Please help -- would you recommend a refurbished Latitude E6500?

I could use a little help here. I'm so confused by everything I have been reading! I need a new laptop and in my price range started looking at the Vostro 1510, then kept reading that the Vostro fans were noisy, so I looked at the Lenovo SL500. Then after reading conflicting reports, I stepped it up a bit and started looking at the Latitudes.

I can get refurbished Latitude E6500 in the outlet for a bit more. I am fairly accomplished computer user (just don't do hardware). Is it worth it? I have been reading postings about many problems on these as well so I'm just not sure what to do at this point.

I am definitely looking for a matte screen, and Windows XP, bluetooth, and camera. If I purchase the E6500 I would like the backlit keyboard. Are there any other features I should look for? On the E6500 which graphics card is recommended -- Intel or NIVIDIA?

Your experience and comments would very be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

I would say an outlet E-Series Latitude is worth any trouble. Without knowing your needs, I can only suggest what I bought (not outlet) plus some stream of conciousness advice:

o 14" is easier to transport... consider 1280x800 LED unless you want 1440x900 tiny, and brighter outdoors.
o 15" would be better for graphics/CAD work... 1440x900 LED should suit it better.
o Matte display, of course... I still don't understand glossy reflective displays... makes no sense.
o a neoprene sleeve and your bag works well.
o go to 9-cell battery only if you intend to be away from AC power for extended periods... to minimize cost, size, and weight.
o easy and cheaper to upgrade memory yourself... 1x2GB for XP, 2x2GB for Vista.
o 80GB HDD minimum, 160GB is better, more if you need the space.
o Intel graphics is sufficient, nVidia if you want a small bump up... bigger bump on E6500 build (faster GPU clock and memory)... I'd say get nVidia on the 15". Either is built-in to the motherboard so you can not switch later.
o PCMCIA is yesterday... get Express Card if you don't need PCMCIA support.
o Intel 5300 802.11agn 3x3 wi-fi is current and built to work with motherboard chipset.
o Bluetooth can be useful... the ultra-wideband standard seems to be floundering.
o Modem is about useless but still allows faxing and auto-dialing if you bother to hook it up.
o Cam and mic are decent and useful.
o Lit keyboard is cool and very helpful when the light is bad wherever you happen to find youself computing.
o It's a 64-bit platform so make it the break to 64-bit computing... time is right. That said, Vista is a pig. XP x86 now and Windows 7 x64 in the Fall makes sense.
o Be prepared to clean install it to work out any wrinkles... seems nearly unavoidable.
o Speakers are serviceable but not exciting.
o Skip the vPro and fingerprint security stuff... just adds trouble.
o Basic NBD support is wise on a notebook. Pro support is overkill, imo... the only reason to call Dell is to get them to fix their problems... basic support will cover that.

GK

 

The E6500 is a really nice choice. Go with the NVIDIA if you are doing graphic intensive work and/or a lot of video, movies, games. It will also have more value down the road should you decide to upgrade.
Latitudes are usually easier to find parts for if you have a problem down the road and your warranty is expired.

 

The outlet saves a bundle of money and the only issue I had with my E6400 was a single dead pixel on the display, which Dell happily obliged to replace.
If you can find the configuration you want, the outlet is an excellent choice.

 

Thank you so much! These comments were all very helpful to me.

 

I bought an E6500 from the outlet right before Christmas. It was a good price plus there was a coupon available at that time for some discount. There were quite a few E6500's then so I sorted through all of them until I found the one that had every option I wanted. It wasn't a perfect configuration because it had a webcam and fingerprint reader, I didn't really want either of those but they don't seem to hurt anything by being there.
The machine came quickly, looks basically like new, and runs great.

 

There is also a 15% off coupon available now for outlet Latitudes

15% OFF any Dell Outlet Latitude™ Laptop

Enter Coupon¹ Code at Checkout:
FV893DWJ2PLT1Q

Expires 3/18. Online only

 

My recommendation:
- Nvidia Graphic card if you plan to do gaming or CAD or playing a lot oif HD video and you want perfect smooth play on it or plan to attach the laptop on a large screen (1900x1080, as it has 256MB for Vista Aero (remember that Aero engine in Vista uses your GPU and not your CPU like XP). However, expect a ~30min drop in battery life. You can also overclock the video card with Nvidia Control Panel (works only when you are plug-in)... more info on this topic and to read the critical warning when doing this, here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=360567

- Vista 64-bit. Read my takes on it:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=4446640#post4446640
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=4577871#post4577871

-14inch is easier to carry and has a standrd keyboard layout (meaning the Insert, Delete, pageUp/Down, etc.. buttons are all located in a rectangular like a normal desktop keyboard. However, it is more expensive.

- Matte (non reflective) screen is a must. Once you uses these screen you'll never touch a glossy screen ever again! The reason of the glossy screens is that companies wanted to make LCD's that show more vivid colors and wider view angle without spending a penny more.. how they managed? Use a glossy film. So not only you see all the dust particle on it, you see your own reflection, and it's very easy to scratch (have to cut the cost down), but it does their cheap act of presenting a nice looking screen. All they want is that you look at them at the store and go "OH WOW! so much better than matte", but the second you have a light behind the screen.. you are screwed.

- Skip vPro and fingerprint security. vPro is the SAME thing at the regular Centrino 2 platform, BUT you have software that you will NEVER use. If you need them at your work, the company will provide them for you. The rest is just asking for trouble if you play with them. So I say forget it, it's useless.

- I highly recommend the backlite keyboard. Not only the keyboard is better (quieter), but it's sooooo useful!

 

For those of you who purchased from the outlet...what was the turn around time for getting the laptop? Did they ship it immediately?

One of the reasons I am considering a Dell outlet laptop is that the previous laptops we've purchased new (we are a reseller) have all been 4-5 weeks until they shipped. EXTREMELY frustrating.

 

I ordered mine on monday evening this week, and it was in my hands friday morning (same week)