Oh My! Questions before ordering a 1520!

Hi! I thinking I'm going to order the 1520 before the $425 coupon expires tomorrow night!! I have a couple of questions & if anyone can & is willing to answer I would be thankful!
Here are my questions:
-The $425 coupon - will this be the last time we see a coupon like this for the Inspirons, the 1520's, specifically? Or, do these coupons come and go? I ask this because, I am going to have to "finance" now, and pay off after Christmas (want to get the best bang for my buck, & waiting for some Christmas $$$).
- Being a brand new laptop user, is it worth it to pay the extra $$ and get the 3 year warranty / 3 year accidental coverage on the 1520? Or, just stick w/the 1 year warranty to save money. Let's just say "I inherit problems"!! And, no one in my *family* know's much about computers, at all ~ needless to say. I have a Compaq Presario desktop right now - and have had nothing but problems since I purchased in 2003 - w/customer service and with the desktop, itself. I despise Compaq.
- This "Built-In" Blue-Tooth Technology (what exactly is this for w/the Dell's)?, and "Blu-Ray" CD/DVD Drive - are these absolute necessities? I currently don't have the DVD burner capacity on my desktop, just the CD burner, and I burn lot's of music/download lot's of music (let's just say I have a huge library of music).
-I have been configuring, and reconfiguring my spec's and I would love for any Dell "diehards" out there to take a look at my final spec's and let me know what they think! That way, I can "tweak" it a final time before ordering!

I am a new user to the notebook world, so this is a little scary to me, and a money investment for me. I have been looking for the past month, and somewhat "procrastinating" ....but my hard-drive on my desktop quite frankly isn't going to give me that freedom much longer!

So, if anyone can answer my question's above, and want's to take a look at my tweaked, and retweaked 1520 config, I would really appreciate it, just let me know, and I can post it! Thanks, again

 

coupons- the coupon amount changes a lot, but the bottom line, the amount you actually pay for the same laptop, varies less. so, if there is a 700$ coupon one week, and a 500$ laptop the next, often times the configured machine actually costs a similar amount. generally speaking, i think prices are best at two times of the year- back to school and specials near christmas.

warranty- the 3 year warranty is a must in my opinion. you will likely use it. get it while it's cheap- and get the cheaper 3 year, it's a total waste to pay extra for crappy antivirus like norton.

bluetooth- this is a small radio transmitter in your laptop that can send/receive data. usually to a compatable bluetooth device such as;

bluetooth headphones (will be wireless)
cell phone (can be used as a modem without attaching it to the computer sending data over bluetooth)

blue-ray drive- not necessary. get the cd drive priced right below the blu-ray. you will be able to burn music/dvds. make sure you ask about this when you call, if you want dvd burning capability i'm not sure which option will give you this... maybe someone else can chime in here.

let me look at the specs. i will offer my advice.

here are some general dell suggestions:
call, don't order online. that way you will be able to make sure the cd player will have the capabilities you require. you should also try to get the salesperson to promise you an LG screen. dell has some pretty grainy screens at the wsxga+ resolution (assuming you even WANT the high resolution screen, that is). even though they promise you the LG everyone raves about, be aware you might not get it, but i would still ask for it.

configure with xp. vista sucks, in my opinion. in 3-4 years, vista might be great. but right now it is slow. a 1520 with xp will be fast, with vista, it will have noticably slower performance.

get only 1 GB of ram from dell. then upgrade to 3 GB with a 2 GB ram stick purchased online. you can get 2 GB for about 70$, instead of the retarded 242$ dell will charge you for 3 GB total ram.
here is a link to ram, i got the transcend (62.99$ when i looked), and it workd fine.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...E&N=2030260381 1309121116&bop=And&Order=PRICE

get the smallest hard drive. buy a 2.5" SATA drive online and a 2.5" SATA hard drive case. when you get the laptop, put the new drive in the laptop and configure your windows from scratch! installing windows from scratch is a must, imho, with any new bloatware-filled laptop.

at first, just take the 60 GB dell drive out. once you have everything configured how you like it- put the 60 GB into the case you bought and use it how you wish. (this way you can pop the 60 GB drive into the laptop if you have any troubles with your windows installation on your 160 GB drive.) you get 2 hard drives for the price dell would charge you for one!
here is a 160 GB hitachi for 170$.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145180

 

Thanks for the input! Helps me out greatly...Here are my specs...I would love to keep it around $1K, but w/the warranty, I realize that is not a possibility. I would use the notebook mainly for interent usage, multi-tasking, "heavy" music downloading/burning, uploading pics, emailing, and will add MS Office shortly after purchasing, and currently do not do any gaming (maybe in the future - just discovered Underworld is available)!, will take to area's where wifi capable. I plan on going completely wireless in the house.

Also, is it worth it to order one of these Dell printers? (I just killed my Epson printer by ordering OEM cartridges from EBay and, let's just say my Epson didn't take to well to the cartridges). Or, to just get a $100 printer from a B&M store?

