Inspiron XPS vs. 8600

I am trying to decide between the XPS and the 8600. I haven't really seen any head to head comparisons of the two. Any info or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I will be getting fastest processor, largest screen, 1 GB of RAM, 80 GB hard drive, DVD burner, 128 MB video card, 802.11a/b/g, and BlueTooth in whatever laptop I end up getting. Thanks in advance!

 

Well, I have not used the XPS, but you will get blazing fast performance with poor battery life.

 

Yes, the Lattitude quality is much better right now.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

You will also be spending $10,000 if you get the XPS. Do you really need a gaming rig? I suppose if you do, the XPS is interesting, but there are much better options, like those from Voodoo, Alienware and Sager. If you want more mobility features, then the 8600 is better.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

How bad are the build issues on the 8600? Would a Latitude D800 be a better choice with the same specs?

 

Hey NumbNutz,

I just received my I8600 a few days ago, and I must say I am EXTREMELY happy with it. It's specs are as follows:

PM 1.7GHz, WUXGA screen, 60GB Hitachi 7200rpm HD, Radeon ATI 9600 128MB RAM graphics card, 1GB 333Hz RAM, 4X DVD-RW, Dell True Mobile Wireless 802.11g/b card, Windows XP Home.

Got a free 64MB MP3 player/memory stick with it and bought a Dell rucksack as well.

It is a blazingly fast machine. Windows starts up in seconds, and it is never worth putting the machine into standby; turning off and then turning on the computer is almost as fast. I was initially a little worried about getting a PM 1.7 instead of say the latest 3.06GHz processor, especially as I do a lot of Monte Carlo simulations (needs a fast processor). Although it isn't as fast as a 3.06, I'd say it's almost as fast! I haven't played any games yet, so I can't say I've tested the graphics card fully, but the 2D graphics are stunning. The UXGA screen is also amazing, and I'd recommend it to anybody. Some people on the forums were complaining about tiny text..... This is really only an issue if you've got bad eyesight. The smaller text was initially disconcerting, but I got used to it very quickly and now the text on my old laptop looks too big. As the screen is such high resolution, the text is just as clear to see, only smaller, so some people may not like that. The huge advantage, which really boosted my productivity, is that you can place two open application windows side by side, and work on them simultaneously. I think this justifies the UXGA screen by itself.

Another wonderful thing about this laptop is the power consumption and heat dissipation. The battery lasted me about 4 hours (whilst I was keeping the laptop fairly busy), and this baby is so COOL. It hardly gives off any heat at all. I used to have a Toshiba Satellite Pro 4280 (PIII 500), and that used to get really hot with the fan whining constantly. In contrast, the I8600 is much cooler, and the fan very rarely comes on. And when it does, it so quite you have to hold the air vents to make sure they're really on. Overall, the laptop is very quiet. The DVD-RW only makes a reasonable amount of noise whist starting up, and the 7200rpm drive makes a very low background noise. Overall very nice. As for the weight and size... Some people were complaining that the I8600 was quite heavy. If you find this thing heavy, you really need to get to the gym!! It is only 3kg, which I find insignificant for a laptop of this specification. I've had no problems lugging it around everywhere, especially in the Dell rucksack I bought for it. I'd really recommend the rucksack if you're going to say cycle into Uni with it everyday like I do. It's extremely high quality, and well thought out, and would be much more expensive if you bought it from a store I suspect.

What else.... Some people were complaining that the laptop is too wide; I've found the size to be perfect, and it fits on your lap so much better. I think the wide format is a much more sensible shape that the traditional square design. The sound is REALLY very good for a laptop, and even has some bass! There's also a handy electronic volume control above the keyboard and a mute button. I have found the construction of the laptop to be very high quality, though I've heard other people complain of the quality issues on this machine. The casing is all plastic, but it has a metallic feel and is cool to the touch. The LCD back panal is metal though (I think magnesium alloy, though I'm not 100% sure). There is a Dell laptop with similar specification to the I8600, but that is built to a much higher standard; the Precision M60. It built soley from magnesium alloy, and is a sliver thinner that the I8600. You can get it with exactly the same specification as mine, except that the graphics card is an nVidia FX 700; this card is exactly the same as the 5650, except that it has additional architecture to support much faster OpenGL graphics (useful if you use Autocad etc. alot). However, with similar specifications it will cost more than twice what the I8600 costs, so I don't think it is worth it!

I haven't tested the DVD-RW yet... But I will say that the 1GB RAM and 7200rpm drive are just as essential as the 128MB 9600 graphics card and PM 1.7GHz processor to making the system fast. I'd really recommend the specs I have if you want a fast Centrino machine. I got the 1GB RAM as a free upgrade, but don't buy it from Dell if it isn't given as a special offer, you can get it for much cheaper elsewhere. Also, unless storage capacity is really essential for you, don't get the 80GB drive because it is only 4200rpm. This will become a bottleneck in the speed of your machine. Get the 60GB 7200rpm drive instead which will make everything so much faster. Beware however that the default specs for the 60GB drive are 4200rpm, so you really have to hassle Dell to ensure you get the high speed drive. What will also make the internet much faster is opting out of the Intel Prowireless card (which only supports b connectivity) and getting the Dell True Mobile 802.11g/b card which can connect at up to 5 times the speed!!! I've been surfing the internet from the lawn and all over the house, and it's worked brilliantly.

So do I have any grumbles? A few..... Although I love the screen, they could have stretched it out a bit more to fill the top panel (presumably they are stuck with the standard screen sizes that are manufactured). Also, the keyboard is not as solid as I would have liked. In particular, the lower left part of the keyboard is loose, which other I8600 owners have complained about. The worst thing though is the stick mouse, especially the buttons for it. Absolutely awefull. The touch pad is better, but again the buttons have been designed badly with the anchoring of the buttons being at the bottom rather than the top (which would have been better). This makes the buttons too hard to press, unless you cramp your hand and press them at the top end of the pads. I can live with these things though....

Dell customer service? They are a little slow, but I didn't find it too bad. I was thinking of phoning them up for the keyboard rattle at the lower left end, but I know this is going to be a huge hassle. All they will do is put some stick on foam underneath, and this I can do myself. If you are a home customer (not a business customer!) you will get put through to a call centre in India. Some people have complained about the accent.... As I lived in the Gulf for so many years, and there is a large Asian population there, I never had problems understanding the accent. But some of you in the US might!

Overall, I don't regret purchasing the I8600 at all. For the price, I think I've done really well. For sure, there are much better built and ergonomic laptops out there such as the IBM T41p, with beautiful keyboard, lighter etc. but the raw specs in terms of computing power are much lower. It's up to you to decide, and you have to go to stores and try them out. As for the XPS vs. I8600? For sure, the XPS is a faster machine, but when you factor in the extra weight, size, higher power dissipation, and much lower battery life, I would definitely recommend the I8600 over the XPS. I've heard it is almost as good for games, and you will use it much more as a laptop that you take with you places than something that looks like a laptop and that you leave on your desk.

Hope this review has been helpful to people! Once I finish exams and test the laptop out more, I might put out a few extra comments.....