--->The Official Studio XPS 1340 Owner's Thread<---

At the rate of my delays, I'm not counting on getting mine until the end of February!

From a programmers perspective, I'm sure it'll be quite the upgrade from my current 700m (12" screen, 1.6 chip, 2 gig memory, 50 gig hard-drive.) On my current machine I run Eclipse with about 500-million plug-ins, Visual Studio 2008 (though for small projects), and various dev stacks from WAMP, Tomcat, SQLServer, MySql, etc...Bascially what I'm saying is that I could probably order a $600 Dell Vostro and have a very upgraded machine. I will be loading the new Photoshop CS4 on the thing, so hopefully I'll see a little use of the discrete card I ordered...

Also keep in mind that I use external monitors and keyboards 90% of the time. Both in office, at home, and client offices. When using a second monitor, though, I still use the laptop monitor for my web-browser/email/document screen. I mostly only use keyboard and monitor when sitting on couch or watching laptop-tv in bed (or riding the train/airplane.)

 

Thanks for the link to the review. Confirms what I suspected after learning that the 9500 wasn't a descrete part but instead an equivalent after combining two inferior parts. Though I imagine that the 1340 would run something like World of Warcraft and the like very well.

 

Yes, that's with BC tax-in. I don't have EPP? I work for a small marketing firm, so no go there. I ordered the:

2.53ghz
4 gig ram
3200 drive
9400 gpu
WLED display
1 yr complete care w/ low jack
Vista Home

...And, that came to 2058.00

BTW: I emailed 2 days ago to cancel, and heard from them this morning. Apparently, because it's in testing, I can't cancel it. GRRR. I told them I'd refuse the shipment, because it hasn't even been boxed yet, and they said that there wouldn't be a restocking fee if I tried it out once it arrived -- I have 30 days in Canada to return it. (They'd better not charge me return shipping)

So, I guess we'll see how it goes. I can't believe they wouldn't just let me return it.

 

Nooo.that's is wrong..Unless it's different for Dell Canada, you are able to cancel your order, up until it's hits shipping.

Grrrr. (sorry) that's not a grrr. for you.

I tell you what ~ I bet if you called and told them you wanted to change/add something to your order, they would tell you that your order would have to be cancelled and you would have to reorder the system, once again!

That's usually the norm'


Cin

 

Also, see this thread about cancelling order's It might be helpful!


http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=285902



Cin

 

I just talked with DELL and they said that my order was "locked" and that I couldn't cancel it at this time, even though it hasn't shipped. They also, however, said they were still waiting on a part. They said that I could just return within 21 days. I was throwing around the option of cancelling in order to try to get a better price since the LED screen is now offered as a free upgrade on the U.S. site.

So, while I'd like to infer that "locked" means testing in my case, I'm still not counting on getting a new machine next week.

 

Aww, thanks Cin! Apparently, it isn't even shipping for another 3-4 business days! This is so entirely silly. Do you, or anyone, know if I have to pay for return shipping, should I decide it's not what I want (once, and if they ever ship the machine OUT?)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Cheers,
Tanya

 

Bah! Like I said above..if you or I were to call and say, *I want to change my order because I want to add ******, they would tell you that any changes would cause your order to have to be cancelled, and a new order completed.

I have never heard them use the term *locked* on a order, especially one that is waiting on a part delay. I had the option of cancelling my Mini 9, and reordering...because the keyboard was on back order!!! They told me reordering would just cause my ESD to be out further!


Cin

 

Hey, no problem!

No, if you call for a return for refund or replacement, they will send you a RMA kit

Cin

 

...Good to know! I'll just wait for the 1340 to arrive then. I still feel like I overpaid. Next time? I order over the phone!

You'd think this was my first Dell laptop! It's my 5th. Not to mention, the 30" Dell monitor I have, and all the Dell machines I order for work!

 

Uh... Am I seeing things?

Has Dell bought Alienware??! Is this new?

 

Nothing new. Dell acquired Alienware in 2006. See http://news.cnet.com/Dell-to-acquire-Alienware/2100-1003_3-6052842.html for more info.

 

So who else will be purchasing the 9-cell battery for the 1340 whenever it comes out? Assuming they keep to the 1340 system manual and do have a 9-cell option at some point...

 

2-3 years already
Those are *the gaming* laptops.

On a side note, anybody buying 1340 for *gaming* might be disappointed, it's NOT a gaming notebook, that's for sure.

