Finally decided I'm buying a dell computer

[KatyMac]

It's this one
Components
Intel® Core? 2 Duo Processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
Genuine Windows® XP Professional - English
1Yr Basic Warranty - Next Business Day Included - No Upgrade Selected
17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) TFT Display
Matte Jet Black without Camera
2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
Primary 9-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (85 WHr)
Services & Software
Declined CompleteCare
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
Accessories
Microsoft® Office 2007 Basic - English
No Carry Case
No Bluetooth Upgrade
Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card - Europe
Also Includes
N0317004
Vostro Laptop Order - UK
English Documentation with English/Irish Power Cord
Resource CD - contains Diagnostics and Drivers
90W AC Adapter
56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - UK
Internal Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
1Yr Basic Warranty - Next Business Day
Dell Internet Order.
Free Memory upgrade from 1024GB to 2048GB 667MHZ

Fingers crossed it's the right one

My last couple of computers have been Dell packages. The customer supprt is good.

Thanks Threadworm

Very panicky

have had no probs with our dell

Should be good. That's a decent spec and with XP on it, it should fly.

We use a lot of Dell systems at work and my Dell laptop has survived a fair amount of abuse.

Hi

3 boring geeky questions...

This is a laptop right ?
Why XP not Vista ?
Can you post the link please ?
Why pay for a Primary 9-cell Lithium-Ion Battery which protrudes out the back rather than a 6-cell one that sits flush?

oh and if you don't mind me asking can you give the model and number so I can look - oh and the price if possible

Be careful of some of the Dell bargains as they won't run Vista in the future and the future is getting nearer

Thanks

It's a Vostro 1700 NB(NO317004) I think...maybe
Don't know how the battery got there
I don't really want Vista - I don't like change a new computer is going to stress me out anyway without learning Vista too

OK now I've seen the price, the spec is OK for browsing, basic letters email etc. It will run some games, but not stuff life World of Warcraft or Second Life.

Go and amend your order and choose the 6-cell battery. The 9-cell battery will protrude from the back of the laptop by approximately 3 cm and costs an extra tenner.

If you can afford another £50 please up the memory to 3Gb it will make a big difference to the performance

For the money I think you have a fair deal

Never play games (well occasionally suduko or minesweeper)
All I use is internet, emails (outlook & outlook express), Word & Excel

I generaly store my data on an external hard drive does memory make that much difference?

katy I have to say that a dell is the last laptop I would buy.

I am currently developing software for a well known company, and we have to test our stuff on all sorts of different laptops. Dell gives us more trouble than all teh rest put together.

My working laptop is a Fujitsu Siemens - its very stable and hardly ever gives problems.

A small example: sometimes I have 2 laptops on my desk, but only 1 network cable, so I have to keep swapping the network cable between the Fujitsu Siemens and the Dell. The FS handles this and just keeps on running. The Dell hangs, goes really slow, and has to be re-booted after a few times.

I could go on and on and on, but dont want to give away the product Im working on. I would never buy a dell. They are sold on big adverts, and because they have a big market share so everyone thinks they must be good. My impression is that the software platform's lousy and full of bugs.

Oh

Poop

I want a new laptop
I want XP
I want a big screen
I don't want to spend too much money

I have been agonising about this for nearly 4 months

I hate buying stuff (cars, holidays, computers grr)

Nooooooo

You can't tell me not to buy a dell & then not tell me what to buy

That is so unfair - It took weeks (& about 4 threads)to make the decision

I am so insecure

well my personal choice next time will be a Fujitsu Siemens (German quality engineering)
my current laptop is a Samsung, I'm happy with it, but dont really put it through its paces a lot. It has an irritating little button that allows children to access a video viewer without a password, so I had to deinstall the software for that, so now the button does nowt.

My Dell laptop and pc are both fab - no probs for the price! (both dell outlet)

Ideally I would like to go out & buy one tomorrow - but I cannot find one with XP from any of the usual suspects.....

the hardware components are giving probs on our test dells, though bubblerock, and I suspect this is not unrelated to the competitive price. we are told by support to "re-seat" them, as the connections can be dodgy.

katy, seriously, you will prob be using Vista in the future. It wont be so bad after Service Pack 2. (xp was crap before sp2, as well!) The future of xp is uncertain at the moment. I havent upgraded my own laptop, and have no desire to, but I realise that I may have to one day.
Also, read this

Laptops have apparently been sold as Vista compatible, which aren't really, and have therefore caused a lot of problems to the users.
To check this, you'd have to ask the name of the processor in your laptop, and compare it against the ones mentioned in the story.

Nighbynight - I read that but I didn't really understand it

When do you think SP2 will be out? Can I wait that long?

BTW - I didn't know they gave processors names, I think I'll call mine Harold

katy, i went from windows 2000 to vista...it is different but not mind bogglingly so! it is better for me....

at harold!

Really

I think MS is a bad thing & try to use other stuff, but MS keep creeping up on me & end up being used

Why Polly, what's wrong with Harold, what is your processor called

My DH bought himself a new Dell a few months back and upgraded the battery so that it would last longer (he uses it for work so may be out and about). His doesn't stick out the back.

He has had no problems with his. I think he wasn't sure that they had loaded up the software properly but they were able to quickly reassure him that they had and how to go about accessing it so no hassle at all.

He gets parts from them occasionally too and they always arrive promptly.

Fingers crossed you will be fine.

What is so great about Vista anyway, those of you in the know? DH just bought a second laptop for work and was adamant it had to be XP which he got. What can Vista do that is better?

Nighbynight would this be better?

Harold is much better than AMD Athlon 64x2....think i'll call mine george

When I get my new one - I will wait to see it's personality before I name it

Mine's called Catbert.

Vista has got some extra security features. And they've changed a load of visible features around, without really improving them which is annoying.
Its got other improvements (graphics?) but I dont really know about them.

SP1 has just been released, around a year after Vista came out. Not sure when SP2 will come out.

Here's an article about upgrading laptops: www.pcworld.com/article/id,128930-page,1/article.html
The thing to remember seems to be, buy one that's Vista Premium ready if possible and NOT just Vista Capable. (b*r. Ive just noticed mine's Vista Capable.)
This is because of the stuff mentioned in the first link below, that this Vista Capable label was created, so that a load of chips could be sold that weren't really Vista ready.

All I can tell you about Acers in general, is that we don't have so many problems with them as with the dells.

Catbert is a nice name is he friendly?

I've had 2 Acers neither have made 2 yrs