Inspiron 600m or 700m?

I have never owned a notebook nor have I ever used one, but I am interested in buying the Dell Inspiron 700M or Dell Inspiron 600M. I have a desktop computer so the notebook that I buy will not be my primary computer. The main use for it will be when I travel during football season. I am not into gaming so that won't matter. Between these two Dell Notebooks, which one would you recommend? I'd appreciate any recommendations.

 

700m...
-very portable (90% keyboard, super light, etc.)
-12.1" lcd
-widescreen
-glossy screen (matte not available)
-dell's new styling cues (silver and white)
-integrated vid card (good for battery life, bad for gaming)
-standard battery is weak, extended battery is a must

600m...
-portable, but not as portable as the 700m
-14" lcd
-normal screen (4:3)
-standard matte screen (glossy not available)
-dell's old styling cues (blue and grey)
-dedicated video card

if you're going to use it as a 2nd computer, i would recommend the 700m with the extended battery.

 

I'll be honest, it really depends on what you want to do with it. Those machines are both very different, but they are both excellent, and this can be justified by their high sales. The 600m isn't the newest machine on the block, it's been aroudn for a while. Howcome? Well, it's still being sold, so there's no need for Dell to replace it. If it ain't broken, don't fix it!

The 600m is also very portable, but not as much as the 700m. You can get them both with nice configurations fora pretty good price, so it all depends on your needs. If you want to watch DVD's, definitely get the 700m, it has a nice, shiny, bright, albeit small, widescreen. However, the resolution is very high and higher than the 600m (well, at some configurations) Hands down, the 700m's screen is nicer. The keyboard is probably better on the 600m tho.

Do the FAQ that is stickied then we can help you decide between the two, or suggest other models. Good luck!

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB

 

General Usage

What will you be using the notebook mainly for? Will you be using it to play games? Will you be using it for word processing / general productivity? etc.

Word Processing/Internet

Are you looking more at a very small notebook, a standard notebook, or a large desktop replacement?

Standard

Will you be carrying the notebook around a lot or be keeping it stationary most of the time?

Stationary mostly

How important is battery life to you?

Somewhat important

How long do you intend on using this laptop?

As long as possible

Features

Do you need lots of hard drive space?

No

Will you be burning DVD's or just CD's?

probably just CD's

Do you tend to work with a lot of applications at once?

No

Graphics & Display

How big would you like your screen to be? Do you care if it's widescreen or not?

I don't want a small screen.

Are you willing to pay more for premium screens enhanced by XBRITE, Crystal View, or Bright View? (Go to the bottom of this post for an explanation)

No

(If applicable) Will you be playing casual games or the latest games?

(If applicable) Will you be doing work in a 3D modeling program like 3D Studio Max or Maya?

Miscellaneous

Do you care if your notebook looks good or not?

Yes

Are there particular brands you prefer or won't buy from?

I prefer Dell

How much are you willing to pay for this notebook?

$1000-$1500 range

 

Based on your info, I would not go with the 700m. The screen is really small, and there has been complaints about the keyboard (the "." is only half the size of a normal key). Have you thought about the 6000? Its a standard size notebook, and still portable. It also has up to a 5 hour battery life (with extended battery). Its also a little bit cheaper than the 600m and 700m.

~SG~
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Inspiron 9300 || 1.73GHz || 60GB 7200rpm ||1gb DDR2||ATI Radeon X300 64MB || CD/DVD RW || XP Pro

 

The Fujitsu s6231 is a much better notebook than either Dell and is within you price range albeit on the higher end. I'd recommend buying at PortableOne.com. I'd also recommend spending the extra $30 for the 5400RPM hard drive. It also come with a three year warranty standard. If you don't like/want the glossy screen, the ThinkPad T43 is also very well built with very good service. Both offer a modular battery for extra time. Good Luck.

http://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=S6231CTO&Category_Code=SS1






I was robbed by a sweet little old lady on a motorized cart and I didn't even see it coming.

-Lloyd Christmas


Thinkpad T42:
* 1.8Ghz Pentium M * 1.5GB Memory * 60GB Hitachi 7200RPM * 15" SXGA+ Flexview * NEC ND-6500A * Win 2k *

 

If you plan on keeping it stationnary, don't go with the 600m, the 700m, or the Fujitsu. Go with the inspiron 6000 or 9300.

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB

 

The built quality of the 600m is very poor. I would not recommend it.