Ordering E6500 from Outlet today (I think)

First of all, thanks to everyone here for answering my multitude of questions! This is a big purchase for me (and Mom, who it's really for) and since I have only bought one computer (a desktop) waaaaay back in 2000, I am a little overwhelmed with what to know. My post for rough configuration specs. is here. I decided that the Outlet is a great way to save around $400, no small amount! I may have missed the 20% off coupon, but yesterday I called the sales person that originally helped me and left a message mentioning the coupon on her viocemail, so we'll see.

Do you guys have any general advice on ordering? Also, when the thing shows up, any advice on checking things over to make sure it's a good machine (I'm looking at the Refurbs.)? What things should I do when it arrives? The desktop I'm typing on is a PIII/933mHz/512 MB RAM so even a laptop with something wrong will probably seem awsome compared to what I'm used to! I've read about a few bugs on different posts here and will do my best to sift through them. Seems crazy that one should have to do much to a new (well, refirb.) computer.

I don't know if I'm up to the Clean Install many folks here seem to do, at least not right away. I'm ordering with XP Pro/Visat downgrade. Is an "as shipped" software configuration going to be that handicapped?

 

The Latitudes are not very handicapped "as shipped". If you are not very sure of how to do a clean install (it's easy once you do it once) you don't need to.

As an advice: unless you need to do major processing (CAD, serious programming, etc) you can pretty go with any processor they offer. Make sure you have at least 2 GB of RAM. Most important, make sure you have a screen with LED backlight, not CCFL. It makes a reasonable difference in the quality of the image.

By the way, I have an E6400, and it's great. You made a great choice

 

Thanks HerrKaputt (Mr. Broken?),
Definitely going with the WXGA+ LED (WXGA+ is the only LED I take it?). The 2.4 mHz seemed like a decent modestly upgraded processor, so I was going to shoot for that. Depends on what's currently available at the Outlet. I'm going to try and get the 2GB RAM in a single stick so I can easily pop in another DIMM later if necessary.

Not having the luxury of a "modern" computer in a while, I'm totally stoked (uh, for Mom that is ;-)). I'm sure that the Latutude will be way more than enough computer. Just want to make sure that it, as an Outlet laptop, it comes 100% of the way it should (screen is good quality, not too many problems with audio crackling, etc.).

 

Boot it out-of-box and perform any setup prompted, then restart a couple times to be sure its at steady-state; then shutdown and boot F12 to the Dell DOS Diagnostics CD and run all tests to bang on the hardware (takes a while)... should give you a warm fuzzy feeling about the hardware before any OS and driver quirks unsettle you.

GK

 

The WXGA+ was the only LED at the time I bought this. I think they are changing that now, it's up to you.

I don't have any issues with mine.

 

Does the T9400 use much more power/generate much more heat (and fan noise) than the P8600? One config that has most of what I want has the T9400 processor

 

i dont think you'd see a big difference. its 25w vs 35w

 

If you leave the stock configuration it's not a big difference. If you can and plan to do some undervolting, you can make a P processor consume a reasonable amount less power, while the T is less able to do that. I think I recall John Ratsey here mentioning that fact, John, could you maybe enlight us?

 

At full loading, 25W P-Series vs. 35W T-Series. Not sure about the actual heat output but you can assume a similar difference and hence more fan cooling and loading. I wonder if the T-Series is just a P-Series with worse thermal characteristics, meaning most of the additional 10W just goes up in waste heat? If that's the case, it's like 'here's your notebook and we'll throw in a few bricks for good measure'.

Also, the video is 12W Intel vs. 20W nVidia. The 6-cell vs. 9-cell is 56Whr vs. 85Whr given like-new charge/discharge. You won't usually run at max loading nor will your worn battery provide max. storage... but given the numbers, you can see that every little bit adds up. T-Series is 40% more loading plus fan load; nVidia is 67% more loading... plus fan load. Now the 9-cell may be looking more necessary... and bulkier. Death by a thousand cuts.

GK

 

GK is right. You can expect little difference when you laptop is idling, but a serious difference if you are actually using it. For example, if you change from a P to a T processor, with the Intel graphics, you change from 37 W to 47 W at full loading (multitasking email, Office and Firefox in Vista with Aero on is already a reasonable load). That is 27% more dissipated heat. In other words, 1/1.27 = 0.79, or 79% of the battery duration. Vatching movies usually also puts reasonable load on the CPU and GPU.

In laptops, as in everything else, there is no free lunch, and you get what you pay for. Except for the coupons, sales rep discounts and Outlet bargains