Studio 15 Owner's Thread

Hi allfiredup – Thanks again.
I did in fact check out the E6400 and it does look like a nice unit, yet I wasn’t sure with the BIG display dilemma you know I’ve always had what would be the difference in 1400x900 LED on a 14.1 opposed to the Studio 15 15.4, would the text and icons automatically be larger in size as this what I would assume, yet we all know too often when we assume?
in all honesty I really like the cosmetics of the Studio 15 greater, yet if what I have to look forward to is a warm palm-rest and constantly stuck slot drive then I will definitely look into getting the E6400 especially if it’s proven to be the more reliable unit.
I still can’t believe that I’m the only one who is experiencing the warm left side wrist-rest and the stuck slot drive, yet then again I take it back as Yes I do.
Now that the winter is moving in I also discovered something, which I never heard on the HP and that’s the fan, yet I know that’s more then likely because I had ceiling and tower fans running at the time, yet now with them off you can definitely know when the Studio 15 fan turns on.
Thanks,
SD

 

Hi Sam – I’m definitely very new to this Studio 15 and although I really don’t think they are designed for the musician or stereo buff in mind the sound system is very poor to say the least and how the engineers of the unit, knowing it was to be a multimedia unit, and put such little emphasis into that area is truly beyond me.
SD

 

Thnx for your response!
Ok...So I should look at other options I guess..So which on do I go for ..Am still not decided..??

 

Hi Sam – I would say that all depends on what your greatest needs are.
Mine were/are that I want/wanted the best possible clear bright display for viewing photo’s at the best detailed quality that I could and I will tell you that coming from a 17” HP with a WSXGA display that the Dell WXGA + LED definitely has it beat hands down as far as brightness and clarity is concerned.
I also just love the backlit keyboard as I type a great amount of my work at night and it’s just a super feature in my book.
Also in my opinion the Dell keyboards have HP’s cheap toys beat, as that’s the difference I feel when typing on the Studio compared to them, yet I will also say that that doesn’t go for their business line as I just loved the feel of my Armada.
If your main want/need is to put in your favorite CD/DVD and expect a BOSE wave experience then I’d definitely say that you picked/picking the wrong unit for that.
If you want/need and good all around unit with some really nice features and a beautiful clear bright display then the Studio 15 is a very good choice, I just hope you don’t get a faulty slot drive like I definitely & unfortunately did.
I hope I helped.
SD

 

How much of a difference is there in quality between the WLED 1440x900 and the 1920x1200?

For instance if I was on a trip and watched a blu-ray on the plane...... would I really notice a difference in the picture quality with the 1440x900 over the 1920x1200?

Or should I just go with the 1440x900 to have the WLED screen? I pretty much only use my computer for the internet and sometimes watching movies on plane trips.

Overall........is WLED better than regular LED on battery life or whatever it's good for to make it worth the drop down to have it?

Then if you think I should only get the 1440x900.......what would be the difference between getting the HIGH Resolution 1440x900 WLED over the 1280x800 WLED.......... is there enough of a difference in quality when watching a DVD or Blu-ray to make it worth the extra $125 if I'm not going to just go with the 1920x1200 for just another $25 more than the 1440x900?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Couple of blu-ray disc I've watched in my Studio w/LED, I couldn't tell it was downlscaled from WUXGA...

 

KingRaptor: Can you please add a edit in your first post?

That the solution to the wierd keyboard issue where the keys seems to "stick" is turning your Num Lk on. This works on BOTH the 15 and 17 model.

Could be alot of help for those who are searching for a solution, since your thread would be a excellent place to put it

 

I'm ready to Order a Studio 15, but after reading all the problems on here......... I'm wondering if that would be a huge mistake.

What would you do if you could do it again? Would you still buy yours? Do they really have that many problems?

