need advice on a 700m

I am looking at a getting a laptop to replace my desktop. I was looking at getting the 700m(with battery upgrade) cause I'm in college and taking my computer around with me would be both nice and helpfull. my roommate has a 600m and while I like the size of it seems that from what i have read it is an out of date notebook and the 6000 seems to big for my taste. I would be useing it for mainly internet surfing, typing papers, music/dvd listening as well as dvd burning(coping movies). I have a monitor and keyboard/mouse that i can use at home with a port replicator. this will basically be replacing my desktop all together. I have a few ? though

1. is there a problem with leaving it hooked up at home and haveing it running for 2-3 days with out turning it off?

2. I am going to really notice a difference if i get the 2.0 Processor vs. 1.7 Processor? I will have 1.5 GB of ram

3.I know that the graphic card is crap, but if i were to get a PCMCIA tv tuner card would it be able to handle it or perhaps play starcraft style games?

 

1) No

2) Marginal difference - only intense programs

3) Don't count on it

 

Starcraft is an older game, now I know the integrated vid on laptops arent the greatest, but Starcraft especially with that much ram should run fine. I just wouldn't expect the vid settings to be all high.

 

I have a ati usb tv tuner hooked up to my 700m. It plays alright, execpt on ocassion the audio and video go out of sync.

 

have you tried recording tv show and then burning then to dvd? I would think that this cause the audio and video to be out of sync

 

1. i would say that with a small footprint notebook like the 700m, leaving it on for long periods of time IS going to a be problem because of the heat issue. the only way that i would use the 700m as a DTR would be with a cooling pad and then i would still be a little concerned.


2. no.

3. as long as you're not rendering the lots of 3d information; you'll be ok; tv is 2d, as far as games it's specific to each game.

 

I know that the 700m is smaller than lets say the 600m (isnt that funny how that works) but why would the 700m have problems with leaving it on vs leaving a 600m on for long periods of time? my roommate has a 600m and he leaves that sucker on all the time, i mean like a week solid some times.

I mean isnt it better to leave it on all day then to start it up and shut it down 2-3 times a day. I always thought that it was easier on a comp. to leave it on then to turn it on and off all the time. i know that you create heat but isnt that the point of cooling fans?

 

I thought so as well merky.

 

another thing that i was wondering about it would the graphics card be able to handle running the laptop screen and a 17" lcd decktop screen. I think that it would be nice to be able to have 2 screens going at the same time. like watch tv on the desktop screen and be on the internet on the laptop screen

 

Ok you need to understand that the smaller the package the notebook components are in, the less air circulation there is. Now the 700m is VERY small, much smaller than the 600m therefore heating will be more of a concern.

Pretty much all laptops have the laptop screen turn off if its having the vga out used. For what your asking about the tv and the internet deal mostly likely isn't gonna work.

 

ok ill agree that the smaller package will not have as much circulation but dont you think that dell designed it so it wouldl still cool effectivly? I do plan to have a cooling pad to help with cooling

I know that you can make the dual screens works on xp cause my roomate does it with his 600m, he has the 32mb graphics card and i know that its dedicated but its much older and i would think that the integrated 700m graphics card would be able to keep up.

I could be wrong on all of this, that is why im asking

 

Are you planning on having any extended warranty or total protection plan for your 700M?
If you were to get a 3 or 4 year total protection plan I would leave it on all the time for the first few months solid, If something goes wrong with it get it replaced/repaired and then you know you cant keep it on all the time.
If it can take it then you know you have a bad ass machine. =)

 

well that is one way to see i guess. so people who own a 700m how long do you use it for?

 

The 700m runs relatively cool by the way. You won't notice any heat concerns but if it is going to be used as a desktop replacement (never heard of it really but okay) then a cooling pad wouldn't hurt (although you could probably make do without it).

