studio 17, 21 day return, and HP?

Hello,

I have been using my new studio 17 for the last three days had several questions that I would appreciate input on. First my MO: Most of my laptop computing is word processing, net surfing, picture stuff, occasional spreadsheet, occasional movie, no gaming. Most of my laptop use is sitting up in bed with the machine on my lap, balanced on my right leg, or set down on the bed to my right side, or sitting in the recliner with the unit on my lap, or on the back deck with unit on my lap. Only travel with the laptop 1-3 times per year (car travel).

I'm coming from a 2001 dell latitude 14" machine which has been stone cold reliable but of course severely outdated. I'm old and not concerned with the style or look of a computer, I have old eyes and need easy to read screens and font sizes. I tend to buy more computer than I need initially and keep it for many years past when people would normally upgrade. I tend to be more concerned with ergonomics, user friendliness, and robustness of design than I am with processor speed, video cards, memory etc. The one exception here is I really like/need a bright clear display.

My studio 17 is configured with the T6400, 4gb ram, backlite keyboard, wled 1440x900 display, ATI HD 3650 etc.

Initial impressions
Good: It is of course much faster than my 2001 dell, especially on boot up and shut down. The clarity and brightness of the display is a beautiful thing and the viewing angles are good as well. I pulled up an instant movie from netflix and it is very impressive, although the movie didn't play fullscreen as there was about an inch of unused screen on either side of the movie. The backlite keyboard is nice.

Uncertain:
- Maybe it is my imagination but the keyboard on this thing seems squishy. Almost like it is uneven and set too low in the chassis. The keys have very little tactile feedback. A number of times now I've been flying along wordprocessing and find that even though I pressed the key the entry was never made.

- There is quite a bit of flex in the screen it seems. I learned real quick to make sure to grasp the screen right in the middle when closing/opening the lid. It's a bit disconcerting to see the dell symbol on the back of the lid distort when the screen flexes as you close the lid if you don't grasp it right in the middle.

- There are no standoffs at the top of the screen to keep it from contacting the palm rests when the lid is closed. Picking the machine up with one hand in the center front as I normally do results in the lid flexing and touching the palm rest in the camera/mic area at the top of the display.

- While there is a boatload of screen real estate, the icons/text are small which is not good at all. Can these be increased in size without loosing any clarity? I need all aspects of the display - icons, text, menus, etc bumped up in size a bit.

- While I like the 17" screen, and I thought the number pad would be nice to have, I really dislike that the it causes the alpha keyboard and corresponding touch pad to be offset to the left of the chassis. The touch pad obviously has to be centered relative to the alpha keyboard for proper word processing and data entry. This is not that big of an issue when the machine is used on the desk but it causes an imbalance when used on the lap. In order to use the machine with keyboard/touchpad centered the whole machine has to be shifted to the right which causes the right side to tip over to the right. In short it makes it very awkward to use this machine on anything other than a desk. In addition, I think compounding this lap unfriendly nature is the whole gigantic hinge design and how deep this laptop is.

I fully understand that this machine is marketed as a "desktop replacement" and maybe I would be better served with a 15" model. What would be really nice though is to have the 17" screen, lose the number pad, and center the alpha keyboard and touchpad in the center of the chassis. This would make laptop computer more user friendly.

Any input you have on these observations would be appreciated.

Specifically I wanted to clarify Dell's return policy. I purchased direct from Dell and was wondering how long I had to decide if I should return the unit and how much the return process typically costs? If there is a return period from what point does the clock start ticking? And at what point does the clock stop ticking, does it go by the postmark date that you ship the unit back?

I also wanted to see if anyone had input on the HP laptops in comparison with the Dells? Do they have the same screen flex and mushy keyboard? Do the 17" HP's have the same keypad location as the Dell's? Is the screen brightness, clarity and resolution that much worse on the HP's vs the Dell?

Does the dell 15 have a squishy keyboard and flex screen?

I toying with the idea of going down to costco and buying one of the HP models, possibly a 15" model and then I can run it side by side with the dell for a few days. Costco has an excellent three month return policy, although I'd have to decide before the dell return time limit ran out I guess.

Thanks
Andy

 

If you are already having doubts/concerns about the Studio 17, I would suggest you return it while you can! If there are things you don't like about now, they'll only be more annoying in the long run.

If you haven't checked out the Lenovo IdeaPad Y730, at least give it a quick look- LINK They have a 15% coupon code ( USPSTPATSSALE) valid thru 3/17, too.

The Toshiba Satellite P300 is also a great value and a strong performer....definitely worth a look- Configure your own- LINK or here's a great deal on one- LINK.

Good luck!

 

To answer some of your specific questions-

Dell Return Policy: They will allow returns up to 21 days from the invoice date. They should have mailed you an invoice a few days after your laptop shipped, but you can also pull it up from your account on Dell's website. You must get an authorization within the 21 days, then drop off the package at FedEx within 5 working days of the Return Authorization date (they pay the postage).

The policy states that they may charge a 15% restocking fee on non-defective returns. If you're planning to buy another Dell system, you can usually get them to waive the 15% and issue a refund for the full price (minus shipping).

