OFFICIAL: Studio 17 Owner's Thread

The S17-16B includes the new T6400
The Intel Penryn T6400 Processor is 45nm and new for 2009

Penryn chips include SSE4 instructions to speed up streaming data and multimedia performance. Also a little more battery run time and runs cooler.

it's a good deal because it also includes the 9 Cell battery, 4gb memory and
wireless B,G,N.... But if want want a gaming laptop.... skip this excellent deal.

It's only $100 more than the Studio 17 version with the T5800 Processor that has the 6 Cell battery, 3GB memory, B/G Wireless, GMA 3100MHd Graphics(the $750 one has the newer 4500MHD that is slightly better).

For one hundred dollars more you get a better processor, a larger capacity battery, more memory, N wireless, and the newer video card.

If not used for gaming... this laptop will give you the best performance/battery life ratio out of all the Studio 17 computers. 3 hours plus running time with a max of 4 hours.

 

Hello Everyone!!

just got my Jet black studio 17 todaymorning and its wow, eventhough the EDD was for 15th of this month; the delivery is really quick, its better to say the production phase was quicker

i got a little news, i dont know whether you all know about it, so I thought of sharing it.

actually i owened a dell studio 17 jet balck around 28th oct 2008. Now I got a new one today same model with different configs, i found dell had made tiny changes to the system than ones they sold around october-novemebr 2008 the ac adapter in the old one is really bulky but the new one have got a slim adapter, and the power cords end has got a blue light on it, which lit up blue when the power is on (that is really cool) this one was not there in the previous one

the lid too is having some little changes it feels durable than the pervious one.

thats all i have noted so far will post the pics soon but not sure when cos my camera is not ina state to take pictures at the moment

 

post pics please we have just about the same unit the 1737. But are you like me kinda mad we didn't get the Studio XPS 1640, I am a little mad.

Not sure if I should return my 17

 

I ordered the 1737 with the Graphite/Topographic Map design and color. I'm sure you've all seen pictures of the inside, but when I was deciding on the color there weren't many photos of the lid so that I could really see the pattern.

The pictures are really large, so I'll just link them so they do not slow down loading on the page.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h55/ybx/graphite.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h55/ybx/pattern.jpg

The pattern is really nice. The lid is glossy, so fingerprints do show up, but it's not very noticeable because of the darker color. The pattern is only on the lid, however, and does not show on the palm rest.

EDIT: Actually, Photobucket resized the images so they aren't as large as before. You can still see the pattern very well, though.

 

oooooooo..... patterns

 

Official driver from Dell:
http://support.euro.dell.com/support...&fileid=288985

It fixes the crackling sound when playing music

Release Date: 01/06/2009
Version: 5.10.38.26 (Driver), A23


"Fixes and Enhancements
This release enables WLAN channel support for some countries that were not supported in previous versions of software. For these countries, the country listed in the Information tab of the Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility may not match the OS locale. It also fixes a crackling sound when playing music."

 

for the price you paid for it.... I would say return it and get the XPS. that's if you okay with a 16" screen.

 

Can anyone tell me if on the 1737 if you add or upgrade memory. How much would it cost to do this? I have 3GB now and would want to bump it up.

Does anyone know?

 

Can you return it? From what I've been reading, Dell won't take returns if there isn't an hardware issue with the computer. I have a 1737 and I'm thinking of selling it to get something with a more powerful GPU than the 3650 HD I have, since I can't upgrade it.

 

Yeah They will it just depends on how you go about it, I deal with Global Escalations or Executive resolutions dept. Its one on one service, just make up some bs about not being satisfied with the quality etc sharp hinges speakers crackling,My left key almost does not light up anymore after 3 weeks of use Quality?

as long as its not a Tech problem they can diagnose over the phone.

I am 4 or 5 days past the 21 But I am considering keeping the 1737 at this point.

The Studio XPS 1640 doesn't offer that much more gaming power

 

Do you have Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit?

 

Global Escalations?

Executive Resolutions?

What's that? Where were they when Dell was yanking me through the ringer?

 

WHere is your sense of humor??

 

Way better of with the 17" since the 16" is not that much different than 15.4"
You still loose the top part of the screen with the 16" too.

