Is the 1520 too bulky?

I recently purchased and received a 1420 with a 1440X900 glossy screen. I am not happy with the resolution and glossy, so I'm looking to go with a 1280X800 matte. I'm used to 2 desktops that use 17" (work) and 18" (home) standard LCD screens and my wifes 15" standard laptop, although occasionally (once a week) when I need to provide support for work, use a standard 14" laptop.

So, I'm thinking about replacing the 1420 with a Inspiron 1520 with 1280X800 matte screen. My one concern is it's weight. Is it a beast to carry it around? Also, how are the various carrying cases that Dell provides? Which ones do people recommend.

My other choices are:

Thinkpad T61. I have a brother who is a contrator with IBM, so I can get one at a 30-33% discount, so the cost will be within $100 of a Dell, even with the Dell discount.

Sony VGN-FZ160E/B. I work near a Sony store and they have them in stock. The negatives for this are: Integrated Intel graphics as opposed to nvidia dedicated, a 200MB 4200 rpm as opposed to a 160MB 5400rpm (faster speed) and the price - around $1350

Or stick with the 1420 and just get a new screen.

Any recommendations.opinions on the above or a different ones will be most appreciated.


Thanks


Gary

 

The only reason to go for the 1520 (which I bought recently) is for the superior graphics capability (8600m GT). Otherwise, stick with the 1420/Vostro 1400 and go with a 1280x800 screen.

If you can get the Thinkpad equally well equipped as the Dell within same price range, definitely go for that.

Forget about the Sony. The price they charge for an equally well equipped Vostro/Inspiron is probably 2x.

If your concerned about bulk, try a XPS M1330 or an Apple Macbook/Macbook Pro.

 

I definitely agree with CitizenPanda: go for the Thinkpad if you can. As someone who went from a 14" to a 12" notebook for portability, I'm thinking 15.4" is on the heaver side, but it depends on how much you want to be weighed down. I personally would rather not like to *feel* the notebook I'm carrying if possible, but others are happy with backpacks and whatnot, so to each his or her own.

 

Hey, if you don't game, GO WITH THE THINKPAD!!! My dad just got a T60 from work today, and it's sooooooooo NICE! You will love your thinkpad, especially if your buying a laptop for work purposes.

The only thing that the new Dell Inspiron's have over the Thinkpads are the video card. Thinkpads have a much better and stronger build, look a lot nicer, and they also have a shock-proof harddrive (in case of falls) and a spill-proof keyboard, which are just nice things to have in case of accidents.

 

The new line of Inspirons actually do have spill-proof keyboards. Not that I would recommend ever spilling anything on a keyboard, though.

 

I feel it is to bulky which is why i decided to go with the Vostro 1400 instead of 1500. I would have brought the 1500 but its my sisters and i just wanted to please her not myself, lol. But i doo fell i was getting a MUCH better deal with the 1500.

 

Oh really??? Does it leak from the bottom if you do spill something on it?

 

This is the Thinkpad T61 I can get for $1155 pre-shipping and taxes:


6459CTO ThinkPad T61 15 Widescreen - 1 Yr Depot Warranty
System Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz 800MHz 4MBL2)
Operating System Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Display Panel 15.4 WXGA TFT
System graphics NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M (128MB)
Total memory 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Keyboards Keyboard US English
Pointing Device UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
Hard Drive 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Optical device DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim
System expansion slots PC Card Slot & Express Card Slot
Card Reader 4 in 1 Media Card Reader
Wireless cards Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
Battery 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
Power cord Country Pack North America
Language Pack Language Pack US English


Estimated total: $ 1,155.15


Should I get anything extra?


Thanks


Gary

 

1520/1500 is a cow.... HUGE and HEAVY.

 

The 1520 that I have is pretty damn big and fat compared to my old crappy HP. For me it isn't much of an issue, I'm used to carrying around a bit of weight in the form of books and stuff. I'd estimate the weight (with a 6 cell battery) to be around 6 pounds.

Compared to other tiny laptops, this thing is a monster. But I love my 15.4" screen, and the overall performance for gaming is solid.