Studio 17 with MONTEVINA is up on US Dell Website......

It doesn't look like anyone's actually received their 1737 yet, or at least hasn't posted about it...

I'm really chomping at the bit to buy one. I was waiting the Montevina chips to pop up in Studio 17s before I jumped in, but since then the configuration options have been really lacking. I was really hoping for a P8600, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen before the end of the year, and DDR3 is probably so far out still it's not even worth thinking about. I've already been waiting ~6 months, and I don't think I can keep it together anymore, they're just too beautiful, so I'm going for the P8400.

I was hoping I could get some performance data from someone that's actually had opportunity to work on one, if at least to brace myself for what I might be in for. If, or when, anyone gets their hands on one, how does it handle heat and fan noise?

 

I ordered my studio 17 on the 13th of this month when they went fully live across the whole line, because i didn't want the extra warranty that was manditory with the high end model they were pushing at first, and i had to have been one of the first to order as i ordered it while they were changing over the site in the morning. I just called dell and they told me that the "supplier was overwhelmed" and that 1 part was missing for production. Meanwhile they didn't update my estimated ship date until i called them, it was originally today, and now it's Dec. 4th, my birthday funny enough.

So we'll see if i can actually get this thing for christmas. This is the 4th Studio 17 i've ordered, the first one had a power button that wouldn't work, go figure. The second worked alright but they wouldn't give me the upgraded battery for the amount of money that it changed to. The third order got delayed for over a month and that brought up the update so i just ordered this one and canceled that one, thinking it would ship out just a few days from when the delayed order should've shipped, and here we are. Gotta love dell.

 

Still don't see the RGB LED FULL HD screen option. Dell, do you even care about your customers? Perhaps they WANT people to find other brands to take the workload off of them. Dang, shouldn't have let go of the thousands of people Dell did a few months back.

 

Well I got the famous Dell Order Delayed email today for the Studio 17 with the RGB LED screen. It was supposed to ship today and now they have it set for 12/2.

 

And... I can no longer find any way to get to a configurator that allows the RGB LED to be selected. My EPP no longer offers it and that green "premium laptop" banner ad seems to be gone.

So, forget worrying about the "User-Installable Bluetooth module". Now I get to be paranoid about whether or not my order on Saturday morning really (really-really) will get an RGB LED screen.

 

That would be fraud if they sent you a non RGB LED screen if you paid the extra for it.

Either way I see it, Dell, shame on you. Still haven't got crap together. Maybe they should give up and quit and make a comeback when they actually know how to do business. That means selling more laptops than getting defective returns back.

 

I'm sorry - that's not at all what I was implying. Seriously, as picky as I've apparently been this year, I think Dell's put up with me very politely! So, I don't think there's any chance of outright "fraud".

It's just that I could definitely see them sending me an email informing me of a $150 (?) price reduction and mandatory configuration change to my order.

 

Well they have broken my heart again. Since they are transferring all of the manufacturing over to Asia I guess they will lose control over production times and quality.

 

Mark, is that a whippet in your avatar? They are such beautiful dogs. Sorry to go offtopic for a second.

 

I got the same thing yesterday.

 

The phone says 12/1 as well, but good news: It's in the testing phase today! I was stuck in build for 3 weeks last time, this order is being completed way faster. My internal bluetooth module was delayed yesterday though.. I ordered on the 19th. Oh and I got the rgb led screen.

 

I thought that was a good thing too but mine has been in the so called Testing mode for weeks and then I got the delay letter. When I call the automated system it still says in the Test Mode and now it doesnt even give me a ship date.

I tried to post about this in the Dell Forums (which are terrible now) and they deleted my message. I dont even know why.

 

Has anyone that received a separate order number/shipping date for the Bluetooth card actually received it as a separate shipment? Is this really something Dell is inclined to do? It seems pretty thick-headed...

I ordered a 1737 on Monday without the LED display; it seems like the order status phone line, depending on the position of Neptune in relation to Gemini, gives me two different responses. It is alternatively in the Boxing stage with a ship date of 12/5, or the Build stage with a ship date of 12/2. The Bluetooth module consistently ships on 12/2 and is in the Build stage (what, they have to kill the Bluetooth and skin it before they put it in the microwave? what are they building?)

If anyone receives theirs, I'd love to hear about it.

 

OOOOOO my laptop just went into testing when it was in the build stage yesterday. I guess they're getting the parts they were waiting for. Mine has the 1440x900 LED screen and upgraded video card, P8400 processor and the "extra" bluetooth module, who knows if that will be put in or given in a separate box to install, we'll see. The ship date is the 4th.

