Anyone ordered a Vostro 1320/1520/1720 yet?

I'm anxious to see how the new models compared to their predecessors. I've always liked the Vostro models and recommend them quite often in lieu of budget "retail" models. They have decent build quality, look nice and they often go on-sale for dirt cheap!

The new models look promising. I hope that they are at least as good as the 1310/1510/2510/1710 that they're replacing. I'd also love to see the 1320 with a 13.3" LED-backlit display like the one on the Lenovo ThinkPad SL300!

Anyway, I look forward to hearing from anyone who has one on the way (or has already received it)!

 

I'm really looking forward to the Vostro 1320. Hopefully, I can snag it at the outlet in a couple of months for around 300-400 (some current Vostro 1310's go for around that price, and they have pretty decent specs!). It'll hopefully replace my current Dell Inspiron 8600, which after a nasty soup spill, is on its last legs I think. I'm also looking for something a bit smaller and lighter to carry around and get me through my senior year in college (the e6400 I have is a bit too big and heavy for my liking).

I'd love to see a 13.3 LED screen, but either way I think it'll still be a great laptop. What really interests me is the spill-resistant keyboard! And hopefully, if I order late enough, I can also get a free copy of Windows 7 to go along with it.

 

Yes, if you buy a system with Vista after June 28, you are supposed to be eligible for a free upgrade to Win7 when it's released.

But there's a 35% off coupon valid right now on even these new Vostro models, if configured to $949! The Coupon Code is- LD7SCQR0NW08LR and is valid until 5/1/09.

I just built the following Vostro 1320 for $560.30 after coupon:

Windows Vista Business (w/ XP Pro downgrade)
2.1GHz Intel T6570 (800MHz FSB, 2mb L2, Penryn)
13.3" WXGA (1280x800) Anti-Glare OR TrueLife Display
3GB DDR2-800 RAM
250GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics
DVD-RW
Intel 5100AGN wireless card
6-cell Battery
1-Year Warranty with Next-Business-Day On-Site Service
The total was $961 minus $99 (FREE XP/Vista Biz) minus 35% = $560.30!

If you don't have the luxury of waiting, I doubt we'll see a deal this good on new ones again!

 

The newly released Vostro xx20 line are almost identical to the Vostro xx10 laptops sans updated components. I personally like the Vostros. I own both a 1500 and 1700 and they offer a solid bang for the buck with virtually zero bloatware. The only improvements I would add to the Vostro's is a better keyboard. They tend to be a little on the noisy side a.k.a. "sound cheap" and they also tend to discolor with use, again a.k.a. "look cheap". The Vostro hard drives also tend to suffer from the head park issue as well.

Other than that they are solid. The 1510 suffered from some design issues which were rectified with the 2510. The 2510 tends to be trouble free where the 1510 has it's share of problems. Just check the NBR forum and Dell reviews and you'll see that the 1510 scores much lower than the 2510.

The 1520 is essentially a 2510 with a black paint scheme and better parts. If I hadn't purchased a Toshiba A355 i'd jump all over that 35% off deal and btw it's stackable with the Dell instant $99 off coupon. Sweet deal if you ask me.

 

Ordered mine for $950CDN (including taxes):

Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Windows Vista Home Premium
13.3" WXGA Anti-Glare Display
3GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, 2 DIMM
160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS 256MB
8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability
Dell Wireless 1510 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0
6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

It is expected to arrive the 7th of May.

 

That looks really tempting, but I don't need the laptop right now, and I would really like to get a copy of Windows 7 along the way. =D And I'm really hoping I can snag it for a lot cheaper at the outlet (I don't want to go too much above 400 before tax).