This is what I'm looking at getting:

SYSTEM COLOR Tangerine Orange
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9400 (2.530GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6MB cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1
HD DISPLAY Hi Resolution/Bright, glossy widescreen 15.4 WLED display (1440x900)
MEMORY 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
HARD DRIVE Size: 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
VIDEO CARD 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE 6X Slot Load Bluray (BD) Combo Drive (BD Read Only)
WIRELESS NETWORK CARDS Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11agn Half Mini-Card
BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.1)
INTEGRATED WEBCAM Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
BATTERY OPTIONS 85 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
SOUND OPTIONS High Definition Audio 2.0
KEYBOARD Back-lit Keyboard
FINGERPRINT SCANNER Integrated Finger Print Reader
4 Year In-Home Service (GET BACK $75 DELL DOLLARS)
4 Year Accidental Damage and Lo-Jack

With my 7% EPP discount and the additional 4% discount for using my dell card with no interest for 9 months, the total BEFORE tax and shipping for the configuration below is $1694........After 6.5% sales tax and $39 for 2nd day air, the total is $1846.26

 

The only thing I see wrong is the TANGERINE color!

The Studio is a FINE notebook. As with anything, you may get a perfect one or you may have a problem. If there is a problem, it will usually show right away. You have 21 days to put it through your torture tests. If you don't like it, send it back, get your money back and your not out anything.

Also, the OUTLET has some VERY TERRIFIC deals, that will make you smile cheek-to-cheek when you see how much you can save. There are coupons out right now to save you even more on a Studio from the Outlet.

My Studio 15 as over half off the retail price and it's a wonderful unit for the price.

 

I would definitely buy my machine again if I had the choice. The Tangerine Orange is actually pretty sharp from what I have seen. I like my Red though. You may also want to look through the Outlet, they will have some good deals. You won't get the 9 months interest free though.

 

Thanks, I couldn't decide between red and orange........I've been looking in the outlet all week..... no Centrino 2 and anything with a blu-ray rom is so close in price after adding the warranty that it really isn't worth it for the savings.

 

Hey all, ordered my Studio 15 on the 24th
got the Red Swirl with the T9400 and the LED display
still "in production" sadly
but hopefully not too much longer - I'm itchin for a laptop so I dont have to live attached to my desktop

 

Good luck, I just got an email that my system ship date has been delayed to Nov. 7. It was supposed to ship today.

Hope you get yours soon.

 

lol yeah, all the posts about delays are making me wish I'd searched for that part before I ordered - at least I would've known what I was potentially getting into!

oh well, at least my desktop is so overkill as to distract me from the fact that I'm down in the basement instead of upstairs with the wife

 

Which part? My system is almost basic for the Studio 15...I got the Plum Purple color (not one of the patterns), and standard for most other things.

However, the rumor I read recently was that the ATI vid card might be the cause, but there's no way of knowing, unless I call and nag at Dell until they tell me...but what are the chances they will? :/ I guess I'll see what happens Nov. 7...if I'll have my system, or if it'll be delayed...again.

 

Hi.... I'm really tempted to get a studio 15 but I read that studio 15 weighs about 6.11lbs. Has that ever bothered anyone? My current laptop is 6.0lbs. I'm ok with carrying it around (to school and back home)... I wonder if .11lbs extra weight will make a difference?

Any input? Insight? Opinion? Suggestion? All are welcome! Thanks so much!!!

 

That's only about 1.76 ounces, so I don't think you'll notice it that much.

 

Hey guys – Well I certainly don’t or wouldn’t want to be a reason of why anyone wouldn’t buy a Studio 15 or a Dell for that matter, yet I can honestly tell you that I learned in life that you can’t compare unless you have something to compare to and I honestly can tell you that if HP had a backlit keyboard along with a LED display like the Studio 15 that I would in a heartbeat be ordering it right now, as Dell has done nothing yet just outright lie to me from the onset and I just don’t like to being lied to by anyone.
First I was told I was getting a certified refurbish unit and instead I shamefully got a scratch & dent one.
Then after countless attempts of registering the issue I’m then promised a Studio 1537 with extra bells & whistles.
From there not one yet three separate delivery dates have all sadly turned up as lies and now today through total disheartening disgust I re-contacted them again and are you ready for this; it seems the information was not true, they still have not located a replacement unit and nothing has been shipped, pretty nice hey.
Like I said if HP or any other manufacturer made a unit 15” with the backlit keyboard and LED display which I just love I’d truly bid Dell are very fond farewell and it really is no major wonder with shameful situations as mine as to why they dropped off the top of the computer mountain.
SD

 

HP Keyboards are enough to put me off any of their notebooks, my room-mate's and my other friend's are horrible. This, however is a joy to type on.

