Inspiron 1520 owners lounge

Thnx...
I got it in jet black. Can't believe it got here so fast

Im adoring the exterior, lol, too scared to unleash it by turning it on....

 

HOLY ****, MINE WENT TO TESTING!! just now
i ordered on aug 6th SHIIIIIIETT

 

Mine was in boxing all weekend, I really hope it ships today!! I don't see why it wouldn't ship (unless dell is lying to me)

 

What screen did you get?

 

Urs was in boxing all weekend long was probably due to the fact that the shipping companies dont work on sundays. they'll definitely get it shipped today

 

I figured as much. However I did not get an e-mail today and there is no tracking numbers so it doesn't look like it shipped today. Maybe it did and
Dell has not updated their site yet. If it doesn't ship within the next couple of days i'm going to be pissed.

 

yo, i just read an article about dell's manufacturing process. And boxing takes several days due to the fact that US laptops are tested, boxed in malaysia

 

yup. so was written on my box too: Malaysia
and I still got it in 5 days..

 

Thanks for the input but it still doesn't explain how people get their computers in five days

 

Ordered on August 9th, EDD September 10th, but who knows when it will really get here.

 

Checked my e-mail this morning, my computer is on the way *****es!!!!! I'm so excited to get this thing. If it shipped today it will be here thursday maybe friday since i have two day shipping.

 

Has anyone ever had issues getting the tracking numbers? The dell site says "data temporarily unavailable". Anyone know anything?

 

System details are in my sig - anybody know why people with later order dates are getting their systems shipped before those of us with earlier order dates. Just curious.

 

Where do you guys see this "build" stage. I see "confirmed" and then "shipped," no "build."

 

If you're in the US, call 1-800-433-9014 (I've memorized it now along with my order #), enter your order number. The woman will tell you she has "important information for you to write down." If your laptop is in production, she'll tell you if it's in the build, testing, or boxing stage. I was in build until this morning, when I moved to testing. This afternoon, I've graduated to boxing.

 

Dell never has tracking #s on their website. You almost always have to call them (or chat) and get it. (It's in their system, just not displayed directly in your account management/order status screen for some reason)

 

Ahh..thanks

 

Uh ya they have tracking numbers on their site. It popped up later in the day. The tracking number on their site is also a link to the actual carriers website for further details on where your order is at. DHL says my computer will be here on thursday!!!! YAY!!!!

 

I know they were having issues with the colored lids. Every color was delayed except black. Last time I check the website the only color that was not delayed was white. Also, I believe they have a shortage of ALL the video cards for the 1520, even the integrated intel gpu. I would still venture to guess your computer will be built sometime this week, but I can't say for sure.

 

Hey guys, I was wondering on what product or household thing to use for cleaning the micro-satin finish lids? Mine is getting riddled with fingerprints and it's time for a clean, but the texture/feel of the lid seems like any damp cloth will make it spotty/uneven.. sort of like suede.. not sure though, any tips appreciated.

 

The first thing I would try is a microfiber cloth. You can usually pick these up at any retailer with a decent automotive section. They are usually sitting in the automotive cleaning supplies. I know that Wal-Marts and Targets carry them for sure. Try it dry first, then slightly damp if dry does not work. If the damp cloth still doesn't work either, mix some rubbing alcohol with some water and dampen the cloth and try that. Don't dampen the cloth too much to avoid hurting your computer. If this doesn't meet your standards of a clean laptop lid, you could try a very mild glass cleaner. TEST AN INCONSPICUOUS SPOT FIRST!!! It more than likely will not hurt your lid, but its always nice to test just in case. Spray the cloth and not the laptop. As always with cleaning any computer, turn it off first to avoid further damage if water does happen to seep anywhere.

I used to use a dry microfiber cloth with my old laptop and it worked great for me and I suspect it will work well with this computer as well. I hope this helps!!!

 

After extensive research I have decided to purchase a Inspiron 1520 Notebook

Being Canadian, I do not have access to the huge 300 dollar discount

This is the build I have been running with so far.
---
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7300 (4MB cache/2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB), English
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition, English
SYSTEM COLOUR Jet Black Color with Matte Finish
LCD DISPLAY Glossy, widescreen 15.4 inch display (1280 x 800)
INTEGRATED WEBCAM NO WEBCAM OPTION
MEMORY 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 Dimm
HARD DRIVE 120G 5400RPM SATA HDD
GRAPHICS CARD 256MB NVIDIA ®GeForce™8600M GT
OPTICAL DRIVE 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
BATTERY OPTIONS 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
---

This build with taces comes out to a grand total of $1,560.66 CAD.

