Laptop..should I but this one ?????

pickel · September 29th, 2002, 10:13 PM

Well, after spending numerous hours searching and configuring, I'm about decided to purchase this one or something quite similiar. IBM forum recvealed notthing but unanswered problems with alot of their laptops and custumer support was very lacking from the posts made there. Of all Dell seemed to have a fair price and a good warranty. Just like to get some opinions. TIA

the pickel

Category Description Product Code SKU
Inspiron 2650: Mobile Pentium® 4 processor,1.7 GHz-M 14.1 XGA M170GHN [220-3923]
Memory: FREE UPGRADE! 256MB,SDRAM,2DIMM (from 128MB,SDRAM,2DIMM) 256M2DD [461-5391]
Video Card: 32MB DDR 4X AGP NVIDIA GeForce2 Go™Vid NVID32 [320-0472]
Hard Drive: 20GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive 20GB [340-3876]
Floppy Drive: Floppy Drive FD [340-3049]
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home WHXP [313-0929] [412-0190] [420-0310]
Network Adapter: Integrated Network Card INTNIC [430-0257]
Modem: Internal 56k Modem 56MPC [313-0503]
Fixed CD/DVD Drives: 8X Max DVD Drive 8XDVD [313-0495] [313-0833]
Bundled Software: Microsoft®Works Suite 2002 w/ Money 2002 IWORKS [412-0134]
Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MusicMatch MMBASE [412-0246]
Primary Battery: 59 WHr Lithium-Ion Battery LIION8 [312-0017]
Carrying Cases: Leather Carrying Case LCC [310-3077]
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 4 Year Limited Warranty plus 4 Year At-Home Service SPRO4OS [900-5453] [902-8989] [950-1000] [950-7447]
Internet Access Options: 6 Months of America Online Membership Included AOLDHS [412-0279] [412-0287]
Digital Photography: Dell Picture Studio, Image Expert Standard DPS [412-0275] [412-0277]
Protect Your System: TrippLIte Notebook Surge Protector NBSURGE [A0009016]
Special Offer: $50 Special Offer OL50 [461-7596]

Price...$1695.00 before shipping

vass0922 · September 29th, 2002, 10:47 PM

I can't comment on the specific laptop, but where I work we ordered a large number of laptops after the 'incident' last year .. there was a recall on the mobo.. Dell replaced them all ..
Other than that TMK we haven't had too many problems with them

The only thing I don't like on this model (lattitude) is with the DVD drive in it falls out fairly easily. With the floppy in instead of the DVD its fine... but the DVD drive falls out just by barely pulling on it rubbing something against the bottom of it.
However, the rest of it is fairly well built and very stable. This thing rarely crashes on me and its usually software reasons when it does

pickel · September 29th, 2002, 10:57 PM

Thanks Vass, but , I believe, the DVD rom is built into this laptop as well as the floppy so I don't think it will fall out.

aviax · September 29th, 2002, 11:08 PM

Sager 5650 Pentium 4 1.8 mobile 15.1 SXGA display
Memory: 256MB (ONE DIMM) PC2100 DDR (two slots - max 1024 MB)
Video Card: ATI mobility Radeon 7500 w/64 MB DDR
Hard Drive: 30GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
Floppy Drive: Floppy Drive FD
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home
Network Adapter: Integrated Ethernet 10/100
Modem: Internal 56k Modem V.90
Fixed CD/DVD Drives: DVD 8x/CD-RW 16x10x24 combo drive
Bundled Software: productivity software* (not installed - you install what you want from bundle)
Digital Music: Audio DJ (also see productivity software list)
Primary Battery: Lithium Ion (1.5 - 2 hrs claimed)
Carrying Cases: standard carrying case (optional case runs $49 and looks pretty nice and spacious)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 1 yr limited warranty (expandable to 4 yrs for $199)
Internet Access Options: none
Digital Photography: (see software bundle)
Protect Your System: no surge protector
Special Offer: 2 GB PC card hard disk available for $100

Price...$1705.00 before shipping (from powernotebooks.com, but similarly priced 5650 systems are available from many vendors)
Price with three options (warranty, case, and special offer) described... $2053 before shipping

*productivity software list: StarOffice 5.2, Quicken 2002, Zoner Draw 3, Hot off the Web 2000, Rand McNally Tripmaker Essentials, McAfee AntiVirus, Real Player 8, StuffIt Expander, Eudora Pro Email, Riptide Photo Studio, Music Match Jukebox (granted, a lot of this stuff is free off the web, as well)

You can knock about $110 off the price (to $1595) if you go with a desktop P4 2.0Ghz (5620 system) instead of the mobile chip on a similarly configured system. If you're not going to use the battery often, this might be worth considering.

I tried to configure the best system I could find for a similar price to the one you listed. With the example I provided, you get 64 MB of video memory (although ATI instead of NVidia), a 15" screen, a slightly faster CPU, a larger HDD, the same system memory on one DIMM instead of two, and a combo drive instead of DVD only. You don't get the extended warranty, MS productivity software, a surge protector, or free internet access. The software bundle overall seems better with the Dell, but that's JMO.

Whaddaya think..?

pickel · September 29th, 2002, 11:41 PM

Hey Aviax: Ive looked at the Sager and searched on Google for feedback and read some bad reports about them. Same for IBM. Dell seems to have the best tech support and warranty and the price is good too. We have Dell coumputers at work all over the plant and all I've asked seems to have no major complaints and they're on 24/7. You never really know what you're going to get til you get it, but after all my reseach, I feel(?) better off with the Dell than any of the others. Thanks for the reply

Sweeper · October 2nd, 2002, 05:33 AM

http://www.techimo.com/forum/t36401.html

pickel · October 2nd, 2002, 11:32 PM

Great deal , Sweeper, however I want the built in DVD ROM to watch movies if I'm lucky enough to get a replacement kidney and am stuck in the hospital for a month or more. Thanks

Richard Cranium · October 3rd, 2002, 11:26 PM

The Dells reputedly have weak hinges, keep um lubricated, lightly for sure.

Another idea is this HP with burner, DVD player, Duron 1.2
$1059 shipped, after $100 rebate from HP
[or $300 at the Mariott]

www.staples.com item # 492605

AMD Duron 1.2GHz;L1-125KB;L2-256KB
Display 14.1" XGA TFT
Memory (RAM) 256MB SDRAM
Memory Expandable to 1024 MB
Hard Drive 20GB
CD/DVD/CDRW Drive DVD/CDRW combo
Additional Drives n/a
Modem 56K
Network Card Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
Video Graphics Integrated AGP 3D graphics
Audio Internal Stereo Speakers w/AC97 Codec, Cx20468 stereo sound
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Software Included Corel WordPerfect 9, Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0, Corel Quattro Pro 9
Drive Bays 2
Ports/Connectors 2 USB, 1 Parallel
Other ports 1 RJ-45, 1 RJ-11 modem port, 1 microphone port, 1 headphone port, 1 lock, 1 VGA
Battery Type 8 Cell Lithium Ion
Dimensions 12.6"x10.4"x1.3", 6.2lbs
Warranty 1 Year Limited

http://staples.com/Catalog/Browse/sk...kard+Notebooks

Sweeper · October 4th, 2002, 05:10 AM

No prob Pickel

awwall · October 4th, 2002, 07:40 AM

Pickel, for what it is worth, I bought a HP last year(in fact last October) similiar to what Doc described above at Sam's Club. Have not had (1) thing go wrong with it, in fact, been running it 24/7 since Jan. crunching UD. Think last year, it went for around $1100 or so.

<aw>