 

Hey purplegreendave – If I argued with you with that point I would then be an outright liar, as the Dell keyboard definitely jumps leaps & bounds over the HP home line, especially with the Studio line, yet that doesn’t take away my real sour taste with Dell and the outright blatant lies they shamefully shoveled me.
I just hope that everything is all said and done that they won’t try and tell me that my 21 day return or exchange policy has expired, as I just wouldn’t put that past them now.
The saying goes that time will definitely tell so I now sit and patiently wait.
What truly stinks about it for what has happened to me is I really can’t get too comfortable in what I have now, in terms of adding software and etc., as it will be going back whenever I do get my exchange unit.
at any rate I will definitely write an update when I hopefully get one and can.
Thanks all,
SD

 

Hmmm....not sure about that. I have three HP notebooks (granted, all HDX series) and a Studio 15 (and have had about evey Inspiron and XPS notebook Dell has made), and the keyboards HP uses for their HDX series are very nice.

If I was forced to choose, I'd have to say the HP is better than the Studio 15 keyboard. The problem with the Studio 15 keyboard is the keyboard is bouncy, and there is a HUMP in the middle of the keyboard just like the XPS M1530's had. Not all have them, but most do. It's due to cable routing under the keyboard. The cables stick up a bit and cause the KB to have a "hill" in the middle. Doesn't look so good.

The keyboards HP uses on their HDX (16t and 18t) are silver, flat, and firm, not bouncy. No problems. The keyboard on the HDX Dragon (20") is black and a very nice, firm, keyboard with quick, clicky response.

Nothing at all to complain about with those models.

To each their own, I guess....

 

Hey lancorp – I’m merely commenting on my comparison of my once HP DV9700t keyboard and my now looks like leased Studio 15 and between the two there’s really no doubt that the 15 has it beat hands down.
The HP DV9700t’s keyboard in my opinion was a toy to the 15 and anyone could easily just hit & lift off any of the keys by it’s stupid design as one would just get underneath them when typing and the next thing you know you either had a one key higher keyboard or you needed to very gingerly put the key back on and that along with the ultra dim display, especially compared to the 15 was my major turnoff with HP.
I don’t know anything about their HDX line, yet I really don’t want nor need a 16” or better unit, as I’m just quite content with either a 14” or 15” max, yet I can see that with the trend going to intense game playing and movie watching that the 15” is considered rather small today.
I certainly don’t want to watch a movie on my laptop and I’m not a game player by any means and so far from what I have the grateful chance and opportunity to check out in competitive units be it HP, Acer and Gateway and for solely me if it wasn’t for the warmth on the left palm-rest and the annoying fan constantly turning on & off I’m overall pretty content & pleased with the Studio 15, yet I wouldn’t give you 2cents for their customer service, as from my experience and be it what anyone says HP definitely has them beat in that department and like I said; If I could find a good 14” or tops 15” with a backlit keyboard and a LED screen like the 15 I would honestly move on, as I am and always have been very BIG on customer service and I’m sorry to have to say this yet from my standpoint Dell’s consumer customer service is very sad to say the least.
Like I said from one of my way back posts; I’m certainly not prejudice by any means but by GOSH can I please know & understand what is being said to me on the opposite side of the line…GEEZ.
In general I think from my onset post and very grateful inception that what I want/wanted and need that I am & should be a very easy & simple solution, yet I honestly must tell you that I would never believed that coming from a Compaq 14” Pentium II 400Mhz unit would have been the computer ride of my life, yet believe me it was and somehow still is.
Thanks as always,
SD

 

Tell me someone just sent me a WMV and are these sad & pitiful speakers and so-called sound system not the ultimate worst, as I don’t buy a laptop for the sound system by any means yet this pitiful puppy can’t even do any justice to Windows sounds, what the heck were these Moronic engineers thinking, especially for a so-called multimedia notebook/laptop.
Very sad.
SD

 

Understood. I was commenting on purplegreendave's comment, though, and was merely giving an "other-side-of-the-fence" comparison, since I have had the opportunity to use so many DELL and HP notebooks, not just one particular model like most.

