Inspiron 9300? Good Deal?

I've been looking at getting a new laptop but I don't have any information to do some competitive benchmarking. One of the ones I have been looking at is the Inspiron 9300 with the specs below:

M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
LCD Panel 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
Video Card 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800
Hard Drive 60GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
Network Card Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
8x CD/DVD burner
l® PRO 2915 and Dell 350 Bluetooth Internal Wireless Cards
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) No Security Subscription
Primary Battery 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr Technical Support

The price would be 1350 shipped to my door new from the dell website. Is this a good deal? Is it worth it too get the upgraded monitor or battery? Should I get anything else along with it? Or any other comparable laptops that I should be looking at? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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.
Main use will be so I can telecommute to work. So i will be running a couple of large programs simultaneously and I will need a stable connection. Also like to be able to use it for multimedia purposes like watching DVD's and listening to music. Also like to get involved in some online gaming mostly FPS and some others.

Are you looking more at a very small notebook, a standard notebook, or a large desktop replacement?
Mainly a desktop replacement but would like to be able to use in the living room/lobby. Might like to occassionaly take it in the car or on a plane.

Will you be carrying the notebook around a lot or be keeping it stationary most of the time? Mostly stationary, occasionaly moving it (once/month)

How important is battery life to you?
enough power to last three hours should be suitable
How long do you intend on using this laptop?
how ever long it lasts 4-5 years i would hope

Features

Do you need lots of hard drive space?
Was thinking about getting an external HD
Will you be burning DVD's or just CD's?
Both
Do you tend to work with a lot of applications at once?
Sometimes
Graphics & Display
Would like to be able to play Some of the newer/advanced games
How big would you like your screen to be? Do you care if it's widescreen or not? Doesn't matter as long as it looks good

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) If the extra money would be worth it

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

(If applicable) Will you be doing work in a 3D modeling program like 3D Studio Max or Maya? Probably not. If it could it would be a bonus but I will probably never need

Miscellaneous

Do you care if your notebook looks good or not?
depends how much i pay for it
Are there particular brands you prefer or won't buy from?

How much are you willing to pay for this notebook?
1500

 

What are you using it for? I would also get a better warranty, but thats just me. Are you sure a 60gb hard drive is enough space? I like that screen though; however there are reports of "sparkles" but I think people exagerate(sp?) them a little bit. Everything else looks awesome. If you want to be mobile at all, get the 9cell battery.

 

Hard to tell if it would be a good deal, considering we have no information about what you plan to do with the notebook. I recommend filing out the 'What Should I Buy FAQ' on the hardware main page.

 

dont upgrade your RAM from dell, this should be a sticky or something. Dell charges $125 for a 1GB upgrade. You can get the 2X256(512) for free, and then buy a higher quality 1GB stick of ram(Kingston) for $90 from newegg.com Now you will have 1.25GB for less money, save yourself some cash.

 

well, i paid 2200 in april for my 9300, so that must be a good deal

 

Well thats a problem for new computer users. What if they dont know how to upgrade the ram themselves? That is a problem then. Yes it is a good deal for the 9300. But really redo the The FAQ and post it IN the hardware section.

 

doesnt the i9300 come with instructions on how to upgrade your ram?

Hookie : with the 6 cell battery youll get 2 hours with the screen dimmed, so dont expect much time on battery

 

All the service manuals are on the Dell support site.

I strongly suggest the battery upgrade.

 

that is a very good deal on a 9300, I would go for it, get the 9 cell battery too.aaa

 

If it is sitting on your desk most of the time the larger battery won't matter. If you would like to be more mobile, definetly get the larger battery. It does add a little weight though.