Advice Setting up a New Latitude E6500

Hey guys first post and I hate for it to be a request but I just bought a new Dell E6500 for my BA/MA. I had a Sony vaio SZ 430 for two years and it was a huge waste, Bloatware, slow operating system, warping case, and a cpu which would run at 178 F during idle. Anyway I just bought a Dell Latitude E6500 for 1044USD here are some specs.
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600, 2.40GHz, 1066MHz 3M L2 Cache, Dual Core
3.0GB DDR2-800MHz, 2 DIMMS
250GB Hard Drive 9.5MM 7200RPM FFS
15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA LEDLCD
Its running a windows Vista Downgrade to XP professional
I am trying to set up a quick reliable business machine and part 1 is clean install exactly what do I need (resource DVD) and are there any threads to direct to me also does the machine come preinstalled with vista or XP? I avoided the bluetooth, camera, and fingerprint reader and fancy graphics card because I never used these on the Sony and had a millions of issues with drivers. Sorry I am coming from a childhood of macs and a bad experience of PC's my plan is to clean install right out of the box to avoid losing any important files. Thanks for any help I am getting the unit on the 30th so there is some time if I need to get some drivers dl'ed I did get the backlit key board I fell in love with it since it first came out on my pops old powerbook

 

Also forgot to ask does anyone know how many processes will run on intial boot my vaio had 112 but the school PC's Ive used have somewhere in the region of 30-35 just wondering if clean install is worth it

 

Just my 2c, as there are people who can answer better than me, but...

There is almost no Bloatware on the dell business class notebooks (I own an e6400). I believe that is one of the perks of buying from the business class. I have found that the consensus is that a clean install is not necessary.

 

As mentioned, factory install is fairly clean. Also includes drivers required to switch BIOS SATA controller mode between the various options without BSOD on restart... you lose these upon re-installing, leaving you stuck in the installed mode... not a big concern if you do not intend to switch.

That said, my 11/08 factory install was flakey out of the box due to half-done drivers and such. So, after so much bad behavior, a clean install was deemed necessary. My most recent clean install has been very solid, finally. See the 'clean' note below for details.

I would use it as is for a few weeks to discover any build problems before confusing these with any re-installation work.

GK

 

Question about the initial set up so basically can I just uninstall any preloaded apps and be in clean install state. I am a little worried about BIOS and upgrade options I figure in a clean install you still get generic drivers and can load Dell's drivers off of the resource DVD, Does this DVD also have the VISTA downgrade I would like the option for Vista since I am paying for it but I wouldn't realistically look at changing my OS until 7 has been fully released and tested. If Dells initial setup isn't clean I still would like clean install for the simple fact its less than a days worth of work and I am looking to keep this machine 4+ years. I figure the resource DVD would have the upgrade anyway as well as some of the full software I got i.e. Roxio and Power DVD although with Torrents these things are much easier to get again I wouldn't want to Illegally DL an OS

 

Heuu ok have fun removing teh 2 applications that you will install right back.
Roxio (well unless you have a different one or Windows Vista CD/DVD burner works for you) and PowerDVD (DVD codec for Vista Business edition, and all XP edition (All WIn7 edition will have 32 an 64-bit DVD codecs))

Do you mean upgrading the BIOS? If you have Dell Next Buisness Day On site service, and the BIOS fails to update and the system fails to boot. Then just call Dell, and the next business day (or the business day and time you pick)
you'll have a contracted professional technician at your door steps with a new motherboard ready to be replaced. Simple. So no worries (you won't need to re-install your system). The update process is done within Windows, you will fill like you are updating a software... it's very simple.

If you are worried about BIOS technology, this technology is VERY old, completely standardized... You have nothing to worry about.

I suggest to get the LATEST version of every drivers from Dell website.
Just type in the tag number and all the drivers of your system will show (just make sure you pick the correct operating system)
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=ca&cs=cabsdt1&l=en&s=bsd

No. The DVD only has Dell drivers for all Latitude E6400 configuration.
If your system comes with Vista, then Vista is what you have. If it comes with XP pre-install... then you should have both XP and Vista 32-bit.
I highly recommend Vista 64-bit to unleash the full power of your system, increase battery life (when you use 64-bit application or codecs over their 32-bit versions). How much battery life gain? well that all depends, on what you do with the program, your project, your multimedia item (if it's codec related), and other factors. Nothing drastic, thus.
Also, you get to use your 4GB of RAM (and not 'lock' it down to ~3.1GB).