 

After being in testing yesterday, I recieved a delay letter stating that there was some problem that needed to be fixed, and to avoid further delaying me, they had to cancel my order and make a new one. Thing is, they still delayed my shipping a week to 12/8. The order looked exactly the same except they canceled my first 1737 and bluetooth module orders, then made a new order with the bluetooth included. They also changed my shipping from 3-5 to next day.

 

It's all very confusing... My 1737 is still set to ship on 12/04 (with next day delivery - Thank You Dell!), but, that Mysterious "Bluetooth Module" is set to ship on 12/01. During my previous (canceled) order, the BT Module wasn't due to ship until about 2 weeks later. Either way (before or after) it still makes me nervous that it doesn't actually ship AS PART of the 1737.

By the way - all y'all who have mentioned your system being "In Testing" - where are you? Or, more specifically, what am I missing? I'm in the US, have ordered several Dell laptops this year and I've never seen any status other than "In Production" and "Shipped". And believe me, I really (really-really) wish some of my orders had gone through a "Testing" stage!

 

When you call 1-800-433-9014 and put in your order number, it will tell you what specific stage it is currently in as far as "in production". I'm in ny and i hope dell upgrades my shipping to next day. They just called and emailed me to say that the bluetooth module has been delayed a second time, but this time it is delayed to the exact day my laptop was delayed to, the 4th. So hopefully it ships installed and ready to rock and roll. It's so funny i have been buying some misc. peripherals and have had 3 orders shipped to me in the last 2 weeks while still waiting for this one item.

 

Mine shows "In Production" on the email and when I call the order status line it is "In Testing" which is where it has been for the past couple of weeks so obviously this is not accurate information. I have a feeling they are either missing or having issues with some major parts such as screen or Montevino.

Also if the rumor about the XPS and Studio merging and becoming XPS Studio then I wonder where the Studio 17 falls into all of this. Supposedly the new line will become the XPS Studion 13 and 16. So at this point why would they be making major upgrades to the Studio 17 with the Montevino and RGB LED screen?

Anyway it should be interesting to see what happens when the new Ship date (12/2) comes around. I did not order Bluetooth.

 

I just called again and now my laptop is in the boxing stage, so from the looks of it, the laptop should get out early if not on time at the very least. Good luck to everyone, i'm hoping maybe i'll get it FOR my birthday on the 4th, nice little gift.

 

So I am guessing it must be the RGB LED screen that is holding up the orders since you ordered the Montevino CPU and the regular LED screen and yours is being shipped.

 

I didn't get the LED screen, and mine's been in the boxing phase since the day after I placed the order, though the shipping date hasn't changed (I only ordered it a couple days ago). Meanwhile, the bluetooth component is still in the build phase with an earlier shipping date.

If this is true, it means their production system is completely out of whack, and I'll be getting a system that wasn't thoroughly tested. If it's not true, then their order status system is negated by its own unreliability, and status is unknowable.

I'd be really discouraged by this if I hadn't already expected it after reading this thread.

It will be pretty ridiculous if they actually ship them separately within a few days of each other, but it's no big deal to install it. I'd take it apart as soon as I got it anyway, just to enjoy every little aspect of the newness.

 

Well isn't this F*ng dandy. So just two days ago dell delays the bluetooth to ship with the notebook, and calls me to make sure i still want it because it's been delayed twice. Now today, they CANCELLED the WHOLE order!!! I called immediately and have been on the phone for the past 2 hours and now have finally gotten something resolved. Guess what that was??? New system ordered.

This guys are driving me up the F*NG wall. They hung up on me once, then i got bounced around by customer service saying it was a DFS problem and then DFS just saying that the order says i didn't want it. Then when they were going to conference me in with a sales guy to get the order reinstated i got moved to a switchboard operator and then was on hold with the sales dept for 30 minutes before i actually got someone that spoke clear english down in Austin and apologized to high heaven for what has been happening.

He set me up with a new order and said he expedited it, and I got him to throw in the 250gig 7200rpm hard drive instead of the 5400rpm and he gave me the fingerprint scanner and a mouse for lord knows what reason, he said it was just coming with the package right now lol.

Estimated ship date is set at 12/9/08, so we'll see, so much for getting the machine on my birthday lol

 

At least you got an upgrade out of it. I doubt I'd have the patience for that, I'd probably just let them cancel it and take my business elsewhere.

 

The 2 Studio 1737's I ordered with blutooth and RGB were originally just like yours with the blutooth set to come separately........................

