Dell and a few issues

Hey all, I'm new to the forums. I've been doing some research on the new Dell Inspirons which I'm really liking, to be honest. Great combination of features.

Let me show the configuration I was considering:
Dell 1520
Midnight Blue
Intel 7500 2.2 ghz
1680X1050 screen
8600M GT card
2 GB RAM
160 gb HD at 7200RPM
Blu Ray optical drive
Wireless N card

That's the core of it, and it would end up priced around $2600 after any coupons and other choices were completed. I sort of view it as getting an Asus G1 with a Blu Ray drive and a few other upgrades so it's a good value.

Here is the thing though. To go from 2gbs of RAM to 4gbs of RAM, why do they charge an extra $1000? It seems like pricing madness!!! I mean, really...HP offers 4 gbs for like $600 and if I go to Newegg, I can purcahse and install it myself for even less I think. However, I don't like the idea of messing with a new laptop just after it arrives...I'd rather it be sent to me in quality shape as I like it, especially for that much.

Issue 2: Dell offers a wireless N card inside the laptop for an extra $50...great...or is it? I am about to set up a DIR-655 router from D-Link, extremem Wireless N. But if you read the fine print for the Intel N wireless card, it says the following:

"Wireless -N or “Draft 802.11n”: Upgrade to a Wireless-N mini-card to go up to 5X faster and get up to twice the range of 802.11g when used with a Wireless -N router.2 (Note: Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N card requires a 5GHz Wireless-N router.)"

.....say what? I hope I'm just misunderstanding this, but if this is true, it means it requires a 5ghz frequency router for N signal. And if you look at routers online, there are very very few N signal 5ghz routers currently in market. I'd guess that less than 5% of users would have one, if even that. And the prices for said router are over $200. I imagine more are coming, but as it is, it appears that wireless N is virtually unobtainable and you are just payiing to future proof your system for when the other routers become available.

So I appreciate any thoughts on:
1. The RAM
2. The wireless card
3. The configuration I selected. I could get a Blu Ray with a 1720 screen that has 1900X1200 resolution, but I thought that I likely wouldn't notice the change from 1050p to 1080p on the 17 inch screen. I'm not even sure if that's humanly possible to notice the difference of 30p.

I welcome thoughts on any of these. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something and then let me know. I just wanted to make sure I understood this before i purchased.

 

n is compatible with *802.11 a/b/g/n so just get a g router

 

That's true....and I alreayd got an old Linksys router anyway. And the new D-link gigabit router is even better.

But that would still mean that myself and all the people on this board who purcahsed an N capable card would not be able to use an N signal, correct? We were paying for the upgraded signal over Gs old capability.

 

Bump!!!!!!!

 

Wireless 802.11n is still in draft form, so while the chances of interoperability with routers is pretty good, it's still not guaranteed. I did hear that a firmware should allow the current draft n cards and routers to conform to the final revision.

 

No, it is guaranteed as long as it meets Draft 2.0 specifications

 

I'd skip out on the blu-ray drive and get it externally if you really need it because DELL doesn't have an HDMI or DVI port and blu-ray isn't worth it just for a laptop (at least not at this moment in time since it costs $600!!)