Laptops...

Odale

Odale

Active Member
I'm still off and on looking for a laptop that can replace my netbook.

The reasons I got my netbook are: insane (at the time) battery power (6 hours), weight (around 2 lbs.) and cost ($350). I am looking for similar attributes in a laptop.

I'm looking at two laptops (granted these laptops aren't exactly the same): Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4820TG-6847 and the Dell Inspiron 15R (i15R-1990MRB).

The Dell is cheaper, but I am unsure of its video card.

The Acer has a newer video card but is more expensive and has a smaller screen.

I'd like input from Dell owners regarding their experiences with Dells, etc. Likewise if anyone owns an Acer Timeline X similar to this one, feel free to share.
 
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Odale said:
I'd like input from Dell owners regarding their experiences with Dells, etc. Likewise if anyone owns an Acer Timeline X similar to this one, feel free to share.
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All things being equal, I'd recommend Dell over HP. Neither is likely to connect you to a native English speaker, but I have more than my fair share of "Dell support stinks" stories.

On the plus side, they replaced my busted E1705 with a Studio 1737 when they finally gave up on fixing it. The Studio 1737 came with a better video card, but it also came with Vista (I later upgraded to Windows 7) and THE WORST built-in speakers I've EVER heard in a laptop.

Overall, my experience was mixed, but remembering the frustration I endured trying to maintain a working product is enough to advise others to choose HP over Dell, even if HP has its own quirks. (Ember has a HP laptop and it's served her well these last few years.)
 
What feature are you looking for in a laptop you couldn't get with a netbook?
 
I had a Dell Inspiron for six years - I just wore it out. I replaced it with a Dell XPS with a 7i processor. I was having some problems with overheating - I contacted tech support - the next day - the very next day - the tech guy was at my house and replaced the motherboard and the heat sink. They were not sure which it would be so they did both. Even brought a new hard drive, just in case.

I have used Dell for the past eight years and I'll not do anything else. Used to do Asus machines and didn't have many problems with them. But I'm stuck on Dell now.
 
I'm replying on my Dell Inspiron M5030 I bought about 3 months ago and it rocks my face off. I use it to play EverQuest II, StarCraft II and DC Universe and it's fine. My wife and son have AlienWare power machines which, naturally, have better graphics than this but the difference isn't all that big. I paid $430 for it at Best Buy.

I <3 Dell. I used to work on a big military contract where we were replacing the Navy and USMC's computers will all Dells and for the number of machines we were cranking out we didn't see many hardware failures and when we did they were easy to correct with Dell support.
 
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Nothing but Dell here. I probably sell around 25 systems a year to clients and they are all Dells. Trustworthy and the price to part ratio is unbeatable. I always push their outlet sales because the mark downs + free ship + common 20% off twitter coupons are insane. (the refurbs and the scratch n dents are all fantastic, never had an issue and you get full warranty plus an extra 21day no questions asked return on them. I honestly think the outlet Dells are better then new, due to the extra QA.)

The dell support is fast and responsive. As long as you burn through the first level support quick the tier 2 and 3 guys are all great in my experience. I had an issue with a new laptop and they had a tech out 2 days later with parts in hand to gut the machine and rebuild it.

Our main office has a total of 37 HP pavilion laptops now on the back counter as a graveyard display. Unbelievable how crappy HP laptops are these days. I think most of them were due to the overheating nvidia chips that melted other parts in the systems, but still...

Acer has always been shoddy build quality over the years. When they acquired Gateway they actually seemed to take a turn for the better. I still don't trust them however and will stick with Dell anyday.
 
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What I am looking for is more capability. I get lag when I stream videos from Hulu, the 10-inch screen is good but I could definitely use more space when I am looking through psychology article pdfs and writing about them.

My current Acer Aspire One is great, it still works as advertised, so to speak.
 
Ok, I am looking pretty intently at Dell... despite the promise I made to myself that I'd never own a Dell. Being able to customize the laptop you want for a decent price is hard to turn down.

Here is the essential information for the laptop I customized:

System - Inspiron 15R
Processor - New 2010 Intel® Core™ i5-460M (2.53Ghz / up to SC 2.8GHz / 3M)
Memory and Hard Drive - 4GB DDR3 Shared Dual Channel Memory + 500GB 5400RPM HDD
Video Card - ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD550v, 64-Bit, 1GB, DDR3

Price - $699.99

I did look on the Dell Outlet and I saw that I could get a similar (or better laptop) for much to slightly less money (I found a comparable Inspiron 15R for $629.99, added a coupon that Ewoks was talking about and made it $534.65... insane). My question is this - what is the usual condition of these laptops that come from the outlet? Are the keys on the keyboard visibly worn? Is the touchpad visibly worn as well? I would like new, but if I can get a better laptop that is in near perfect condition I would rather go that route.
 
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I've order 30+ machines off the Outlet and have yet (*knock on wood*) to get a lemon. They have the same warranty as new computers which is great. Some might have a cosmetic blemish or too on the case (not the screen) which should affect using the machine.
 
You will not be able to tell it is not brand new. Even with the scratch and dents it is almost always unnoticeable. The worst I have seen was scuffs on the bottom of the laptop and the Kensington lock adapter was a little torked. Trust us, its solid! The savings is insane!
 
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Ok, so it looks as though I am going to get an Inspiron 14R. It's still small so it won't break my back, and its got a larger screen with a higher definition than my current netbook. (Also, unlike the 15R, the 14R is completely within my $500 budget...)

Because I am looking on the outlet, its ridiculously hard to catch the combination I want...

  • Intel Core i3/i5 Processor (not the Pentium P6000).
  • ATI Mobility Radeon HD550v dedicated card.
  • Of equal importance to the prior requirements - not Lotus Pink.

Assuming there aren't any known problems with the Inspiron 14R's, thats the one I'm going for.
 
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I used to own a Dell laptop several years ago but gave it to my brother who needed a computer. As far as I know, the laptop is still running strong. I've been thinking of buying a new laptop which would either be another Dell Inspiron or Toshiba Qosmio. Though I may just buy an IPad as well. Still up in the air atm :)
 
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