Few questions regarding XPS M140

I am willing to buy a XPS M140 soon and I have few questions.
This will be my first DELL , I've had only HPs so far but I've heard many good things about DELL. Anyways my question is about the Truelife option. My previous HP had the Brightview option - it was nice but it was way too reflective and sometimes I had hard time finding the right angle for a good view and then sometimes my eyes got hurt because of it. That is why i am planing on getting XPS M140 with a matte screen. But I am not sure if this is the right decision. I've never had a matte screen and I am worried that it might be dim with "washed" colors. And I've read about few issues with the M140 screens, even with the ones that have TrueLife.
My second quesion is about the GMA 900 card. Is it so bad for gaming? I've read in few reviews that it is a very "basic" one . Is it that bad even if I allocate 256 mbs to it? I am not a huge gamer but I play from time to time.
And the third thing is the battery life. How long does a 9 cell battery run on a normal usage? And are there any known typical issues with XPS M140? How is the heat, does it get warm or hot?
Any comments will be greatly appreciated. I would be happy to hear from a M140 owner.
The whole point of this is that I can get a very decent 1505 for $100 more than the M140 (since there are no coupons for M140 whatsoever), but I need a little more portability so I picked the XPS.

 

One of the main complaints on the M140 about washed out colors is usually attributed to the brand of the screen itself, not so much the TrueLife option or not. Dell uses different vendors to provide the screens on the 140; in most cases, you'll find the biggest complaints about washed out colors and shimmering from the Samsung brand screen. I've got the Quanta display myself, and it's gorgeous. I don't think you can really pick it though, so that's a bummer.

The GMA 900 can run some games; it does pretty well with older ones. It's not an answer to a dedicated card though, and you'll find it harder to run the more current games.... particularly the intensive 3D stuff. If you're planning on playing Oblivion or BF2, I would not recommend going integrated.

Battery life seems more than adequate for me. I'm at 60% charge right now, with an estimated 3:45 left. That's with browser open, brightness down 3 notches from the max, and WiFi on. I think at full charge and with a minimal load, I can get close to the 6-7 hour estimated range.

I'm satisifed with the M140. For the price, it's pretty capable. Dell Outlet often has some pretty good deals on refurbished ones too, if you want to take a look. Then again, if you're not in a big hurry, you could stick around and see what May brings. The rumored successor, the E1405 is supposed to come out, and the newest news leak about the 12.1" XPS is exciting as well.

 

Within the next 24 hours, Dell should be releasing the E1405. It's an M140, with Core Duo and slightly better GMA...

 

there is an updated driver for the M140 intel graphics card that gives you options to adjust contrast, gamma and individual colors. makes a world of difference.

info here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1359975#post1359975

 

Could the M140 play Guild Wars decently?

 

Thanks for the comments guys. Now I just need to know how is the dell matte screens? Are they a good way to go (since no reflectivity and maybe a better viewing angle?)

 

It should be released today or tomorrow

 

And still no comments from a matte screen owner

 

here's one!

i have the matte screen, and am glad i got it... although there are certain light conditions under which i prefer the TrueLife, i got the matte since i mostly use my laptop under fluorescents, or fairly bright light (or now that it's warmer, outside). i really hate seeing my reflection in the screen while i'm trying to work, so i'm very happy with the matte.
(haven't once regretted my decision... though i don't use my laptop for any photo-editing..that's what the 20" ultra-sharp is for)

if you don't live near a Dell kiosk, try going to a local store just to compare the look of the matte vs. glossy.

 

I have the M140 with the true life screen. Glare is not a problem, and neither is washed out color. The smileys below what I am typing right now are as crisp and clear as they could be. I have a 6 cell battery right now that lasts well over 3 hours with normal use and on brightest screen setting.
As for gaming, I don't game on it at all, so I can't really help you there, but I did see a benchmark test somewhere that showed the fps on the m140 were pretty bad... And I keep it on my lap for hours and hours and it barely gets warm, never hot ever. And I saw someone on here say they get heat under the palm rests and at the keys, NOT true, its cool as can be up here. I highly recommend this machine. Great performer.