 

Got my new Dell arriving on Monday so thought I would register here say hello and enter into the discussions. Here is my spec:

- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 Cache)
- 3072MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [1x2048 + 1x1024]
- 256MB ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3650
- 320GB (5.400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
- Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 - English
- Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software
- Primary 6-cell 56 WHr Lithium Ion battery
- 2.0 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera - CCFL
- Jet Black Colour with Matte Finish
- 17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ CCFL (1440x900) TFT Display with TrueLife™

Is there anything I should look out for or do when it arrives?

 

I believe I have the 32 bit.
Also can you tell me why this happens.
When it is plugged in the screen is very very bright
When I unplug it and run on battery, you can see the screen dim immediately. Why is this?

 

If you have 32bit Vista then upgrading to 4Gb will be pointless as your system simply won't use the extra available. If you are going to upgrade then I would suggest getting 64bit Vista too although this is just a pain until it's more compatible.

Also your screen dims to save battery time.

 

So is there a button or a key combination to adjust the lighting on the screen when its on the battery? I have yet to find any kind of adjustment button to either brighten the screen or dim it. Even when plugged in, is there away you can adjust the brightness on this machine?

BTW thank you for your reply.

 

Yes hold the Fn key on the left bottom and then use the up and down arrows with the brightness symbols on them to adjust the screen brightness. This will work with either battery only or ac hooked up.

 

But the Gateway 7805U FX does.

 

From Dell.com I ordered SKU NUMBER 341-7101.

It came with the assembly cage, all the screws and the interposer.

It was like $24.00.

I just got it in today and I installed my 250GB Sata drive in the 2nd bay.

Works like a charm!

 

NO THANKS Am happy with my studio 17 its more stylish and i just love it,

will you be worried after getting the studio xps 160 once they again release a Nth series of xps the next day?? and keep on changing it?

 

That's the one I'm looking at getting myself. It's backordered on Best Buy and I don't think I'd be able to get a return on my 1737 regardless. =/

 

Great. Yes this is what I was looking for. Thanks Alot
I was looking through the book, but didn't see anything.
but looking thru the book I found I a few other things.
Tks again.
I have another question: Can you add a 2nd hardrive to this machine? If so can you run XP on one and Vista on the other. Just curious. How hard would it be to add a 2nd hard drive? How would you format it?

 

just got my studio 17 and i have to say i'm extremely impressed.

This is my first 17 inch notebook (as opposed to 15.4") and i have to say the size is perfect for a desktop replacement. The backlit keyboard is a nice feature but the best part is definitely the screen (i went for the 1440x900 lcd option). As people have said, the speakers aren't fantastic but i always plug it into my stereo speakers so that's not an issue, if i'm being picky i dont like the headphone out to be on the right as it sometimes gets in the way of my hand on the mouse.

 

Hey, are there any XP drivers for 1737? I cannot find them on dell site and google dosent help. For the ones with 1737 have you tried installing xp? and guides? thanks.

 

I just got my first laptop yesterday and think I got the
right one. My only problem is I wish I had gotten XP. Which should I do, return it to Dell and have them
install XP or would it be better to buy XP and install it
myself (whom I don't trust very much!)

Also, is it o.k. to leave the laptop plugged in all the time,
or should you unplug it when you don't plan to use it for
a day or so?

Thanks for any advise...

 

if you dont want you laptop to get scratched or make a tiny new marks then you should doon ur own than asking some one else,

I am really keen on mine, i never want it to get scrathces....

letme tell yea i this, i sent my previous dell studio 17 for a repair to dell and what happened was it made my heart break as it had some scratches and i didnt trust the system was working well asfter the repair,

so when u do something on ur own or get it repaired in front of ur eyes then it will give you peace of mind


DO IT ON YOUR OWN, IT JUST TAKES A MATTER OF 30 - 45 MINUTES OR SO

about plugging the sys all the time, dont do that, do it when ever you want to use em, or atleast check whether the sys is fully charged, you should always remeber good maintenace will always help the system to live longer than being careless

GOOD LUCK

 

Yay, officialy owner of studio 17 now Very pleased, uninstalled all the crap they Dell put on it and now installing all my software.

Anything I should be doing/testing right now?

 

Check for dead pixels on your screen, check the whole thing over for scratches etc and then check the Dell support site for the newest drivers. Once you're happy the machine is physically OK and has all the newest drivers on there, fiddle with your screen settings to get the colour right, then enjoy!

