M1330 too small? My1530 too big! What to do..

I'm dead set on getting a Dell XPS notebook. Problem is, after using my friends M1330, I feel like its too small to work on for extended periods of time. Then I saw someone using an M1530 at school, and realized it is too big to carry around with me everywhere. It seems that 14.1 inch is the holy grail of laptop screens for me.

I'm leaning toward the M1330 because its more portable. But I wanted to know your opinions for the screen size. I don't care about the extra hardware options that the 15 inch gives because I would get the same config and price for either system. Thanks!

 

Maybe you should consider a Latitude D630, which is 14" and weighs less than the 1420.

 

I was in the same boat as you but before i placed my order i actually went and used one of the 1530's and i was amazed. Its almost a 1 1/2 lighter than the vostro and inspiron counter parts. It is extemely lighter than you would think. I highly suggest you actually go and "test drive" one of the 1530's before ordering

 

i have the same dilemma as you... but i decided that 4 pounds is so much better than 6 pounds...

u wont get the same config for either system(1530 has 8600, 1330 only goes up to 8400)

i would probably get the m1330 with a 19" LCD on my table...

 

I'd recommend going XPS M1530 only because you get a much better video card in the 8600GT. That video card is not an available option in the M1330... you have to settle for an 8400GS (which does't work as well for the more demanding video titles). Yes, the M1530 is a little bigger, but you do get a better video solution out of it.

 

Hi!
I was in the same situation you were in back in December/January...I was torn bet. the 1330 vs. the 1530....I wanted an XPS..wanted either, and went back and forth.

Finally, after going to the Dell Kiosk and handling the 1330, I found I was still yearning for the newness of the 1530. (I wasn't to sure if the 1530 would be to much for what I my uses would be vs. the portability of the 1330). I finally just went with the 1530...and am ever-so-happy that I did.

On the portability factor, the 1530, has worked great for me

Either one that you chose, I really believe you will be very happy with your choice.

Good luck to you

 

why not wait a few months? Dell will release the new Inspirons that look really similar to the XPS. one of them will be a 14.1" model.

 

The max processors on those will most likely be 2.2 ghz and not the full spectrum of processors that XPS offers. Resolutions most likely won't be as high too as higher resolutions are reserved for the XPS. Sleeker designs are also reserved for the XPS. Chances are after new Inspirons release, new XPS laptops will come out in October that will look even sleeker. To be honest, I feel the current XPS looks better than the Inspirons just because it is obvious the Inspirons will be have a plastic glossy exterior and look not as sleek with the exception of the illuminated keyboard. If they updated the M1530 to be the same form factor and such, but threw in an illuminated keyboard, it'd be awesome, which they most likely will do anyways.

if your willing to wait that long and pay a higher price, it would be beneficial of you to know that Montevina offers a 25% smaller form factor in terms of motherboards meaning, more room. I'm sure Dell will be utilizing it to come up with a better XPS, probably slightly thinner, and maybe as light as an M1330. They could also throw in a better graphics card, though most likely it will still be in the midrangelike the 9600GT which is slightly better than the 8600GT, though I wouldnt call it a high range card though like the 8600GT, it can support all the latest gen games. HOWEVER keep in mind that there will be higher power consumption from the graphics card BUT it doesn't matter since Montevina uses less power anyways, so its not an issue. Overall it comes down to this. Cheaper Price, Buy Now. More Expensive Price, More Waiting, Buy Later. Not buying is the best policy until you really want it.

For me, I bought the M1530 because despite the improvements that Montevina will provide, Nehalem will have hyperthreading, and thats not coming out for another while, and despite the fact that Montevina will support Nehalem processors, it won't be too far off from Calpella, which will offer an ever greater performance boost than Montevina. Graphics Card wise, it will be about same, and only slightly better, and by the time Calpella comes around, there will be a superior graphics card anyways. So essentially, the M1530 at its current state is good enough for everything and makes games look pretty unlike my E1505 which has an X1400 graphics card blech, so it will last me for a while. Sure new things will roll out, but the laptop itself can stand the test of time for quite a while unlike other laptops like the E1505, which get outdated quickly due to the fact that the first decent graphics card for notebooks came out this year. So my recommendation? Buy M1530. The choice is yours to make.

 

+1

That seems like your answer right there.

