studio 1555 purchase decision-please guide :)

Considering that I have just returned a compaq notebook after 4 months of usage due to heat iand other service related issues, I think I would be better off with a dell. I am sure there are a lot of studio 1555 owners around here. some queries ( maybe a bit silly/too technical):

1. Does the machine ( with p8600) support VT? 1535 BIOS allows for this, but you never know when dell starts hating VT? ( like sony)

2. the 512mb ATI 4570 has which class of RAM? ddr2 or ddr3?

3. I heard that the colors on the 720p LED screen are a bit off the mark. Is it
something that can't be fixed with callibration?

4. They are offering only one type of screen in india. any chance of getting better screen options?

5. What kind of temperatures are there on the palmrest, touchpad, keyboard, laptop base etc? Is there any potential airflow blockage that can happen while on the lap?

6. is the backlit keyboard responsive enough? the compaq i had had a very lousy keyboard..which would stop working properly esp when the laptop got 'warm'. this was one of the major frustations with that machine.

7. do these fellas have promo coupons in dell india too? the 'get quote' page does have a textbox to feed in coupons.

8. OT: anybody aware what would be the free upgrade window for W7?


It would be really sweet if you guys help me out with these queries of mine

 

8) There's a lot of speculation on this issue, and if you do a simple Google search, you will find out that a lot of people and sources are saying that PCs purchased after or around July 1, 2009 will receive a free upgrade to Windows 7. However, the OEM (Dell) can shorten the time span of free upgrades as they please, so you will need to wait to hear from Dell when the free upgrades will start happening.

 

So would it make sense to delay the purchase a bit? It will be hard tho, considering that the previous compaq left a big void ( no personal machine with me here).

 

Hi, Im a 1555(with P8600) owner

1: Studio 1555 with P8600 support VT, you an find the VT options in BIOS.

2: GDDR3 (in last GPU-Z)

3: The colors of screen are a bit Purple(or blue), but you can fix it in Catalyst Control center. The fix isn't perfect but effect.

4: Sorry,I dont know, I only know Studio 1555 have screen option in US. Maybe you can buy a bettry screen for 1555 in ebay and fix it by yourself.

5. The temperature of touchpad(with WiFi on) and right palmrest is a little high. I think it is ok to use this laptop on your lap, but a long-time or heavy duty use is not a good idea.

6. I didn't order the backlit keyboard, sorry.

7. ...

8. Microsoft have not released the upgrade plan yet.

 

3) In another forum, i came across some posts which mentioned that the blue color problem can be fixed by replacing the LCD. And it was reported by some users in India who had their LCDs replaced for free from Dell (and it was done by Dell India free of cost)

The color problem seems to have disappeared after replacing with the recalibrated LCD.

4) Currently they are giving away one type of display, so u will have to be satisfied with it..

The rest of the queries i might be able to answer only shortly since my expected delivery date of the 1555 according to Blue Dart India is tomorrow.

 

^ thank you. will be awaiting your responses

 

Is the 720p Screen Resolution sufficient? Or would you recommend 1080p to be able so see more on the screen?

 

Off topic: The delivery of my 1555 has been delayed from tomorrow to indefinite.

Reason stated by BlueDart is flight canceled / delayed ..

The wait just got longer ..

 

^^What is the config of the 1555 that u r getting?

 

The one with P8600, in addition to 512MB GPU and back light keyboard. No freebies were given (none taken actually, because the Dell India retail head took my order ).

But i am at loss of what is to be done now. The blue dart website displays they cannot ship the product due to flight delay / cancellation. I am like WTH!! Plenty of flights ply between Chennai (from where the product is assembled) and Trivandrum (my residence), yet blue dart has no idea when the product will be shipped. Usually it takes just one day for the shipment, now they are saying that they are ignorant of the time..

 

Save yourself the money on the 512MB graphics card. Get the 256MB version; you won't notice any gain in performance beyond a few points in synthetic benchmark tests. The 4570's 64-bit bus width is more of a bottleneck than the amount of VRAM.

 

Have patience..It will be delivered soon..Mine got delivered within 4 days..

 

They are taking sums from us promising Express Delivery (it can be seen in the invoice). Means the product will be delivered to any part of the country within one day. This would have held true if they had acted according to the original plan, my pickup date was 7th may and delivery date was 9th may.

But seemingly some flight was delayed / canceled and now they are transporting the product through road (according to the latest info received from blue dart). Guess what, it is stuck up in a check post in Erode (TamilNadu).

Although blue dart is promising delivery on Monday, when coaxed they said they are unsure about the delivery on Monday because the vehicle is held up in a check post..

The whole definition of Express Delivery is being upset. Do i get to ask for compensation from Dell? Please enlighten me..

 

If shipping takes longer than you paid extra for, you should definitely be able to get a refund of the shipping costs, since Dell failed to keep their half of the deal.

 

On average, how long does it take for Dell to build a configured system before shipping?

 

^^ Took four days for me. (Four working days)

BTW am speaking of Dell India

 

I ordered on May 7, so it should be done by approximately Tuesday or Wednesday? Hm, that would be nice.