1520 - $1,419-$425-$994.00 not including taxes/sh (no warranty)
Inspiron 1520 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Operating System (Office software not included) Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
System Color Midnight Blue
Memory 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
LCD Panel Glossy, widescreen 15.4 inch display (1280x800)
Video Card 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
Hard Drive Size: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Combo or DVD+RW Drive CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Sound Card High Definition Audio 2.0
Wireless Networking Cards Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Camera Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) No Security Subscription (30-day trial)
Battery Options 56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service
Dial-Up Internet Access No ISP requested
Miscellaneous Inspiron 1520
Doms Camera Module Midnight Blue color w/ 2.0M pixel Camera
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
Labels Windows Vista™ Premium
DataSafe Online Backup Free 3 GB Online Backup for 1Yr

1520 $2131-$425-1706 (w/out taxes) w/3yr)
Inspiron 1520 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Operating System (Office software not included) Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
System Color Midnight Blue
Memory 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
LCD Panel High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1680x1050)
Video Card 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
Hard Drive Size: 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Combo or DVD+RW Drive CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Sound Card High Definition Audio 2.0
Wireless Networking Cards Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Camera Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) I chose Security with Value, Plus,or Premium Warranty Bundle
Battery Options 85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options DellCare Premium
Dial-Up Internet Access No ISP requested
Digital Media Editing Software Yahoo! Music Jukebox - Music Player
Bluetooth and Wireless USB Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
Doms Camera Module Midnight Blue color w/ 2.0M pixel Camera
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
Labels Windows Vista™ Premium
DataSafe Online Backup DataSafe included with DellCare Service bundle

Thank's again!

 

oh, one more thing- do NOT get 2 batteries. a little known fact is that they deteriorate whether or not you use them. gotta pack my house- good luck. maybe i can post a bit on your configs tomorrow.

 

Ok, thanks!

 

Get Dell's 3 year CompleteCover. It would be your wisest investment.

As said, only get an extra battery if you're going to need it. It is not advisable to buy one for future use because battery life decreases over time whether or not you use it. I would get a 9 cell primary battery than the standard 6. The 6 cell doesn't last long. 9 cell is better but note it does stick out at the back.

Spec wise, get 80 or 120GB. Dell overcharges ram and HDDs so you will get a better deal if you buy from Newegg and upgrade it yourself.

If you're going to be gaming get T7300 instead or any procs with 4mb L2 cache.

 

Great, thank you! I will reconfig for a 9 cell and check it out! I'm a little worried however ~ about ordering the (sticks) and loading them into the notebook myself...I'm not a "computer techie" in anyway.....In fact, I can't even load inkjet cartridges w/out doing something wrong the printer ;0 sigh...
Doesn't that void warranty on the notebook w/the manufacturer?

 

it is very ease to upgrade ram. the thing you will want to check is how many dimms are included. for instance two 512 mb ram sticks= 1 GB. it would be better for you to have one 1 GB dimm = 1 GB. this way you could upgrade another dimm to equal 3 GB. laptops only have 2 slots for ram! i am using dimm and stick interchangeably here, don't get confused. stick=dimm.

changing out the hard drive is easy as pie as well. there are manuals we can point out to you that have step by step instructions. your call, but there is someone here that can help you do it if you choose to upgrade.

upgrading the ram and/or the hard drive does NOT void your dell warranty!

 

It won't void your warranty. But if you honestly have trouble changing inkjet cartridges, order the computer with 2MB of RAM.

There are instructions for changing RAM here
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1520/en/sm/memory.htm#wp1180190

It's up to you to decide if it looks like something you can do or not.

 

here is what i would change;

1520 $2131-$425-1706 (w/out taxes) w/3yr)
Inspiron 1520 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250

i might get the T7500, the 4 mb of L2 cache makes a difference...

Operating System (Office software not included) Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition

i would get xp. vista sucks. it is slow and buggy. get xp while you can and upgrade to vista in a couple years.

System Color Midnight Blue

Memory 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz

3 GB is a total rip off. i would try to get 1 dimm with 1 GB and put in one 2 GB dimm upgrade for 70 bucks=3 GB.

LCD Panel High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1680x1050)
Video Card 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT

Hard Drive Size: 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

i would get the cheapest hard drive and upgrade as i mentioned above. super easy. you'll be glad you did.

Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Combo or DVD+RW Drive CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Sound Card High Definition Audio 2.0
Wireless Networking Cards Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Camera Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) I chose Security with Value, Plus,or Premium Warranty Bundle

NOOOOOOO!!! get the value or the plus 3 year warranty. mcafee is not a good antivirus program. trust me. you can get better ones for life for FREE. the plus package has everything the premium has but the 3 years of mcafee. go for that if you want the accidental damage protection.

Battery Options 85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)

Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options DellCare Premium
Dial-Up Internet Access No ISP requested
Digital Media Editing Software Yahoo! Music Jukebox - Music Player
Bluetooth and Wireless USB Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
Doms Camera Module Midnight Blue color w/ 2.0M pixel Camera
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
Labels Windows Vista™ Premium
DataSafe Online Backup DataSafe included with DellCare Service bundle

my 2 million cents...

 

another thing- just because it says the coupon expires a certain day does not mean it will last that long. they typically have an expiration date and max # of uses! it may expire early.