Is there anyway for me to save any money on this? Am i missing any key components?

The Canadian coupons I tried to use would only work with the systems that had 1.6 ghz processors.

Also I couldn't decide between anti-glare/glossy...Is glossy only bad for outside use?

Thanks

 

I've never heard anything but "Build" stage. I think my midnight blue case screws are on backorder now. I think the tape they use on the plastic bag enclosing the laptop is out of stock. They are running low on boxes that say Dell on them. Sigh.

 

Have you tried configuring a Vostro 1500 with the same options?
In certain countries you coud save as much as 250 US$ (in my case it was more than 200 eur). You'll have to go black, though.

I'd go for the 160 GB hard drive. There's never enough room.
Actually I went for the 160 GB HD on my Vostro 1500. But you might want to buy a bigger drive later on for much less and use the 120 GB drive that came with your laptop as an external drive (you'll have to but an external casing).
It all amounts on how much Dell will make you pay for the 40 GB upgrade.

It seems to be a matter of personal preferences.
I'd say that the multimedia people prefer glossy (the are good for gaming and watching dvd), and the office/programming people prefer matte (the are gentler on the eyes because they kill offending reflections).
I couldn't live with a glossy screen (perhaps because its mirror like surface would remind me of how ugly I am )

For example, have a look at this tutorial:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=156164
Can you see the ceiling fan rotating, reflected on this XPS glossy screen?
If you like to type on dark background, a glossy screen would not be a bright idea, IMBO.

 

yay! mine just came at 11:50!
i haven't opened it yet, other then the brown packing box.
but now i have to suffer all through work till 9:30pm to open the rest..pictures will be coming!
..this will be a LONG shift.

 

Mine went into testing today after a 17 day wait. w00t!

 

Jeez, shan15, that was quick.

 

a certain DHL guy dropped of certain laptop 20 minutes ago. This thing is sweet

 

I am looking at buying a 1520. The purpose is NOT for gaming or movie viewing but rather for reading text, downloading pdf files, spread sheet work, web browsing, multi-tasking, etc.

My question is
#1 - Which screen to go with (1280x800, 1680x1050 or 1440x900).
I am thinking right now of going with a glossy 1280x800. I am in my late 40's and the eyes have gone downhill to the point where when I read a book (etc) I do much better under a bright light - and doing some comparisons at the retail outlet ... I seem to have an easier time with the brighter glossy screen than the matte (although I do have to adjust the screen away from the bright lights .... which by the way are much brighter than where I would be using the notebook ..... on occasion I might use it outside in the shade though). One caveat is that I do not know if the glossy vs matte comparison was an apple to apple comparison (ie. same video cards, etc). Also am thinking that text gets more difficult to read with higher resolution ---hence the thought behind the 1280x800.

#2 Graphics Card:
Don't know whether to go with the basic Intel X3000, 8400 GS or 8600 GT. One Dell rep said for my purpose to just go with the basic card and that the other two are really only for gaming. Then another Dell Rep tells me to go with the top of the line GT as it actually does make text noticibly more crisp and is easier on the eyes. Since the first is shared and the later two are not it would seem to me that the later two might be better for multitasking but I don't know. I also don't know about the crisper text thing.

FWIW -- I am thinking of going with the 7300 processor with 2 MB of memory and debating between the 120G @ 5400 rpm or the 120G @7200 rpm harddrive. Really am interested in your opinions on items #1 and #2 above.

Thanks so very much. Great thread.

 

#1. I'm 21 years old and I prefer the 1280x800. I'm used to 19inch LCD monitors that run 1280x1024, and I find for a 15.4 inch screen, anything over 1440x900 is overkill. (I really don't see what the point of more screen real estate is if you can't see what your doing on it .. aka tiny text/face right in monitor). If your gaming it's even better to use that since your native resolution will be closer/same as what your games will run at (An 8600M GT will even struggle on new games at 1280x800). I've always preferred glossy, but it's really up to you.

#2. Go with the integrated X3100 if you want battery life and don't play games. Aero will be slightly smoother with the faster cards however, (if your running Vista Business/HP) As for what the rep said about crisper text, that is plain false. I do know that the Nvidia cards will display better video (slightly), as Anandtech did an article recently comparing integrated and dedicated viewing a DVD on WMP. The dedicated came out with slightly better video quality. Having dedicated graphics though will probably make your system run a bit faster (noticeably? that is debatable).

#3. Get the most basic drive you can while ordering, then buy a 160gb 7200 rpm Seagate (poor mans) or the desktop-like prowess of the Hitachi 7k200 (200gb 7200rpm drive). The latter will cost you about $250 at this moment however, while the Seagate maybe $120.