Screen flex: The Studio 15 (in my opinion) has the same issue with screen flex. It may not cause damage to the system, but it bugs me and makes the whole thing feel cheap. The 17's bigger screen is probably a bit worse than that.

Keyboard: The keyboard on the Studio 15 had some flex and I didn't like the 'squishy' feel of the keys either. My nephew's Inspiron 1525, which is a less expensive Dell model, has a much better keyboard!

Your BEST bet for a durable/reliable laptop that will last for more than a year or two is a business-oriented model. The Dell Latitude E6500 is a 15.4" with a fantastic keyboard (backlit optional) and it can be ordered with a WXGA (1280x800) or WXGA+ (1440x900) LED-backlit display. Both of the LED displays are very bright. Take a look- LINK

 

Here is Dell's return policy:
21 days from date of invoice for refund/new replacement.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/policy/en/policy?c=us&l=en&s=gen&~section=018

They can charge you the 15% restocking fee, as @allfiredup, described above, but most times..they don't.

Here is what you need to do:
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/returns_entry?c=us&l=en&s=gen

If your going to return..you need to get the process started asap.

Cin

 

Thanks for the replies, I better check my date for return as I suspect there may only be a few days left.

I'm reading up on the Lenovo and 6400 now. Does the 6400 really have a different keyboard than the studio 17? I realize it has a stiffer chassis which may contribute to a more robust feeling keyboard experience, but is the actual keyboard itself different?

Also, how do I change the dpi on this studio 17? I need everything on the screen to be bigger. This 1440x900 makes the viewing experience very frustrating with the smallness of the text, icons, menus etc. I realize I can bump the font up but that only seems to work on some websites. I need everything scaled up proportionately and clear and sharp. Seems ridiculous to have a 17" screen and then have tiny text/fonts/icon/menus.

 

The keyboard is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT- the texture of the keys, the tactile feedback from each key stroke....it's right up there with the keyboard on a ThinkPad, which is the benchmark according to most seasoned laptop users! Plus it's backlit....but there is absolutely NO flex or give, no matter how much pressure you put on the keys....it's rock solid!

To change DPI, right click on any open area of your desktop, select 'Personalize', in the upper left corner you should see TASKS and the second one should be 'Adjust Font Size (DPI)'.

 

I'm not sure why you would opt for the 17" even if your sitting at home all the time. Any 14.1 or even a 15.4" should serve you better being easier to carry around and to look at. I've got a E6400 and it's rock solid, while the keyboard isn't 100% flex free, it's better than my sister's Studio 15. Although, I do not think the Studio 15 keyboard isn't all that bad, and I don't have as much of a problem with the screen distorting.

My favorite type of keyboards is the old fashioned desktop type. So, it's interesting that the E6400 keyboard is stiff and also a bit soft at the same time and extremely quiet. It's almost disconcerting coming from a Asus G1s which had those cheapo plasticity keys.

 

Thanks for the replies, very helpful information. I checked my invoice date and it looks like I'm 8 days into the 21 day window.

At this point I'm leaning toward the E6500 and I was wondering if the keyboard is the same size and layout as on this studio 17? I realize the E6500 doesn't have the number pad of course but I was curious if the alpha part of the keyboard is the same size and layout? From the pictures it looks like the spacebar on the E6500 is smaller?

I don't suppose dell has any retail stores where I could look at a E6500 in person?

Thanks
Andy

 

I just measured the width of the keyboard on my E6400. It is exactly 11-inches wide. The E6500 uses the same keyboard and uses wider speaker grilles on each side to take up the extra space (since the E6500 is almost 1" wider overall). It's a very comfortable keyboard to use, IMO.

Here are some great pics of the E6500, if you haven't seen them already- LINK. Unfortunately, there are no stores that sell Dell Business products...so the pics are the only way to see it.

It's a very sharp looking system, at least to my eyes. I have a Studio 15 (Midnight Blue) and it looks like a toy compared to my E6400.

 

Thanks. I've got 10 days left to make a decision. Increasing the dpi on this studio 17 improved the readability a bit along with jacking up the font sizes in the browser.

I still don't understand why the space bar is smaller on the latitude than it is on the studio keyboard.

Maybe dell would willing to forgo the restocking fee if they knew I was going to buy another dell. I wonder if I should order the latitude and hold onto the studio until the final day of the 21 day time limit if they would be inclined to drop the restocking fee. If I return the studio and wait for a credit to the account before ordering the latitude I'd have to go back to the very slow but trusty C500 latitude while waiting on the new latitude.

 

The Latitude E6400 and E6500 use the same keyboard, so it had to be small enough to fit a 14.1". The speakers are located on both sides of the keyboard, limiting width even more.

It's a very comfortable keyboard to use, just the arrow keys in the bottom right corner, the Ins/Del/Home/End/PgUp-Down keys in the top right corner and the F1-F12 keys are smaller than normal or oddly placed. It doesn't take long to acclimate for touch typists (even ones with big, clumsy hands).

You've got the most leverage PRIOR to buying the replacement. They'd be most likely to waive the 15% restocking fee if they knew it meant you'd buy another Dell.