Should i buy an M1330??

My Acer is on its last little leg and i need a new laptop.

The stock battery is a 4cell right? what kind of battery life should i expect?


My only concern is that i keep hearing about these build quality problems. If i get a computer thats wrong to my specs or has a defect how hard is it to return it? Do i have to ship it back? take it to a mall kiosk?


Any insight is appreciated

 

Heh, a week ago I would have screamed "yes", but now I am very worried. My 1330 should arrive in the next few days, but ive done a lot more research now. Every major review site gives it a very good rating. The thing is, I think Dell is sending them their "best" machines, they double check to make sure that the machines about to be reviewed have no faults at all.

What I hear is that in reality, every machine has several faults. None very serious, but then again, when you spend over 2000 dollars you expect the very best. The materials used are supposed to be great, but the assembly / build quality terrible. That means uneven bases, hinge-gaps, and tons of other things. Truly sad to do this to such a great product.

I'll be reporting when I get mine. I'm the picky type, especially having spent so much money...if there are any serious build faults, then I won't even request a replacement as those will have their own faults as well. I'll demand my money back.

On the other hand, it seems to be an amazing laptop. And given the popularity of this forum, everyone who "might" have a fault will post here. People whose laptop is fine will not have any incentive to come here. This is by far the most popular dell forum, and so everyone with a problem will post here.

I don't know what to tell you, but maybe wait 1-2 days until I post my personal review.

 

There are definitely build quality issues. All you can do in that case is keep exchanging till you get a good machine. And there's nothing wrong with that. The machine itself is quite good, though.

 

You will love it as long as you end up w/ good screen you can live with.

As far as WIFI buttons being little loose, it doesn't bother me at all.

I would go w/ Ebay, Dell outlet, and Craigslist for better deals, and make sure to get 3yr warranty which will pay itself off in time.

GL with your purchase.

BTW, I got mine from local reseller I contacted via Ebay, and paid 1875 cash, face to face. It came w/ 1gb ram though. Got 2gb stick from Frys.

 

The build quality issues are no different than any other manufacturer that introduces a new line. Quality concerns are somewhere around 1-2% if your lucky and it seems much greater haere as this is the place everyone comes when they need help or advice on what to do.

I have received 5 systems in total; none have had issues whatsoever.

 

I have no issues. By this time Dell has realized most of the its problems. I think it should be safe to order it now.

 

No problems with mine (other than a bit of wobble which seems to be evening out over time).

I think the most commonly configured battery is the 6-cell, which gives you - ballpark - a very average charge of about 3 hours or so doing light duty internet, Office etc. Less with gaming, movies or intense wireless.

 

Thats very hard to belive, unless you're not a picky person. You have ordered and received 5 XPS 1330 and NONE had any:

-uneven bases
-keyboard bulges
-screen problems
-cpu whine
-battery looseness
-battery charge whine
-stick-out HD
-hinge gaps
-other build quality problems (can't remember them all)

They were 100% perfect (we're talking exterior, case build quality) in terms of parts fitting and overall quality? Please clarify, thanks.

 

Is anyone here using the Dell financing? They have a deal thats tempting me for 0% interest for a year.

Ive heard some bad things though. About how you get your bill late so your payment is always considered late

 

I would go w/ Amex if you are not looking into buying additional warranty.

Creditcard companies like Amex give you 1 additional year warranty after basic manufacturer's warranty expires. (I haven't tried it yet though)

My tip is though.....

If you can't pay a laptop off on the day of the purchase, don't get one.