 

BTW, Fedex delivery is scary.

Fedex is supposed to deliver mine tomorrow in Scottsdale, AZ. However, if I am not there to collect it, they would send it back to Reno, NV!
They don't drop it at a nearby Fedex where you can collect it.

Weird, the ground shipment has to return to the place it was shipped from. They said they would come the next business day (all the way from Reno)and I am supposed to go to LA tomorrow evening. So if the shipment doesnt arrive, I guess I have to stay home (and leave the door open so that the Fedex guy doesnt just leave thinking I'm not home, like they did someone else here).

Wonder when Fedex will ever think about cost cutting their weird processes and make it more customer-friendly.
Every company seems to fire employees at the drop of a hat nowadays.

 

Hm, but what did you expect? Running Crysis on it? Not gonna happen with any 13" notebook -- they won't run latest games. There's always a size/heat/performance trade-off.

 

No I don't think anyone would expect such performance from a 13", but many of us do wish for a day when one could buy an "ultra" portable that wasn't so deficient when it came to gaming. Just sucks that an adequate gaming capable machine still equates to a "luggable" and not a laptop.

 

Hey, I'm still waiting for the day when my work laptop is really my micro-phone that slips into my pocket. Then when I get to work, I plug in keyboard and monitor... (I'm getting tired of having all my data sycn'd all over the place.)

 

When that happens you won't need a physical keyboard or monitor. Your tiny micro phone device will draw a virtual (laser) keyboard wherever you tell it and you will just make typing movements with your fingers, where the interrupt of a certain ray will be interpreted as a key press. The monitor too -- drawn with rays, any size you want. Let's see, year 2050 maybe?

 

You can get the keyboard now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH8CUTimTvY

 

Wow, i didn't know that. We are so close!!! Hm, ok, 2020 then?

 

Yup, as soon as you receive it, and are at 100% your not going to keep it..call and get the RMA and the return process rolling

I prefer ordering by phone...better deals!

Cin

 

This will be my 4th Dell laptop.
Do you want to return it because of the issues that people complain about or because you overpaid? If it's the former, you can still use it for a couple of days and see if you like it. If the latter, do you want to re-order with a lower price?

I wonder is there such a thing as price adjustment? I can already see the video card on Canadian web site is $100 (instead of $110). That's minor, but i'm just curious, if Dell can/will adjust the price after the order has been placed, say within 2 weeks, 3 weeks? Cin, you should know such things!

 

ughh.........

I really can't decide.........I'm very worried about how hot everyone is saying this thing gets......

I'm thinking of canceling my order (ESD: Feb 13th) and ordering a sony vaio z instead..

I just don't understand why dell couldn't make the vent blow out the side......arg......

 

I signed up for a Dell account and mine shipped a week earlier than originally estimated.

 

Mine didn't ship early, but I have had a Dell account for about 3 or so years and in great standing. Bought TV's, several desktops and my 1210 from them over the years. Didn't seem to make a difference.

 

My test is finished and my computer is in my apartment 2 weeks early! I haven't opened it yet but I will let you know my general impressions as I use it. I hope it isn't hot or anything. I'm hoping my specs helped reduce some heat but we'll see. By the way, I've had a Dell account for several years too.

 

I believe if you ordered thru EPP..you have some advantage on this. For instance, with our EPP proram, if something I ordered has an added freebie (like a printer), I need to call and speak to my rep, and he is supposed to get me that deal ~ even after the fact.

Here is my EPP info:

It may work at the home site also...especially if your not happy..and perhaps are thinking of returning...

You know the say *You never know until you try* That would be the good thing to do, in a situation like this!


Cin

 

Nice and early! WoOT!

Now, think positive about this...you could very well have that perfect lappy' you wanted, and ordered!


Cin

 

Yes, yes, pleaseeeee, open it already! I assume yours is 9400. That's exactly the mode that I will be using mine when it sits on my lap, so i'm curious:
- does it get hot? how hot (impossible/bearable/slightly warm/etc.)
- if so, what is the load? how long it has been running to get that hot.
- is it quiet/noisy?
- well, just share impressions!

Thanks!

 

yes..share some impressions please :S can't choose between this one and lenovo sl300...was going for dell but having second thoughts now about it with all the problems...maybe lenovo is a more stabil laptop??

 

Ok so I opened the computer and first thing's first--the power adapter isn't THAT big. I have the 90W one for the 9500M video card thing. Also, all the installation DVD's came with my computer.

