Need some advice on dell laptops

I'm a graduate student and I'm looking to get a laptop, the good news is I don't have to pay for it, the bad news my department will only get one through Dell. I was wondering if anyone here had any advice concerning the models I have been looking at, the XPS M140, 9300, and the E1705 duo core. I guess I better start by answering the faq. Thanks.

1) What size notebook would you prefer?Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
or
Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

2) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Mostly excel, powerpoint, some heavy duty statistics programs, and a little molecular modeling graphics work. Nice looking DVDs playback would be great too.

3) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I would like it to be somewhat portable, but its not my number one concern.

4) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes, but as my limit is about $1500, I don't think I can get a system good enough to run games like Oblivion when it comes out.

5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
It has to be Dell, as I said.

6) How many hours of battery life do you need?
The XPS M140 with 2 9 cell batteries would be great but I could due with 2-3 hours of battery life.

7) What is your budget?
At most about $1,500

8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Have to buy it through the department so its not really an issue.

9) What country are you buying this in?
US

Screen Specifics

10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
I'd prefer a widescreen, with Dell's truelife

11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Yes

Build Quality and Design

12) Are the notebook’s looks and stylishness important to you?
No

13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
At least 2-3 Years, after that its not mine anyway.

Notebook Components

14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
60-80 gb, 7200 rpm

15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
DVD-R would be good, but I don't need it.

 

I would probably go with the E1705 or the M140.

The 9300 probably won't be offered for very much longer. They are no longer offering the truelife screen or the nvidia card with it. The E1705 is suppose to be its replacement and does offer the truelife screen as well as the nVidia 7800 go card which will be helpful with games and software that you are using.

The M140 would be good except it only has integrated graphics which won't be the ideal situation for the uses that you listed.

 

Being in the same boat (grad. student buying on project/dept money), thought I'd throw in my (project's) 2 cents. Not specific to the models you listed as I am not tracking Dell's current lines.

- Performance: I'd buy the best model your budget allows. It's not about taking advantage of the situation, but simply how most budget is written. If you don't spend it, neither you or your project/dept would benefit from the saving. Also, consider buying the extra battery and even memory LATER as some budget treat it differently when you buy them separately. This would sometimes allow you to upgrade to another model while staying within the budget. But you should check with whoever's in charge first.

- Form factor & Portability: From my own experience, I would not want to carry an 8-pounder through any airports or to any conferences. Trust me on this. Thin-and-light under 6 lb. travel weight is my suggestion. 14" or 15" with at least 1400x1050 would be my advice. But some people think the fonts are too small for 14" at that resolution. It's fine for me, FWIW.

- Warranty - Get at least 3 years. (At least enough to cover the time you will be using the laptop.) Laptops will break, at least most of them. Dell's business/higher education lines usually carry at least 3 year warranty. Yes, it costs money and people complains about the service. But my experiences were quite positive (used it at least 3 times on the Dell Latitude C600, my previous one). Draw any conclusions you like regarding the quality of the machine, though.

Good luck!

 

The above replies I agree with, also look at the D810, you can get a nicely configured D810 WSXGA+, DVDRW, X600 Video, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD, Intel Wireless, 9 Cell battery for right about 1500$ and thats with no discounts.

Its been proven that the D810 can accept the 6800 Go/Go Ultra/and 7800 GTX, of course that might void your warrenty. But the X600 is an ok compromise card for a 15" Laptop.

Speaking from experience lugging around a 9300 is no picnic
D810 might be a good compromise for you, and they get reasonable battery life.

Outside of Dell the Sony S360 might not be bad, its older Banias, but it gets excellent battery life has a nice screen. Weight is really good at only 3.9lbs, and it has a Radeon 9700MR 64MB which can handle many games.

 

That was one thing I didn't think about. The E1705 and 9300 will not be as portable as other systems. I take mine to school everyday, and its a back breaker even with the right bag. Plus it is difficult to get out on road/plane trips or anywhere in confined space.

 

Wow. My department gives me a stipend, but I don't think they would have bought my computer for me.

The E1705 will give you the best performance - by far (dual-core processor and fairly nice graphics card). The M140 is a lot more portable, but will perform less stunningly (integrated graphics and single-core processor), but will definitely be enough for almost anything you're likely to throw at it.

If you're a male and carry a backpack, and if the department is paying, go with the E1705. If you're not comfortable carrying a heavy machine every single day, people do sometimes speak highly of the M140.

Howie

 

Haha, of course not. The laptop is the property of the school, and has a big sticker with a looooong serial number (and barcode!) to show that. Not that I am complaining, mind you. For all intents and purposes, it's mine to use for the duration of my study and work for the project. Of course, being in EE/CS fields means all projects I am involved with will most likely budget some machines into the any funding proposals to make sure we have "adequate tools for developments." YMMV.