Thinking about getting a 1520: some questions

Hi everyone,

I am planning on ordering an Inspiron 1520 this weekend but have some questions that I was hoping some of you could help me with:

-I plan to purchase the $75 ExpressCard Sound Blaster X-Fi extreme and was wondering if a) (stupid question?) the Inspiron has an extra PCI slot for this and b) if anyone who has this card could comment on whether or not CPU noises are transmitted through its headphone jack (i.e., the issue many people on this forum are reporting with the integrated sound card)

-In a nutshell, what does Vista Premium offer over Vista Basic?

-Is the 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT worth the extra $100 over the 128MB option if I won't be doing any gaming (and assuming I'll be running Vista Premium)?

-Should I bother with the integrated webcam if I already have a Logitech Quickcam Pro 4000?

I'd appreciate responses to any of these questions. Any other comments would be appreciated as well. Thanks for your input!

 

- The expresscard sound card fits in the single slot the laptop has. It should be free of any sound defects. Personally, I think buzzing issues are a bit over-represented.

- Premium offers the new GUI, mobility center thingy, DVD playback without extra software, etc. Get Premium, you'll regret getting a crippled version of Vista

- If you don't game at all, I suggest you to get the Intel X3100 chip. It runs everything except new games.

- It depends. If you sit at a desk with the laptop, the answer is no because you don't really move. However, if you don't use your laptop as a stationary device, you'll find a clip-on webcam to be cumbersome in which case, you'll be better off with the integrated one.

How are you going to use this computer? That question defines pretty much everything else.

 

I think the 1520 has only one express card slot.

Check out this table that compares the editions
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx

If your not planning on gaming then you dont need the 8600m GT.The NV 8 series has pure video technology which help you take off some of the load on the CPU when watching/decoding HD videos.


The integrated cam is a convenience so...

Also fill out the FAQ and post it in the "What notebook should i buy" section of the forum(mention that you are interested in the 1520)

 

Thanks for the responses so far. Regarding my intended use: I will be starting medical school in the fall and I plan on taking my laptop with me to class every day, but at the same time it will be functioning as my main computer for music, movies, etc. so I figured I wouldn't mind the relatively large size of the 1520 (I'll have a backpack and will be driving to and from school). Is the 1420 significantly lighter?

Another thing I'm wondering about is the screen resolution - I'm deciding between the 1650x1050 and 1400x900 (I believe) glossy LCDs. Any comments on that comparison would be much appreciated as well.

Thanks again!

 

In that case Premium is definitely what you want. I didn't think Dell offered Basic on their new laptops? I don't know if shipping time is a factor for you because of school starting but getting the 1400x900 screen delays your order even more than the near month it takes to get your 1520/1420, whichever you settle on.

 

If you plan taking your laptop to class every day, I would recommend not getting the 1520. The 1520 is one the biggest and heaviest 15.4 laptop on the market now. The 1420 with 1400 x 900 is a good choice. It is significantly lighter and smaller, I don't know the numbers off the top of my head but you can try to search for it.

 

- Express sound card should fit in, and should not have any problems, my USB audio had no problems.

- Premium has Aero user interface (3d desktop) and Media center. Personally, I found both to be pretty useless - I don't like media center and Aero is far worse than OSX Expose or Linux Beryl. However, it wouldn't hurt to have premium if you want to try something new.

- I think the whole point of 1520 is "8600GT with budget price", and price difference is worth it. However, if you don't plan to game, then 8400GS should be fine. If you don't need 8600GT, then I'd recommend you to get something smaller instead, or something with nicer screen, though.

- Yes. Its not a bad webcam, and it is very convenient not needing these cables.

Hope this helps.