**Official Dell XPS M1530 Owner's Lounge**

My monitor was listed as generic as well.

@westcoast01
Why would you say the 17" versus the 15" MBP? It's just that the 17" is a lot more expensive if you want the high-res screen, and I'm not quite sure if it'd be too big for classroom use. Also, are there any recommendations other than apple as far as laptops go? I want to make sure that I've researched absolutely everything before I make the Mac plunge.

Oh, by the way, does anyone know if Apple allows student discounts to be combined with EPP discounts?

 

i meant 15 haha, I was also responding to another post on the forum for someone wanting a desktop replacement. For portability the 15 in MBP is great, as I sit here at work a person 10 ft away is using a new one and is shaking his head yes as I ask him haha. Apple has their own version of discounts and that's about it.

 

iemdone. Sorry to hear your complaints, but honestly as far as the battery goes Li-ion batteries start to die after they have been built so depending on how you take care of them they will last 1-2 years from build date. That said I have a 6cell on my 1530 and it lasted 3 hours of movie watching and surfing. I have since undervolted to squeeze out some more time. The screens unfortunately are hit and miss. Good luck with whatever you get.

 

I called up Apple. They said that it was either one or the other as far as the EPP/Student discounts go. For the MacBook Pro, they're both 8% she said. I then asked whether or not she knew anything about a refresh of the computers and she told me that "unless it's on our website, we're not allowed to talk about it." What do y'all think that means?

 

Well Apple announced they'd be making big changes in september. So everyone is assuming that is when they are refreshing.

Also, they said (paraphrasing) that they are going to lower prices and try to knock out their competitors.

Just means they may start to actually charge reasonable prices when compared to pc's.

If you can wait, I'd wait for their refresh in technology.
Otherwise Apple's prices are pretty consistent.

 

I think I can wait. I'd really rather not like to spend so much money. September is fine. I waited a month for my XPS; I can wait another for an MBP. I sincerely hope that the lower prices thing is true. My e1505 will work fine for a bit, but I'm going to want something new a little later. Do you happen to know where it is you got your information about changes in September? I'm interested in reading about it.

 

Hey guys, been following this thread a bit (hope this isnt the wrong place for this) and I can see some of you appriciate the xps1530 alot, and to be honest i'd like to know what's so great about it from an owner in person (I have read lots of reviews of it and such, but it's not really the same thing).

I've been looking around alot for a computer for college as many are, and im looking for something with quite alot of performance (as it will be used for a mix of gaming and schoolwork) and at least some mobility (2-3 kilos), and the XPS1530 falls into that kind of catagory, but as i'm not much of a Dell fan (heard rumors of bad support, hardware crashes and all that pre-installed crap, although i must admit you get quite alot for your money, at least on the paper) I just don't feel safe ordering one at the moment. I'm hoping a devoted owner could maybe convince a somewhat sceptical potential buyer.

Also i'd like to know if the anyone knows if the 1530 is getting a GPU upgrade any soon? As i understand its been using the 8600 GT for quite a while now (other computers are entering the market with more advanced GPU's for about the same pricerange, time for a Dell upgrade?).

Thanks in advance

 

All of the major brands have had a bad rap in the past at one point or another. It's just one of those things... Everyone loves to publicly post the horrible service they receive, but you never hear the stories of how many people are totally satisfied with a company.

I've had many of the major brands, and one of my most recent computers was a Dell e1705. I had some issues with my GPU, and spent a good deal of time with them on the phone. Everytime I called, they took care of me, and treated me really well, even through my frustrations. Getting good tech reps is hit or miss, every company has lemons.

As far as the 1530 itself if concerned, it is the perfect fit for what you are talking about. It's got great performance, wrapped up in an attractive, affordable package. I haven't heard anything personally about them adding a higher range GPU, but my guess is that they will stick with the 8600GT. The 1530 is a fairly thin computer as it is, therefore its thermal envelope isn't as high as some other models out there. I'd personally much rather have a stable computer that is comfortable for me to carry around on my lap, than have my components melt.

 

Hey guys, is it worth to pay 25$ for Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition ???

 

No. It isn't worth it at all.

 

Can anyone who received the leather binder, cleaning cloth and headphones PM me their order number? Dell wants me to prove to them that they send complimentary items with the XPS that I did not receive.

