Precision M4400 Owner's Lounge

just install vista with virtual machine under XP to run your scanner (old i presume, what don't you buy a new one ?) and you'll be escaped from abandonned XP hoobies...

 

Make sure you use VMWare, Microsoft Virtual PC does NOT allow you to share USB devices.

 

I guess I could, but apart from the scanner issue there's nothing I find that Vista does better than XP, functionality wise.

 

What abandoned XP hoobies?

Why would someone buy a new scanner for vista when you could buy a soundcard that will leave any in built chip for dead with SQ?

Why would someone bloat their system further by having vista on it as well,just for a better sound driver? especially when the system is only a week or so old and will more than likely be rectified with a new driver.


@Enduct,have you emailed dell support about the driver/sound quality?
I have,but haven't heard back being the weekend.

 

I haven't as yet, I've been enquiring about their screen quality, as it seems that my LED screen that came with my M4400 appears patchy, blotchy or "grainy", however you want to describe it, and isn't a nice clean white in notepad, which I always look for in a new machine. I had them replace the screen, a Philips LG (LPL0AA8) with another, but they sent a same model and after the tech replaced it, it was the same problem. Dell reps told me to try run it on a monitor to see if it was a gfx card issue but I know it is the screen quality... Anyway I phoned them again after the replacement and they should be contacting me this coming Tuesday, I asked them if it was possible for them to send a different brand LED screen to try, and rep said he needed to talk with supervisor, since I had already got my screen "repaired" and it didn't fix the problem (brand problem?). The sound issue got a bit lost in the ruckus, but I'm attempting to install W2K3 this weekend on the machine, and I'll see how it fares. Next time I call Dell I'll be sure to mention it, probably on the Tuesday.

If anyone with an M4400 or E6500 with an LED screen can tell me about their screen quality and the model number, I might be able to sort it out easier with the rep, and specifically tell him which screen model to order for me.

 

Oh no,sorry to hear it,I thought dell might be finally getting some consistency with the screens they're using.
My one is an SEC5442,which I like very much,although over the years I've had good samsungs and bad samsungs with exactly the same model numbers.
Case in point is the two XPS M1730's I had with the same model samsung panel....the first was great,with very nice colours,especially blacks,the second was rubbish.

Maybe ask if they will give you the samsung to try,no harm in asking....I may not be as fussy as you with screens plus I've been looking at a really bad LPL vostro screen for a couple of months,but my M4400 is definitely not patchy and the colours are pretty good too.[also the most evenly lit screen I've ever used]

 

Thanks, I'll give it a go. It's just a matter of principle, that if you pay top dollar for a first class machine, you should expect the best parts, not something third rate. BTW, is your screen a LED or a CCFL, the SEC5442 you mentioned?

 

Mines an LED WXGA+

I agree with what you say.

 

Just finished testing to install my M4400 with Windows Server 2003. Critical fails in identifying network card, ethernet card, and wireless, all Intel (no Intel adapters found). I wonder if this can be fixed with a future release of drivers. I used the most up to date chipset drivers (9.0.0.1008), not the ones provided by Dell, and they still failed. Sigh The rest of the system drivers works perfectly though (security, Dell controlpoint (apart from network component), modem, bluetooth, touchpath, stick). I'll play around with it some more and see if I can get a resolution.

 

why didn't you install W Server 2008 ? The OS is fresh as you card component and the 2003 have 5 years old yet !