In any case, it sounds like you've been around the block and back with Dell and your Studio 15. Sorry to hear. I've never been a fan of HP, but a few months ago I took the plunge on a good deal on their HDX 20". Quality unit.

Then, they released their 16" 1080p HDX16t. New technology (Centrino2), and all the latest and greatest, and again, got a screamin' deal on a very powerful unit. Soon after, they introduced the 18" model, with a QUAD CORE chip at an unbelieveable price (thousands less than a comparable Dell Precsion), and now that I have it, I love it. I cannot speak for their mainstream consumer lines, but the HDX seems to be quality. Their cost is higher (unless you score big discounts with coupons and cashback offers like I did), but the HDX units seem to be top-drawer (Like Dell XPS line).

That's my story on Dell and HP. I still sell Dell to all my clients, but right now, the only Dell I own is the Studio 15.

 

Hi lancorp – Since my very grateful acceptance into this great forum and venue I have always valued your opinion & expertise, as well as all the other great notebook review great individuals and I know that I’m truly behind in knowledge from the vast majority that frequent it, yet I also learned a great deal with everyone’s grateful help and if I thought for one moment that I could easily adapt to the 16” display I would go and venture into the HP HDX line, yet I think you already seen what happen to me when I went to the HP 17” unit and I suddenly said; OMG I think I have Long Arms disease as everything is just getting further & further away yet seriously; I was definitely truly lost and not happy one bit with the purchase, as my basic mindset thought well if I go bigger in size then I’ll see things the size I need & want and crystal clear, yet that theory for me & my sad eyes shockingly went out the proverbial window fast when I seen it, as I had to zoom in and blow things up many times to be anywhere comfortable at all.
Now I have Thankfully scaled down to a 15” display and suddenly I realized that a desktop does in fact have icons & text and I can open up a photo and I don’t have to zoom in 5 + levels to see it the way I need & crystal clear like I want.
In my little experience with my HP DV9700t unit I’m certainly not going to stupidly say that it was complete JUNK because that’s definitely not true, yet for what I paid for it I certainly expected a whole lot more and to be happy which I unfortunately wasn’t.
I personally think that Dell & HP are neck in neck in their own rights, yet I just wanted to find a top notch manufacturer, who made a top notch product, with especially top not service, yet I can definitely see that that’s definitely being very greedy with today’s standards so I figure if I can find a top notch manufacturer, who makes a top notch product then why would ever need quality 3?
Seriously; everyone wants & needs what they want & need and like my beautiful Grandmother once told me; If everyone was plumbers then we wouldn’t need electricians
Variety & choices are definitely a way and the spice of life and what’s great for one may not good for another, So as for me and like I said; The Studio 15 from what I can tell and see does seem like a pretty decent unit, as I just love the bright LED display and backlit keyboard, yet I’m just very disheartened with the very warm left side palm-rest, the very annoying fan, the very sad & pitiful audio system and most importantly the very non- existent service, so if you or anyone can lead me with your very gracious expertise to a unit that has the features I like other then a Mac Pro then I’m definitely all ears, otherwise I think the Studio 15 is the closet I will get to my preferences and needs.
Thanks again as always,
SD

 

AFAIK the two HP's I tried were both DV series, could be wrong though. And they're horrid *shudder*

 

Hi purplegreendave – And why am I not shocked with your short lived HP DV rendezvous.
SD

 

I have now received not one, yet get this 8 separate emails from Dell Customer Service in Yes India and all of them assuring me that I will not wait Yes no more then 16 days for my replacement Studio 15, so tell me; Do you think they genuinely located one or do you think my letter of total & complete disheartening disgust just got to someone who truly cares?
SD

 

There's no use in complaining about Dell's outsourcing to India, a lot of companies do it these days, and unless you go for the XPS range you're stuck with it.
Personally I think the Studio is a wonderful laptop, it's a real shame to see how much trouble you're having with it.

