Advice on getting a XPS 1530 - Help Appreciated! :c)

Hello everyone! First time poster, long time reader.

I'm buckling down and ordering a XPS 1530 within the next couple of weeks, and have a few questions.

#1 When do you think is the best time to buy? I have a Amex $250 dell coupon (stackable) that expires on Oct. 24th, so I absolutely have to make my purchase before then. I narrowly missed those 25% and 30% coupons that were going around a couple of weeks ago. Do you think that after the XPS sale, we'll see some of those come out again pretty quick?

#2 What do you think of the last xps 1530 deal on the XPS Fall Sale event? I've been following the XPS Fall Sale event all week, and the last one they have (available till tomorrow) seems like a good deal. Though I totally don't need 100GB of online storage, the processor is pretty good, and I can upgrade to the T9300 for only $175, with most of the specs pretty much maxed out.

#3 How does the T8300 compare to the T9300? Can anyone point me to benchmarks or personal experience?

#4 Battery Life Questions Does having a faster processor (like the T9300) make for worse battery life? Also, what do you think about the $75 LED upgrade? Does that make a big difference in battery life? What I will probably do is get the laptop with the standard battery, and then later put another order in for the 9-cell, since it costs the same or less than the upgrade option.

Here are the specs that I like for the last XPS 1530 deal on the Dell XPS Fall Sales Event:

For comparison, here is another current deal that I think I got from this site:

Your input is greatly appreciated!

 

You could lower the price by buying only 1 GB ram, if its not a bundle/offer, etc..
then buy ram @ newegg...
that should get u a couple of dollars less...
other than taht..
i'd recommend 9-Cell, for on-the-go...

oh and get that T9300 one xD

 

i agree with benleonheart for the RAM

IN TERMS OF PROCESSOR

i have friends / relatives that work at intel,
depending on what you will be utilizing the laptop for, there really wont be a noticeable difference between the 8300/9300. I use a lot of photoshop, dreamweaver, listen to music and download stuff at the same time and the 8300 is pretty dam good for me. Again, for LED, you could go for that to avoid "graininess". i have a samsung and have 0 graininess.

 

The cache for the 9300 is twice as large as the 8300, but yeah, I wonder how much difference that makes with photoshop, fireworks, and dreamweaver. (The programs I use the most often)

lol - They don't even make 1530's that take 1gb or RAM. For me 4gb or RAM isn't really negotiable. :c)

But more feedback on the quality of the deals, and my other questions would be most welcome!

 

Friendly bump? Can anyone help me? If not, I'll let the thread die in peace...

 

I think the deal is pretty good. - the 250 you have you bring your product down to about 1k, depending on what you will be using it for, you might be able to shave off of a few extra $$ and upgrade the items yourself. ie, hard drive, RAM.