E4300 potential purchase questions

I am about 75% sure this dell is the one. I am seriously considering the lenovo U330 (heavier-ugh but w/hdmi port) or a Thinkpad T400 (maybe 400s) because i am hard on my computers

The e4300 is my top choice because of it's weight, but I saw the Studio 14z and was a bit put off. I know consumer vs. business can be apples to oranges, but I it made me start to think...

What is the 4300 keyboard like?
I've had no problem with a 14" fujitsu, even loved the keyboard, and used a 12" dell daily at work without realizing the thing was so small--not sure which model, but I went to see the 14z yesterday and it seemed really cramped to me (keys too close together, I kept hitting the wrong ones).

How much of a beating do you think the E4300 can take?

This is a totally subjective, I know but I lost my last laptop due to my falling asleep with it running on my lap and sometime during the night sent it crashing 4 feet to the ground breaking the lcd. Not a normal occurrence, but I do occasionally (3-4x per 3 years) drop them when off and closed. (hence my consideration of the thinkpad)

Anything else I should know about it? This would be my first dell (on site warranty a must)

Thanks

 

I carry mine to and from work on a daily basis in a backpack. If you are that hard on your machines, you should strongly consider the Complete Care from Dell in addition to the 3 year Pro Support warranty. This will allow you a new notebook even if you break it and it is your fault.

 

To me the keyboard is a bit flimsy. I miss my thinkpad keyboard big time. The spacing is fine, it just feels cheap and less solid then a Thinkpad.

As for the durability. It is a metal chassis, but the paint IMO is prone to chips and it again feels cheap compared to my previous Thinkpad.

I used my Thinkpad daily in classes for 4 years and it say plenty of drops and bumps and it had hardly a scratch to show for it. The one time I had an issue worth contacting them about it is N.A. support and it was 3 days from shipping out to back in my hands. My experience with Dell support was so-so. Once I spoke to a higher up rep, service was very good, but the frontline reps were painful to try and work with.

If I could do it over again, I wouldn't have gotten rid of my Thinkpad, or I would have bought a newer version one to replace it. Both of your choices are solid ones, it depends on your needs for power/price/hdmi/size/etc.

FWIW - I am preparing to sell my e4300 and replace it with a Lenovo... Should you decide to get the e4300 feel free to ping me as mine is still in fine condition with 2.5 of the 3yr warranty left, I would be happy to sell it to you.

 

I carry mine to 3 hours of class Monday through Friday. It takes it like a champ.

My particular model has a bit of flex at the K key, but nothing that would send me running to the hills.

It performs great, and I get awesome battery life (I get through 3 hours of class with maybe 45% or so remaining).