 

Actually, the best way to get good customer service and tech support from DELL is to order from their Small Business Division (Vostro, Latitude) instead of the Consumer site! The difference is amazing!

I almost ordered a Latitude E6500 instead of my Studio 15, but it was several hundred dollars more for a very similar configuration. I'm loving my Studio 15 and just PRAYING that it doesn't break....and if it does, that it's something I can fix myself.

 

Hey guys – if you don’t mind could anyone answer these few questions for me in regards to the Studio 15.
My boss ordered the Studio 15 for her daughter today for her XMAS present, who believe me could possibly be the next Carrie Underwood as she has a Great singing voice and she wanted little ole me to see how she did , as I’m considered the knowledgeable computer one at my job, which trust me that is very scary and when I checked her order a couple of questions immediately came to me and I would greatly appreciate it if any of you can kindly answer them.

1. She ordered the Studio 1537 with a P8400 processor and I would kindly like know which is better a P8400 or T9400 and what is the difference between them?

2. The invoice said it comes with a 1280x800 WLED display and first I never seen when I was checking the displays out that it in fact came with a WLED display with a 1280x800 and what is the better display; 1280x800 WLED or 1400x900 + LED and why?

3. I told her of the very inferior sound system in the Studio 15 and the Dell rep told her to go with the better Sound Blaster card for better sound and is this only true when you hook up external speakers or will the better sound card just sound louder and better overall?

Thanks everyone,
SD

 

1. The P8400 would be fine for her use. The T9400 has a higher clock speed and more cache.

2. Yeah, for some reason the Centrino 2 version offers WLED in both resolutions. I guess it is a part of their effort to make all screens LED by 2010. There isn't necessarily a 'better' screen, it is more based on preference. The 1440x900 would give more screen real estate than the 1280x800.

3. Yeah the sound definitely is not the best. However I don't think you necessarily need to upgrade to the actual additional soundcard to get good sound. Simply using headphones or external speakers would be good enough. The soundcard won't improve the S15s speakers in any way and it looks like the rep talked her into something she really didn't need. Unless she is a huge audiophile or something.

 

1) The P8400 is runs at 2.26GHz, has 1066MHz FSB, and 3mb L2 cache memory; The T9400 runs at 2.53GHz, has 1066MHz FSB and 6mb L2 cache. The "P" series processors also use less than power than models beginning with "T" and should run a bit cooler under load also. If battery life is important, the P8400 is the way to go. Performance wise- the P8400 is actually a very good performer and the T9400 is almost overkill.

2) The new Studio 1537 has a standard WXGA LED display (1280x800 resolution); the benefit of choosing the higher resolution WXGA+ (1440x900 resolution) is that you increase the visible area by approximately 21%- fonts and text will be smaller by a corresponding rate (21%) but higher resolution displays make viewing two windows side-by-side or large spreadsheets, etc. much easier than on a basic WXGA 1280x800 display. The benefits of an LED backlight compared to conventional (CCFL) backlighting are lighter weight, thinner design, lower power usage and brighter, crisper images.

3) The crappy speakers are what they are and nothing will make them sound significantly better. The key is using headphones, earbuds or external stereo speakers of some kind. I use earbuds with mine and the sound is great compared to the built-in speaker.

 

Hi guys. I accidentally put my blanket on top of my laptop and the blanket covered the air vent of the laptop. When I noticed this, the laptop was very hot. Will it cause permanent damage? Quite worried now.

 

Hey Guys – Thanks so much for the great information yet let me please see if I can straight, as I may try being that there’s no replacement unit yet in sight, to change some things predicated on your gracious suggestions and expertise.

First; allfiredup I sent you a private email days ago and I never heard back from you so I just wondering if you ever received it?

Next; so if I’m understanding both purplegreendave & you correctly the P8400 processor is a much better and more efficient processor then their T9400 right?

Next; in regards to the displays and what has turned out to be my major hill, there’s absolutely no difference in the 1280x800 + LED display opposed to the 1400x900 + LED display except with more screen real-estate for programs on the 1400x900 one right?
So then if I wanted icons & text to default at the bigger DPI without having to manually change it, wouldn’t I be much better off with 1280x800 + LED display over the 1400x900 one or am I missing something here?
Are photos going to look any or not any clear or detailed with either one of them, as viewing & editing photo’s is my main priority and no one has still told me what would be a great viewer to view them in other then the Vista default photo gallery?