 

Get a 14" inspiron or vostro, or a laditude, or you could get an HP

Before I ordered my XPS M1530, I wanted something smaller than a 15.4" screen, I was gonna go with a HP Pavilion dv2700t special edition with a 14.1" screen and it looks nice, but that came out to be like $1700, and I got the XPS for way cheaper..

 

Agreed, and at the time of writing, it also appears to be better spec'd.

 

Will it have a decent GPU though, that's the question..

 

13.3 is a bit small to work with for a long time. I missed my screen real estate when I moved from a 19" desktop to a Macbook only for a few months. But then again, my Powerbook at 15" just seems like a behemoth. I really depends on what you want to do with it. To maximize both, you could opt for a M1330 with an external monitor.

 

If you are really wedded to a 14.1" then the Latitude D630 would be a good bet: Decent performance with the same (or better) warranties and support.

 

IMO 14.1" is the best compromise between portability and screen size

Get the m1330 and use an external monitor if it helps

 

i have a xps m1530 and it is extremely light and thin so its easy to carry around. i bring it to the library all the time. it all depends on portability. if you are going to move around often, get the 1330, but if you're gonna be pretty stationary like just going from home to work then i think the 1530 will do the trick.

 

It depends on that you are used to.

a 15.4 WXGA will give you similar DPI as a 17" 4:3 desktop LCD.

The M1330 did feel small but after several weeks, you will just get used to it.

Wait for the new 14.1" Inspirons or the Latitude E series if the 13.3" M1330 is too small for you. Consider ourselves lucky now we are spoilt for choice.

 

Inspiron 1435? Looks sweet! However, it isn't due until October...why such a long wait?

 

Please try to discuss complains and listen to them maturely instead of dragging a thread into an off-topic ditch of 9 year old insults. I will close this thread if it persists.

-Niki

 

If you are commuting, the m1330 is the way to go. I used to have a 15.4" WUXGA+ Inspiron 6000 which was hard to carry around, but the screen was very nice. The small screen and lower resolution seemed a bit awkward at first, but I got used to it and it is good as a main work computer. If you want the option to have a bigger screen when you are stationary at an office or at home, get an external monitor and a vga cable to dock your m1330. I dock on a 22" widescreen monitor which is nice for extended sittings but not necessary.

 

14.1 screen is only 6% bigger than a 13.3".....I switched from 13.3" to 14.1" laptop and it made very little difference. On top of that 14.1" widescreen is like using a 12" 4:3 "square" screen just wider. It still sucks. I settled for 15.4" and will never go back. Its a shame laptop mfrs changed to widescreens.

 

Interesting, I moved from a 14.1" to a 13.3" screen, and agree, the difference is minimal.

I use my m1330 as my full time business laptop, and haven't had any problems. If I really ever find the need, I'll simply purchase a desk monitor.

The difference, for me, between carrying the m1330 and the m1530 is pretty noticeable. Guess it all depends on how much you travel with your laptop, and if you have a need for the faster graphics card.

 

I used to agree with you and resisted switching for as long as possible (My D610 was bought just a few months before they started selling Widescreen models, the Inspirons had actually already switched). With my D420 I have finally realised the advantages of the format: More space on the taskbar, ability to run applications side by side easier, better movie viewing. It is slightly worse for viewing straight text, but not unmanageable and the extra width somewhat makes up for it. When buying an ultraportable, there would be little point buying a 15.4" so you are forced to smaller screens.

Anyway, that is all beside the point of this thread. Do you admit that 14.1" is still better than 12.1" or 13.3"?

 

Do you own both of them? Or at least tried carrying both of them around? I am still so torn. I am a student and take my lappy with me everywhere. I type notes in class, I use it at the library, I even take it to church meetings occasionally. But every time I'm in the library and see my peers' slim 15.4 Macbook Pros, I get jealous of the 1440x960 screens for when I need to work on photos or powerpoint slides.

If the Inspiron 1535 comes out tomorrow, with a backlit keyboard and high-res screen option, it will win me over and I'll just forget I ever worried about 14.1 screens...

 

I own both and the difference is noticeable. Do not, however, take that to mean that the M1530 is more heavy than a comparable 15" MBP. It's quite comfortable to carry. It's more the case that the M1330 is so light that it's pretty amazing. I do not know if the MBP weighs less, but the weights are easily found on Dell's purchase page, so it shouldn't be difficult to determine that. I highly doubt that there's a large difference either way.

 

m1330 = around 4 pounds, m1530 close to 6 pounds

2 pounds could be a lot...