 

I just did a color calibration using a Datacolor Spyder 3 Elite on my Studio 1737 with RGB LED display (1920x1200).

ATI 3650 HD video card
Windows XP Pro SP3
Set backlight to max using keyboard control.
In ATI Catalyst controls, settings for Color (not "Avivo" color - I believe that is for watching movies and not desktop apps)
Set to factory defaults, then adjust the color channels like so:
Red - Gamma 1.00, Brightness -13, Contrast 100
Green - Gamma 1.00, Brightness -40, Contrast 100
Blue - Gamma 1.00, Brightness -13, Contrast 100

According to the Spyder software, the display was pretty close right out of the box at factory defaults. The Green brightness level was the only one that needed major tweaking. Color temperature after adjustments was right about 6500K.

With all that said, the screen color still looks kinda weird to me... maybe it's all the years of using CCFL LCD displays that I think is "normal". :shrug:

 

I'm trying to install Xp x64 on my Studio 1737.
Sound is one off the things wich wont work.
Some of them i got from the studio 15 but not all of them are working

Any idea ......

Thanks

 

Download the "Microsoft UAA High Definition Audio Bus Driver" from microsoft.com, then install the Studio 15 sound driver from the Wickman Studios site. That IDT audio driver installation is very slow and seems poorly written... DOS boxes popping up with "Stacsvc.exe" and such... It will sit there for a LONG time while it seems to be doing nothing, then finish.

I installed on a Studio 1737 with XP 32-bit, so YMMV with the 64-bit XP...

FWIW, I could not get audio out the HDMI port (ATI 3650 HD), only got audio on the internal laptop speakers.

 

I tried your settings and they look really good. I like them better than the settings I was using. You can also use the Avivo Color correction to fine tune the colors the way you like them. Im getting a Spyder 3 Pro so I can calibrate myself. I also have large wide gamut home monitors that need this for a more accurate calibration.

Thanks for the info.

 

Thanks paule.
Audio only for the internal speakers is alright at this moment.
U mean this hotfix ..... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888111
If so, why is it so hard to download?

 

Phew I got some cheap PC speakers to hook up to my 1737 the built in speakers were killing, because this is mainly my Desktop replacement, and my other speakers are hooked up to my 360.


Finally I have Bass, and Trebel and some good Audio.

Speakers were $25 but I got them for $10 brand new FYE near by is going out of business. They hook up right into the 1737's Headphone jack.

You never really know how bad the built in speakers are till you try them.

At least now I have a standalone Sub woofer

 

I loaded Windows 7 beta build 7000 on my Studio 1737 today and it works like a charm (clean install, not upgrade). All devices seemed to work right away, only exception was the fingerprint reader... but Win7 taskbar had a little notification to "fix a problem with your device" and it ACTUALLY WENT TO THE INTERNET AND DOWNLOADED THE CORRECT AUTHENTEC DRIVER! Amazing, that's the first time I've ever seen that work in my life. 99.9% of the time the microsoft site tells you sorry, couldn't find that device driver, good luck finding the driver on your own, LOL.

ATI 3650 video, sound, Bluetooth 370, WiFi 5100, Broadcom internal NIC, Ricoh card reader, webcam, Authentec fingerprint, DVD eject button, touchpad, all working!

Only bummer was Win7 Ultimate won't upgrade over Vista Enterprise (apparently I need to have Vista Ultimate to upgrade from), so I had to do a clean install and none of my existing Vista programs/settings were kept. Oh well maybe they'll fix that by release time.

 

There is an updated ATI 3650 video driver posted on the Dell website for the Studio 1737. Dated 1/14/09.

 

What improvements brings?

 

Hi board,
I was looking to buy the studio with the 1920 x 1200 screen mainly as i've heard it's sharper [checking useful places like here ] and for future use as I will be forever looking at the screen no matter what i end up using it for. I do like some gaming, used to be really into it but that was in the day of 30GB hard drives & counterstrike . half life . Medal of Honor. I would want to play those games but thinking of the T5800 chip so would it be fast enough to play downscaled versions of these games inc. HL2 & some GTA 4 on v.low settings?
Also, I am considering one without a backlit keyboard, can these be fitted later if needed? they sound great but I can touch type so know where mossst of the keys are so it might not be all that useful in any event.?
best
k

 

i fotgot to say about the crackle noise experiance !!

my new studio 1737 dont have the crackle noise, but my previous on which i bought around october last year had that issue "crackle"

this one i have is the blue ray option may be is that making the difference ?? i wonder

 

Hey ice cold are you a female, if so..then you wont go for xps16, lols...it looks manly thats the main reson i didnt pay any attention to xps 16

 

Hey do the studio 17 come with headphones?