.....................then a few days ago I got an email saying they had to cancel my order due to a "part conflict" and sent me 2 NEW order numbers because they re-ordered them for me with the exact SAME specs.

NOW, my blutooth is coming with the computers, BUT they're coming 12/9 now instead of 12/1. Same thing will probably happen to you

 

Yeah, sounds likely. I'm not holding my breath.

Let me know how it works out for you. Best of luck!

 

Good news!!! My Studio 17 with the RGB LED screen and Montevina shipped today. Cant wait to see how the screen looks on this notebook. I had one of these with the WLED 1440x900 awhile back so Im hoping for a major improvement.

 

Same here, they ended up shipping on the original date after canceling my 2 orders to include the bt in one order and extending my ship date a week. Now it shipped when it was supposed to PLUS they gave me next day shipping when they canceled the 2 orders.

I got the 2.53 proc and rgb led screen. I'm pretty pumped.

 

jet757F and xeluc - I'm very happy for both of y'all and more than a little relieved to hear of RGB LED screens shipping! Woo hoo!

That said... *I* just got the dreaded Delay Notification Email (again) for the Bluetooth module that was supposed to ship today. On the positive side, the laptop itself is still set to ship on Thursday.

The only real issue is that I feel like I'm playing Russian Rolette every time I check my email

Here's hoping Dell comes through for everyone!

 

Believe me Im glad that it shipped too. I was starting to have doubts that the RGB LED screen even existed in the Dell inventory. Hopefully I will have a way to verify this once I receive the notebook.

 

Yeah I wasn't very confident about the RGD LED screens because they kept on dissapearing from the website and people were getting delayed, but it looks like they at least had the screens in stock. I'll be giving a very small review tomorrow after it comes in, specifically addressing this screen and whether I felt it was worth the money.

 

Quick question for everyone... I placed an order for a 1737 about two weeks ago. My ship date is Friday the 5th, I've checked the online order status several times and I'm still in the "build-stage", I did order it with BT and I did receive a different order number for just the BT module. Did I have a problem right from start with the two order numbers? From the thread it looks as though no one as actually received their computer yet - so should I expect several delays - I ordered it with the 1920x1080 lcd, but whats funny is on my order break down email that I got from dell it lists the 1920x1080 screen that I ordered as a "WLED" screen. If anyone has any thoughts I would appreciate it.

 

Im looking forward to hearing how the display looks to you as far as PQ. As I mentioned before I already tried the Studio 17 with the LED 1440x900 screen and also have tried a couple XPS 1730s with different screens Samsung and the LG.

 

The Dell order status page now says that my bluetooth module actually has shipped separately. It still insists my 1737 won't ship until Friday.

 

1. Yes you should expect at least one delay. If it's not in boxing now, it's not going to make it by your ship date.

2. Having 2 orders isn't inherently bad, all I can say is at least 2 people on here including myself had their orders canceled and grouped together. It did not affect my ship date though. Who knows.

3. This is a common problem with the "WLED" on the order page. It has been confirmed a typo. I ordered the regular 1920x1080 and it then said WLED on the page. After my first DELL call, the other end actually said "Oh, I see you have the WLED backlit screen, it saves 30% battery power blah blah" to which I replied, "Oh, I didn't even know you offered that" (because they DIDN'T). Fortunately, during my long wait they upgraded the line, so I reordered with the RGB LED.

Also, I am currently pacing back and forth between my tv and front window, this thing is supposed to be here by 3:00 PM and it 1:32. Man...

 

Alright. I just recieved my Studio 1737.

First impression is that this was very much worth the money.

Most notably is the screen. It is RETARDEDLY bright. Indoors even with the dc plug in, I wont be having it 100%. I turned it up all the way and it was almost uncomfortably bright. This is GOOD. In the bright sun, I can't imagine having any problem at all seeing the screen. There were absolutely no brightness anomolies to speak of. The viewing angle isn't bad at all. Colors are true at any angle I'd actually be viewing it at.
Totally worth it.

ESATA!! There was a debate going on a while ago about whether the powered usb was esata or some proprietary dell port. Well it says esata right on it.
A lot of people have reported real bad keyboard flex on this model. NONE that I can complain about.

I also got a centrino sticker

The media direct buttons are way more responsive than I was led to believe. I don't have to try, I just touch it and it works.

The fingerprint scanner is another component that I had heard mixed reviews about. Well mine works just fine. Most always it gets it the first time. I've never had to try more than twice.

Here's my prelimenary review, I may add some thigns once I've actually gotten used to it.