Finally; I thought that a different audio card wouldn’t & couldn’t alter the sound of the installed speakers in the Studio 15 and it would just offer more options with plug-ins and onscreen software such as a EQ, yet I just wanted to be sure I was right in my thinking.
Can anyone recommend a real good set of external speakers for the Studio 15, which will yield good quality sound and volume?

Thanks again everyone,
SD

 

Should be fine. What you think is hot it not that bad to silicon so it should be fine. It will shut itself down when it gets to an unsafe temperature.

 

Hi ps89 – Did you know it has it’s own Sleep mode you didn’t have to put it to sleep with a blanket but that was cute.

Just kidding guy, I’m certainly no aficionado by any means yet I really don’t think you have to really worry, as when people take their units outside in the heat the units get much hotter, when they drive it with graphic intense games they start to heat up and these new units were designed to tolerate “occasional” higher temps, yet I certainly wouldn’t make a habit of throwing a blanket over it while it’s still on, as then you can really start the processes of board and weakened solder connections.

One time I really wouldn’t worry and besides it really will show you just how durable your unit is or is not.

I had units that you could cook an egg on, which I heard is the unfortunate downside to a certain manufactures (HP’s) new unit and they never died prematurely because of it, just as the saying goes; just be careful & not real negligent and you should enjoy your toy for a good long while.

Don’t sweat it.
SD





Hi ps89 – Did you know it has it’s own Sleep mode you didn’t have to put it to sleep with a blanket but that was cute.

Just kidding guy, I’m certainly no aficionado by any means yet I really don’t think you have to really worry, as when people take their units outside in the heat the units get much hotter, when they drive it with graphic intense games they start to heat up and these new units were designed to tolerate “occasional” higher temps, yet I certainly wouldn’t make a habit of throwing a blanket over it while it’s still on, as then you can really start the processes of board and weakened solder connections.

One time I really wouldn’t worry and besides it really will show you just how durable your unit is or is not.

I had units that you could cook an egg on, which I heard is the unfortunate downside to a certain manufactures (HP’s) new unit and they never died prematurely because of it, just as the saying goes; just be careful & not real negligent and you should enjoy your toy for a good long while.

Don’t sweat it.
SD

 

atbnet: Thanks for the clarification. Now I feel better knowing that everything would be fine. Was worried it'd spoil my baby.

sdep: Well, I put a blanket on it to keep it warm just like what we do when we feel cold. Didn't know I was stuffing it. Poor thing! I bet it complained to me by having a fever! Nah, just kidding!

Anyway, thanks for the nice explanation! It certainly made sense. Yeah, this is my first laptop and I won't be changing it anytime soon! So I hope it will last me for a long time.

 

As Jeff Foxworth would say, "Don't do that do no more!"

Luckily, newer laptops are very good at protecting themselves from overheating. I had a similar experience several years ago with a Toshiba laptop that I sat on the sofa cushion next to me and one of the sofa pillows was blocking the side air vents. It was more Hibachi than Toshiba after that!

 

Is there a simple way to tell if the keyboard is backlit or not checking externally? I've found two types (comparing only keyboards) of Studios in a market, one of them had sort of laminated button letters and others had not. I was told all of them did not have that function. Could be true? :> That one with glossy laminated letters had a fingerprint reader too.

 

To activate the backlit keyboard, if it does have one- Press and Hold the 'Fn' key while pressing the Right Arrow key in the bottom-right corner of the keyboard. That Right Arrow key also has a symbol (a light shining, I think). Continue holding 'Fn' and Press and Relese the Right Arrow- that turns it on HIGH, pressing the Right Arrow (while still holding 'Fn') reduces it to DIM, and once again turns it OFF!

Good luck!

 

These notebooks had been turned off, but I remember there was no light symbol on a right arrow. I'm pretty sure I won't find a backlit keyboard in Lithuania. Dammit. Checked a lot.

