Low Cost Dell Notebook --good for DVD watching & games?

I was wanting to buy a DVD player but didnt' care for the small screens. The larger screens are $200 or more, so I was thinking The family would be better off if I just got a Notebook istead--- we could all use another computer around. Can you tell me if the Dell 1300 for $500 is good for DVD watching? Or if the screen is too large for the graphics, if the processor is too slow, I just dont know where to begin. I know my sons will want to play games on this notebook also. What to make sure I get in terms of graphics & speed if I choose to buy a low cost Notebook --or any other advice. Anyone who can guide me before my purchase, thank you so much.

 

What kind of games will your children play? If they don't play the demanding games like Fear, Battlefield 2, and Quake 4, a XPS m140 or Inspiron 6000. If they like the demanding games, Inspiron 9300 or 9400 or XPS m170 would do.

 

Oh my, that is way too expensive, I was thinking low cost, like a $500 - $600 notebook. I just hated to shell out over $200 for a portable DVD player with a little 10 inch screen. I don't want to spend alot on this Notebook as I have preschoolers who will want to play with it, plus a 7 & 8 year old. The game my teenager plays the most is Warcraft, I don't think that is demanding but I do not know. When people buy low cost notebooks, what exactly are they sacrificing?

 

Maybe Dell is not right for your budget.

Maybe this for price of " $500 - $600 notebook":
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ....com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834115318

For Dell, Inspiron B120 ($499) + Tax & shipping = $550 then buy a 512 MB/ 1GB RAM at new egg around $70-$80 = Total around $600s.

 

I had an Inspiron 1200 (the previous-generation low end notebook) and it played Warcraft III just fine. I don't know about World of Warcraft, though.

The DVD player was average due to the screen.

 

I have the b120 and am very happy with it. Although I bought it with the intention of viewing DVD's on it, web browsing, DVD burning and such you can play games on it and I do belive that WoW are within it's abilities but how well it will be rendered is another story. The article you want to read is here:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/chipsets/display/i915g.html

Also the WoW site lists system requirments and has a tech support forum if you really want to find out.