I am sure this is already a topic, but I searched and couldn't find it quickly, so forgive a repeat...

I want to buy a new laptop and my company gives me a really good discount on Dells, but I've heard mixed reviews about them. I just want some input on Dells, or any really good laptops out there. Thanks!

5/2/2006 12:27:27 AM

man if you get a discount with dell you need to get a dell

5/2/2006 12:33:57 AM

Get the Dell. Have a friend that knows just a tad about computers make sure you configure a decent setup (RAM, screen type and size, battery, etc). Dell EPP deals are very good but you can still find optimal deals at a site like http://www.slickdeals.net/

For example here was a killer Dell EPP deal from a couple days ago:
http://www.slickdeals.net/#p7421
Inspiron E1510 Core Duo 1.66, 512 DDR2, 40GB HDD, CDRW/DVD, WIFI, 15.4" WXGA $508

5/2/2006 12:37:55 AM

What do you mean by "good" laptops?

5/2/2006 12:38:03 AM

A laptop that will last...I'm not doing a WHOLE lot on it, just general use. My laptop now (IBM Thinkpad) has held up pretty well for four years.

5/2/2006 9:50:43 AM

Well a Thinkpad, especially from that timeframe is about asd good as you can get... an industry standard for quality. If you go with a Dell consider an XPS and an extended warranty.

5/2/2006 2:30:18 PM

Yeah if "something that will last" is your primary criterion, then it sounds like you want a thinkpad. If it's price point, then the dell deal is probably the best.

[Edited on May 2, 2006 at 2:34 PM. Reason : ]

5/2/2006 2:33:19 PM

My personal experience and opinion.

IBM is higher quality (generally, from what I can tell), but Dell still offers good quality at reasonable cost. Last spring I was looking for a new laptop and Dell was running huge savings, so I bought a 700m (small 12 inch widescreen model). During the last year I have used it heavily (10+ hours per day during school year), and have not experience any problems whatsoever. I felt like replacing the battery to get more life, so they sent me a new one for free.

Previously, I had a problem with a HP laptop (hardware failure, likely on the soldered on ram chip that I couldn't get to). I sent it to the company 4 or 5 times, and they would just send me back the machine without fixing it. Eventually the warranty ran out and I still had an unusable system. That's when I sprang for my Dell, and have never regretted it since.

5/2/2006 3:26:38 PM

i heart my dell 700m. it's awesome and i sure as hell wouldnt trade it for anything else.

5/2/2006 3:39:36 PM

i love my toshiba...it's my third one in 5 years, and i've never had a problem with any of them...i just eventually wanted a new laptop every year and a half...best value laptops EVER

5/2/2006 3:42:44 PM

btw guys, Dell's new laptop lines (aka the E1505) are all on a completely new manufacturing process.

They actually took heed of everyone calling their laptops "plasticky" and "cheap feeling" and carried out a big ass user study, material studies and changed the parts, assembly and materials.

Pretty crazy shit. The funny thing was, previously Dell laptops had almost completely metal substructure and were WAY more hoss than IBM's, but everyone thought the IBM was higher quality because it was lighter. So now they are using a lot more plastic apparently and tightened up the tolerances to give better fit and finish on everything.

Crazy the things you hear about in industrial design

5/2/2006 5:44:42 PM

users don't care about what's under the covers - they care about what they feel/see

5/2/2006 5:49:27 PM

I've got an Inspiron 6000 that I picked up last year around July. Damn good laptop.

5/2/2006 5:59:03 PM

Sweet! I get about $350 off the top of the line laptops through work on top of their special deals they're having now, so I think I'm gonna get one. Thanks for all the input!!

5/3/2006 9:41:40 PM

Quote :

"Pretty crazy shit. The funny thing was, previously Dell laptops had almost completely metal substructure and were WAY more hoss than IBM's, but everyone thought the IBM was higher quality because it was lighter. So now they are using a lot more plastic apparently and tightened up the tolerances to give better fit and finish on everything."

The dell metal substructure is by no means a superior thing. It's heavy, cheaper, and offers less strength per lb than the magneisium composite materials used in the IBM t-series. Dell just opted for cheaper materials as everyone has accurately accused them of. The newest T series thinkpads use a honeycombed internal skeleton they call a "roll cage." This offers greater strength than simple completely metal laptop substructures while still weighing much less. When you're deisigning a portable machine, it's not simply how "hoss" you can make it, but strength vs. weight.

5/3/2006 10:13:33 PM

Quote :

"Dell's new laptop lines (aka the E1505) are all on a completely new manufacturing process"

yeah i have a e1505 and am very impressed with the build quality...its definately not thinkpad solid but it feels a bunch better than any previous dell laptop i've had.

[Edited on May 3, 2006 at 11:28 PM. Reason : ]

5/3/2006 11:05:36 PM

^^You sound like a PR commercial. And yes Dell is doing all kinds of shit to try and change its image of "cheap but tolerable" computers.

5/3/2006 11:12:08 PM

^ And you sound like a dell fanboy... what's your point?

5/3/2006 11:24:18 PM

i got my dell in nov 2002

i didnt post this on tww when it happened, but about a week ago i had it sitting on top of my 4 foot high dresser, on top of a cd cake box so less heat builds up

well i open my closet, catch the cord(cause it only stays charged for like 5 minutes without it) and the motherfucker falls to the floor flat

i saw the whole thing happen and i was like oh shit my laptop is ruined, well suprisingly it doesnt zap off

i go over to it and the cursor still moved

3.5 year old laptop, with no screw to hold in the cdrw drive, no screw to hold in the harddrive, and this motherfucker STILL works like a champ

if that doesnt convince you i dont know what does

[Edited on May 4, 2006 at 1:08 AM. Reason : .]

5/4/2006 1:07:43 AM

Oh yeah, they can be pretty tough (depending on the model.) My 600 dollar (3 years ago) beast of an inpsiron has been through hell and back and still works fine. Granted it's also around 10 lbs and gets a 2 hour battery life when the stars are properly aligned. Then again, I saw the IBM rep THROW a t42 onto the ground behind the student center when he was demoing it to people and it was just fine.

5/4/2006 1:15:45 AM

mine is an inspiron 2650, it was right at about a 1000 when i got it nov 2002

by the time i got to state(sept 03) i wished i had waited

the original harddrive(imb thinkstar 20gb) lasted about 2 months shy of 3 years with a pretty heavy load

5/4/2006 1:27:34 AM

Ah, mine's an 1100 I got with some slickdeal coupon code and another coupon code from buying a desktop. It was 600 at checkout, and there were 200 in mail in rebates. The thing mostly doesn't move so I'm sure that's part of the reason it's held up so well, but it has survived the occaisional fall off a table or drunk guy landing on it face first.

5/4/2006 1:30:48 AM

Quote :

"^ And you sound like a dell fanboy... what's your point?"

Hows that exactly? I never said Dell's were supar bettar machines, I just mentioned the new efforts to make them better in the eyes of the consumer

5/4/2006 2:03:46 AM

Sounds like more fanboy doublespeak

5/4/2006 2:06:21 AM

Except, it's not.

5/4/2006 4:10:33 AM

i think it sounds like maybe somebody just went to a seminar in ID that talked about dell computers
and maybe they thought what they heard was interesting and so they repeated it on tww thinking maybe other people would think it was interesting.

but my reading comprehension skills could be off.

i just got a dell e1505 and i loooooooooove it
a buddy of mine helped me build it online, i still owe him lunch if he ever calls me.

5/5/2006 12:16:59 AM