Lightweight vs. Ultraportable: 710M vs X1

So I love the smallness of the X1, but for the same price and 1.5 lbs more, I could get a fully loaded 710M. I'd like to cover what I perceive to be the differences, and solicit input from others.

710M
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 755 (2.0GHz) WXGA
1GB DDR SDRAM 1 Dimm
100GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
Spare AC Adapter
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless
Spare battery: 8-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery (65 WHr)
Built-in optical drive
1Yr Ltd Warranty
4.1 lbs
Other notes:
Highly-reviewed display
Cramped punctuation keys + no dedicated PgUp/PgDn
TOTAL:$1,235.52

X1
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 733 (1.10GHz ULV) WXGA
512MB DDR2 533MHz SDRAM, (256MB Integrated) 2 DIMMs
30GB2 Hard Drive, 8MM, 4200RPM
D-Bay plus 24X CD-ROM Drive
3 Year Mail-In Economy Plan
2.4 lbs (really?)
TOTAL:$1,249.00


So, for the same price, it seems to be a much more equipped 710m. I gain the weight, but is it safe to assume that the 710m is also a much faster machine, with the better processor? I see that the RAM on the 710M is slower-- how does this interact with the CPU difference? I have no idea how to quantify the speed difference between these machines. The warranty differences are clearly in favor of X1. Also, has anyone directly compared these laptops for weight reasons? I have only been able to touch and play with the X1, which is so nice and light. But it is so hard to justify when I can spec out that 710m for so much cheaper and then load it up to the gills with the better CPU, HD, and memory. Heck for another $130 I can take it to 2GB. (any advice there?) Finally, let me just say that it is frustrating to find unbiased reviews of the 710M because apparently as recently as January, this laptop was being reviewed at the $1699 pricepoint. I think in light of the current pricing, reviewers like CNet might have a completely different take on it.

Has anyone directly compared these two? With the current Inspiron deal (34% off), I'm surprised that this debate hasn't come up.

Finally, on a partially-related note, does anyone know the real functional difference between the three options that Dell offers for wireless on these? The built in Dell 802.11 g (default), then the two upgrades of the Intel PRO 2915 and 2200, i think are the options, for slightly more. Nowhere can I find a decent explanation of the differences one might expect. Range/signal strength? it seem the intel ones come with different management software, but thats all I could see.

Thanks!

 

I currently own an X1 and have owned the 700, so here's what I can tell you.

They're both relatively small machines, but the X1 is significantly more portable.

They're both relatively fast machines, but the 700(710) will be significantly faster.

I say you need to evaluate your needs on a few things.

1. Portability. This is the only reason to buy an X1, I carry mine with me constantly and love that I can hardly notice the weight.

2. Build quality. Samsung built the X1 for Dell and I'll tell you, it's built significantly more solid than any Inspiron model. No hinge issues, creaking, whatsoever.

3. Speed. The 710 will be faster than the X1. I've maxed the ram on my X1 and use the 60g hard drive and it's more than fast enough for my needs: Office software, note-taking, iTunes, DVD's, Pictures, and occassional light gaming (WoW, WC3, not much else). That said, depending on your needs, the faster processor, faster hard drive, and more RAM options will make the 710 noticibly faster. It all depends on your uses.

Price/Value: You'll get more specs for your money with the 710, assuming you don't evaluate portability as a specification.

I love my X1 and would not trade it for any other Dell notebook, but it is not suitable for everyone's uses. Let me know if you have other questions.

 

Well, I just went to a Dell kiosk and tried the 4 lb 710M. I liked it, didn't love the weight, but I can't really justify the price difference up to the X1. I think a better competition would have been the Acer Travelmate 3002, which in fact I ordered last week, but thanks to some poor customer service I cancelled from ZipZoomfly (who failed to report a backorder and actually even sent me an "order shipped!" email before I finally had to call and ask where it was).