Regarding the tv out, remember this machine isn't made for such things, its a mobile machine used for everyday apps so i'm not 100% on that, but personally, what I know is the 700m isn't a stay-in-one-spot-do-everything-but-cook-dinner kind of machine, if ya know what I mean.

 

well im not saying that i would be using it as a desktop replacement but it will be faster and better than my current desktop (1.6 P4/256 ram), get my drift. A normal days use for me might be to take it to school and use it for 1.5 hr, come home around 5-6 pm and have it running till 1-2 am and then repeat that on a daily basis. so I would use it for 9.5 hours a day, yes that might seem like alot to some but hey thats what i do. most to all this time will be internet. however I will listen to mp3's while on the internet and I would also like to copy/burn dvd's and be able to record tv shows and record then to dvd, which i know is processor intensive. I chose the 700m over the 600m because it was smaller and more portable so it would be easier to carry around, the screen would be better (from what I have read), and the over all notebook would have a better design. I would be building my 700m with pretty much the exact same specs as my roommates 600m, except for the fact that the graphic cards would be different ( his has a 32mb card dedicated and mine would have a 64 mb card integrated). I dont know but that doesnt seem that out of the normal use for me anyway but this is why im asking so i can find out.


I mean when you look at the dell line up you have the 700m, 6000, 9300. the 9300 is way to big and the 6000 just seems to big as well, so that leaves the 700m, to me the 700m just seems like a 6000 that has been shrunk and the 6000 can do tv and media. i wouldnt put it past dell but why offer a dvd burner drive and dvd editing software if the notebook couldnt handle it.

 

i dont know how anyone can stand leaving on there computers. i turn my computer off every night and usually restart it atleast once per day. Windows is such a inefficient operating system that it need to be flushed religiously. i also reformat once a month. iam on the very picky side of computers so if you can manage running a computer more than a day have fun.

 

i reboot once a day as well but then I might leave it on the whole day.

 

i've had my 700m since march, i take it to school once in a while, and its turned on at school, i take it home and its on all the time, i mean all day all night, during the summer when i didn't have school it was on 24h a day at home, i dont use external keyboard mouse or any screen, just using the laptop as it is. and its still the same as when i bought it. no harm done. except for the palm rest is fading a lil bit under certain light.

 

Starcraft will have no problem running watsoever. Starcraft is an old game that has very low system requirements. Probabally an 8MB graphics card. The PM 1.7 and the 2.0 you will notice about a 10% differnce in speed. (However its only a $100 upgrade well worth it)

Also all laptop users need to understand that leaving a laptop plugged in, is still allowing electricity to trickle in. Notice the lights such as the battery light and the Eathernet light are on when its plugged in and turned off. The power from the laptop goes through the battery and so is putting constant wear on the battery. If you want your battery to last a couple of good solid years, I wouls sudgest unplugging it at night when you remember to do so.

1 Dell laptop in my house was constantly plugged in and the lights were constantly blinking. Another Dell laptop was always unplugged and I have had it for about a year to just like the other one. The first laptops battery went from 2 hours to 10 minutes. And the 2nd laptops battery is just like new. Still providing the origional 2 hours.

 

Good advice. Makes sense too. So a 10% performance difference between the 1.7GHz and 2.0GHz. Interesting. But would you agree that having 1GB RAM appose to 512MB will do more for performance than the processor difference?

Example:
Will a 1.7GHz, 1GB RAM 700m run better/same/worse than a 2.0GHz 512MB RAM 700m? And which will give better battery life and emitt less heat?

 

From my experience is the 1.7GHZ with 1GB ram would run better on most things...unless you are compiling data or something like that...I would get the 1.7 with 1GB of RAM...The 1.7GHZ with 1GB RAM would be cooler I believe, not as much dumping of memory going on and the cooler running processor due to lower voltages.

 

The 1.7gig 1 Gig ram will run faster & better than a 2.0gig 512 MB if all others are equal.

 

I'm typing this on my 700m which arrived on Monday. It has 2GHz cpu and 512MB RAM.