 

seriously they are denying that they ever came with them? Thats BS

 

I think it is. It noticeably increases sound quality!

 

I don't know what's more pathetic, their attempt to lie about it or me caring enough about three cheap accessories to bother.

 

If I dont get those damn accessories I will give them links to every damn r3\/iew on the web that says it includes the accessories. Oh ill be mad

 

Just got my laptop.. Im happy with it.. But i didnt even get the binder, cloth, or the headphones. Just the case for the laptop.. Calling dell tomorrow morning!

 

Honestly, after reviewing my invoices it mentions the remote control and documentation. The ear buds and cleaning cloth came in the leather case which held the documentation. There is no separate invoice name for those pieces. As it is assumed to be part of buying an XPS. If u are in U.S. don't call regular Dell, call this XPS# instead: 18002328544

 

I will bug the hell out of them lol, i want ma headphones...

 

Well my laptop is in Michigan.....getting closer....

 

Thanks for the reply Blake, i'm glad to hear about the customer support.

Not entirely sure about the 8600M GT though, i'm not convinced about the performance.

 

Alright. I just got my laptop on Monday 7/21 (specs in sig). I opened the box as if I was a little kid again. And since I have turned it on and reinstalled Vista, the M1530 works like a dream with only a few minor annoyances. It's so fast and Vista is better than I can ever remember. The LED screen truly is a sweet sight to behold (came with no bad pixels), especially when comparing it against my old Inspiron E1505.

I was a little disappointed to not get the cleaning cloth, earbuds, and binder. I see I'm not the only one who missed out on those accessories and I will try to remember to call Dell tomorrow to hassle them for those. All in all, I am pretty darn stoked about this laptop. This laptop is leaps and bounds beyond anything else I've ever had the pleasure to use.

Upon the first couple of days owning it, I do however have some gripes about it already. Firstly, it gets really hot on the palm rest and touchpad after running a game like Command & Conquer 3 for only 5 minutes! I know that the Nvidia card might be defective and get too hot, but honestly, come on. I'm sure the aluminum body doesn't help either. Luckily I'll be soon getting an external keyboard which should arrive tomorrow.
Okay, secondly, since I'll be using an external monitor as well, when I connected it to the M1530 using VGA, there would be a VERY noticeable flicker on my 22" monitor. It's incredibly annoying, and after some search on google about the problem I found out it was due to the power adapter port being too close to the VGA out, as this causes a disruption in electric current. So, that's a design flaw by them and I will be trying to get an HDMI to DVI cable courtesy of Dell.
Third issue I'd like to mention is that the fingerprint reader is just absolute rubbish. Period. I followed the video directions time and time again and only had a successful read of my index finger about a couple times out of 100 tries. No joke. Oh well, nice little gimmick otherwise I suppose right?
Lastly, my smallest gripe, is that whenever I close the lid, the right hinge makes a very noticeable " POP!" sound and the lid slams shut unless I keep holding onto it. Does anybody else's do that or is it supposed to shut quietly without an involuntary snap? Not that I'll be closing and opening it a lot, but I feel it's something to point out.

Other than those small issues, I am very satisfied with this laptop and look forward to using it for a good long while. Oh, and thanks for reading.

 

I just got a very similar setup in some senses and yes I have some issues with that pop- I think its because there is no latch- so i dont mind it, plus i dont have a wobble when the screen is up so it works for me. I also didn't get the leather case, etc with the laptop but talked to a dell support guy online last night and he said find someone with a part number and just contact customer support via phone (versus email or anything) and they should take care of it.

*anyone know which thread talks about how to quiet the clicking noise the hard drive makes?

 

just got mine today, waiting to get home and take a look at it.
i hope i dont end up with a grainy screen

 

Well, after receiving my XPS M1530 after waiting 6 weeks, then having the hard drive fail after 2 days and then getting a refurb hard drive, I'm again having hard drive problems after about a week of use. Currently, Vista is telling me to run Check Disk, but every time I try it tells me it has to run it on reboot (normal windoze behavior), but when I tell it to do so, it won't run it on reboot.

Anyone know how to force it to run Check Disk on reboot?

I'm really getting sick of all the problems...