The final specs I chose (I decided to upgrade RAM later for cheaper from NewEgg):

Inspiron 710m Pentium Intel® Pentium® M Processor 755 (2.0GHz), 12.1 inch WXGA
Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Home
Memory 512MB DDR SDRAM 2 Dimms
Hard Drive 100GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
AC Power Adapters Spare AC Adapter
Network Adapters Integrated Network Card
Modem Internal 56K Modem
Combo/DVD+RW Drives 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Wireless Networking Card Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)
Primary Battery 4-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (32WHr)
Hardware Warranty 1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr HW Warranty Support
Additional Battery 8-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery (65 WHr)

TOTAL:$1,120.02

 

I would go with the 710.

 

Thanks for the reply Mieske--
I'm again quite interested in a lighter option, particularly given your recommendation of ultraportable over lightweight. But now I'm thinking, for value reasons, to consider the Acer Travelmate 3002 as a strong contender. It is 3.1 lbs, so not as light, but the CPU is a top performer. I've canceled my 710M order to decide a little bit more.

Man, tough choices.

EDIT: Just bought the Travelmate.. crossing my fingers-- i couldn't find any local outlets to demo it for myself

 

Hey Mathias,
Please let me know when you recieve the 3002 what you think about it. I'm also deciding between the Acer and the Dell...I had decided on the Acer but hearing that it comes with FAT-32 and a 3-prong cord is kind of annoying...

 

I will report on that, and compare with both the 710M and the X1 models that I have been able play around with firsthand.
As far as I could tell, this Acer and the Dell 710M (with coupons) were the only sub-4.3 lb notebooks available for less than $1200 with any kind of reputation behind them.

Offhand, can someone remind me of the advantages of the FAT32/NTFS issue? I know I switched everything to NTFS a while ago, but I really don't care about 'security' issues that are frequently cited as the main reason to switch. Is either faster? Why would Acer have chosen this as the default build? I know that with PartitionMagic I can convert it. Has anyone done this? I feel like someone did this and mentioned some reason not to do it. Any input?

Finally, I'd been partially compiling a wiki of the lists of reviews and pictures I'd found for some of the laptops I was considering. If anyone cares to utilize it, I will just leave it online for a while.

http://flux.stikipad.com/home/show/Laptop Options

 

With the faster 710M, it would be around twice as fast as the X1. The combination of double the amount of RAM, a faster HD, and a much faster CPU = a much faster machine. What are you going to be doing with it? How often will you carry it?

 

NTFS is faster than FAT32 - I'd recommend converting your drive before you get too settled it.

 

Thanks for the responses. jason-- I plan to carry it everywhere, which is why the 710M just seemed *slightly* too heavy for my purposes. I really loved the lightness of the X1, but again, I couldn't justify the price : performance ratio there. So I choose the Travelmate3002, which seems to have the power of the 710M, but at more than a pound lighter, I think, and only slightly heavier than the X1. I plan to add either 1 or 2 gigs to the RAM config too.

Acer TravelMate 3002WTCi
$1180
Operating System: MS Windows XP Professional
Processor Name: Intel Pentium M 740
Processor Speed: 1.73 GHz
RAM: 512 MB
Hard Drive Capacity: 60 GB
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 GM
Primary Optical Drive: External
Wireless: 802.11g
Screen Size: 12.1 inches
Screen Size Type: widescreen
System Weight: 3.2 lbs

 

Quick initial impressions of the TM (even tho this is a Dell forum):
Love the look, speed, keyboard (no half-size comma and period keys!), built-in BT, fast proc, 60GB hd

Dislikes: screen seems a little dim (it is matte, not glossy), and fan is constantly spinning. I'm trying address the fan issue with RM clock, but still not entirely satisfied about it.

My question to all:
Does anyone have any experience with the fan noise of the 710M? I tried it in the Dell kiosk at the mall, but you can't get a handle on the noise of it in that environment.