 

It depends on the model, demand for certain parts, and other things. My Studio 1535, which I ordered last August, took nearly four weeks to prep, not days.

 

So should I trust the estimated delivery date then? Mine says June 4, but I always thought that's a preliminary date. That is, just in case parts are delayed, that's the latest date they can deliver it to you.

 

dell india tends to bundle freebies if they delay or do any blunders. Push them for it and you'll get something. just a bluetooth mouse maybe.

 

^^ True, i am hearing about it in many other forums too.

I am waiting for tomorrow and if they fail to deliver the product, i will have to start pulling some strings ..

 

The estimated date will be changed, according to the work in progress.

 

That's good! I see myself checking my account like 4-5 times a day for updates. Talk about being excited...

 

@ipkonfig: you can bully them tomm mornign itself. no need to wait

@Hawk: perfectly normal mate. you've let go of the $$$ and now have nothing more than a tracking number.

 

The Dell India Order Status website is updated just once in a day. Do not know about the other portals..BTW mine is still stuck at ship from factory, while it should have shown in transit.

 

any updates? @ipkonfig?

 

10am: Contacted Blue Dart Chennai. According to them the product has already reached Trivandrum.

11am: Contacted Blue Dart Trivandrum. They do not have the product with them. I demand an explanation, they said Dell Chennai must have goofed up. I ask, where is the product now, they say no idea.

12pm: I contact Dell CC and start firing them. They say the product must already be in Trivandrum, since it was taken by road from Chennai on 8th May.

1pm: I pull some strings within Dell and they get in touch with Blue Dart Trivandrum, in my presence. I could hear my contacts within Dell questioning them (BD TVM personnel) like adept lawyers.

1:20pm: Am still on phone with Dell officials, and the BD TVM personnel admit that the package is in some Cochin Warehouse.

I am being promised delivery tomorrow. I highly doubt it. Something had gone wrong in between and i do not know whom to blame. Even Dell people are confused why Blue Dart resorted to transportation by road. It should be airlifted only, in the strictest sense. I wonder the shape of the package when i get it on my hands.

 

tell them you will refuse the package unless they commit to a compensation. there has been additional payment for delivery. your order is anyway covered by refund policy.

did you get complete cover btw?

 

I talked with them regarding the compensation.

According to them only XPS line of laptops, will be provided compensation for late deliveries. When pointed out about the express delivery stated in the bill, i was told, billing is preset (Express Delivery will be listed in every bill generated by Dell India, but it does not necessarily mean Express Delivery)

I was getting calls all this day apologizing for the delay, both from Dell India and Blue Dart. Delivery being promised by 11am tomorrow. I am a bit anxious about the condition of the product when i get it. But i am being promised full product replacement if i find any form of damage to the packaging or to the product, by Dell India (due to delayed shipment and road transportation)

I opted for the default Warranty & Service (1 Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis)

 

^ shud have taken complete cover...all a matter of 1300 bucks.

 

I got the product this morning, booted up..working fine.

No purple color problems for me. (seems like the delay has finally paid off )

Couldn't play much, just booted up, checked for purple problems. The product is a bit heavier than i expected. Had to rush for the office

 

congoz! time to answer my queries

 

Congrats..Which color did u take?

 

Thanks mates !!

I took the normal black one...

Occasionally i hear a tick sound, read from another forum that it is the HDD..

Will be downloading XP drivers tonight...hope to install XP tomorrow..

 

Why don't u stick 2 vista?

 

Personally i feel that Vista is a bit of bloatware. Hence i am comfortable with windows xp and fedora.

 

On a dual-core machine with more than 1.5GHz and more than 2GB of RAM, you'll never notice any performance difference between XP and Vista. Vista is not a bloated operating system. It just makes better use out of your system's existing resources. Why buy 4GB of RAM if you never want your system to use more than 1GB?

In all seriousness, though, give Vista a try for a few weeks. And if you're so concerned about performance, NBR has an excellent Vista tweak guide full of simple things you can do that will make Vista run faster and lighter:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=166532

 

Too late

Already installed Windows XP on the laptop, working like a charm as expected

Thanks for the info BTW

 

Glad to see you've got it working...do give Vista a try at some point, though. You can't stick with XP forever. Once Windows 7 comes out, XP will be two whole generations old.

 

Yes, Windows 7 is next on my list, will be installing it tomorrow..

 

Good choice, you won't be disappointed.

 

U shud definitely give Windows Vista a try..BTW what r ur system specs?

 

^ The normal Studio 1555 with P8600. Additions were 512MB GPU and back-light keyboard.

BTW just tried GTA 4 (unpatched default game). Was able to obtain 34~36 fps at 800x600 with all settings low. Will have to look at the frame rates after patching with the latest patch. I hope the laptop doesn't get fried in the process

 

Good job geting GTA IV working. I still have performance issues with it on my gaming desktop with an 8800GT.

 

It's been nearly a week since I ordered my Studio 1555 and it's still in production. Looks like it's got parts needed to be backordered.

So I also just read the review of the Win7 RC. Seems stable and I'm looking forward to it in the coming future.

Just hope ATI will be on top of their drivers to ensure the GPU runs smooth!