My First Laptop, The Studio 17

I came across the great Staples price ($849 w/ free shipping) for the Studio 17 today and decided this would be my first laptop. It seems to have a lot of promise, inheriting much of what's made the XPS line so successful. I'm excited for it to shop up tomorrow (got to love how fast Staples is!).

I had first found what I believed to be a "deal" over the weekend, with a $115 off coupon (through Dell) for the Studio 15. Turns out I can get the Studio 17 model with an extra GB of memory for $100 less then the supposed "deal" I came across for the 15" model. Plus, if there's a problem, it's a heck of a lot easier to return this to Staples than ship it back to Dell. Thankfully, Dell did not give me any problems when I went to cancel the order I placed with them. They don't even want the free messenger bag back, either.

I'll post some pictures when I get it up and running. I'll be curious to hear what others think about the Studio series living up to the hype.

 

Well you'll definately be one of the first to get theirs

 

Possibly. I would have been content with the 15", but the price was too good to pass up. Bigger is better, right?

 

Depends. The 17"er has got a mighty big footprint.

 

Wow! That price is amazing! Congrats! Post picss!!

I'm LOVING my Studio 15! It's living up to my hype.

 

I'm jealous, I chose the Studio 17 for my first laptop purchase as well, but mine hasn't even been shipped yet (of course, its only been 6 days since I ordered it).

Heh, I like that price though, I spent about 2200 US$ on mine (and then found out afterwards that my school has a great deal with Dell and I could have gotten it for about 18-1900 US$)

 

I'll post some ASAP. That price is great - $150 less than what Dell wants for their base Studio 17. This series looks to be a good compromise between quality and price. I realize the Studios won't launch a rocket into orbit, but I was never looking for that anyway.

 

Its not a bad starter notebook, though I would have gone with the 15.4 incher.

However getting the 17'' has its advantages. Once you decide to buy a new notebook and you do end up switching over the 15.4'', it will be light as a feather. (15-17'' laptop wise)

 

I thought about this, but I really won't be traveling with it much. It's mostly to use around the house when I don't feel like being confined to the office. For the two or three times I have to lug it on a plane, etc., it shouldn't be too bad. I agree that smaller notebooks have their advantages when it comes to mobility.

 

please post the wallpapers that come with it.
thanks in advance.

 

Are 17-inchers a pain in the neck to deal with on a plane? I imagine it would be a tight squeeze using it in coach, but I can deal with that as long as it can fit under my seat and stay there for a few horus.

 

My 15-inch in my swiss wenger backpack fits just exactly under the front seat in coach. I guess it also depends on the carrying case. I usually try to fit some other stuff too in my laptop backpack when I travel so I guess when you're traveling with a 17-inch, better have a thin case so it will fit under the seat or you could carry it on your lap, otherwise have a strong case because in case it won't fit under the seat, you're gonna have to put it at the overhead luggage compartment, which I think is not very safe for the machine with the way I see how people throw luggage up there and some tries to shove stuff in there even though it looks like it won't hold. Imagine shoving something in a donkey's ass. Well anyway, what do I know about 17-inches? I haven't owned one. So, please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Wow, I sure would think so.

But do you mean to simply take it with you, like in a carry on bag? Or do you mean to actually attempt to (gulp) use it on a plane?

 

what's wrong with using it on a plane?

 

17-inch notebooks are basically desktop replacements and unless you're flying first class, I don't think the tray on the back of the seats in coach could hold such heavy machines. Of course you could always put it on your lap, but then again, the coach seats are a tight squeeze. There will be some elbow rubbing and bumping for sure.

 

I'm not sure they'd even fit on the tray.

Not only that, but good luck opening the screen far enough to see it when the guy in front of you decides it's time to recline. And if you're trying to use a laptop on a plane, the guy in front of you will recline. It seems to be some kind of law.

