Help me choose D420 vs. D620 for law school

General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$1350 tops

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

Torn between:

a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen

I am weighing the advantages of less weight and longer battery vs. giving up processor speed and optical drive.

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.

U.S.A.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

Have had good experience with Dell desktops and really like their warranty and price. Would consider Dell Outlet for the money. Also, my school has several discounted Dell models - 520, 620 and 820. All around $600 off. Also really like Lenovo, obviously.

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

Mainly Outlook, Internet and word processing for school. Have a powerful desktop at home for gaming/video.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

Taking with me everyday. Public transportation or biking to school.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

Nope

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Not sure. Law school has tons of outlets, but I would like to be able to leave campus without having to borrow power.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

Not if the machine is highly regarded and well reviewed.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Definitely XP.

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?

widescreen

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?



e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.


13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Matte.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

To a degree.

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

Has to last 3yrs. w/ warranty.

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?

60 to 80 GB should be plenty.,

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?

I would really like one, but could go without.

 

If you really can get a deal on those laptops, go with the D820. It's got the screen you want and it's built pretty solidly. The ThinkPad T60 is also a good choice.

 

You won't get WSXGA+ on a 14" notebook. SXGA+ is an option with the T60/R60. The Z61t is an option as well.

 

The ThinkPad T60 may be tough to get for $1,350 or less but if you can I'd say it is your best choice. The R-series is a lower-priced alternative but it's still a well-built machine.

For a 14" widescreen the Dell Latitude D620 is a solid fit. Excellent overall quality and a durable design.

 

I have never owned a laptop, and will be buying for law school in the fall. I have shopped a lot of models and have narrowed it to two Dell models, the ultralight 12.1 inch Dell 420 and the full featured 14 inch Dell 620.

My budget is approx. $1300.

My school has the 620 for $1279 with:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5600 (1.83GHz) 2M L2 Cache, 667Mhz Dual Core
14.1 inch Wide Screen WXGA LCD Panel
1.0GB, DDR2-667 SDRAM, 2 DIMMS
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950
80GB Hard Drive, 9.5MM, 5400RPM Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP2, with media
24X CD-RW/DVD w/ Cyberlink PowerDVD™
Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Dual-Band Mini Card
9 Cell Primary Battery
3Yr NBD Plus (NBD onsite, Gold Support and CompleteCare)

Alternatively, Dell Outlet has various 420s for approx $1350 with:
1.2 Ghz Duo
XP Pro
60 - 80GB HD (4200RPM)
CD RW/DVD Combo Drives
6 or 9 cell primary battery
3Yr NBD Plus (NBD onsite, Gold Support and CompleteCare)


Basically, the 12 inch 420 is lighter and has way more battery life but would run slower, has a smaller screen, and no onboard optical drive.

My first question is the relative build quality of these two models. Is one clearly superior? Keep in mind that the 420 would be an Outlet model.

Second, does the increased battery life of the 420 offset the losses in processor and hard drive speed? Keep in mind I will be primarily doing basic Office and Internet tasks and do not need all that much power. The ability to go all day on a battery charge sounds like a powerful option, but there are tons of outlets available at the school, and I have read that the battery will lose most of its life by the second year anyway.

Third, what about weight? I will be carrying this machine everyday for three years and the 420 is about 2.25 pounds lighter. I am a 6'2" male weighing about 200 lbs and plan on biking or using public transportation. Is the 5.5lb 620 light enough or should I definitely be looking at the smaller 420?

On a side note, It seems that most of the weight difference comes from 420 having no optical drive. I would really like an onboard drive for installing software, transferring files, and watching the occasional DVD. Can I get by without the optical drive, or will I end up carrying the external drive around all the time anyway?

Finally, I have played around on several 12 inch models, and am fine with screen and keyboard sizes. However, I worry that it would start to drive me crazy after a few hours. Should I stick with the larger screen, or will I get used to the 12 inch?

Any additional input on these models would be appreciated.

 

a few thoughts:

1.) The build quality should be comparable--the d420 may seem a little flimsier because it's smaller. Both are business class and come with good warranties so I would not be concerned with quality. Dell outlet offers great deals on computers that generally are almost brand new (of course there's a difference between scratch-and-dent and previously sold as new).

