arghhh 1500 or 1720.... i cant decide

wow i am so torn between these.. does anyone have comparable pics of actual overall size between the 2 of these?? i REALLY WANT the larger screen but also want it semi portable since i will be taking it with me a lot.. but i really love the 17" screen and the number pad on the side ...

a total price difference right now of 183$ between the same configured 1500 and 1720..would you do it for 183$ difference???

any other coupons at all to get even another 50$ or something off the 1720 anywhere?? thanks again

 

We're here for ya, Z. Of course I'm biased, so you KNOW what I'm gonna say... 1720!! I don't have any pics since I'm awaiting mine, but I saw the 15" and 17" screens in person at the kiosk I bought mine from, and I don't think it's THAT big a difference. I still think the 1720 is "semi portable". Look at it this way, if you really love the screen, number pad, etc, then get it b/c you don't want to have regrets later - that is, *unless* the money is the deciding issue.

And speaking of, you can probably get a $50 off coupon through a kiosk rep if one's near you, or else do some hardcore negotiating over the phone and see where that takes you. Or, maybe someone else has a stackable coupon that I don't know about. I assume you already used the $300 one for the 1720.

 

yeah that price is with the 300$ off..

i have a 1500 ordered still in "build" lol has been forever.. thing is this laptop will be coming with me to work everyday... in the car when i am on the road (2-3 times a week) to the sisters house when we visit for a while etc... i do a lot of things on this that a lot of regular users may not. we own 2 other laptops (for the wifes business) and this will be the first for mine. my home desktop is a monster with overall nearly 2t of storage, overclocked to 4.2 on promethia and water for the gpu and northbridge etc so that will not be going anywhere and will now be used mainly for high end gaming and downloading only (the downloading will be because of nearly 2t of storage) so in essance this wouldnt be a "desktop replacement at least not at home now at the shop yes it will be replacing my main computer. it will serve as the register for checking out customers and as the internet connection etc.. but comes home with me everyday to close out and do the books etc...

i just really love as much screen as i can get lol.. and for me the number pad is great for daily use with customers and estimates etc.... but it is pretty large

 

bump trying sig

 

I see. Well, in that case, I'd go with the Vostro since you already have a sweet gaming rig at home. The case is very durable, it is more portable, and the screen is still quite good. Also, you can always buy a wired or wireless USB number pad to crunch numbers, probably not as big a pain as having to lug around the extra weight and bulk of a 17" every single day.

 

my monitor at home is a 24" flat panel.. now i know i could hook this up to the video out of the laptop how does that work... do you then have 2 monitors to look at or does the one in the notebook shut down??

im thinking while at work to set it up like a desktop and use an external keyboard and mouse with a number pad...

will you be carrying your 1720 around all the time?? my brother in law said he hates his dell 17" not because its a dell but because its so big. ive seen it and it is pretty large

 

You can set it up so that the display shows on both monitors or just the flat panel. Yeah, certainly an external keyboard is a good option as well.

No, I will only carry mine around on occasion, but not too much so I'm fine with it. Thing is, my current notebook is 15.4" and I got it when they hadn't been around too long so it's a lot bulkier than the 1720. So the 1720 is not much heavier b/c it's slimmer than mine. I know dimensions-wise it's bigger, but really not by that much. So it's cool for me since I won't be doing the daily thing like you are.

 

ill tell you if i still couls snag the deal i could have a few days ago i would do it.. im kicking myself for not grabbing the 1700 while i could at those prices..while using the external display and keyboard does the notebook have to be opened or can it lay flat closed and still be used??? just curious thanks again

 

Definitely go for the Vostro 1500 (or the Inspiron 1520, whatever floats your boat). Same GPU as the 1720, but its smaller, lighter, and cheaper.

If you do want a 17", there are better options out there, like the Sager 5790 and Toshiba X205.

 

where would be the best place to price those (sager and toshiba) thanks just curious now

 

ive looked at those and imo their pricing cant touch that of the dell with the same options...

 

I believe that you can probably have it closed if you tweak a power management setting to make sure it doesn't shut off when you close it. Although I don't have Vista experience yet so I'm not 100% sure.

Could they be better machines? Definitely possible. For the price? Definitely not.

 

zFactor, go to the "What Notebook Should I buy?" forum and fill out the FAQ. A lot of people will help you make a good decision. But if you are locked on Dell (And nothing wrong with that) go with you feel the most comfortable. Mos of the times it's that little voice in our head that is making the most informative choice.

What do YOU like?

 

not that i question the "dell" i am torn between the size of what i want.. i could step to a 17 for very little more but do i want the extra bulk?? its a tough desicion and i dont buy notebooks that often so this will have to last me at least 2-3 years unless some crazy tech comes out to which blows this thing away lol

 

Don't fight yourself with size all that much. I didn't. I didn't care about size 'cause I have no problem lugging a 17" on a plane. But between my flights I don't move that much. But if you move a lot with your puter then you may want to go lighter.

When it comes to size and weight, sometimes life dicates what is best for us.

If you move a lot, maybe that 1520 is good for you. If you move maybe once or twice a month, then maybe a 17" will do for you.