Is this a good E1505 purchase?

Hello!

I was wondering if this was a good deal for a Dell E1505:

t2400 1.83 duo
1 gig 533 ram, (512x2)
60gb 7200rpm drive
XP home with media
ati x1400
wxga with truelife
combo DVD burner
soundblaster audigy card integrated
3945 wireless networking and 350 bluetooth cards
24 mos McAfee
6 cell battery
4 year warranty with at home service + Complete Care
Notebook Expansion dock
--------------------
Using Dell EPP:
Total: 2252 - 750 off coupon - 12% - 150 rebate (the latter two because of a 4 yr Gold warranty option)
= 1171.76 with free shipping and no sales tax (my state has zero)

Yes? A good deal?

Also some other questions, please:
1. Should I upgrade to a 9 cell battery for another $85? I want to be able to watch a full dvd on an airplane....
2. Is it really that easy to connect a dell 19" digital monitor to this machine along with mouse and keyboard? (through the expansion dock) I am a laptop neophyte....
3. Should I call dell and haggle for removal of unnecessary music, earthlink, etc. software and additional discounts?
4. Is this machine appropriate for me? I will be viewing 75 meg files over the internet consisting of 200 or so static images - not a movie. Using Internet, burning and ripping MP3 cds, 20-40mg Powerpoint presentations, No video editing or gaming. Primarily to be used on a couch, or at a desk. Viewing DVDs on airplanes.

Thanks in advance for the help. I've spent hours on this great forum and am finally beginning to fell good about this naive purchase!

 

How are you using the $750 coupon with the 12% off? I thought the 12% was just for EPP purchases, and I didn't think you could use the $750 coupon with EPP, and vice versa? Please clue me in. Thanks.

 

I would also like to know

 

I just used the EPP +$750 coupon also to get an e1505. All you do is go into your appropriate store at dell (in my case "Higher Education -> Faculty/Students /Staff Personal Purchases), and then go to the computer you want to configure. At the page after you select the model you want, but before you go onto customizing it (the details page), there should be a "Special Offers" pop-up menu. Top item on the menu: save $750, etc. click on that and get the coupon code you need, then go and customize your computer.

Here's what I just ordered, came out to $1104, shipped:

Inspiron E1505:
Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2400 (2MB Cache/1.83GHz/667MHz FSB)
15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
FREE 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
120GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Integrated Sound Blaster® Audigy® ADVANCED HD Audio
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
No Security Subscription
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
3Yr Ltd Warr,At-Home Service,and HW Warr Support plus Nights and Weekends
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center 2005 Edition re-installation CD
Remote Control for Windows XP Media Center Edition

 

Not bad. Got the following for $1,153.68 (not including tax, but free shipping):

Dell Inspiron E1505
Intel Core Duo T2400 (1.83GHz)
Windows XP Media Center
15.4" UltraSharp SXGA+ w/ TrueLife
FREE 1GB (2x512MB) DDR2 @ 533MHz
256MB ATi Radeon X1400
120GB 5400RPM SATA
8x CD/DVD+/-RW w/ DL
Intel PRO 3945 w/ Dell 350 Bluetooth
6-cell battery

I went to the EPP site and got the pop-up like stated above ($750 code is 0SM?M0$K34Q?MJ) and added the silver bundle for the 12% discount and $100 MIR.

Appears to save me over $1000 total in the end. Too bad I have to pay sales tax.

Sweet deal.

 

Not sure if you can ask them to do a clean install on the dell for you. If you purchased the seperate XP reinstall cd then you can just reformat yourself. In terms of getting more discounts, you can ask them to throw in the 9 cell battery if you're insistent but the fact that you're already using EPP and a coupon means you're saving a lot already.

 

The exansion dock does not give you the option to hook the laptop to an external moniter.

 

I got exactly the same spec machine (from Dell Outlet) recently for $800 shipped (with xx% coupon). But I haven't seen anything recent that would beat the deal you have (I am talking brand new). My system has 9 cell battery, I love it! Definately worth it.

 

Just curious if you actually have to be (for example) in the university to get the EPP discount or you can just buy an EPP coupon off ebay and use it. I ask this because they first ask for the EPP ID but bellow that there is a link where you can continue without putting the ID. And then people can still google an EPP ID and put it in, but do you think Dell will check if your name will appear somewhere in the university database?

 

Dem, I assume they must check somehow, but I myself really didn't do anything to prove that I'm university staff. Perhaps having it shipped to me at my school was proof enough...

I opted not to go for the silver/gold bundle service MIR because I could downgrade to regular 3yr service and save almost $200 (off the siver bundle), and then bump up the hardware options.

Also, when you add or subtract some of the options, notice sometimes how the price in the quote box off to the side doesn't exactly go up and down by the same amount they say the option costs. It's kind of odd. But the price of their options changes so much, it's no surprise they can't keep up with it.