Differences between XPS M1330 and Inspiron 1420

I have a question about the keyboard and the display of both the XPS M1330 and the Inspiron 1420. I spent a lot of time with both at a nearby Staples.

Keyboard:
I can type easily on the 1420. But, I noticed my fingers were making mistakes on the M1330. I reassured myself that the keyboard layout was the same on both machines and that the extra room for palm rests on the M1330 was not an issue. The only thing I concluded that made the M1330 more difficult to type on (for me) was the slanted keyboard. To test this hypothesis, I put a wedge under the front of the M1330's keyboard to make it more level with the ground. And, that helped!

So, my question is: has anybody experienced this issue in typing on the M1330?

Screen Display:
I first verified that the screen resolution was the same on both machines. I believe the resolution was 1280x800. I then displayed the same picture on both machines. I noticed that while the M1330's picture was a little smaller, it was noticeably sharper and had more color differentiation, for lack of a more technical term. On the other hand, the 1420 had a slightly larger picture, for which I was grateful. However, the display was consistently a bit more washed out than the M1330.

I know there is an optional higher resolution screen for the 1420, but I'm not sure if going to a higher resolution would give me more contrast. Can anyone comment on this? Also, if I were to get the higher screen resolution option, wouldn't this make everything, including all the icons smaller, thus defeating the purpose of having the larger screen in the first place?

Side Note:
Regardless of which model I buy, I plan to buy one with 3 GB RAM, and the dedicated graphics card. (The salesman said that both models at Staples did NOT have the dedicated graphics card, so I believe my comparison was valid).

Bottom Line:
Since I plan to type a lot more on my laptop then look at pictures, I think I will end up getting the 1420. Is there anything I can do to make the screen display of the 1420 look and feel more like the M1330 to make the choice of the 1420 a "slam dunk"? I actually prefer the 14.2" screen over the 13.3" screen and don't care about the external looks of the M1330 over the 1420.

Thanks in advance for your comments!

Scotty81

 

You can't go by the screen quality on a demo model. It's luck of the draw whether you get a good screen or not, regardless of which model you buy.

If you want the dedicated Nvidia graphics, you definitely do not want the M1330. The card isn't cooled adequately in the M1330, which leads to the problem described in this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=204772

 

I've got an m1330 with the nVidia card, and my laptop NEVER gets hot!

I leave it closed 90% of the time, because I have an external display when using the laptop at home.

When I or my son play games on the computer (my son, sometimes for hours), I'll open the lid out of concern that the laptop may get hot, but honestly, it never gets more then warm.

I've opened the lid while burning dvd's, again concerned that it may get hot, but it still stays warm at most.

I previously owned an HP dv2000 with an integrated graphics card, and THAT got HOT! The palmrests would get VERY hot most of the time.

I'm not doubting that some people's m1330 get hot, but all I'm saying is, mine is very cool, warm at worst. It's easily the coolest running laptop I've owned, and I've owned 4 previous machines.

Could the processor, amount of ram or other factors come into play? Anyone else with an m1330 and nVidia that runs cool?

Just wanted to let the original poster know that not ALL m1330's are running hot. It's an excellent machine that (in about two months) has given my NO problems!

 

My m1330 had its mobo replaced due to overheating. It still runs hot nevertheless and I don't game either

 

Are you talking about the outside of the laptop or the inside?
What does HWMonitor or Riva Tuner say about the temperature of the video card?