 

Hey Zesskey,

I was originally going to suggest for spreadsheet work the highest resolution you can possibly order, as I know when using spreadsheets, scrolling in all directions sucks and higher resolution screens help out with that. However, I personally stayed away from high-resolution screens because I saw a notebook in person with 1440x900 and 1680x1050 on a 15.4" and I thought everything was way too small (I'm only 17, and my eyesight is good, but not perfect). Thus, I strongly agree with you and suggest you go with the 1200x800 screen.

As for glossy and matte, that always ends up being personal preference. I simply can't stand glossy screens because any tiny reflection my eyes will pick up and it will bother me. As for glossy screens being easier to read- you will have to decide that by going to look at some screens in person at Best Buy or some other store. I've used matte LCDs and I found that they were bright and clear enough for reading so perhaps it just depends on the quality of the Dell matte screen that you get.

As for the graphics cards... if you're not watching movies or gaming, there is really no reason go for an 8400 or 8600. The thing about the letters being sharper that the Dell employee told you I'm honestly not sure about- he could have just wanted you to spend the extra $200. However, if you ever happen t decide to watch a movie or let your son/daughter/nephew/friend play something on your computer, the intel integrated card will be awful. In that case, if you'd just like to know that your laptop can at least run some things decently, the 8400 isn't a bad choice for $100. (The prices are based on www.dell.ca, I think www.dell.com costs less for the GPU upgrades)

 

received mine today. will write a review when i have time but overally.. extremely impressed.

No Grainy Screen.
No CPU noise
No buzzing sound with headphones (line in + line out)

Love it.

 

I want mine nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

 

Ordered my 1520 on August 7th, and it's now in the boxing stage. Hopefully it'll ship out soon as I start school on the 20th.

 

I'm guessing it was Jet Black?

 

Yea - Jet Black.

 

in boxing wewt! never expected it would ship on time. i hope nothing goes wrong

 

So, I finally got my laptop today, and it's very impressive. I was a bit worried about the screen, but everything looks real nice. About the only downside is the weight. It's a bit heavy than I expected, but whatever, i can always buy a backpack to carry it around.

My specs are:
Inspiron 1520 Jet Black
WXGA screen (1280x960)
T7100 processor
2g ram
160g hard drive 5400rpm
GeForce 8600GT

I hope everyone else gets their laptop soon.

 

When did you order yours?

 

still boxing...

 

just got mine on the 15th at noon...

 

Mine just got shipped...

 

I just got mine today with the 1680x1050 screen. Oh baby is this nice. I wouldn't suggest this if your eyesight is poor (my close up vision is awesome). Although, you can readjust most thing to make fonts and everything better. No granniness, no nothing. Even if I lower the resolution (I did this just to check) it still looked decent. Not as crisp as native, but thats how it always goes.

 

i think my screen is grainy, but im not entirely sure. is it suppose to be crystal clear? like i know this may sound stupid but the white parts of the screen are kinda off white?
i dunno, i saved up alot for this from my part-time job and i want it to be perfect.

 

I know this may sound stupid, but it's something that I've done before.

Before you claim that your screen is grainy, go to display and make sure all your options are set the right way. You want the contrast to be set on high (its usually defaulted to 50% , and you want to be sure to running at native resolution (which for you is 1440x900).

If that doesn't work, or if you've already done it, let us know.

 

Yah make sure it is set to the native resolution. When I recieved my computer it was set below the native and it was a bit grainy. As soon as I set it to the native, it cleared right up. You may have check this but i just thought I would let you know. To clear up the off white, right click your power/battery icon in the task bar and click power options. When the window pops up, select high performance and make sure your brightness is all the way up.

 

Hey, random, quick, question, I'm looking for the second memory slot...can't seem to find it. I ordered it with 2 gigs of ram, want to swap that out with the one gig on my E1705, and I can't seem to find the second memory slot on this thing (haha, this sounds like such a stupid question, i know). Thanks though.

 

IIRC one is ontop, under the keyboard somewhere, and the other is on the bottom.

 

I am waiting for my 1520.
Can sb tell me what will be in the box?
Is there vista cd ??

 

yes there is a vista cd.


so i was on the phone to tech support and customer service about grainy issues. the CSR was very helpful actually. and the tech support girl was too, we did a factory image restore, im not sure how thats suppose to help the graininess but who knows, im waiting on the phone now cause she said to call back to finish it up, haha that was a lie cause now shes probably on lunch or something.