is it a good deal on XPS1530?

hey, I would like to ask you guys, if this is a good deal and I should buy or not.
XPS M1530 (product) RED
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250 (2MB cache/2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB)
Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED
System Color (PRODUCT) RED
Memory 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)
LCD & Camera Glossy, widescreen 15.4inch LCD (1280x800) & 2.0 MP
Video Card 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
Hard Drive Size: 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Optical Drive Slot Load DVD+/-RW (DVD/CD read/write)
Sound Card Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition
Wireless Network Card Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Primary Battery 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Accident and Theft Protection Add Accidental Damage and LoJack Theft
Dial up Internet Access No ISP requested
Bluetooth and Wireless USB Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)

PRICE: $1,368.00 SHOULD I BUY OR NOT?
thanks for any opinions

 

Go for it.

 

even with that particular display? read a lot about people having troubles with displays on 1530... :-/

 

If you're planing on getting a M1530 then you have to be ready to deal with poor display issues at any resolution.

Don't get me wrong, the M1530 is a great laptop and your config looks very nice for the price. You just need to be willing to get Dell to exchange your M1530 as many times as it takes to get a good lcd in the event you get a bad one. That can be time consuming and frustrating.

Best of luck with your purchase!

 

oh that sucks..... how do I know I got a bad display? what are the most common problems? the thing is that I am moving back to europe in couple months and I dont think It will be easy to deal with it from there :-(

 

Bad viewing angles, grainy screen, whites that are grayish/silverish and poor brightness. Seems to be that Samsung LCDs on the M1530 are usualy bad while the LG are excellent. Some AUO have been reported as very good.


Here's a good summary posted by BertieW in the Grainy Screen thread

 

how do I make sure that I get LG and not Samsung? is it possible to tell Dell which one I want to get?

 

Have a look at the summary I posted a link to. It's explained there.

 

ok, I read the summary. wow....now Im really scared. Because of the moving I have pretty much one month left in US and I dont want to be fighting Dell for a new display. and I dont want to go home with a poor product bought for 1,300.
What are the chances of getting a bad display? anyone can guess the probability? is it 50/50 LG/samsung? then I wont buy....even for the price and with thic config......
what are the best alternatives?

 

That is a good price, but if you can afford to hold out for a coupon, you can do better.

 

I ordered mine on the 15 of march and got it the 24 and have no issues with the screen. I heard that they discontinued the samsungs somewhere but it may be a rumor... screen specs in sig... I didnt check if mine was samsung or LG though because it looks great to me...

 

I have no idea what the stats are on Samsung/LG displays. Let's say it is 50/50.

Why not wait until you're back home to buy one? It's only a month away and Dell always has deal happening so it's not like you won't get a good price in the future. If nothing else you would most likely get better spec for a similar price.

 

any idea when are any coupons comming out?

plus any suggestion on the alternatives?thank you!!

 

I got a voucher yesterday (7th Feb)

 

how can I get any vouchers?

 

my home is in europe and Im staying in US just for a job temporarily. but I would love to buy a laptop here because of the USD/EUR exchange rate....

what would you say are my options now? what is the best alternative for not more than 1300USD!?

 

xbender, I'm American but I live in the U.K. and I went back and forth for a while deciding where to buy and I decided to buy in the U.K even with the exchange rate and I'll explain why.

When I figured in the hassle of transferring warranties especially after buying so soon, and the possibility of getting stuck with paying customs duty when entering, the price difference just didn't justify it.

While the low-end models do differ in price quite a bit, as you go into more expensive machines like the m1530 well rigged out, and once you figure in all the possible discounts like coupons and quidco, the differential shrinks to about £50-£90 and do you really want to worry about having time to sort out displays or any other issues in a month for savings like that?

Definitely not casting aspersions, btw. Everyone has a different financial situation but I wanted you to get a better idea of what you can roughly expect to save before you made a decision one way or another.

ETA:

Just for kicks, I went ahead and configured a similar machine on the UK site (I think the pricing between UK and Euro sites is similar and I wasn't sure about the warranty options you got on yours so I imrovised there.) and this is what I got:

Base Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium - English
Memory 4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
Keyboard Uk/Irish Internal Keyboard (QWERTY)
Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory
Hard Drive 250GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
Modem No Modem
Optical Devices Fixed 8x DVD+/-RW Slim Slot Load drive, including SW
Wireless Networking Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-Card - Europe - Core 2 Duo Processors
Shipping Documents English Documentation with English/Irish Power Cord - 3 PIN
Gedis Bundle Reference N04X5305
Microsoft Application Software Microsoft® Works 9.0 - English
Standard Warranty Base Warranty - 1 Year XPS Premium Hardware Support (incl. Gaming and On-Site Support)
Enhanced Service Packs Base Warranty - 1 Year XPS Premium Hardware Support (incl. Gaming and On-Site Support)
Protect your new PC No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
Power Supply AC Adapter 90W - 3 Pin
Bluetooth Dell™ Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 Module (up to 3Mbps) with Enhanced Data rate - Eur
Order Information Inspiron Order - UK
Primary Battery Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)
Carrying Cases No Carry Case
Biometric Identification Biometric Fingerprint Reader with BLACK accent
Dell System Media Kit No Resource CD
Colour Choice 2.0 mega pixel Camera & Tuxedo Black for CCFL Display
Accidental Damage Support 1 Year Consumer Accidental Damage Support - Theme Package
TV Tuner and Remote Control Dell™ Travel Remote Control
Online Promotion Option for GEDIS Configs Dell Internet Order.
LCD 15.4" Widescreen™ WXGA (1280x800) TFT Display (220nits) with TrueLife™

TOTAL Incl. VAT:£709.21


That's shipped. If you throw in quidco, you can save another £20-£25 though that won't come for a few months.

 

That really is a good price for a Product (RED) M1530. Just do what I did and make sure they make a note in the order to get you the LG screen. Sending it back is easy for a full refund, I doubt you'll have to do it.

 

What good is that going to do when the laptop is built in a factory in Malaysia where they will use whatever is available on the shelf? There is no ordering of a specific make of LCD panel, only the resolution you want. You can ask all you want, they will put in what they have.

 

wow at the prices. I am from the czech republic and the electronics is uncomparably more expensive over there. I have just look and the same config that I have (and pretty much the same that BertieW has put together) costs 2.300USD (when converted from local currency). Thats totally somewhere else....
Can I still ask you guys for some help for some alternatives in the price range of 1300USD? thanks a lot

 

I asked for the LG on my last one (red) and got it. I'm ordering a second M1530 for myself, ask for the LG, checked the specs, and saw the LG on the midnight blue on too. Guess I've had better luck than most. Life is good.

 

Agent Zero,

I'm happy you got an LG and I guess it doesn't hurt to ask, but it's very unlikely it would actually help. I think you just got lucky that they had it in stock and that's what they built with. But hell, if I was ordering, I'd ask just in case.

 

Alternatives to the M1530 or alternatives to the Dell?

 

alternatives to XPS M1530 in general. can be dell or hp too....but no lenovo. Dont like Thinkpads..thank you!

 

hey guys, so I want to thank you all for all the great info you have provided me. It was a great help and I really appretiate it. I HAVE JUST ORDERED MY XPS! Im SOOO excited!!! cant wait...... thank you again. Im having my fingers crossed for no grainy screen nor bad keyboard layout.

 

Congrats on your purchase! Keep us posted on your build.