Question:
Can't quite decide what to buy
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
Around $2000
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
C or D really
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Games, internet surfing, writing papers, watching movies.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I won't be lugging it all over, but I will frequently take it to my g/f's to use there and back home every now and then. I won't be taking it to classes.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
I mainly play DAoC, WoW, CS:Source. Although I'm always looking for the next "best" game to get.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
My parents have had 2 Dell laptops that they haven't had a problem with and multiple dell desktops. They'd prefer I buy a Dell, but are pretty open to about anything reputable.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
2+ would be nice when not playing games. I don't expect battery life to last while playing games.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Doesn't bother me in the least.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
US
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
Proably E, but i'm pretty flexible.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No real preference.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not particularly, as long as it performs.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I hope to buy one in the next few days.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
Anything over 60 is nice, but has to be 7200 rpm.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-CD/RW is fine. I have a DVD burner in my desktop, so I don't need 2.
I've been looking at the Dell Inspirion 9400 with these specs:
Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz (FSB)
LCD - 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™
Memory - 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
Hard Drve - 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
Optical Drive - 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Video Card - 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS
Wireless Card - Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Internal Wireless
Sound Option - Integrated Audio
It runs $1935.
I have read a few horror stories about Dell's and them not working well and Dell Tech Support being less than expected. I had a video card go bad in a Dell desktop years ago and the replacement wasn't quite as good as the previous card, but it was free.
Is there any benefit to an internal wirelss card vs. a mini-card. In my head i have it stuck that both will work, the internal one I just can't lose or misplace.
Any Ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
Have you tried the coupons for the Dell, I got the same config for 1500 when I went to their site. But yeah the e1705/9400 is the cheapest gaming machine you are going to find.
As for the wirless card, mini-card is internal I'm not sure what you are asking, all current laptops have internal wirless cards, there are two forms, mini simple stand for you can remove it and upgrade, but its still inside your computer, the other type is when the card cannot be removed, both are internal as in its inside your computer not sticking out like PCMCIA cards.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
Have you tried the coupons for the Dell, I got the same config for 1500 when I went to their site. But yeah the e1705/9400 is the cheapest gaming machine you are going to find.
As for the wirless card, mini-card is internal I'm not sure what you are asking, all current laptops have internal wirless cards, there are two forms, mini simple stand for you can remove it and upgrade, but its still inside your computer, the other type is when the card cannot be removed, both are internal as in its inside your computer not sticking out like PCMCIA cards.
I was thinking PCMCIA but typed mini-card. My mistake. And which coupons were you using to get it to $1500? All the ones I've tried don't stack with the pre-existing discounts they give you automatically.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
If you like 17 inch machines, Sager NP5760 will make you absolutely drool. Problem is, it's at the limit of your budget, assuming you go with a smaller hard drive.
Still you should at least LOOK at it before buying the Dell. ;) Then you'll realize that the Dell is a pretty good deal for the money, if the potential quality concerns don't worry you.
There isn't a lot of competition at the 17 inch end. HP's dv9000t is nice, but can't come close to the graphics performance of the Dell and Sager. Same with the MSI and Asus 17 inch models. I'm not sure I'd touch anyone else.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
I was thinking PCMCIA but typed mini-card. My mistake.
All current dells comes with mini-card as standard, the PCMCIA wirless is mostly used for laptops that lack a internal (2-3 year old laptops), there is no advantage that PCMICA have over the mini if thats what you mean unless you want the new 802n wirless, then that is in express form I think.
I say just buy the Dell, they are not know for their build quality, but they are not known for having their laptop fall apart either, their solid build just not exceptional.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
To npaladin2000: Why are you offering him a sager 5760? To get the configuration he wants (i.e. 2gb of ram and 7200rpm HD and t7200 by the looks of what he configured) he would have to pay a minimum of $2500 (assuming he wants free upgrade to windows vista). And of course shipping isnt free which bumps the price up by a minimum of $2567 for worst delivery.
So basically he'd spend $637 more after taxes for the sager which makes it not even remotely in the price range. IMHO your really biased for even mentioning it. I had to say it cause ive seen you do it before out of peoples budgets.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
As I said, it illustrated how good a deal the Dell was compared to the competition. It's one of the few models that can come close performance wise.
Answer:
Re: Can't quite decide what to buy
nah the sager blows it away performance wise :)