YES! MINE IS HERE!

 

You got a centrino 2 sticker? And did you get the backlit keyboard?

I'd love to know what you think of it performance-wise after you break it in a little bit (heat, fan, all that).

Anyway, sounds like you're liking it so far, so I'm a little more optimistic about mine, if/when it comes. Congratulations!

 

Im so glad to hear that the screen was worth the extra $250. How does the picture quality look on pictures, images text etc?? Are things too red or too green or just right?? I probably wont get mine til Friday so Im very curious to hear more about yours.

 

My Bluetooth module shipped today as well from Cincinnati (which is only about an hours drive away) so UPS says I'll have my brand new BT module tomorrow!! I have ordered and installed many of the Dell BT module's into various laptops including my m1530, but this is just plain weird, certainly Dell doesn't expect me to do this on my own?! I wonder if the system will have the module also preinstalled!!

 

That's good, mine won't arrive for a few days, so let me know what you get tomorrow! It's just too weird that they would send the component separately, prior to the configuration; if I had the time to call them and ask what that's about, I would. I'm kind of wondering if you'll get your whole system tomorrow...

 

Nah - phone system still says - "Build-Stage" - ship date is supposed to be Friday. I just rebuilt the system online again and they are only out to Monday for a brand new build from today, so they can't be that backed up. I might try to call them once I receive the module and ask what they'd like me to do with the piece... I hate dealing with India though - it's so frustrating.

 

Well, so far... Maybe not so good. After receiving a Delay email from Dell yesterday, I received the Bluetooth Module on my doorstep today - exactly when they originally said it'd be here.

But - it's just a chip. The packaging includes no instructions and it definitely is NOT something that looks like an easily-installable "card", like Dell's Customer Support told me it was two weekends ago.

The laptop itself still isn't due in until Thursday or Friday. Maybe that will shed some additional light on the situation. But, if they expect an average Customer to crack open a brand new laptop and manually install something that should have been pre-installed during build... I'm not going to be happy.

I'm just saying.

 

If it helps, installation instructions are here:
support DOT dell DOT com/support/edocs/systems/studio1737/en/SM/minicard.htm#wp1180188

But, if you really have a problem with it, I'd send the whole thing back. They should love that. This whole charade is just plain unprofessional, it's really disappointing. If I knew how to send them a clearer message, I would. If you wanted to build your own computer, you probably would have done just that, rather than order a custom- built machine from Dell.

I don't mind installing it, but I do mind the ridiculousness of sending it separately a week before the machine. If they could offer a good reason, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but all the facts seem point to their production process just being mismanaged and unprepared. Orders being chronically delayed, canceled, or disassembled is just bad business.

 

Ordered a Studio 17 on 11/28 - Ship date 12/9

It's was in the build phase Sunday night and then the Kitting stage Monday night... that seemed backwards but whatever I guess.

I'm just hoping it ships when it's supposed to.

Spring Green
Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, 2.2GHz, 1066Mhz, 3M L2 Cache
3GB RAM DDR2 800MHz
250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive - Free Fall Sensor
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
Widescreen 17.0 inch display (1440x900)
Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini Card
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Back-lit Keyboard
Integrated Finger Print Reader
Windows Vista Premium System

$1090.87 Shipped after using Dell Value Code 6F968-DNPCVZ1 and choosing my upgrades.

Seemed like a great deal to me.

 

Darn value codes, when i use that code my laptop comes out 59 dollars cheaper with all of the options!!!! ARGGHHGHGHGHGGH lol. I just want my laptop NOW! Where'd you get that code from?

 

The Dell Holiday Gift Guide - December 2008

 

Yeah, my configuration is about $30 cheaper with that code, and I had to use an EEP code to get the price I paid...but I also got the mini 9 for $99, which isn't available with this code.

Still, if I had seen this code Monday, I would have canceled my order and started over; the only reason I can't do it now is because they already shipped the bluetooth card, uninstalled, 4 days before the rest of the system - and now I understand why they're doing it that way. Greater shipping latency = more canceled orders. If they ship me a toothpick a month before they ship the system and say it's part of the configuration, I can't cancel or modify the order before they ship it, no matter how aggravating the process turns out to be.

 

I'm not seeing any Studio 17s in said catalog...

 

Weird lol. I got it in the mail and am holding it in my hands at the moment lol.

 

Nevermind, I found it. My bad

It hurts less to know that the code was published after I made my purchase.

 

WatchRandy, BestUserNameEver, can you look for dell value code for Studio 15 in this catalog?