Precision M4400 Owner's Lounge *Part 2*

used in a friends car few times a wolfcraft.

though its a real pain in the , i dont know any car adapter that can output 130W..

as soon as the laptop 'uses', its off

 

Anyone?

 

Hi Precision User,

I have the backlit keyboard and there is a slight flex when pressed, but I never notice this when in use, and the usefulness of the backlit keys more than makes up for this.

In short, unless you're really anal about the feeling of your keyboard, just go for the backlit option.

Kind regards

 

i can't really judge on it, as i've only typed on mine (having a backlit).

though i do not use or like the backlit at all - its turned off all the time.

perhaps you might argue, that it's a nice to have if you really need to locate a key..

if its more expensive, i'd go without

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keep in mind, that this laptop is fast, but not really production ready.
so far dell could not sort out the overheating issues with my system.
it is a fast system, but if you really put in some power and use it, it will downclock.

 

So, you would recommend another laptop? I want one that is very reliable and does not have a lot of issues. User's reviews on the dell page make me very concerned. I want a fast laptop (business laptop) but not one that fails very easily.

 

The key is that no laptop is perfect, and everyone's usage is different. Take the backlit keyboard, for example. Some people type nonstop all day everyday, so the key feedback to these people is very important. Other users are more casual, and value the backlit keys because they enjoy typing at night when they only have mood lighting, or playing games with the lights switched off.

As for the reliability, yes this system has issues, but it also comes with a three-year warranty and next day on-site service. I've used this twice (once to replace a faulty screen, once to replace the webcam) and yes, it's frustrating, but at the end of the day they came to me when I wanted, where I wanted, and fixed the problems for free.

If you don't want the Dell, try looking at HP's Elitebook. They're targeting much the same market, but HP's systems aren't without their faults either.

P.S. People generally moan on Dell's website. If they have a bad experience, they vent their anger there. Those who have good experiences are generally off somewhere happily using their laptop and don't leave feedback. This behavior is fairly common regardless of the company.

 

though one - i've owned so far
ibm t41p
apple macbook pro (version before the current)
dell m4400

overall i was most satisfied with the ibm (though it got at some point alot of stuff to fix, but still - nice laptop).

the dell is quite fast, much faster than the apple. though the downclocking IS annoying.
but keep in mind that im running a qx9300. if you go for a smaller cpu with less heat the issue might just go away.
keyboard wise the dell is ok. the ibm was way better, but its not that bad on the dell either.

as for another laptop i cant really judge.
when i got mine i had a look at the siemens celsius line and the hp business line.

after all: i think all laptops need at some point repairs - just make sure to have on site support (which sort of works with dell - most of the times).

 

Thanks for reassuring me! Yes, if I dig in a bit deeper, I can find issues on T500, 8530p/w, and just about any other laptop. I am sure I can find ones on the siemens though I haven't looked into it (about to make a wire transfer to Dell, so not bothered to look into another laptop now). While the issues are there for the other laptops, I don't want one that will very frequently need servicing. I know this has a 3yr onsite warranty, but I don't want to use it (that kind of reliability). I will use it but I don't want to have constant servicing. I hope you got my point!

And, yes there are more people who b!tch about stuff than people who would say something positive. But their complaints had a very common factor - poor heat management and very bad quality control. I remember someone saying that their thermal paste had air gaps in them. I hope my system isn't that bad though, since what someone gets someone else might (hopefully) not get!

 

good luck

i can roughly enumerate my service stuff:

mobo / gfx replacement (heat / downclocking issue)
mobo / gfx replacement (heat / downclocking issue)
screen replacement + bezel (some stupid defect)
mobo / gfx replacement (heat / downclocking issue and they put in a different version which they had no drivers for)
bezel replacement (for this strange color shifting when light comes on the rgb led screen - didnt do a thing)
complete laptop exchange (heat issue)
cover replacement (color was getting loose as a result of heat problems).

the heat is still an issue - though i open the laptop on a regular basis and clean the air vents (dust tends to get stuck there) and have the laptop mostly on a stand.

but yes, i got 5 years on site warranty, and of course i can work with the system - so enjoy it

the gfx heat problem is imho sort of solved, cpu downclocking is not.

 

Guys,

when I connect my M4400 to my LCD TV (via Dell DisplayPort->HDMI converter) it is not sending an audio signal to the TV.
I didn't have this problem with WinXP Pro x86. Now I have Win7 Pro x64 and audio doesn't work on TV (I can only hear movie sounds from laptop speakers or I can plug in external speakers via jack).
Maybe it is an audio driver issue but I tested it with both original Win7 driver and now IDT audio driver downloaded from Dell without success.
I have installed all drivers from Dell (for Win7 x64) and have no device conflicts.

Does enybody have this problem too? Any help?