Dell 700m vs. Toshiba M55-S325, Should I have to wait until Thanksgiving Sales?

Guys,

Some questions I have:

1. Already read all the reviews for Dell 700m and Toshiba M55-S325, but it is still hard to pick one up. Honestly, it is quite bitter to buy a 700m without $750 off coupon offered in the past.

2. Is it necessary to have kind of an extended service plan including accidental damage protection? Heard the customer service of dell really sucks. Don't know much about that of Toshiba. Still considering 3 yr plus solution package for Dell 700m or a similar one for Toshiba M55-S325.

3. Is now the right time for purchasing a Pentium-M CPU based laptop? Know that Vista will be released soon both in 32 and 64 bits. In addition, do I have to wait until Thanksgiving sales for better price offers from either Dell or Toshiba?

Any further recommendation or advice, please?

 

If you want to run Vista in all its glory a better video card is a good ideal. Heard good things about Dell's onsite support if you want to go that route.

 

I happened to see the Dell at a kiosk yesterday and was quite impressed with the build quality; I am unfamiliar with the exact Toshiba model you are referring to, but I can say that looking at the smaller Toshibas in general (and I looked at a 12" model, just not sure of the model #) I was very unimpressed with the build. There was minimal screen flex on the Dell, with no rippling with back-pressure, while the Toshiba felt like I could easily break it with not much effort. Similarly, I was impressed with the keyboard and the screen of the 700m; after reading so many of the reviews, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised.
Dell CS is a two-edged sword- yes, they can be a pain to get hold of, and it can be very annoying when the first person you talk to seems like they know less than you- BUT- if you persevere, call back if you need to or ask to speak to a supervisor if you need to, you can get all the help you need, tool free, 24 hours/7 days- and that is a huge plus. If you opt for on-site service, parts are sent out promptly and a tech comes to the house/business. They are very accomodating with a little effort. There are a few better support companies out there (like Portableone, for instance, whose service is unbeatable) but you can't beat Dell in its class- bang for the buck! Personally, esp. with laptops, I think extended warranties are a must, but I know others prefer to save the $$'s. I figure that the first time I need it, I will be very glad I spent the money.
Their end of quarter is approaching, and you prob. will see some nice coupons over the next few weeks.