My 1520 arrived today, but should I pick it up from FEDEX?

According to the note put on my door today at about 11:00, my 1520 is waiting for me at the local FEDEX distribution center. With all the problems circulating around the board about grainy screens, high-pitched whines, and bad head phone jack noise, should I:

A) Pick up the Dell and see if it is ok, and then have to pay return shipping for a defective unit (which is highly likely because I ordered the WSXGA+ screen).

B) Just decline shipping and have it returned to Dell at no cost, and buy something else.

 

pick it up, open it up.

if its not good, have dell send you another one! How can you possibly know what kinda shape its in if you dont open it up.
if you open it, and its not defective in any way, theres no fuss... if you open it and something is wrong, dell will fix it with a new laptop im sure.

 

I'm assuming from your avatar that you're in the US--you don't have to pay return shipping within the 21 day return period. I'm returning mine and I've used it for a week or so extensively and I'm receiving a full refund.

 

Yeah, I really want to see it, but I get pissed when I get defective products.

How much might the return shipping cost if I open the box? Will there be a restock fee if I am truly not satisfied?

 

Ah, that's good to know, thanks.

 

why are you returning yours, stella? Are you getting another 1520 or going with a different company entirely?

 

I'm returning it because mine has the grainy screen AND the headphone jack interference. On top of the downclocked graphics card, that was just too much for me. I would probably have tried a system exchange in hopes that the newer ones have had these issues corrected (I can live the the graphics card since the notebook runs cooler), but I fell in love with the G1S. I'm hoping it won't disappoint! I ordered from Xotic PC on Friday.

 

Hope you like it! Did Dell try anyway to hold onto you or just let you go with no offer?

 

How much did you pay for your G1S?

 

Dell simply asked what was wrong with the computer and processed my return. No special offers. My G1S was $2016 shipped with a 120 GB 7200 RPM HD upgrade. I looked at some other places that have been recommended on these forums and were charging slightly less, but their return policies and/or sales support just made me nervous. I feel really good with Xotic after reading all of their policies and speaking to them on the phone a couple of times.

 

I am also curious about the G1S because that would have been my other choice, but I chose the 1520 because it supposedly had better battery life, which is probably due to the slower video card. I wish I would have know about these issues before my order.

I can't pick up my 1520 until after 7:00pm eastern time. I will post a mini-review with pics tonight about how things go for me.

 

Ive heard people say the WSXGA screen is beautiful, that the "graininess" is not really an issue. But those people have had the screen with the part number beginning with SEC. In Stella's review, she only said that she "found there's a bit of graininess on this screen if you stare hard enough."

It sounded very much like the graininess wasnt an issue with you initially. Did it become worse later? You didnt even list it as a negative in your review summary.

 

Does the SEC refer to a Samsung panel?

 

It bothered me more once I saw it during the day and just had more time to compare it to the E1505 screen. I wrote the review mostly in the evening and early morning. Unfortunately I can't edit the actual review. Still I was definitely willing to live with it due to all of the pros of this notebook until I found out about the additional issue with the headphone jack, which I did not test before I wrote the review. That was just one problem too many. My screen is also the SEC screen.

As I've said in other threads, I'm definitely not encouraging people to cancel their orders. I believe I received one of the models from the very first production run and I really do think that with the complaints coming in Dell will fix these issues. I considered doing a system replacement, but I was worried that I would receive it after my return period. I've been considering the G1S since before the 1520 came out, and these issues were just added incentive for me to buy the Asus.

 

Stella, no!!!!!!!! Haha.

I hope you like your G1S.

 

G1S has the silk screen effect (graininess) as well.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=131044&page=8

 

I've personally seen both a G1 and a G1S that did NOT have this. I've also seen two E1505s without it. That's another reason I think that it will eventually be corrected in the 1520--the better screens ARE available.

 

I'm hoping that by the time my 1520 comes in it won't have the silk screen effect as badly as some have had it on the forums.

 

I really do hope so too. I thought about trying a system replacement for mine, but then too much time would have passed for me to get a complete refund if the new one had the same issue.