Latitude D820

I'm thinking about buying a D820 for graduate school. Does anyone have one and can share their experience with reliability and quality. I plan to use it as a desktop replacement and expect that I'll be transporting it between school and home all the time. I'll use it for word docs, internet, statistical analysis. I don't plan to use it for gaming, downloading movies or music. I may watch the occasional movie on it though. I would really like it to last 4 years. Thanks, Kate

 

They are solid machines. There is a review here. You might want to consider the D620 if you need portability.

 

If just carrying it home on the weekends, you should be fine with the 820. If you are carrying it to class, library or the 'coffee shop', etc then get the D620. I you want better sound and more entertainment value, consider the XPS M140. If you want something that you don't mind slinging your notebook around in a bag or the occassional 'accidental bump' then get the Latitude. These come with 3 year warranties so you're set for at least that time. The major limitation will be the longevity of the battery (2-2.5 years Max).

 

You may also check this thread out. Users who have D820 give their feedbacks.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=50123

I've had D820 for more than two weeks. I am happy with it in terms of heat, performance, and design. So far so good. By the way, the laptop is not heavy.

 

Just got my D820 2 days ago, been on it non stop ever since the box arrived and came here to post my own initial response on it tonight which I'm working on right now. I'll give you a sneak preview of my report here, I love it.

 

Thanks for the advice and lead to the link. I'm not to worried about weight because I actually plan to roll it to class in a rolling book bag. am also considering the d620 but haven't yet decided. I would love to hear how others like it.

 

plan to roll it to class in a rolling book bag ==> Get the Latitude, Inspiron can't take this kind of pounding.
d820 is not heavy for a 15.4 screen laptop and thinner. You don't save much with the d620 (14" screen)

 

Most of my report is done, it's a long in depth report, that I'll finish and submit later saturday. I wanted to cover all the aspects your normal review doesn't. It's going to be a long read, but I promise it's going to be packed with the type of information the real user is looking for. I saved what I had done tonight, will do some minimal edits and get it sent in after a night of sleep.

 

JoyRider: I agree with you on the Inspiron. My coworker just got a e1505 and while I think it's a great machine, I just don't think it will handle the kind of moving around I expect my future laptop will have to endure. Also agree re: the 620; I'd rather have a larger screen.

Esoterica: Thanks for your review. It was very helpful. See my comments under your post.