Question:
Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
-well I'd like to save as much money as I can... but i suppose 1500-2000
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
-i think ive settled into the 15-16 range as comfortable for me
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
-I am a designer/animator - so predominantly Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Maya and things like that... I do a mild to moderate amount of gaming but not typically brand new graphic pushing behemoths
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
-the reason i am getting a laptop is bc im leaving the usa to go to england to live come september, so b/t that and the inevitable travel i will be doing in europe - yes id like it to be somewhat portable but i dont plan on having it attached to me at all times
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
-moderate gaming at the most the most intense of which would have been world of warcraft, but ive since stopped playing
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
-not particularly, nt a huge fan of the basement type companies, my brother got an ibuypower desktop and the thing is just a prolonged headache
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
-id like to have the option of 3 or so hours battery life for the long flights and train rides ahead of me
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
-doesnt particularly bother me, ive gone out to look at some comps for screen size decisions
9) What country are you buying this in?
-usa
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
-widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
-d or e i suppose, resolution is nice when working with all of the design apps
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
-Glossy looked quite nice for design, providing some richer contrast when i was in the apple store looking at the laptops. i suppose it doesnt matter but from a designers view i think glossy may be better
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
-id like it to look fairly nice, call me vain - not a huge concern tho
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
-would like to buy it and have it set up by early august, the Dell 35% off deal ends soon i dont know if thats a killer deal compared to normal but its knocking off some considerable coin
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
-60+, 7200rpms is what im lookin for
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
-would like the option of DVD burning althugh ive yet to run into the need to do such a thing
Additional info-------
These are the two systems i mentioned in the title. I dont consider myself super hardware savvy, ive done minor things to the guts of an old desktop but the idea of cracking open my notebook and voiding warranties is a bit daunting.
The idea of switching to an apple system for all its stability and solid build (so ive heard) was quite appealing.
A side note that discourages me about the Macbooks... only 2 USB ports! I use graphic tablets to draw, add a mouse and theres the two taken up completely. if i need to plug in my ipod or flash drive it kind of creates a bit of a hassle i would think.
Macbook Pro
15.4" screen 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB shared L2 Cache 667MHz frontside bus
512MB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
5.6 lbs.
$1799 using student discount + free 180 rebate for ipod ($1549 refurbished - no ipod)
+$249 if getting warranty
Dell e1505
15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2500 (2MB Cache/2GHz/667MHz FSB)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
80GB 7200rpm hd
8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
6.2 lbs (approximately not sure w this config)
$1650 - warranty included (originally $2543, 35% off -$890)
if you have another suggestion for a different system or different config id appreciate it! ive never owned a laptop before and i am a little anxious about the purchase!
-c
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
o would go with dell, but check their outlet because they could have good deals and save you a bunch of money.
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
There is a fantastic Dell deal going on - 12% plus 30% off of any system.
Choose a latitude or preciosn m65.
Good build quality, 3 year warranty, cant ask for more. Check in notebook deals for the dell EPP deal.
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
This is exactly the choice I faced when I got my E1505 - I got the E1505 because:
- The Macbook Pro was quite a bit more expensive than the Dell, since I had stacked up coupons on the E1505;
- Boot Camp and Parallels had not come out at that point in time;
- I'd had good experiences with Dell in the past.
I wish I had decided to spend the extra money - the E1505 has cost me more in time wasted than the price differential. Among its not-so-great features:
- I got the best screen that Dell offers for this machine - it is a glare-prone piece of junk.
- Construction is flimsy - the whole machine creaks and groans when I pick it up.
- The keyboard is mushy.
- The trackpad is tolerable, but imprecise when you compare it to the Apple one.
- Getting rid of all the junk that Dell preinstalls on the machine takes hours (unless you reformat using the Windows XP disk, which has its own potential problems associated).
- It weighs quite a bit more than the Macbook Pro.
- Lots of little quirky annoyances (e.g., occasional "black flashes" on screen).
- A lovely after-sale call from Dell, with one of the most thuggish scripts I have ever encountered in terms of extended warranty hard-sell - it sounded like they had hired Tony Soprano as their sales rep.
I'm quite sure that these issues are not unique to my E1505 - at a conference a couple of weeks back, those of us with recent Dell purchases traded tales of woe.
I have also worked on a Macbook Pro (alas, not mine) since, very much enjoyed the experience, and further regretted my purchase of the E1505.
I used to like and recommend Dell - however, of late, "cheap" appears to have completely overwhelmed "quality".
In short: go for the Macbook Pro. Or, if you want a "pure Windows" machine, take a look at the Thinkpads - they're also somewhat more expensive than the Dell, but far superior in quality.
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
MBP rulez. (i m not a apple fan, dun flame)
Anyway, if ur looking for cheaper ones, go for the Macbooks, from wat i heard, they can handle low detail WoW quite well. So no worries, much more portable than the 15.4, (due to the small volumn, not the weight) It's price at 1200usd, mayb less with student discount.
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
The Dell Latitude D820 is worth a look with the Quadro card. It is designed for the type of applications you do. It will have considerably better quality than the E1505.
Unless you plan to use OSX full time, forget the mac.
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
Forget stability. If you take care of your laptop right stability shouldn't be an issue. Go with a Dell
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
I will second that you take a look at the Latitude D820, that is if Muttley scared you with his horror stories. Nothing like that should happen if you go with there buisness line, a little more expensive (not by much) but worth it at times.
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
I will second that you take a look at the Latitude D820, that is if Muttley scared you with his horror stories. Nothing like that should happen if you go with there buisness line, a little more expensive (not by much) but worth it at times.
I agree latitude d820 is a good choice
Answer:
Re: Dell e1505 v. Macbook Pro v. Any Suggestion! Help!
If the question is MBP vs e1505, take the MBP. If it is the D820 vs. MBP, decide whether you want to use OS X or Windows and choose accordingly.