Last Minute Thoughts on This Configuration?

I want to pull the trigger tonight (my first DELL!) but would appreciate it if you would take a look at what I've got here and compare it to what you have/recommend.

• There's a $300 price difference between the T8100 and the T9300. The T8300 is not listed as an option for the Vostro (but oddly enough it is for the Inspiron 1720). I'm a light gamer and edit home videos but mainly use the computer for the Internet, Wordpad, stuff like that. I wonder if I'll miss the extra 3MB of L2Cache for the T9300 and the processor speed difference (.4 GHz) since I do own a T9300 right now (selling it!).

• Upgrading the RAM myself so no worries there

• Adding a second HD myself and using the smaller one it comes with for my personal files and not the OS/programs.

• If you don't get the webcam, does Dell put in a casing around the LCD that doesn't just have this big hole where the webcam should be? I don't think I'll need a webcam. In the one month I've had my DV9700T, I turned it on just to make sure it worked. It's a $40 option on the Vostro!

• Vista or XP. I know - that question again. I simply can't decide on the OS because I have 2 desktops that run XP and I'm not over the top in love with Vista (yet?). I have a lot of experience with XP, minimal experience with Vista. I haven't used Vista since SP1. What would you do?


$1416
- $500 off
$916
------
91.60 10% sales tax

Total $1007.60

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
17.0 in Wide Screen WUXGA LCD Display with TrueLife™
1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM
8X CD/DVD+RW Read and Burn CD and DVD
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8600M GT
120GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Wi-Fi Internal Card
No Camera
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
2 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 2 Year NBD On-Site Service
ranty and 2 Year NBD On-Site Service

 

There is no hole if you dont get a webcam. To add a 2nd hard drive yourself you will need to buy the mounting kit (10 dollars ish i beleive). I agree the 9300 is too much and not worth it. Give vista 1 month and you will be totally at home and never look back to xp again.

 

Did you pull the trigger? Did you make your purchase?

Honestly, I think all your decision are fine plus you seem like you know your stuff pretty well.

Just so you know I bought my parents a 1720 about a year ago and it is awesome. The specs are much less that what you are getting but they only use light games (Zuma, Solitaire, Sudoku) and Internet and it works like a charm.

Vista is okay, but I swear it just never recovers from Sleep or Hibernate or whatever properly. Other than that it is fine...

Anyway, enjoy whatever you get...

 

i'd go for more RAM, if you intend to do gaming etc.

2GB would be much better....or 3GB would be pretty nice too ;-)

 

Or at the very least pay a bit more and get your one gig on one dim. As it is, your tying up both your slots with 512 sticks. So in order to upgrade to 2 gigs from that you will have to chuck both out and put two one gig dims in. And you will upgrade to 2 gigs believe me. Vista OS will take up most of that one gig and then your machine will run like crap after that. If you plan on downgrading to XP 1 gig will be ok. But ordering with two 512 sticks is kind of a waste and leaves you with no upgrade paths for future needs other then chucking them to the land fill. But if your planning on upgrading to 4 gigs by yourself then order the minimal amount which is probably what you have already on your configuration.

 

Oh don't worry. I'm going for 3 GBs. I already have a 2GB stick I got for $14 after MIR from Fry's so I'll only have to buy one 1GB stick[;.

The next upgrade on memory on Dell's site was to 1.5 GB and that was $50. I can just do it myself and watch for a good deal.

I appreciate the help. The trigger's been pulled:

223-5411 1 Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
320-5553 1 17.0 in Wide Screen WUXGA LCD Display with TrueLife
311-7274 1 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM
320-5557 1 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
341-4890 1 120GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
420-7293 1 Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
430-0493 1 Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
410-1100 1 Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
313-5530 1 8X CD/DVD+RW Read and Burn CD and DVD
313-4783 1 Integrated High Definition Audio
430-2427 1 Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g Wi-Fi Internal Card
320-5555 1 No Camera
420-8046 1 Microsoft Works 9. Does NOT Include MS Word
412-1032 1 Dell Exclusive MediaDirect™ Instant Play Software Application
410-1067 1 No Pre-installed Anti-Virus/Security Software
312-0550 1 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
989-8548 1 2 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 2 Year NBD On-Site Service
900-9987 1 No Onsite System Setup
420-7185 1 No Dell Automated PC Tune Up Installed
462-4506 1 Purchase is not intended for resale.
310-8319 1 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
310-8628 1 Windows Vista Premium


926.00 before tax
92.60 (10% tax)
$1018.63 TOTAL
Then I'll get an $18.52 cash back rebate from FatWallet to knock it down to 11 cents over $1,000.

I'm downgrading my processor from what I have now but I'm getting a better graphics card, better warranty with on-site service and hopefully I won't have problems like I've had with my one month old HP that's just returning today from the HP repair center.

Edited to add: I paid $1165.99 for my HP in mid-February after the $500 off coupon.