Dell Computers...

[The_Reaper]

So, I'm trying to talk my father into allowing me to purchase a notebook computer for University.

Now, the problem arises because I'd be using my student loan money to purchase it, which is why my father opposes it.

Now, I've found a Dell Inspiron 1520 for $799. That's not too bad, considering this thursday it jumps back up to $939.

The question I'm asking my fellow JUBers, is what they know about Dells and whether or not it's a computer that's going to be reliable, sturdy, and efficient.

So, yea or nay on dells?

 

[yeeeaaahhh]

I have had my Dell XPS M140 for about a year and a half now.
I have had to completely restore it 3 or 4 times.
Don't get a Dell.

 

[jimrent66]

i've had my dell computer for over two years and have had no problems with it. I've also just purchased the new laptop that you're referring to, the only thing i'm pissed about is that they are back ordered and taking over a month to ship the laptop.

But i'll wait it out, I'm in need of a good laptop

 

[maxpowr9]

All I am going to say about this is, remember, "you get what you paid for".

 

[provenlogic]

Dell's are excellent as far as service and quality goes, they're not the number one computer manufacturer for nothing. However, there are several things you want to consider when buying a laptop, mainly because you can't upgrade them later. You need to ask yourself, does this laptop do everything i'll want to do with it? Will it do that 2-3 years down the road?

$799 is pretty cheap for a laptop, a bit too cheap. WHAT!? How can it be too cheap? Laptops are the one thing i will advise people to spend MORE money on, simply because you need this thing to work for you for a few years, and you can't just go and slap new hardware in it in a few months if it's not running the newest program like you want.

I'd recommend you get something with a 2.0+ GHz Core2 Duo processor, at least 2 GB of DDR2 memory, at least 100GB hard drive, and finally a dedicated video card (no integrated crap), something like a Mobility Radeon or GeForce Go, with at least 256Mb of VRam. You should really look to spend around $1250 for a good laptop. And there are pleanty of great Dell's to choose from in that range with that hardware .

As with any brand, you will find people who have had bad experiences, that's just the facts of life so to speak. But what you really want to look at, is how many satisfied customers are there to outweigh the unsatisfied ones? In my experience the number of happy dell owners FAR FAR FAR outweigh the unhappy ones. But it's true, you get what you pay for, so don't pay cheap when it comes to a laptop, but then again, don't stoll in to you local Best Buy and let them rip you off either.

Barring Dell, the other laptop brands i personally recommend are of course SONY, Toshiba, and IBM (though they are marketed more towards the business user).

 

[maxpowr9]

I forgot to mention one thing.

One thing that alot of people realize when they buy computers (both PCs and laptops) is that the software is what will jack up the price. Since you are going off to college, I am assuming they are not giving you a laptop (and thus you are buying one). I would ask your college computer center if they offer you free software i.e. Office 2007 and XP or Vista. Most colleges offer it for free given you sign their computer contract. If they do offer it for free, It could save you upwards of $500 on the software. Ask your college first before buying your laptop.

 

[-live-]

Oh dont worry about software, its all free and legal on internet!

If you need office then just use...

www.openoffice.org

Plus looks a nice laptop, has Vista which is great, and seems like it be fast!

 

[tatu101]

I have had my Dell XPS M140 for about a year and a half now.
I have had to completely restore it 3 or 4 times.
Don't get a Dell.

i have the same computer they may look good but there not try getting something cheap and then try to get something better later on.

 

[me12121]

The computers are well built, but the support sucks. I'll never buy a Dell because of the bad taste left in my mouth after dealing with tech support. I still do love their computers though.

BTW, that $799 price isn't going up to $939. It's been $799 for the last month and Dell has sales every week. Also, if you really want to get a good price, it's actually better to buy after the back to school rush. Demand for laptops is very high right now and even Dell can't ship them out fast enough (just google Dell-ays).

Also, Dell USA is way cheaper than Dell Canada. If you have relatives in the US, I'd buy from there. One of my friends just did that and got the best deal. He got a Vostro 1400 with way better specs than the 1420 you are looking at for $699. It actually has everything provenlogic's post mentioned, except for the 2ghz+ processor that you don't really need. Any Core2Duo processor is fine.