 

Mine doesn't "pop" at all. It smoothly opens and closes. I would get in touch with a tech. Maybe it's an easy fix. And the fingerprint reader is finicky. took me a long time to learn how it likes to be touched.

 

Even though westcoast01 has the same popping sound on his hinge, I am convinced that it should not be there since yours doesn't make the noise. As I look at the right barrel hinge with the lid opened, I only now noticed that it's gap is not as close to the speakers as the left hinge. Could it be the poor craftsmanship that causes this "pop" sound or am I just unlucky? I actually whipped out my ruler and the right hinge gap is approximately 1 3/4 mm away from the speaker, while the left hinge gap from the speakers is about only 3/4 mm wide. It's actually quite noticeable now that I have seen this. Remember I said its the right not the left barrel hinge that makes the "pop" sound. I know it seems like not a big deal, but after paying lots of dough for this lappie, I want the best quality.

 

Hey guys,

I'm now a proud owner of a Dell M1530. I just got it yesterday and I'm satisfied by how it works so far.

Now on to the bad news, IT WON'T SHUT DOWN. I don't understand why it doesn't work, but whenever I click the shut down or restart button, it would stay in the "Log Off Screen" and never change. I waited 8-12 minutes waiting for this screen to change but it didn't, so I had to reboot it by holding the power button. When I start the laptop back up again, it runs fine, I just can't shut down. Is there any way to fix this problem?

Note: When I recieved my XPS I reformatted it right away, installing most but not all the drivers back in. Was there something I wasn't supposed to install? IS there something I need to install? My specs are fully maxed out on everything except my CPU is a T8300 and my hard drive is 160gb.

 

actually that popping sound is gone so idk what to tell you.

I still get my damn clicking sound on my hdd even after i've going to bios and changed it to high performance and quiet mode... any other suggestions?

* the fingerprint reader is great if you figure out how to do it. make sure you cover the entire scanner with your finger as you go down or else i read that it gives faulty readings. (i tried this and havent had an error with it yet)

 

Really? fingerprint...i got it to work pretty well when i first set it up for windows login....after that it was easy...maybe its just me.....mine good so far....just the webcam mic on skype some ppl say its a little low....even when i maxed out all the volume....vista x64 though.....still having trouble installing the integrate sb audigy hd software edition...keeps telling me to install drivers....again...maybe vista x64? anyone have trouble with that?

IM CALLING FOR MY EAR BUDS!!!!! I can live without the cleaning cloth...

 

Well, after yet another call to Dell I figured out how to run chkdsk (Check Disk for the uninitiated). I thought I'd go into how to force this since it isn't obvious and others might need this at some point.

Sometimes when you tell Vista to run chkdsk at the next startup it won't. This macification of windows (where it makes choices for you and doesn't doesn't tell you why or give you options because it assumes you're an idiot) is really annoying. To get around this you have to load you Vista DVD and then boot again but press the F12 key early on so that you get a boot menu. Then tell it to boot off the DVD. Run diagnostics. Go to the DOS prompt and then select the drive you want to check (usually C:\). Run chkdsk (check disk).

After finding a lot of corrupt files on my disk I am now back to running the diagnostic tests on the hard drive to see if I've got a second bad hard drive on my new M1530 or if my chkdsk errors are due to some other problem.

 

For those of you having figure print issues, mine seemed finicky at first too. I had to teach myself how to swipe it correctly. After that it has been correct almost everytime and swipes in about a second. It really is painless and works quite well. Perhaps you're having problems that I'm not or you've used fingerprint readers before that worked more easily (this is my first) but I'm fairly impressed by how it works.

Now if it only worked with Firefox instead of crappy IE...

 

Ya the fingerprint reader takes alot of getting use to. If you swipped fast when you set it up, you gotta swipe in the same speed and position and angle as that swipe. So learn to do the same exact swipe eveytime and you'll get the hang of it.

 

there is a plugin to support firefox...need to look up 64 drivers on here

 

I'm glad that you guys can get the fingerprint reader to actually work. I gave it lots of patience and tried many different styles and fingers to read but with no avail. This is also my first time using a fingerprint reader and so far I don't like it. So I will just not use it for awhile as its more of an annoyance than it is a convenience.

