Dell: Studio 14z vs. Adamo

Apples and oranges, I know. I've done the "what should I buy?" FAQ and have had my options whittled down, and I'm between these two at the moment -- the 14z for the bang-for-buck factor, and the Adamo because it's drop-dead sexy.

Typical usage: notetaking via OneNote 2007, other Office suite and PDF usage, typical web browsing, music library shenanigans, and other lightweight lifting. The 14z's superior hardware (a P-series 2.40 GHz processor and the 9400M graphics) might be lost to some extent.

Keep in mind that I would be picking up the 1.2 GHz Adamo for about $1,350 shipped (or the 2.40 GHz 14z for $920 shipped) -- neither at full retail.

Ordering tonight, so please chime in. I'd appreciate your thoughts

 

Well, if Adamo is on your considered systems list, then surely go for it. I think $1,350 is a pretty good price.

 

$1,350...for the Adamo, not bad!

If you want the Adamo, at that price, I say why not!


Cin...

 

Purchased -- and for less than that price, too. Overestimated what I remembered seeing.

Doesn't seem like there are a lot of Adamo reviews floating around here; will have to add my own next weekend as time allows...

 

Awesome! Grat's on the purchase!

Can't wait to see your review on it! What color did you order?


Cin...

 

Thanks much -- went for onyx. Curious to see how it looks in person...

 

Sleek and Sexy! Is how it will look!

Now just the wait, and anticipation....for you!


Cin...

 

Yep! Should be here in a few days. Too bad I didn't realize beforehand that the RAM is soldered onto the board... but a couple gigs for Windows 7 and light-duty tasks should be just fine.

 

For what the Adamo is made for, the existing RAM is plenty.

Congratulations on your purchase (and at an excellent price). Can't wait to see it.

 

Thanks for the insight on the RAM. Look forward to your review as I may get on for lovely bride.

 

Quick overview of the notebook for reasons to be mentioned shortly.

I have the onyx Adamo here on the table in front of me. I would take pictures, but not only are there already a plethora of pictures floating around, but pics just don't do this notebook justice. It's about as handsome as it gets. Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder says that the Adamo is far and away more attractive a laptop than the MacBook Pro is. (I'm typing this post on a Summer 2009 15" MBP.)

My Adamo is refurbished -- part of why I was able to get one at several hundred dollars below retail AND the Dell Outlet at the time -- but build quality is still remarkable, especially given Dell's occasionally hit-or-miss reputation. The bottom panel has a bit of flex at the edges, but it still has a remarkably solid feel to it. Being a refurb, the boxed accessories include the AC adapter, an extension cord for it, and a DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter. There's also a small warranty/service/etc. sort of booklet.

The display is, in my eyes, better than that of many notebooks I've seen in my admittedly limited viewing thus far. The only nitpick I have about it is that it seems to have quite a limited vertical viewing angle. Granted, if you tilt the lid of ANY notebook a little too much either to or away from you, you'll see that -- but it's readily apparent here.

I was intrigued albeit put off by the slightly concave key surfaces I'd seen mentioned in various reviews and videos, but I have to say that I'm a fan. Haven't had to type anything at length, but in just toying with the keyboard, I definitely like it. There's always that little acclimation process with new keyboards, but I can see myself liking this one quickly. I'm not much of one to obsess over something like a keyboard -- it's just that given the kind of machine this is, the feel of the keyboard is kind of a big deal.

Now, I haven't had much of a chance to play with the thing, but here's the big catch:

I'm a medical student here in the United States, and med school being what it is, information retention is the name of the game; there's simply far too much info to know for us to do anything less than what's most efficient for us as far as memorization and understanding. As an undergrad, I was always a writing guy -- note-taking on handouts and PPTs from the professors, hand-writing notes, that sort of thing, and that's what worked for me as far as grades and remembering what was taught. This alone has me thinking that a high-end tablet PC in conjunction with OneNote might be a better idea for me (even though I'd much prefer something with the aesthetic appeal of the Adamo), so THAT means that my Adamo might be going up for sale here on NBR first, then eBay if needed, if I am unable to get the seller to accept it as a return.

Just my quick $0.02. I do have a tablet on the way which I'll be experimenting with before making a final call on this Adamo (sometime next week).

 

Exi! I'm glad you received your AdamO!

And, I enjoyed reading your *mini* review on it!! You have some very good points on it..and I understand your concerns as your being a Med Student.

No matter what, as you work with the Tablet you have on the way & the Adamo..I'm sure you will make the right decision between the 2, of which one you will be keeping!

Cin...

 

The T5010 is... well, I can't say it's garbage, because I don't think it is. But it's not for me. Not nearly the kind of notebook/tablet I'm after, so it's either getting returned or (hopefully/eventually) resold. Ugh.

Having a hard time sending that Adamo back off the bat; hoping to have a little time to play with it soon.

 

Congratulations
Im planning on getting the desire Onyx myself

2q:
How are the fans, loud, constant running?
Temps?

1080p playback?

Do you have to compare encoding / performance to a desktop?

I'd really appreciate your opinion

 

I haven't had a chance to really use it, so I can't say much as far as operating temperature or noise output (or general task performance, for that matter -- I don't spend much time doing any sort of encoding work beyond the occasional CD copy to disk).

 

Well than use it