SXS37 vs M1330

I've been in the market for a laptop since summer, but I've been only working part-time so money has been a little short and I've had to continually put off this purchase. I think I now have a full time job offer, so I should finally be able to replace my 5 1/2 year old Gateway.

I've pretty much narrowed down my choices to the P1 SXS37 and the Dell XPS M1330. Configured similarly the price is pretty comparable, so the decision is coming down to only a couple of measurable items and a few intangibles.

Everything being equal I'd prefer to order from P1. They have such an excellent reputation on here for customer support, and I've read all the threads of people who thought they had a problem (which was usually at least partially there own fault) and still P1 did everything they could to make the situation right. That kind of customer service is really hard to find these days, and it is something I really appreciate. I also like the idea that if I buy a P1 I'll be supporting the "little guy" and I'll also get a laptop that is pretty sleek and I'm unlikely to see too many of. They also price their upgrades really reasonably, so I can extend the warranty to 3 years and upgrade to Vista Ultimate without having to call in any favors from my friends at Microsoft.

On the negative side for P1 is the laptop itself, while the SXS37 is nice, I get the idea that for my needs the 1330 might be better. One of my main concerns is battery life. I travel frequently coast to coast and overseas and it would be nice to have a laptop that can last an entire flight. Whichever laptop I get I plan on getting both a 6 cell and 9 cell battery. The Dell gives me the choice of getting integrated graphics and an LED screen, this combined with Asus's bad reputation for battery life leads me to believe I'd get much better battery life out of the 1330. The XPS is also a little lighter and smaller (I think, haven't actually compared the dimensions in awhile so maybe I'm misremembering?)

So anyone want to try and sway me in one way or another? My choice of forums might indicate which way I'd liked to be pushed.

 

Trolling and I'll put a word in for the sz. You gain battery life and the option between integrated and 8400m gs. It might be slightly more expensive though. Just my 2 cents. Youll be happy with any of these!

 

I've been looking at the SZ a little bit. I like that you can order from P1, but my experience with just about all Sony electronics I've purchased in the last 15 years has been poor (and I've had a lot of products across numerous categories). Combine this with the fact that a similarly equipped SZ6 runs $300-$400 more than either of the other laptops and I've pretty much eliminated it from consideration.

Is the battery life generally better in everyday use than the Dell with integrated graphics? In principle I like the idea of the hybrid graphics system, but in reality I'd probably just stick with the integrated all the time, so it really doesn't gain me anything.

 

the Dell xps is horrible in build quality.
go with P1 and the sx37, just buy an extra battery and u'll get the full flight.

 

I dont know how long the dell runs but I can get about 6h from my sz when just typing. Average is at about 4-5h. (on integrated)

 

I just saw that the SZ7 is available today for preorder on Sony's site and the price is pretty reasonable. Maybe I can be swayed in Sony's direction. I wonder how long it will take for P1 to get these?

 

Well rumours had that they'd ship 1/29. Wouldnt be the first time sony misses a shipping date.. And I'd definitely buy it from P1 if possible. You should contact them (P1) and ask them directly for their shipping date. If you decide on the SZ and order from P1 have them rip it out from the package and check for any inconsistencies (=the screen DDDDDD) and also remove all the bloat (oh boy there will be "some").

 

Yeah, on of the things that initially turned me off on the Sony was all the bloatware that is included. Nice to see that P1 has the option to remove that for you.