Purchasing a Precision M4400

Hello all,

I've been watching this board for a while, and decided to register finally, as I am looking to purchase a Precision for school. My previous notebook is a Latitude D810 with WUXGA LCD, with a higher end configuration, (2.26Ghz, 2GB, X600 128MB, 320GB HD, Bluetooth) which served me well for the past four years. I wish to get a high end model as well this time around (With the same resolution), hoping to get the same longevity.

I was surprised to find out on Dell's website that I cannot configure an M4400 with a WUXGA panel (either 2CCFL or RGBLED) and feel that anything lower than 1920x1200 is useless for my needs on a 15" notebook. However, I did find the Dell Outlet, and there seem to be many refurbs here that do have them.

The refurbs, especially the configurations that I want, are a bit on the pricey side, and I wanted to know everyone's experience with refurbished dells, as I have only ever bought them brand new. Are the dell outlet sticker prices worth it? Are there any deals out there that work with Dell outlet?

 

the dell outlet's prices should be pretty good compared to the normal dell store.

however if you're keen on having a brand new system u can call dell up and configure over the phone. sometimes parts are not available online but when you call them up they can do it for you.

also, the M4400 is about to be replaced by a new model, M4500 quite soon, so you should be able to get a good deal over the phone. In certain countries they are no longer listing prices online, only over the phone as they are giving clearance deals.

 

Thanks. I was asking because I read in another thread about someone spending $1500 for a precision/latitude and more than a few people commenting that it was a terrible deal. I just want to make sure that I get a good deal. What is dell's number, and how can I talk to them to get the best deal possible on a refurb? (student discount? epp?) I want to go to them to ask about the WUXGA panel on a new machine, but I read elsewhere that even over the phone, they were unable to choose that panel.

I heard about the M4500, but from what I understand, like the Latitude E6510, they may have also switched to a 16:9 format, as they both usually share the same platform. Unless these new models will sport Full HD panels (1920x1080) for their 14" or 15.6" (and even then, 15.6" notebooks will now be too large for me, compared to 15.4" of the 16:10 format) and have USB 3.0, They will not be an option. Why the computing industry is going in this direction is beyond me...

 

go to the dell website for your country, and call the number there. they probably wont further discount refurbs, but they will be able to give a you a deal on a new one