So who has a DELL Studio 1749? Can you give me advice..

Hello all, I am thinking of purchasing the DELL Studio 1749.
1. Is the JBL® + SRS Premium SoundTM audio really worth it?
2. DELL want £50 to upgrade to the 9 cell battery which is kinda of a ripoff. Is there anyway around this?
3. Is the 1600x900 good enough or should I upgrade it to the 1920x1080?
4. I'm slightly worried about the fan issues I have read which is putting me off purchasing - has this been sorted yet?

Here is my spec below (all for a total of £799).

Intel® Core™ i3-350M (2.26Ghz, 4Threads, 3MB cache)
17.3” High Definition+ (1600x900) LED with TL
4096MB 1067MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x2048]
320GB (7,200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD) with DVD Burn software
Primary 9-cell 85 WHr Lithium Ion battery
Dell Wireless 1397 Mini Card (802.11 b/g)
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 Graphics Card


I have the 5% code and quidco aswell but will use them when I decide on the parts.

And tips would be appreciated. Thankyou.

 

1) It's decent, but it's no replacement for real speakers. Take for what it's worth.
2) If you need it then you need to get it. If you plan on moving it a lot, then yes, I suggest you get it.
3) It is decent, but go for the FHD if you can afford it. It's better.
4) No issue for me under daily use. It is acceptable in my case.

 

I just got mine 2 weeks ago and I would get the better screen if you can. The fan also does not bother me like some people here.

 

Check the outlet store.

I got a red 1749, I5 540, 500gb hdd for £480!

 

Okay so now my system price has gone to £879.00 for:

Intel® Core™ i3-350M (2.26Ghz, 4Threads, 3MB cache)
17.3" Full High Definition (1920x1080) LED with TL
4096MB 1067MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x2048]
320GB (7,200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD) with DVD Burn software
Primary 9-cell 85 WHr Lithium Ion battery
Dell Wireless 1397 Mini Card (802.11 b/g)
Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Backlit Keyboard
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 Graphics Card

That is a HELL of alot of money for that spec, I could easily get a Vaio Series-E with a bluray player and 6GB RAM aswell as i5 for the same price.. but I really need a laptop with good quality speakers and illuminated keys.. so I need to know if it's really worth it..
ARGH!

 

Can't you call and deal with a sales rep? I think they can offer you some discount.

 

Suppose I could but not quite sure what I'd say to try get some discount. I mean I already want to use a 5% code..
But £879 ($1,375.89) is kinda over my budget so maybe I should ask if they can bring it down since I can get a better deal elsewhere.

 

Call at least 3-4 reps and ask them to give you the lowest possible price, then compare them. Make sure you mention you have a coupon at the end and I'm sure they'd accept it(as it worked for me in the US). You could even ask to speak with a sales manager if you're not satisfied with the price.