As for initial impressions, the laptop is definitely a little heavy for a 13 incher, but I think I can let that go with the amount of stuff in it. It is a fingerprint magnet and I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. Also, the touchpad seems REALLY small for some reason. I don't like it at all and it was pretty much the first thing I noticed when I started using it. Keys are pretty functional but they make a typing noise that I'm not used to given that I'm coming from a silent HP tablet. The keys also feel wobbly but that's because of the backlight I think.

The computer is made of plastic but it feels sturdy and not as cheap. As for the heat issue, it gets hot right next to the vent but the actual palm area is pretty cool. And contrary to popular opinion, the vent is not covered entirely by the screen. There are two openings that are still facing downward when you retract the screen all the way. That being said, the bottom left of the screen where the vent is gets hot. The bottom of the laptop near the vents is definitely scorching and I'm not sure how much it could be used on your lap, especially if you have shorts on. The fan comes on occasionally when work is being done and it's pretty loud. It's been on for the past 10 minutes now as I have been running updates and stuff.

No freezing issues or anything yet. My graphics card is actually the hybrid and it seems to be OK. It boots up pretty fast with Vista and that could be because of the SSD and the processor. I will probably do a reformat of the hard drive if I decide to keep it but really, there isn't a lot of bloatware. Compared to how much Dell used to have, this is pretty minimal actually.

Hope I answered most of your questions so far!!

BTW: Vista experience score is 5.4...

 

sl300 is comparable to vostro, not studio xps. or do you want just any 13" notebook?

 

yeah, I'm looking for a 13" notebook with dedicated graphics, stabil, cool/quiet laptop with 3+ battery life...and til now, i've come down to these two..

 

What, do you think, it's 2009??? That doesn't exist yet. He

 

Hey guac!
Really happy to see you FINALLY got the laptop!

I have the 1340 as well, with similar specs to yours - except the SSD - i have the 500gb sata.

I am hoping before you do the reformat, that you can run this test for me:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=349699

Will be really interested to see your results!
rejox

 

something close to it then

 

Running it now! The immediate one works so far. I will get back to you in 30 minutes! =)

 

Video of someone with their new 1340:

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So it's quite noisy then..

 

It's a number of things... Mostly, I think I overpaid for it, because I ordered it in the first few days of it being available (and us Canadians didn't get the gift card) -- So, considering the price, the Sony Vaio Z might be a better, lighter, machine for me. I guess I'll wait (impatiently) for the unit to show. The idea of that very glossy screen is probably going to be a deal breaker for me. I HATE seeing myself in brighter conditions while I'm trying to concentrate on work.

Maybe I'll change my mind...

 

Thanks, I'll read that!

 

NEWSFLASH: Studio XPS 13 recalled after causing consumer's hands to shake uncontrollably.

 

Hey, some good news, my order finally says "Shipped" -- which explains why they couldn't cancel it earlier.

 

Update: both worked. Sleep went for 35 minutes and it woke up fine.

 

How curious! thanks for doing that!

Question for you - which chipset do you have? centrino 2 (intel) or core 2 duo (nvidia)?
And which OS are you running 32bit or 64bit?

mine is the nvidia core 2 duo p9500 one.
which country are you in guac? I think in Aus, we only have access to the nVidia MCP79 Chipset.

 

Woohoo! Me too!! I think Dell ships them in bulk :|

This thread has made me nervous, but then I just breathe and think: for the price of a classy macbook (without illuminated keyboard), I'm about to get something with: double the RAM, better graphics, more hard drive space, and illuminated keyboard. (I advise people to do this when they begin to hesitate)

And, get real, even if it does heat up, it'll probably be during gaming, and while gaming, you won't have it on your lap!

Will post on results and my evaluation of its performance on Left 4 Dead, N64 emulators, DVDs, and regular use (with both power configurations each)...
...after receiving it >_>

Better luck to everyone else! (ordered mine on the 24th with EPP, no Dell account )

 

Sorry, my last post was in response to Taude.

 

I live in the US. I think I also have the nvidia chipset since mine is core 2 duo and everything says NVIDIA nForce for the system management. Mine is also the 64 bit version of Vista.

I like Centrino 2 sticker better though =(...it matches black better!

 

...then...just go over it with a thin sharpie? If all else fails, peel it off with isopropanol, acetone, or just sheer skillz (looks better that way in the photos anyway)