*VOSTRO QUESTIONS* - *looking to buy tonight!*...

Anyone know when the instant savings they have going on for Vostro's at dell.com right now will last? I was assuming just through tonight because of Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Am I right to say that this is a killer deal:

Dell Vostro 1400
Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2Ghz/800Mhz FSB/2MB Cache)
2GB RAM DDR2 at 667Mhz, 2DIMM
128MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS
WXGA+ w/TrueLife
120GB 5400rpm SATA HD
6 cell battery

Price: $799 (w/ FREE 3-5 Day S&H apparently)

What is the catch with these? Why are these Vostro's so cheap with such good specs? I was going to buy a Vaio NR on sale at Office Depot but for $150 more I get a faster processor, 1GB more RAM and dedicated graphics, which I suppose is worth a sacrifice in good looks. (I really wanted something slim, light, and portable)

I heard something about the hard drives being slow and the screen being crappy but it got a great review on this site.

So: Am I right that this is a steal, and that the better processor and dedicated graphics outweigh the good looks and slimness of similarly priced but less-equipped laptops??

Hoping to make the order tonight so the instant savings doesn't go away, thanks!

 

Well, if you want a laptop thats 14", and with dedicated graphics(that is UNDER 1000) you are pretty much limited to the vostro/inspiron laptops.

And no, there isnt anything wrong with them. They(both the vostro and inspiron) are build to last. They are fatter/heavier then their competition, as you pointed out, but they also fell a lot more solid.

As for the price... i cant comment. I dont really watch the american site(I'm a canuck)

And the only physical difference between the Vostro and Inpsiron lineup is the colour... ones 100% black, the other is 33% black, 33% silver and 33% 'insert colour choice'. The bigger differences come into play with warranty work, and call support.

Another thing worth noting is SOME people are having problems with the higher res display panel. If you dont NEED the WXGA+, you might want to consider putting it down to 1280x800, saving yourself $50 and possibly avoiding a bad (blotchy, appears dirty) screen.

 

Like Cam said, the main difference between the Vostro and the inspiron line is the colour. They are exactly the same chassis, the same choice of hardware etc if I'm not mistaken. But I'd also like to mention that the majority of the time, the Vostro is a bit cheaper than the Inspiron. It also AFAIK comes included with a better warranty/service deal as it is a business laptop.

I did get a crap screen (SEC 1680x1050) but as soon as I called up and requested an LG part no. XK309, they offered to make an appointment with a technician in 2 hours time but I was unavailable so made it the next day. The technician in my area is awesome, I've had the same one come out twice.

Oh, and the weight - seriously it is not that bad. I commute with it to work, meetings and uni every day and it's really not an issue. I'm not a big, tough guy either - in fact I'm just a teenage girl.

My customer service rep checks in with me every couple of days to make sure everything is going alright with it after my screen issue, and has actually made me feel quite safe with my purchase, unlike with other companies that make you feel alienated. My call always gets answered within 10 minutes as I have a gold service plan and I can honestly say I have never been on the phone with them for more than half an hour.

In summary, there is no catch with this system. It is great for the price and you won't find a better deal elsewhere. Dell have massive buying power and can buy everything in bulk which lowers the cost to the consumer. Depending on what you are doing though, perhaps an 8600M GT graphics card would be better and a little more future proof.

 

Well if a teenage girl can handle it, I guess a 20yr guy can handle it, right? I hope so, because I just submitted my order. I opted for the WXGA non-truelife screen...

I'm nervous!

If I'm not satisfied with the screen is it possible to have it upgraded to the truelife?

 

If I'm not mistaken dell cycles its deals every week on thursday.