Heat:
I find overheating is not an issue. I usually have it on most of my waking hours, and it gets warm of course, but not hot to the touch, on the top or bottom.

Performance:
I'm thrilled that it plays 720p high-def Quicktime movies very well. Only in the most extreme fast-cutting sections does it seem to drop a few frames (very rare and not too jarring). I don't have a basis for comparison with 1.7GHz/1+GB.

 

Do you mean movies you have on the HD and play in QuickTime, or DVDs you are playing, or streaming off the internet when you speak of 720p high-def QuickTime movies?

 

Merky, for what it's worth, if you really want to replace your desktop, rather than hire a substitute, consider getting a larger laptop. Personally, I never considered anything under 14".
1) If you want to play movies, you should consider a larger screen.
2) If you want to play video games, same.
3) If you intend to type much, you should consider a larger keyboard.

With the 700M, you're basically paying a lot extra because, in some people's eyes, small laptops are cool. In the end, you end up paying a good bit more for a lesser machine, though. By the way, this is as compared to the XPS M140, which starts a little cheaper, and the Inspiron 6000, which starts at around $750.

My suggestion: Start with the base 6000,
-get the 1.73 GHz processor
-Get the 512 MB of RAM
-max out the hard drive,
-max out the video card,
-max out the networking card
-Get the tV tuner or upgrade the screen
-toss in an additional 9-cell battery (but keep the original one at 6 cells, because it costs just as much to buy the second battery as it does to upgrade the first)
-Get the 3-yr Plus Solution Package (which covers you in case you drops the precious or spills's something on it)
-Under enhanced software, get DigitalMedia Plus
-Get the FREE printer (I might consider springing for the $30 one, but my printer is ancient and actually prints negative pages per minute).

Then, put in this coupon code at checkout: $3?LLG4GJKCNFR
It will knock off $750 immediately. The result: A nice setup for $1300 or less. Pretty sweet deal.

Almost at the end; buy one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820208312
and use it to upgrade your RAM. Now, I'm assuming the 6000 uses that type of memory; maybe someone else knows and can say for sure.

Finally, get one of these, since you no longer have a floppy drive: http://www.buy.com/prod/memorex_1gb_traveldrive_usb_2_0_flash_drive/q/loc/14982/201647493.html

Don't forget to fill out the rebate forms. That's $30 in your pocket.

At least consider it. Remember: better setup, less expensive. The 6000 was also basically designed with media usage in mind. Truth be told, you won't have much trouble carrying it around.

Best,
Howie

 

I believe they think the 6000 is too big for their liking, but those features, yes, would be more ideal for the needs.

 

If you want somthing inbetween the 700m and 6000 and somthing with a bigger keyboard, and supports duel channel DDR II ram, then I would sudgest going with the 630m. It weighs about 1.25 lbs more, and the standard battery gets just shy of 4 hours vs the 700m 4 cell about 2 hours. It has a faster FSB. PM 1.7 (533) vs PM 1.7 (400). Also the keyboard is a lot better if you have big hands. Hope this helps!

 

well i was going to get 2.0 processor with 1.5 MB ram (aftermarket) 100 GB HD and the 8X dvd burner and the 8 cell battery and add the 2 year warrenty and you have a $2000 laptop and use $750 off coupon and $1250. in my eyes thats one hell of a deal. I have a 17" lcd monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse to use at home and ill have the port replicator so it can stay pluged in to that. so i can watch tv,movies, type papers, surf the net on the big 17" screen when at home but while on the road the 12.1" will do. also i dont want to have the weight and size of a 14-15.4 size notebook. as for gaming well starcraft is the only comp game that i have really played. im not a gamer at all, but if im on a trip and have some time to kill it might be fun to play the game a little. like i have said, i will be take this around with me so i want light and small (aka easy to carry) but when at home to use it there. it seems stupid to use the desktop still and have files on one and then want them on the other and keep having to go back and fourth between the two

 

First off I hope you would have more than 1.5 *MB* of ram.