 

No!!

actually they got an option when you customize your order whether you need a Bluetooth sterio head set.


At times dell give offers "gift" its not avilable all the time, still they give something nice with the order, last time around november they gave a digital camera as a free gift for studio 17 and a mp3 player for studio 15. the offer last until firts few weeks of decedmber.

lately it was 25% off on 4 year warrenty; valid till 7th jan i got that one

 

Hi all. I am new to NR! I just ordered my Studio 17 on Friday and its in production!

Before purchasing it i went to Staples to see a model in person. I was very impressed. Photos have not done justice to the design. If Studio line really is "polarizing" as reviewers have said, i definitely land on the pro side.

However there is one issue i just dont understand. Its the much discussed "milk stain" "topographic" design on the palm rest. Some people have them, some do not. Staples had three models on display :

1. Studio 1737 with no milk stain, mid night blue cover
2. Studio 1537 with no milk stain, red cover
3. Studio 1537 milk stain, red cover

Possibly its a coincidence, but the milk stained one had the finger print reader. Anyways, there was no way of chosing no stain or with stain at checkout at dell, as im sure you all are aware. I have read all over the net for some answer as to why some have the stain and some dont, but cant find the answer.
so my question is, is there some way of knowing if its going to come with the pattern or not?
Is there some way of seeing it in itemized list dell sounds out after purchase? Does anyone?

Final thoughts: That design is a abomination. maybe it looks good on the graphite gray cover, but i doubt it. I dont want it on my computer.

Thanks in advance. Im happy to finally join in on the discussion!

 

That topographic design is barely noticeable at all. I actually wish the entire thing was covered with it, lid included. I am surprised people actually care that much about the little amount included on some of them right now.

BTW I do not have a finger print scanner and do have the topo lines.

 

Stezzus is your a 1735? as I saw a review on youtube where a boy was talking about his 1535 and his mother's 1537 where he had the topo lines round the trackpad as well as the hoizontal and vertical trackbars on the touchpad itself, wheras his mother's did not have the topo lines or the trackpad indicators!?

he also mentioned that his high-def screen from the earlier 1535 was much sharper and overall better than the high-def screen on his mum's 1537...

i ordered a 1735 from outlet for this reason hoping the wuxga screen might be of a better quality that the 1737 - fingers crossed.
k

 

The topographic pattern is very noticeable if you have it on the lid. It's reflective and shiny, so it's distinguishable. I'm not sure how it's done on the palm rest, though, since mine is blank. I'm assuming it's the same as the lid.

 

answer to your question is : RANDOM!! or by luck

serious even i dont like that white lines running through, instead they should have got that blue floral design or just leave it plain.

i thoguht it comes plain only in usa and lines for uk but its not the real thing, its is getting produced randomly it seems.

yes, they dont have that option to omit that white lines as optional, during the customising.

i even tried contacting them through email and through phone to tell them that i dont want that lines instead i want the floral, but the sad thing is those customer servies team havent even seen a studio 17 in real life serious,

i asked them while i was confused on which on to choose blue or black and ask them dose the blue looks darker or lighter or inbetween, they replied me sorry madam we dont know how it look like and when i asked them about this topo lines they said u cant personally choose whether or not to choose the lines because we dont know anything about it we just take the order for you and release it to be produced other than that it all with the lab that makes it for you

i asked them will you able to tell them that i dont want it, and he said sorry madam i dont know we are in india and we cant do anything other than taking the order.


with a big sigh!!! i withdraw my wish and changed my mind to accept what i get with a big smile topo or without topo after all it is my studio 17


i got mine with the topo, even though i hate that thing i manage to ignore it, i dont look at it too long!!

i do have the fingerprint and the topo runs alone the way...

 

FYI, quite a few 1737's are popping up at the Dell Outlet now. Some very nicely configured 1737's for $600 - $800. Didn't see any 1920x1200 RGB LED screens in there, though.

http://outlet.dell.com