Windows 7 is based on Vista, at kernel level, you can sure it's been tested. At the user-level experience, Windows 7 which has Vista elements are as well all tested as they were on a previous OS and was able to FULLY be tested... As for the rest, Windows 7 passed through (and still is) public beta, and public release candidate 1 of the OS, and in July, OEMs and large businesses, hardware manufacture will have their Win7 for final tested and finalize their drivers. October 22nd, is when you will have the ability to get your hands on. Windows 7 will be very well tested. And this maybe the best, less buggy at release from Microsoft since ever.
Beside, most issue that Vista got was related to the last minute 32-bit version, and not the over ~6 years in development 64-bit version. I would expect the same form WIn7 (64-bit being more polished than the 32-bit, as it's based on Vista). But really, not having 64-bit Windows on a compatible system, when no valid reason exists, is just like turning off the "Turbo" button on these old x86(186, 286, 386...) computers, because the computer is "too fast for you".

[/quote]If Dells initial setup isn't clean I still would like clean install for the simple fact its less than a days worth of work and I am looking to keep this machine 4+ years. I figure the resource DVD would have the upgrade anyway as well as some of the full software I got i.e. Roxio and Power DVD[/quote]
This is what is installed on your system, unless specified otherwise to Dell (i.e: asked Dell for a (or a trial of a) anti-virus)
- Roxio disk burning software
- PowerDVD codec and player 32-bit (even if you have a 64-bit OS, teh 32-bit will be given to you. Current Microsoft for Windows is the only one that has 64-bit DVD codec form my knowledge. (yes they are very good, if you wonder)
- System Drivers
- Dell Control Point software (made of 2 software + plug-ins)
- Driver applications (you can uninstall them, if you know what you are doing)

Dell Control Point Software is 2 application. A light one, and a heavy one.
The light one - which is funny as the first version of this laptop it was 1000X better in all aspects like: less real estate it took to display information, less resources, doesn't steal focus from application, and doesn't exit full screen games and videos... I hope the next version will have these fixed.. anyway you can use the old version Dell has the. Anyway, the light one is the onscreen notification for events like increase/decrease volume/brightness, etc.)
The heavy application, is Dell Control Point (you can remove it from startup, as you run it with Fn + F7), this is the application allows you access some configuration on making your own hot key combination, change keyboard backlit brightness, time to leave turn on and more, as also enable Dell Extended Battery life mode.

Dell Control Point takes plug-in like security features and network manager which can be uninstalled. The network and security manager might be interesting for XP to make thing easy, but under Vista and Win7, it's totally useless, and makes things more complicated.

If you are in the U.S or Canada I suggest to pre-order Windows 7 upgrade disk (32 and 64-bit disks are included). The Upgrade is in license term, a re-install is needed, unless you have Vista and the Win7 version is higher or the same as the edition of Vista you have (I don't know if you can force it a clean install.. it's to know these details when you don't have the OS). Anyway, you save quiet a bit if you pre-order Win7 upgrade, and it end this Saturday (I don't know if ON Saturday or AFTER Saturday).
More info: http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Windows-Windows-7/category/102

Edition comparison:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions#Comparison_chart

 

If you bought the E6500 on or after June 26, you're entitled to a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it is released. I would highly recommend that you take advantage of this offer. Windows 7 is superior to Vista.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/...ding/en/us/windows-7-consumer?c=us&l=en&cs=19

 

Yeah I am going to try the machine out of the box and see how it runs, I was golfing yesterday and a guy in my group had his own IT firm, he told me that Dell puts the upgrade on a drive partition so you can upgrade with a clean install that being said I probably would just go to 7. I want to eventually upgrade and since I will be getting 7 for free the vista upgrade isn't important to me I am just trying to get this into lamens terms. If I choose to clean install I just loose the upgrade to Vista option as long as I have the resource DVD with Dells initial (albeit old) drivers I will be fine right? Sorry for the beginner questions its just I don't want to be sucked into having a bloated machine and If I have the computer for more than a few days it will be tougher for me to clean install on account of important files and PW's ending up on it.

 

They aren'tincluding the Latitude E line on that link I doubt finding the OS is going to be difficult on a college FTP server

 

It's there.. the link he posted was for Dell HOME and not small business. It's a Microsoft offer, not a Dell one.