Secondly, it seems like it's gonna be used more as a desktop replacement if your gonna have it hooked into a big monitor and stuff like that. I dont know how much you travel, but if its not often, it would appear to be a burning of money lol. However its your money and up to you to decide what to do with it.

Try looking at the 710. Supposely it only has "updated keyboard" and thats it, but I doubt that, as I found some people in this forum dont research indepth.

 

also lost its white trim and its has 10 more M. so its gotta be better with 10 more M

 

What is 10 more 'M' ?

xbandaidx, I have researched on the 710m and the updated keyboard color and chasis color are the only changes. Everything internal has remained the same.

 

I think the 630m, with your 1.5 *MB* of RAM would be the ideal medium. It is lightweight (in comparison to the 6000 and 9300), has a full sized keyboard for writing your papers, nice screen (upgradable) for everyday multi-media tasks, is known as a MULTIMEDIA machine so your tv tuning and DVD burning would be better off on it, can play decent level games and take it around on-the-go easier than one may think.

It is different than the 6000 when holding it under the arm. Oh and did I mension it's cheaper. And you say you will upgrade RAM after-market, so you should be able to pick up this baby around $1000 if not less.

 

Yeah, I took some time to look that information up, and you're right. I guess it needs to be '30' instead of '10' for any notice changes.

 

i meant 1.5GB ram

 

LOL. I thought so. I just like to pick apart mistakes like that.

 

well i looked at the 630m and it doesnt seem to be the muiltmedia machine. it has a Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900and thats not that great, hell if i was going to go 14.1 id rather get a old 600m and have a dedicated 64mb card. now i will agree that a 14.1 size notebook is not that bad, but why not go smaller if you can.

 

Well than lets try the 10" Sony ...As you say the 14.1" is not bad; that opens up a much larger market for you to do your shopping, and no doubt, you will find a machine that is superior (in that size category) to the 700m and 600m and probably 630m.

There is a really nice HP 14" I believe can be equipt with dedicated graphics that would be ultimate for your applications/needs.

I will give the floor to an expert in 13.3 - 14.1" notebooks.

 

I highly Advise against any HP notebook products, I have read many problems with HP notebooks on other forums, and not to mention a close friend of mine who had problems with his.

For some weird reason his AC plugin hole on the back of his laptop got loose, and he litteraly had to tape the power cord into it and stuff like that, thats just one of the problems he had.

He doesn't like to part with his stuff for so long (hence not sending it in for repair) he ended up opening the notebook and shouldering it. It fixed it, but he shouldn't have had to do that in the first place!

 

I've heard a lot of problems with Dell and Toshiba as well, it's just word of mouth that one is going to hear many negatives about products. I was almost going to give up on Dell from problems I heard, but than I realized that with each problem, there was atleast ~10 flawless machines. It's luck of the draw but if there are any problems with the laptop, one can choose to return it.

 

I know a lot of people rag on dell but i have not had a bad experiance with them so until i do i will stick to there brands. there prices are ok on notebooks but its there coupons that make then a good deal to me.

 

Yeah I agree.

I think most people who say there service is bad is because they are trying to get tech support through customer service on the phone. The real secret is doing it through chat or e-mail

Btw no one has yet answered my question about if Dell has a time limit set on each product for chat time?

Like for example...HP gives each product 1 hour of tech support through chat, after you go over that I think you cant use chat option anymore or you have to pay for it?

Does Dell have something like that?

 

sorry but i dont know, iv never had problems that i couldnt fix

 

Going to this link, for example:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/x3/hd/
I click on 720p (700m can't display full res of 1080p, so I don't bother). I like to let the whole movie download (gray progress bar), then I start playing it (it's cached on disk at that point).

 

I can't play that trailer at all. Message "cannot play xxxx bad public atom ... something".

 

Make sure you have Quicktime 7