Which one should I get?

I'm thinking of the XPS M1330 (Product RED Edition) or the M1530 (Product RED Edition).

Which one should I get and why?

I will use the laptop for basic stuff: Schoolwork, Notetaking, Web, MSN, etc. (Don't really play games all that often)

EDIT: Assume I will be using these applications on a daily basis: Firefox, Office, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Media Center (Music Photos and TV, along with Movies every so often), and assume that I am going for the lowest end of each Laptop (1.6GHz, 120GB HD, 1 GB RAM, Basic Video, etc.) but upgraded to 2.5GB RAM (Buying Separately as it is a lot cheaper). Which one would be better for me?

 

They are almost the same, only a few differences:

M1330 is obviously smaller and lighter.

M1330 has LED display option which has very good reviews and makes the notebook thinner but has lower resolution camera. There is rumour that this will be available on M1530 but it's not certain if or when this will be available.

M1530 has higher resolution display options and larger screen.

M1530 has graphics upgrade to 8600M GT with 256MB.

M1530 has processor options up to T7800 2.6hz

M1530 has blu-ray disc option.

M1530 has one extra USB port.

Most other specs are the same, if you want more portability go with M1330, if you want to trade-off some portability for more processing power, graphics capability, higher resolution, or the blu-ray, go with M1530.

 

I recently switched my main laptop from a 14 inch to a 15 inch machine and I will tell you that you want the M1330 over the the M1530.

A 15 inch laptop, though actually not much heavier than a 14 inch laptop was much more cumbersome to much around, especially in a school environment. This was so much the case in particular auditorium settings that I brought my 14 inch machine back to use on the go.

Furthermore, for basic office work you don't need the extra power or the extra screen estate offered by the M1530. And it's not like the M1330 is weak; you can still get a T7500 and a 8400M GS which is sufficient for light gaming. The M1330 will also offer better battery life especially with a bigger battery if you choose to get one.

I think they also start at the same base price.

 

I agree.

Trying using a 15" laptop on your lap in an auditorium type classroom. You're squished in these chairs and trying not to elbow your neighbor.
I returned my 15.4" and went with 14.1" and never looked back.

If you are not going to move the laptop around and work in tight areas, then the 1530 does offer more perks like 8600GT and bigger screen with much higher resolution.

 

For the tasks that you will be using your notebook for, I wouldn't get any model of XPS. You could get a Vostro 1400 with the same specs for at least a few hundred less if you do it right. Especially since you won't do much gaming.

The Vostro 1400 might be a little bulkier and heavier than a M1330, but for me, the price difference would be the clincher. I'm a man, I think I can handle an extra pound or two. LOL. That's just my suggestion.

 

I agonized over this same decision for quite some time. Initially I wanted M1530 but I like small devices. I almost ordered an M1330 but decided on the bigger choice for several reasons.

Check out this video and you will see that in reality the size difference is not huge. The 1530 is approx 1.5 inches wider and 1 inch deeper, the additional weight is under 2 pounds. The small difference may be important to some people but one tradeoff is the screen size and resolution, you get quite a bit more real estate for that small physical size increase.

I wanted to get high performance in a portable, so I can run many applications simultaneously and do things like run multiple operating systems virtualized in vmware. I'm sure that this works fine on the m1330 but I wanted it to be as responsive as possible, so I chose the 1530 with 2.6Ghz processor. I considered ordering a low end 1330 and upgrading the processor but didn't want to bother with the implications wrt warranty and heat increases etc.

If the 1330 had the same procesor and graphics card options I probably would have chose it, but there likely is a recognizable difference between my 1530 with 2.6Ghz and M8600M GT with 256MB and a 1330 with 2.2Ghz and M8400 GS with 128MB RAM.

I want to do some serious gaming so in that respect it's a no brainer. The only step up from what I ordered would be the 1710 (now out of production and not available) or 1730 (much too big for me to carry around). There are other options like alienware etc but I'm only comparing xps here.

My desktop machine is only 2Ghz 2GB RAM with 400Mhz FSB and 6600GT. The 1530 will upgrade 600Mhz and to dual core, double the RAM, go from 6600GT to 8600GT (and from AGP to PCIe), and I also ordered the SSD. I decided to not bother with desktop at all for a few years. Instead I will get a super nice monitor (like the crystal or similar), nice bluetooth devices ( diNovo edge), and use ExpressCard SATA to allow high speed storage add-on (3GBPS to external 500GB SATA drive in enclosure). It is also possible to add blu-ray cheaper using external SATA for watching HD movies.

If you're always going to be mobile the 1330 makes sense, but most of the time I will have a desk, so I chose the other to be my only computer for several years. The 1530 won't be as nice for use in vehicle (I have mobile broadband and can do google maps etc) or outdoors, but it will be nicer on the desk at work and connected to external monitor and keyboard/mouse/storage at home.

 

Okay. Say I will be using these applications on a daily basis: Firefox, Office, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Media Center (Music Photos and TV, along with Movies every so often), and assume that I am going for the lowest end of each Laptop (1.6GHz, 120GB HD, 1 GB RAM, Basic Video, etc.) but upgraded to 2.5GB RAM (Buying Separately as it is a lot cheaper). Which one would be better for me?