More about with the "pop" noise on the lid closing. About 1 inch before the lid is fully closed, the hinges will make the lid close immediately almost with a "thud" on the palm rest area/keyboard. Right when it makes this sudden closing of the lid, the "POP" occurs on the right barrel hinge.

So I am wondering, does anyone else's M1530 snap shut after 1 inch to fully closing or does it move quietly and smoothly with no other involuntary movements? I do understand that maybe this is because of the M1530 not having any latches, but I am just curious to see how others' M1530's perform.

Also, when someone else mentioned a harddrive clicking sound, I realized I have that too. I have WD and it makes a high-pitched clicking noise every 5-10 sec. even when I am not running anything. I will give the program that a person mentioned in here and see if that does the trick.

 

I just read up on the clicking sound. essentially you can turn it off- but the program that does it forces the hard drive to run.

cons of taking clicking off- if the laptop drops, could potentially ruin hdd, worse battery life

id search for clicking xps and the program discusses setting the APM for the hard drive to 254

 

Thanks for the info. I too have a clicking harddrive every so often. However, I just ignore it. I have heard worse coming from machines. The fingerprint reader has a utility to practice with until you can repeat a good scan. Maybe there is an issue with the spring with those that have clicking when closing the lid.

 

Just talked to a Dell XPS customer service(1-800-964-8321) and the lady said that I could get the Creative earbuds but not the cleaning cloth or binder because I was not able to receive them in my deal after she talked to her manager. She then gave me a case #. I didn't want to stir any more trouble so I bit my tongue and hung up.

So, I then decided to call this XPS # 1-800-232-8544 as someone mentioned this was better if you live in the U.S. I explained my issue that I should have received all my accessories that come standard with the XPS M1530 and he saw my case # from that lady I just talked to 10 min ago and confirmed that this order includes ALL of the 3 missing accessories. That being the earbuds, cleaning cloth, and binder! He said that all 3 items ship together and don't come with the system because Dell does not make the products. Strange that I had to call them to get the stuff, but I'm happy as they should be expedited for delivery tomorrow. Maybe this is Dell's way of saving a few $$$ from uninformed customers excluding people on this board.

Next, I called XPS technical support and told them that when I connected my 22" external LCD flat-panel monitor I would get a terrible flicker connected with VGA out. Then I explained to them that the problem is that the power adapter port is too close to the VGA out so it causes this flicker, and of course the flicker goes away once I unplug the power adapter. The agent apologized for the inconvenience and she offered to give me a $25 coupon for Dell.com to purchase this HDMI to DVI cable. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Cables/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=A1223210
Sure, the cable is 15ft, but hey, I got a free cable, so who am I to complain?
Overall, I am pleased with the support from Dell, although I shouldn't have had to call them for the missing accessories in the first place.

 

Glad to hear your getting your money's worth

 

Congrats r3volver!

 

Does the second headphone jack (the middle one) on anyone else's M1530 not work? I did a clean install of vista and maybe that has something to do with the middle headphone jack not working? My far left one works but do I need a driver or something to get the middle one working?

 

Mine works fine. May be bad solder job. I would get in touch with a Dell tech.

 

nice r3volver...i'll be sure to give them a call too

 

i fanally got my xps (ordered the 3rd) but with a 6-cells... They were saying me that my order was so long because of the out of stock of the 9 cells that i asked....

 

I thought the middle one is for the center/sub or something....gotta go home and check again....at least that what i got from opening the settings in the control panel... and i need to test the headphones again...

 

Okay, I just ordered an M1530, and from what I hear, extra stuff comes with it? What is all of this extra stuff?

Also, when you place an order, how long does it take for the dell website to show you the order? I made it a few minutes ago, so I don't expect it to update immediately.

Another question(I've too many questions), how do I get them to install 64 bit Vista? Do I just call them or what?

 

The extras that come with it are: earbud headphones, cleaning cloth, and fancy leather binder to hold it all

I placed my order through Dell Canada and I believe it took about 12 hours(ish) for it to appear on the website.

As for the 64 bit Vista question, I will leave that for someone much more knowledgeable to answer!

 

I didn't get any of those things, but I did get a dell xps soft case!

 

I have talked to four different representatives on both numbers and none of them acknowledge the EXISTENCE of any of those items....

 

So should I expect these items or not?

And what about 64 bit vista?

 

64 bit isnt included.....i just got mine