something dirt cheap for business use and skimp on games or shell out some cabbage and get da thing. Accidentally got across Dell's coupons and looked closely at the bargain, decided to give it a try.

Basically the deal was $750 off on the system above $1899, so I decided to betray IBM and it's trackpoint (using wireless mouse lately anyway) and cooked myself an Inspiron 9300 with PM 1.7, NV Go6800/256MB, 256MB DDR2 (will get 1 gig from Crucial for half the Dell's price 60G/5400 HD (using external HD for all the space needs), 17" WXGA+ (have no idea what the "+" stands for and did not go for WUXGA caz reading/writing a lot, have to actually see what I am doing), DVD/CD-RW and a nice bag for it.

What do you guys think, will it play ok, or should I add a little to the processor, there were 1.8 and 2 gig options, but I thought speed increase for those do not justify the spendings. Well I have a few days before they cook the system up, so can change it for a couple of hundred.

Well, the system cost me little over 13 hundred after tax and S&H, I think it is not too bad for the stuffs I am getting, even though I do not like the keyboard on it, I think I'll get used to it (or make myself to do so

Is it a good deal I am getting? I did not get any extra warranty, just a 1 year in home service, or should I get something longer lasting?

Thanks for your time, comments welcome.



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[RichPLS]

Dell notebooks are good quality. I would upgrade the LCD, usually have several options, with the lowest being not the brightest/clearest. Also, get the most RAM/Fastest processor you can afford, plus a 7200 rpm drive and best Graphics card offered, since you usually cant/don't upgrade CPU and RAM can be tough if they use cheaper low capacity modules and fill available slots with your order, causing you to remove ram to increase ram.
As for notebooks, I also suggest upgrading warranty to at least two years, three if you can afford it. Does not need to be at home, send in is fine and cheaper.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[blah]

Well, the LCD with ultra resolution has everything small, I understand Ultra will look more vivid and bright, but I read/write mostly, and changing resolution will make everything blur and specific model will have glare which is no good in my book. Ram I can get for cheaper even with the original one removed. Will $300 justify speedier CPU going from 1.73 to 2 Gs, I don't do anything CPU intensive, only office stuff and couple of games like UT, watching movies (that's the main reason for bigger screen), which I hope top model nVidia will be able to handle apart from CPU. The 7200 drive can be had for cheaper than they offer as well. So at this point I am only thinking about CPU upgrade, caz that one I would not be able to touch and the warranty. I did not go for more, caz of the good experience with IBM which work for years if user does not help it to die quicker.

PS: I would get IBM in a heart beat, but they offer no such thing as NV6800 and wide screen.
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[blah]

Ok, changed CPU to 1.86 (+$100, bumping to 2ghz was $200 more from 1.86, kind of steeper than going 1.73 to 1.86) and got bluetooth (+$50) and got warrenty in home for 2 years (+$100), wew, you guys make me shell some dough out. Well, I've "downgraded" HD to 40Gz, went from XPPro to XPHome (gonna put w2k on it anyway), said buy to the bag, so it only brought me to little over 14 hundred, still ok for the "monster setup", hope it will last a little, never had a Dell.

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[RichPLS]

Dude, XP is better than 2000. JMO

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[blah]

Well, maybe it is, but all my (well all 3 of them desktops running 2k, so you know, just to keep them and me happy ;o>

No, seriously, I have everything OS related, except the Longleg (release year 2041), so you know, just saving some dough :*(

But on the very serious note, with 256MB of memory 2k will work better until I get more RAM.

And on the most serious note, I am sending receiving faxes on the go, so editing them in the 2k imaging is waaaay more easier than anything I came across in XP. So, you know, just saving some head growl.

And on the complete and final note, Dude, no, XP is not better than 2000 (for what I do at least) in MHO. It just LOOX better.

PS: and boy, am I excited to play that UT on 17 inch, hehehe.

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[RichPLS]

Dude, ya can config XP to look identical to 2000, and comminication thru network is flawless.


<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[blah]

Yep, it is, just ask everybody I fix the "flawlessness" of XP for how flawless it was before I'm done with it. I've just got sick of making it flawless. Even 2k is not flawless, let alone XP (what a mess).

PS: and boy am I starting to feel rush till 9300 comes in ;o)

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[blah]

Woohoo, I start to like Dell more and more, they are a WHOLE week ahead of promissed. Promissed to build the system and ship it on 6/8 but are already done and shipped on 6/2, tomorrow I will see da thing. Head spins from sucha speed, hehe.

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[blah]

What a friking waste of time. Got this beautiful machine in and got so upset with stupidity of Dell's engineers. Will have to return da thing, due to keyboard being sunken in too much, I hit top bezel edge infront of keyboard when typing and pressing the Space bar with my thumb. Whata idiots, could not make a little bevel down hill in front of the Space bar so the thumb would have a little space underneath itself when Space bar is pressed. CRAPY DELL, hate your QC, so much time wasted, did not even turn the machine ON.

They have to get some real hard education from IBM, oh well, back to T42 hunting, shiet, so upset.


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[RichPLS]

What a bummer, I thought they fixed keyboard issue. I have an old Dell P3-300mhz and keyboard is fine. Dam thing works, 1-gig RAM but is slow as [-peep-].

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[blah]

It's not actually a keyboard, it's a panel edge in front of it. I duno, but I think designers are dumber than me out there, oh well, I already packed it back, did not even try it working, don't want to get more upset seeing all the power and not being able to use it :O(

Now I see why IBM is the top gun in the business world (its not the power but the pleasure to work with the thing).


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[blah]

PS: The screen on 9300 XGA+ is gray, IBM side by side looks white like a snow. Sucks, have to shell out few more handred and go back to IBM. Anyone has better screen suggestion?

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[blah]

Last bump, sending it back, getting T43.

PS: Dell's customer service is actually very good, and I mean it, not many questions, they even tried to give some coupons for shopping at dell.com to calm my frustration down, send me external keyboard, etc, but I could not get an advantage of them being so nice and live with the edgy keyboard for the next 2 years (actually I like the keyboard itself better than IBM one, it's just that stupid edge). I better spend more and live happi-er.

Help me out, what would be a better buy: T43/x300 or T42/r9600.


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[folken]

Might as well go all the way and get a T43 w/ an x300. The T42 might have better batt life though due to slightly lesser proc/vid card if that is of extreme importance.
I've got a T42 w/ a 9600 and it can play any newer game (not at highest settings but good enough settings). I rarely play games on it though, just for little unplaned lan parties. I make use of it's 6hr batt life (w/ high cap batt) for a full day of use at school w/o needing an outlet.
If you plan on doing fairly regular gaming on it go for the T43.

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>

 

[blah]

I play UT original only, if that x300's gonna pull it, I'll go for the T43.

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[folken]

A T43 should run that VERY nicely

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>

 

[blah]

Hehe, thanks, me go hunting ;o)

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