dell 1520 vs. asus f8sv-a1

well, this asus has the 2.2ghz core 2 duo, but everything else seems to be the same as a 1520 w/

SYSTEM COLOR Alpine White edit
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/4MB cache) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition edit
DISPLAY High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1440x900) edit
VIDEO CARD 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT edit
MEMORY FREE! 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz edit
HARD DRIVE FREE! 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) edit
OPTICAL DRIVE CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive) edit
WIRELESS CARDS Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card edit
BLUETOOTH OPTIONS Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR) edit
BLUETOOTH OPTIONS ExpressCard Media Remote for Bluetooth-enabled Notebook edit
INTEGRATED WEBCAM Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam edit
BATTERY OPTIONS 85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell) edit
SOUND OPTIONS High Definition Audio 2.0

http://www.excaliberpc.com/ASUS_F8SV-A1_Intel_Core_2_Duo_T7500/partinfo-id-580899.html

the only plus i see with getting the asus is:
-thinner
-"better looking" (kinda)
-better processor
-1 gb turbo cache!


downside:
- no reviews (can't find any)
- don't know of build quality
- a hell of a lot of unknowns....
-no warranty ( i guess)
- no accidental coverage
-no lojack


so... is this rush deal (asus) worth it?

i need to know... YES OR NO (haha) asap as i need to place the order tonight (this morning)

 

or even this:
http://www.excaliberpc.com/ASUS_V1S.../90NGIA5311114EQL150T/partinfo-id-580877.html

i'm so confused

 

The 1520 is a 15"4 laptop; the Asus F8SV-A1 is a 14" laptop. You're comparing apples to oranges.

Few differences exist between the two if you're comparing a specs list. The batteries are 6-cell (Asus) vs 9-cell(Dell). However, the ASUS F8SV-AI does have a superior quality build and durability compared to the Dell 1520 and is especially attractive if you're looking for a portable, light notebook to take to classes and such.

I believe it is also one of the few 14" on the market right now to sport nvidia 8600m gt. F8SV also has a built-in fingerprint scanner and microphone, and your specific reseller includes carrying bag and optical mouse.

To its credit, Asus has a two-year standard warranty.

Really it comes down to pricing and what you emphasize in a notebook. It would help if you do the FAQ so I know the circumstance: your needs, budget, etc. Also, what is the price of the dell?

O yeah, consider the notebook in my sig if you don't mind a wait

 

Biggest unknown.. when the heck is it being released? If you need a system in the next month, go with the 1520. If not, roll the dice and wait for the F8. I wanted the F8 but with the uncertainty of the GPU being a GT or GS and not knowing when it'll be released, delays, backordered, I went with the 1520

 

yeah i just went ahead and got the 1520. I'm not a person to to these last minute rushes, but for 1670 usd (before ship, tax), i got the full 3 year dell casre plan and allt he features i wanted. I'm not someone that buys something very expensive and then quickly sells it (especially if my dad helped pay for it ) I'm not too fond of letting someone buy me a great lappy and then quickly decide to return it only for another (doesn't show maturity at all...)
I'd just hate to get the 1520 and be disappointed...with its heaviness and bulky build. I AM going to be hauling this thing around campus, and now that i look back (4 hours later) at it, is the 1520 really what i wanted?
Had i known about the f8 a week earlier ( found out about it 30 minutes b4 i got the dell) maybe something might have gone differently, especially the 14" form factor (da,mnit!) and the thin, light, and slender looking body shape. (it's also 2 inches less deep than the dell!)

so guys, i guess the only question now is if i did cancel the dell and go for the f8... when would it come by? ( i'm heading off to college on the 15th of sept)

(why can't i find this model on asus's website?)

here is what i ordered:
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/4MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
Alpine White
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1440x900)
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.08
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini-Card
Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 - Word, Excel + PowerPoint
Security with Value, Plus,or Premium Warranty Bundle
6-cell Primary Battery and 9-cell additional Lithium Ion Battery
DellCare Plus
Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
ExpressCard Media Remote for Bluetooth-enabled Notebook


and the kicker...

Would you trade for the f8?? (put yourself in my shoes)

 

IMO, I would have gotten just the 9-cell battery as your spare will reduce in life even if not in use (see the battery thread on these forums).

If I were given the chance to trade the 1520 for the F8SV-A1, all things being equal including my 3-year warranty, I would probably trade for it. Appears to be more portable to be honest and it is an Asus. I hear Asus notebooks are pretty okay... ;-)

 

how easy is it to cancel and get a full refund with dell ( i ordered ~4.5 hrs ago)

 

simple call them up on the 800 number and tell them you want to cancel.. imo a 14" to me is to small. 15" is def what id go for if carrying it around but id prob take a 17" myself lol..remember you are paying more for the asus and yes you get a small bit better things like procc etc.. imo i dont know if its really worth it... and are you sure about delay times ive heard they (asus) are still delayed??

 

yeah, you know, i love the build quality of the dell (had my cousin stop by; with his.... not too long agho)

i love it!

very weighty....seems well built with good structure, almost no flex considering that it is a lappy and the 1440x900 glossy screen is just to die for.

i love the rounded off edges and whole "soft" theme of the edges of the keyboard (the 4 corners), compared to the asus rather simplistic squarely-designed plans...everything has a sharp corners... and if you're not a vaio, i hate sharp corners. (vaio suck in build quality too, so there... and they are horrible pc's for the price you pay)

 

lol... Do you have the newest generation of inspiron?
I have the "old" 6000. I used to think that my 6000 is great until I saw an Asus W3. There is just so much difference in build quality. Since then, I could never brag proudly about my notebook.
Well, I heard the new Inspiron are much better.

 

How do you know the Asus is more durable,when no ones even reviewed it yet,I would have thought magnesium alloy construction would beat out plastic construction any day and in every review I've read about the dell they have raved about its solid [if heavy] construction.I agree with your other points though

 

Because this is always almost always like this in the past. Asus' build quality beats Dell's any day (excluding the XPS line).

 

Not from what I've seen.
I was looking at buying either a G1,V1Jp or A8JS earlier this year to use for games as my precision M65 is not that good for later games,the build quality of those mentioned Asus's put me off especially in regard to their screen hinges which allow the screen to wobble around an excessive amount,and this was on new machines in a shop and comparing to a more than a year old M65.

XPS 1710 and inspiron 1705 are pretty much identical build wise,with differences only relating to trim and docking port in the base.

Hopefully I will get to see today or tomorrow what the new inspirons are like when my Vostro 1500 turns up.

I prefer the look and size of the F8SV over the 1520,but built better,I doubt it if the 1520 reviews are correct.As far as paint wearing off palmrests or scratching,who knows until people have owned them for a few months,and as for saying asus quality beats dell's anyday,thats the biggest load of tripe I've ever heard.Considering Dell sells probably 20 times the notebooks that asus does and that dell has far fewer complaints about such things as screen hinges and screen frames falling to bits [A8jp ??] I think dell do pretty well since they are cheap [mostly] and slapped together in a hurry to ship to customers.

Its the details and styling that let Dell down,they miss ports,let bad batches of screens through [although asus isn't excused from this either..A8JS for one example] mediocre noise sheilding on some models and look clunky to a lot of people,but they are far from being inferiorly built compared to Asus.

No such thing as a perfect brand or laptop,they all have their own problems and idiosyncrasies,but 15 years as a mechanical engineer has taught me that metal and alloys [most dells] will be more robust than plastic [most asus's] magnesium>aluminium>ABS as far as outer shell lid and body goes.