M6600 and M4600 are coming in Feb.

I don't think it will fit. M6500 is 17" where as M6600 is 17.3" plus 16:10 vs 16:9...

 

As tsunade mentioned, it will not work. I am hoping they would come out with something as crazy as IPS RGBLED.. that would neutralize the negativity of 16:9, imo.

 

Or you could get a 1920x1200 screen with IPS by getting the Elitebook 8740W but color gamut isn't as good as the RGBLED. But IPS with RGBLED and 16:10 or 4:3 would be nice.

 

I think the IPS panel in the 8740W is also RGBLED backlit. I'd get it, but I really want SB.

 

I've been given a quote to buy a brand new M4500 with;
i7 840QM
8Gb RAM
FX1800
1920x1080
256Mb SSD

...for $AUD2500

Here in Australia that is just under half what the DELL website quotes for a similarly spec'd machine.

Given the M4600 isnt too far away, I'm wondering whether to take what seems like a good deal here and now in the M4500...or wait for the upgraded M4600 with Sandy Bridge, USB3, etc (no discounts would apply to that however).

I travel a lot with my machine and use it for web applications, app server, db server. I wonder whether USB3 could be worth the wait- in particular for faster backups.

Are there other benefits that make the M4600 stand out from the M4500? Do I cash in now on a heavily discounted M4500, or wait and pay RRP for the M4600? That is my dilemma.

 

I meant, leave the 17.0" WUXGA in the M6500, but swap the mobo with the M6600.

 

It will likely have a different layout.

 

I thought Dell's RGBLED had better color gamut than HP's?

Judging from the photos from the M6600 and M6500, 100% incompatible. Left side connectors for the bottom casing is completely different.

 

AFAIK hp 8740w doesn't have SB nor DX11 gpu
It's prob. not realistic to change screen nor mobo, since it's a different casing.
Which way I look at it, the best option is still MBP, apart from presumed overheating. I think it would be possible, though, to swap dvd for bd drive.

In terms of windoze drivers: Is it really such difference in battery life? /performance.

 

Dell's screen is completely dependent upon viewing angle and as such doesn't produce colors accurately unless you're viewing each pixel directly, and whatever the difference may be it wouldn't be noteworthy because of this. The screen on the HP is viewable from all angles, supports 10-bit color precision, and has high enough gamut to support all color standards. It is also equipped with RGBLED, same as Dell.

It can be equipped with the FirePro M7820 which is based on the Radeon HD 5870 GPU, and fully supports DX11. Sandy Bridge is slated for the 8740w refresh, due in a few months.