With the Dell Studio 1555 almost here (U.S.), is it smart to still buy the 1535?

I am now thinking of buying a cheap Dell notebook for school since I really want to build a Core i7 desktop soon.

I don't need all the power in the world, so that is why I want to consider the Studio 1535 since it's a previous-gen machine (going to be very soon). It will be cheaper, and good battery life (which is what I need). I am fully aware of the small glitch with the touch-sensitive media buttons, but I can manage.

Now, my question is, how much can I expect a refurb 1535 from the Dell Outlet? I can't seem to find it on Dell's site. Maybe a bit of direction would be nice. Would eBay be cheaper?

I might buy in the next month, which gives the 1555 time to sell on the market. Thanks for the help.

 

I would sugesst to wait until 1555 launches in U.S and compare the pricess beteween them and see wich one is suitable for your needs .

 

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...en&lob=INSP&MODEL_DESC=Studio 15 - 1535&s=dfh

Found 'em. ^_^

I recommend the Studio 1535 if the touch-button glitch doesn't bother you. Apart from that, I've found mine to be very high quality so far, since September of last year. If you're already building a powerhouse desktop and you don't need a top-of-the-line notebook, then this should fit your niche quite nicely.

 

I would recommend you wait for the 1555, if you play games. It has a much better video card. If that's not important to you, then the 1535 should be enough for you, especially if you want higher resolution screens.

 

If you need good battery life, then there is no reason to wait for the Studio 1555. The ATI dedicated graphics consume a lot more power then Intel's integrated graphics, thus it's inadvisable to upgrade to ATI if battery life is important, and especially if all you need your laptop to do is watch HD video (which the Intel can handle fine).

Case in point: Notebookreview's review of the 1535 gave a battery life of 3:41 with Intel's X3100, with wireless on and screen brightness at 50%. My 1535/HD3450 manages 2:40 with screen brightness set at 10% and wireless on.

 

Yeah, I will have all the graphics power into the custom build. That's for gaming, video rendering, etc. Core i7 should work so seamlessly with that.

Anyways, the 1535's better resolution is what I am after since it's a cheaper option for mainstream music, notes, etc. Basically, all the college needs. Some features that were omitted in the 1555 is a tad annoying as well, so that is why the 1535 is in my line of sight.

But maybe my ultimate question is, based on statistics from past models, how much cheaper can the 1535 get with the 1555 release in the U.S. very soon?

I found some eBay deals right now asking as low as $550, but I would really like to aim for $400, since it's a previous gen model. Any and all help on this would be appreciated.

(Also on a side note, I would like to take this option because it is a better investment than a netbook, which I was recently looking over. Only a hundred dollars or so more could get me Core 2 Duo, better screen resolution, etc. Basically, all the essentials for a reliable notebook.)

If anyone was also curious about my planned Core i7 build, it will be about $1300 with a 21.5" 1920 x 1080 res Samsung, gaming keyboard and mouse, Logitec surround sound, 640 GB HDD, 6GB DDR3 TriChannel RAM, ATI Radeon 4850 512MB Dedicated VRAM, DVD Burner (don't need BluRay), 650 Watt Power Supply, Gigabyte Core i7 ready motherboard, and lastly, 2.66 GHZ Core i7. All decked out in an acrylic (transparent) case with 4 chameleon cathode party lights, and hopefully a lighbus that can regulate light effects with music.

 

If you decide to purchase a Studio, I suggest the 1537 instead of the 1535.

A Dell Latitude E6400 or E6500 from the Dell Outlet would make an even better choice! Even the refurbished ones come with a 3-yr warranty standard. And they're designed to be durable and mobile. LINK

 

Even after the release of the 1555, I don't think you'll see the 1535 dropping to the 400 range any time soon. $550 is a pretty good price for a 1535, I say. When I bought mine, it was with the bare minimum specs, no extras, and I paid over 700.

I agree. Netbooks are neat, but I wouldn't use one as my main portable computer unless I had a seriously limited budget.

That does look really nice. If you don't mind my asking, what are the "gaming keyboard and mouse" and "Logitech surround sound" you're getting? Some are better than others, of course, and some probably aren't worth your money.

Also, if you're building a computer around a Core i7, you can (and should) do better than a 4850 512MB. If you're set on a 4850-series card, you should definitely get the 1GB model instead of the 512MB. The price difference is almost negligible. If you're set on 512MB no matter what, then I recommend the 4870 512MB model. The main difference, besides higher clock speeds, is that the 4870's memory is GDDR5 instead of GDDR3, and the 512MB model is not much more than the 4850.

Of course, since you're going for such a performance build, I recommend the 4870 1GB GDDR5, but it is marginally more expensive than the 4850 512MB GDDR3. It just seems kinda funny that you're going all out on most of the components, but then topping it off with a budget video card.

Also, out of curiosity, which i7 are you getting?

 

Remember, all these parts fall in a budget.

And I might be buying the Core i7 2.66GHZ with the combo motherboard on Newegg.

I really hope a price drop by the summer. How sure can I be the price can be any cheaper when the 1555 releases in the U.S? It only makes sense. Look at how Apple does it with their notebooks.