 

Hi everyone, I have 2 quick questions:

1. Whenever I shut down and power up, or reboot, the progress bar on the "DELL" screen (before Windows loads) takes a VERY long time. Than the screen turns black and a text cursor flashes in the upper-left hand corner. After about a minute the computer starts beeping like crazy. My only option is pressing the power button, which shuts the computer down, and turn it back on. This will usually happen several times. After maybe the 4th or 5th time, after the long "DELL" screen it will NOT go into the black screen but will finally go into booting Vista. What's the problem???

2. Sometimes I have to reinsert CDs/DVDs several times before Vista recognizes that there's info on them. This not only happens w/ recordables but RETAIL CDs/DVDs as well!! I put in a store bought CD and Vista thought it was blank! After a few tries it finally showed the content... Help??

My system info if necessary:
Studio 15
T8100
3GB RAM
320 HDD
ATI Mob. Rad. HD 3450
Vista HP

Thank you,
AP

 

Hi typeadam – so you’re a great typist hey?

Well once again I’m definitely no computer Guru by any means, yet your first problem seems to be corrupted loading files and I have 2 suggestions for you:
The first is back your self up with all your needed data and do a system restore and take yourself back to when your computer was booting up fine.
The next and final one would be definitely a pain and a bit time consuming, yet back yourself up once again and as always and then reinsert your Dell system disk, which should have come with your unit and put the unit back to a complete factory install.

Your CD/DVD issue unfortunately sounds like it just might be that, yet try the first 2 suggestions as sometimes corrupted files can definitely start a domino effect and throw everything off.

Good luck & I Hope I’ve helpled.
SD

 

Hey guys – Any answers to my last post as I would never want to repost and as many other topics and issues start getting added the others inadvertently take a forever forgotten seat to the rear of the computer bus and allfiredup did you get my personal email?
Thanks everyone,
SD

 

WOW......... reading through this thread and others makes me think I should cancel my Studio 15 and just go with an HP.

There's nothing but post after post and thread after thread complaining about problems with the Studios.......It makes them sound like pieces of sh*t.

I just looked at the HP forum and there aren't really any complaints which is a huge contrast to all the complaints in all the Dell forums.

ARE DELL's STUDIO's REALLY THAT BAD??

 

sdep Thanks for the tip, I feel I may need to do that since I fear I might have messed something up when installing a few programs a few weeks ago... Thank you

Honestly, they are not bad computers at all! The booting problem I noted before is probably b/c of something I screwed b/c when I got the system new it was working just fine.
I bought the Studio b/c it offered 1920x1200, a 320HDD, 3GB, ATI, 3USB (1eSata/USB combo) - all for which was MUCH less than a similarly configured HP... Plus I love the way it looks over the HP.. But that's just my .02...

 

Hey typeadam - It was my pleasure and I sure hope it rectifies your bootup issue as many times that's all it is, just a few or even one corrupted file.
SD

 

Hey guys once again

In regards to the displays and what has turned out to be my major hill, there’s absolutely no difference in the 1280x800 + LED display opposed to the 1400x900 + LED display except with more screen real-estate for programs on the 1400x900 one right?
So then if I wanted icons, text and especially photo's to default at the bigger DPI and size without having to manually change it, wouldn’t I be much better off with 1280x800 + LED display over the 1400x900 display or am I missing something here?
Are photos going to look any bigger, clearer or more detailed with either one of them, as viewing & editing photo’s is my main priority and no one has still told me what would be a great viewer to view them in other then the Vista default photo gallery?

Finally; I thought that a different audio card wouldn’t & couldn’t alter the sound of the installed speakers in the Studio 15 and it would just offer more options with plug-ins and onscreen software such as a EQ, yet I just wanted to be sure I was right in my thinking.
Can anyone recommend a real good set of external speakers for the Studio 15, which will yield good quality sound and volume?

Thanks again everyone,
SD

 

Icons will be bigger on the 1280 x 800 screen - it makes sense when you think about it - there's less pixels behind the same amount of glass, so the pixels will be bigger.
The sound card in the Studio is pretty good, unless you're a complete audiophile, and a new one means you'll need speakers anyway, so speakers are what you want.

In my experience Boston speakers are pretty awesome.