Studio 15 Purchase Decision

I'm thinking about purchasing a Dell Studio 15 as a replacement for my recently dead HP Pavilion dv6500. The HP is dead after 1.5 years most likely due to over heating, even though I use a laptop cooler.

Anyway I'll be using this for work, programming, watching divx/mkv connecting to my LCD TV, web surfing. This will be my first Dell laptop ever so any input from you guys will be greatly appreciated. The specs are below along with how much it'll cost:

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6500 (2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 - Word, Excel + PowerPoint
Classic Protection: 1yr Ltd Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
15.6” High Definition+ (900p) Bright LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
Size: 500GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
8X Slot Load Super Multi (DL DVD+/-R Drive + RAM support)
Intel® WiFi Link 5100 802.11agn Half Mini-Card
56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
High Definition Audio 2.0
Back-lit Keyboard
Black Chainlink

Starting Price $1,162
Instant Savings $333
Subtotal $829

Price is before tax with shipping included for free. I got this from the current Studio 15 deal that's going on right now.

So my question would be is this a good deal or can a better deal be had in the future, if so how much better? Any other recommendations? Thanks.

 

Well it's a pretty good configuration for your needs,the only ''inconvenient'' might be 16:9 aspect ratio.

 

That's a good price for that configuration.

And hgfdsa, if he didn't want 16:9, he probably wouldn't be looking at the Studio 15.

 

I was about to say, isn't that a plus?

 

thats good, but i say just save the money and buy microsoft student from a store so you have the disk rather then just getting it downloaded on. thats what i did

 

They give you the disk in the box with your laptop if you want to reinstall it later.

 

really? hmm oh well i got a better deal from a friend. a brand new disk never been used for $45. cause he got that but then his dad got the microsoft office that he liked more.

 

people have easily changed minds i guess

 

Looks pretty close to mine except I have a smaller 320 HDD, the 1080p display and the 9 cell. The price looks comparable to mine as well.

I'd say it's a good deal. I'd suggest both the 9 cell and 1080p display if your budget allows it. I love how the laptop is propped up with the 9 cell and of course the added battery life is nice. The 1080p display is good for multitasking (I know it will be nice when I am programming) though the smaller text size takes a little getting used to.

Also, if you're a student you can get a 7% discount through Dell University. It may be a slightly different build from the one you have, so it may or may not be worth it. Just mess with the settings.

I am loving the laptop, the only complaint I have is that the touchpad can get fairly warm. I'm using a trackball mouse, so I don't even notice it anymore.

 

Actually when I first looked into getting a new laptop from Dell, I was surprised with all the new 16:9 ratio screen. At first I wasn't sure I'd like it since I'm losing vertical real estate and that's why I'm going with the 900p to make up for that lost.

 

The link I clicked on for the deal gave Office to me as a default option and no choice to downgrade. http://www.dell.com/content/product...20226&acd=F8PEXR-MNVHU-RM18MY-IY6ME1-Q6WT1-v1

 

How does using the 9 cell on your lap feel? Comfortable? Also any problems with heat since I just came from a dead hp laptop due to excessive heat/temperature.

 

I've only used it on my lap a little bit, but I generally don't use laptops on my lap due to heat. I know they are called laptops, but I just worry about heat being a problem.

However, when I did use it on my lap it didn't get that hot and the propped up back from the 9 cell certainly helps.