Inspiron vs Lattitude vs Precision

I've had a trouble free Inspiron laptop for about 6 years that is due for replacement.
What would the difference between the three lines now?
Do the build and component qualities improve moving up the line?

 

Here:

Compare Dell Latitude, Vostro, Precision, XPS - YouTube

 

I had hands on with a Precision 4800 today. First Precision I've ever seen. Big, heavy and I was way underwhelmed with its performance compared with the older i5 and i7 Dells I've used, which is many. I have to think that there was something amiss, but beside the performance point, it was just too big an heavy for me personally. I have always favored the 14" Latitude line having owned many since the mid 90's. Vostro is dead now. IMO, get a Latitude to suit your needs. Either a E6540 or E6440 would be my personal preference.

 

Well, I've had a 6420 at work, currently a 6530, and just acquired a M4800 for home/work. I'd rate them:

Good, Better, BEST.

The M4800 is heavy, no doubt about it. But it is the same size as the 6530/6540, and has a better cooling system. As such it can take faster CPUs and GPUs.

Performance always depends on the installed components, so you need to compare apples to apples. A three year old 6420 with an i7 and an SSD upgrade will certainly beat an M4800 with an i5 and a HDD. And vice-versa.

What you will get with an M4800 is extra drive capacity (I've got three in mine), better GPU, software certification, rock solid chassis, and reliability.

 

I was actually in a similar position as you deciding between a latitude e6530 and a precision m4700.

Then I found out that the price difference is virtually non-existent between the two while the precision had a better spec.

To me, latitudes are priced too close to precision line and you might as well get a precision for a bit of extra money.

As for the weight difference, precisions aren't that much heavier actually. The m4700 is about 400 grams heavier than the latitude e6530. Whether that 400 grams weight difference matters to you is for you to decide. For me, I could live with the 400 grams extra weight.

 

I'm looking to a 14" to cut the weight, but not into ultra-thin that has no room to circulate air.
It's looking like Lattitude E6440 vs. Thinkpad T440p but not getting warm and fuzzy feedback on either yet. Maybe both are too new to have the bugs worked out.

 

If your Inspiron has lasted for six years and it's about six years old, I'm guessing it's something like a 1520 model, correct? The 1420/1520/1720 models were among the best Inspiron models even made in terms of build quality and durability. They were the last to feature a full metal inner frame. They were thick as an encyclopedia and at least a pound or two heavier than most competitors, but they were built like a tank!

I bought my best friend a new 1520 in October 2007 and he still uses it almost daily! It has NEVER had a single hardware-related problem.

The laptop market has changed a LOT over the last five years or so. The Inspiron and all of its competitors are now much less expensive than they were when yours was made. But the quality of materials and build quality standards are also a lot lower than they used to be. I'm not saying that the Inspirons are poorly made, but they simply aren't what they used to be.

The Inspiron is also considered a "consumer" laptop while the Latitude and Precision are "business" models. Dell also has the premium XPS consumer line.

As a rule, business laptops are built to last for several years of daily use and abuse. Here's the rundown of current Latitude and Precision models-

LATITUDE

3000 Series
Aluminum LCD back/lid

5000 Series
Glass-fiber LCD display back
Meets Military-Spec standards for durability

7000-Series
Damage-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass display
Aluminum exterior and powder coated base
Tri-metal chassis that meets MIL-STD-810G standards

5-series
Aluminum display back
Magnesium alloy internal frame
Zinc-alloy latches and steel hinges
Free-fall sensor for hard drive
StrikeZone shock absorber for hard drive
Spill-resistant keyboard
LCD protective seal

6-series
Anodized-aluminum exterior
Powder-coated base
Tri-metal chassis
Free fall sensor and rubber hard drive isolation

NOTE- the 7000 series and 6-series Latitude AND all Precision models have a standard 3-year Warranty.


PRECISON

M4800/M6800
Same features as Latitude 6-series

M3800
Corning Gorilla Glass display
Aluminum frame
Carbon-fiber base

*All PRECISION models have a dedicated graphics card that is more powerful that the ones available on any Latitude model.

 

I've had a 14" Latitude 6430u (Ultrabook) since June and I love it! It replaced a 5-year old Latitude E6400 that I dearly loved, but the 6430u has impressed me and definitely won me over. I highly recommend getting the optional HD+ 1600x900 display and they only come with SSD and ULV processors, so they run cool and quiet!

Another option would be a BRAND NEW E6430 from the Dell Business Outlet. The Outlet often has several units available that are classified as "Dell Outlet NEW". These are usually orders that were cancelled after production began or shipments returned unopened for some reason. Over the years, I've bought many of these from the Outlet for myself, friends and customers and never had a single problem.

There is a coupon code for 25% off any Latitude from the Outlet that expires at midnight CST tonight (12/20) and the code is TXND054JRGQX47.

The only E6430 with a 1600x900 display they have at the moment is LOADED. It's priced at $1009 ($756.75 after coupon) and here are the specs-

i7-3740QM
Win7 Ultimate
320GB 7200rpm HD
14.0" HD+ (1600x900) Anti-Glare LED Premium Panel
DVD-RW
NVIDIA NVS 5200M graphics card
Intel 6205-N wireless card
Bluetooth 4.0
Webcam
3-year Warranty

I priced the same system on the Dell Business site and it would cost $1323 to order new, so it's a steal!

Here's the link to the Dell Business Outlet Laptop inventory- LINK. On the options to left, click 'Dell Outlet NEW', then 'Latitude E6430' and finally '1600x900' under Screen Resolution. If a 1600x900 display isn't essential, there are 11 other NEW E6430s with the standard 1366x768 display starting at $849 (or $636.75 with coupon)!

There is also an E5430 for only $739 ($554.25) with a 1600x900 display, i5-3230M, 4GB RAM, Intel HD 4000 graphics and Win 7 Pro. It has a 320GB 5400rpm hard drive that I would replace with an SSD immediately, but otherwise the specs are very solid. It only comes with a 1-year Warranty, but the upgrade to a 3-year is ony $142.35 so it would still be barely $700. And it's BRAND NEW! =)

Hope this helps!

 

allfiredup,

Very useful information, Thanks.
Do you go for the Pro Support?

My Inspiron E1505 was built like a tank and the weight accounted for it.
The objective is to lose a few pounds.

 

Do you know if they can be retrofit with upgraded aftermarket video cards?