Darn you, Dell! (re: E6520)

Why'd you have to add a 10-key to the E6520 and the Precision equivilent?

So much uglier than centered keyboard / trackpad.

 

I know -- or go to that silver brushed cover instead of sticking with black. Not impressed with the looks of the E6520 at all. The hardware/electronics inside the laptop are, undoubtely, top-notch -- but I think they really failed on the design front. Especially since the new keys are going to be smaller.

I guess the dillema for me is will they fix it in the next version -- or should I grab an E6510 while they're still relatively available?

 

This is gonna be different for everyone as I'm glad they put a dedicated number pad (I want one). As far as appearance it looks fine to me, I like the lid on the E6510 more though. Waiting for reviews on the E6520..

 

Agreed. Uglier and ergonomically lousy. Those who need a number pad could use a USB pad or an external keyboard in the office and the embedded pad with NumLock+Fn on the road.

And it is an odd decision on a design that otherwise moves away from being a serious business machine (HDMI instead of DP, no USB 3.0, 16:9 display). Add to that the fugly design and Optimus (which precludes using Linux) and I'll be looking elsewhere for new systems. ThinkPad T420s or upcoming Vaio SA or Z might be like nice options.

 

I dunno... I like the general design theme (except for the orange ring around the keyboard... ?) I just wish they kept the centered keyboard / trackpad look.

Also... about time they got rid of the HORRID speaker grills that plagued the first 2 gens of E-series. Seriousy... who thought that was a good idea? Constantly trapping dirt and IMPOSSIBLE to clean.

 

Don't you go dissing Optimus now.

That's the holy grail of laptops for me.

I don't want to have a separate "on-the-go" laptop and "gaming" laptop.

Optimus allows both to be the same laptop. Finally.

I'm thinking I might get a W520...

 

I only dis Optimus because it has been reported to be flaky and, more important to me, prevents the use of Linux unless (pay attention Dell) you provide an override to turn it off (some Vaios have a mechanical switch -- smart). If Optimus is great for you that's fine.

I like the W520 specs also. Note that ThinkPads at least have a BIOS control to disable Optimus so that makes it a potential Linux platform (for those of us who care). Not as convenient as Sony's switch, though.

 

I can 100% confirm that Optimus can be disabled in the BIOS. The Quadro card stays on all the time.

 

That's only because you have a last-gen Quadro which had the option of a physical or BIOS switch.

No 4xx/4xxx card or greater from Nvidia has a switch for Optimus. Only GTX and GTX-based Quadro can have Nvidia-only mode because the IGP is disabled or not present. The only exception seems to be the 460M, but no manufacturer has implemented it with Optimus.

 

There is a switch in the BIOS for the Nvidia 4200M

Optimus On = Intel 3000 GPU & Nvidia 4200M
Optimus Off = Nvidia 4200M only