 

it's been a good while since i was last on a plane.
i've never owned a laptop and just about make my first purchase.
and one reason for this is because of a long plane trip i might take in a few months.
it'd be around 15 to 20 hrs, so im gonna need a laptop to keep me a little entertained.
im hoping the size isn't a big issue.
i'm more worried about the battery life.
i hope i can plug the adapter or something. lol.

 

You will have a little trouble with the 17" but it's still works. I was on a good plane which let me plug my laptop. In my opinion ideal size is 14" to 15.4".

 

I don't think there are any sockets in coach (not sure), but there probably are in first class. So, if you're planning to use your notebook for a long time, better have a 9-cell. I usually get at least 5-6 hours with mine. For portability, the smaller the screen, the better, but I like the 15-inch better really for clearer viewing. But I really don't use mine on a plane unless if it's really important. More so if it's a transatlantic flight. I think it's just rude especially when the person beside you is sleeping and all the lights are turned off (Only kids can get away with it I guess. So, unless you look like Dustin Hoffman ("Rainman") go ahead, lol), and also very uncomfortable if the person in front of you decides to recline his/her chair to sleep (It's a 15 to 20-hour flight, people are going to sleep eventually).

 

So the consenus seems to be that it's not a pain to travel with, but using the thing could be difficult in coach? I'm more concerned about it fitting under my seat and don't really care if I can't use it until I land. Even if I never open the notebook, I'd sooner keep it on my lap for the entire flight than have people slam it around in the overhear comparment. Other travelers can be brutal with their luggage.

 

I'm not really sure if it will fit at all under the seat in front of you with a huge case, but the looks of it, I think it will with a tight fit case. So, just to make sure, I'd bring along a sleeve if your case is quite bulky so if all else fails, you could still shove the laptop case in the overhead luggage and lay the notebook down nicely under the seat or on your lap. Just make sure you don't accidentally step/stump on it when your dreaming your shoes catching fire.

 

I don't know... the planes seem to be getting smaller and tighter these days. The Studio 17 is 15.46" x 11.36"... and that's without a case or bag adding to the size.

The 15" Studio would certainly be easier (14 x 10.3). Then again, a 13" laptop would be ideal.

 

Haha, that's some good advice there. I bought myself a Targus 17" laptop case/bag, and judging by the reviews on Amazon, it shouldn't be difficult to travel with. I really love the laptop, although if I purchase another Studio in the near future, I'll choose a 15" inch for mobility reasons.

Btw, do you (or anyone) know if Dell configures the BIOS to use all of the available RAM for the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100? I've enabled Aero Glass and want to make sure the maximum allowable RAM is dedicated to it. I know how to access the BIOS, but was curious if I even need to bother. Thanks.

 

Either that or we're just keep getting bigger. I know I do. I've used different screen sizes before, but I just feel a 15" gives the best viewing size. Anything smaller than that is like a magnet to me pulling my head inches from the screen.

I think the ram allocated for the x3100 is automated. So, if you're going to use the graphics for something heavy, the bigger the ram that will be allocated with it and when you go back to idle, the lesser it will use. I think it's just handy. No memory wasted as Bill Gates say, but it is due to the same concept why vista is such a memory hog too.

 

Hmmm.... I think it's pretty telling when a brand new owner of a 17" laptop says he'd get a 15 incher next time around.

A+ for the honesty, wherespiritsroam!

 

Thanks, SoundsGood. This is my first laptop, so live and learn. Don't get me wrong, though - I am very impressed with the Studio 17 and am thrilled I bought it. I fly so infrequently that having the larger screen at home 99% of the time was worth it.

 

I was disappointed in the Studio 17 because it's very thick in the back. I think it's thicker than the 9300 I hoped to replace for it.

17" lappies are hard to use in airplanes but not bad for mobility sake. Once you get used to having the extra screen size, the size becomes a secondary consideration. My advice is to use a backpack to carry it around.

 

Could you post some pics for comparison?