2.) If you'll be doing basic productivity tasks the slower processor should be plenty powerful. You may spend a few extra seconds on a task, take a look at a few of the reviews/benchmarks of the two processors to get an idea of the differences. The slower harddrive is more of a concern (at least to me) and as it's a 1.8" drive you are kind of limited right now as far as upgrades are concerned.

3.) Battery is one of the most important things when I consider an laptop. Even if there are plugs all around remember that means you'd need to bring the AC adapter with you which adds a little more weight. It all adds up. Batteries do lose potency with age and use, it's a consumable item; you should budget for that sort of thing. (see the battery guide for more info)

4.) Weight is really a thing which many users discount, you may be a big guy, but those extra pounds will add up. I went from a 15.4" e1505 to a 14." T60 and the weight difference although not "significant" was night and day in my book. I would really try to check the various models out in person if possible. (either via a friend or at a Dell kiosk)

5.) I don't use my optical drive very much past initial installs; I don't play too many games and network installs/flash drives/external HD have largely replaced a CD-ROM drive in my case. Of course I do use the optical occasionally and I think you'd def. want to buy one if you go for the D420, but I don't think you'll miss it very often in school (class). After all you should be studying, not watching movies!

6.) Screen size is VERY subjective, It's something you'll really need to consider. I had no long-term issues moving from a 15.4" WXGA to a 14.1" SXGA+, but initially it was very strange for me and hard on the eyes. Depending on your eyesight and needs a larger screen may be needed. remember that you can adjust text size in browsers, word and an external monitor is always an option when you are at home.

Be sure to check out the reviews on our site if you have not already; they are quite helpful. I would (personally) look hard at the D420, small size is really a nice thing if you don't need the extra horsepower the d620 offers.

 

You may be able to swing a T60; I grabbed mine for 1320 with an educational discount.

 

I just picked up a very well equipped D420 from the Dell Outlet for $1199.

I'll copy some of my comments I made in another thread... hopefully it will help you with your decision.

Since it's a refurb, I expected it to look a little used. Guess what? It looks brand new. Not a scratch, not a mark, nothing. I would never have known it was a refurb if I didn't order it myself.

The keyboard is great. VERY easy to type on. A very pleasant surprise.

The screen produced slightly fuzzy text at first, but then I remembered to tweak the ClearType settings using that XP PowerToy tool. Now the text looks great. Nice and sharp. And I now truly believe that a 12.1" screen with 1280x800 resolution is perfect for an ultra-portable. It's "just right."

The size of the laptop is fantastic. Very compact, very easy to carry, very small footprint. And the weight is awesome. This thing feels light as a feather. Truly amazing difference compared to my 15.4" laptop.

I've only done web surfing so far, but the speed has been great. In fact, I completely forgot that it's "only" a dual core with a 4200 RPM hard drive. It's quite peppy and responsive so far.

I too was concerned about the lack of an optical drive. But I only install new programs occasionally, so that's not a huge deal. As far as DVDs go, others here on the forum turned me on to something called AnyDVD. It allows me to copy DVDs to the hard drive. This way I don't need the optical drive with me to see a movie... I just double-click on an icon. Works like a charm.

As you can probably tell, I am very, very happy with the D420. More-so than I thought I'd be, to be honest.

I was planning on using the D420 as my spare/travel laptop, but I really like it. I'm now thinking about using it as my MAIN laptop.

Hope that helps.

 

If you downgrade to XP Home you could probably get a ThinkPad x60 which will get you a 2.5" hard drive within your budget though it is not widescreen.

 

Having recently purchased a D420, I think Vespoli's thoughts are right on the money.

I was carrying a 15.4" HP along with a textbook and binder back and forth to training everyday and the weight really got to me (I'm 6'3" 200+). I was looking hard at the D420's in Dell's Outlet, but in the end picked one up on eBay and I couldn't be happier with it. I'm using the same software (MS Office & Internet) as you will be and the D420 handles it all just fine. If the smaller hard drive equates to reduced performance, I have not seen it.

While weight reduction was my primary focus, I have also enjoyed the D420's smaller footprint on the table/desk in the lecture room I am in. I have not used/needed the optical drive since setting up the unit and therefore do not carry it with me daily. My D420 came with a 6-cell and a 9-cell. I have not timed the 9-cell's endurance, but I can say it hasn't lasted all day. With readily available A/C outlets, I have been using the 6-cell due to its lighter weight.

On a final note, I was concerned that typing on the smaller keyboard would be a problem, but this has not been the case.