Precision M6400 Owner's Lounge *Part 2*

I can't give you a direct from experience evaluation of the matte screen on this particular Precision except to say that it's been discussed a lot and if you can get back to the original thread (this is a new extension) there's 200+ pages of information and discussion on the m6400 and lots of posts on different display issues and video card info. And this forum has a handy search function that works well. Having read most of the 200+ pages I do remember that, surface wise at least it sounds lilke a typical matte screen. And again I can't guarantee this but I think the edge to edge is nothing more than a very expensive piece of glass laminated onto that same basic screen. You'd probably have to go to LG or Samsung (two different suppliers Dell has used on the 6400) if you really want the engineering skinny on performance. I switched to glossy screens a few laptops back and this one is the best of them all. For minor reflections I just amp up the brightness and overpower them. And this one is the first display I can spray Windex on and give it a good cleaning. No more warm water and soap routine and a fingerprint can just be wiped away with a paper towel. Sounds trite maybe but I spend a lot of time looking at this thing. And whether the blacker blacks and the sunglass bright white are just my imagination is too subjective to state as fact, having not read the manufacturers specs. I do think glossy screens in general and this one in particular show better contrast and color depth than the many matte screens I've had and those I encounter daily.

As to the color imperfections you mention I do remember that there's pages of posts about that very thing. Since I didn't suffer such problems I didn't pay strict attention to the details but drivers were an early problem that I haven't read much about in quite a long while. But that's just me and my not too comprehensive opinion.

"Talk is cheap, but whiskey costs money"
______________________
Precision Covet - QX9300 - 4GB(2x2) - 64GB Samsung SLC SSD & 320GB Seagate - XP Pro 32bit & Windows 7 64bit

 

I'm being underestimated here, gulfstreamtec I've read most of that 280-pages-long thread and I did use search engine.

My problem consist of two things:
1 I'm a cheapskate. Money saved is money earned for me. I can afford extra $400, but if I don't have to, I'd prefer not to. I still have lenses (PC-E!) and lights to buy. Each new lens is more than $1500 now. I also need new car

2 I never owned a notebook that good. I managed to do all my stuff on my PC, and when in field, cheap old Acer was enough. Now I need to have mobile workstation and I cannot decide - there's Lenovo, Sony, Dell, HP and so on. I have no experience here. I found great deal, but I don't trust the seller. Seems like he's selling used as new or he simply stole the product. With the money involved I need comfort of 2-years guarantee.

Combine 1 with 2 and you have one undecided camper

The only thing left for me is to try each brand in person, then decide. I hope local Dell reseller would have both RGB screens available for testing.

PS
One thing is bugging me - for the same money I could have an extremely powerful PC with semi-professional display. That's still bugging me. But I really need mobility.

 

Please, I put that "in my not too comprehensive opinion" in there as a disclaimer, hoping you'd not feel I was trying to insult or belittle your knowledge suggesting something I didn't know if you were aware of. A lot of people post questions without looking or even knowing about the bulk of the thread.

And I didn't realize your position about deciding which mobile workstation you wanted from the various competition. Thought you were deciding which Dell display to go with. I looked closely at the HP and the Lenovo and am happy for a number of reasons I went with Dell again. The Lenovo was the most tempting of the others and the fact that you could park your car on the HP impressed me (an ad they had a car parked on their workstations lid) and it was enough for me to give it a second look.

I am also very very cheap and am maybe a little giddy that I got a $5600(at the time) totally loaded Precision Covet for 2400 bucks a day before I was ready to buy it retail when my sister told me what an idiot I was and showed me what I thought was her brand new iMac that came from the 'refurbished' store that I guess Mac has. And her Nikon camera came from the Nikon refurbished store as well as most of her stuff. Well Dell, and probably Lenovo and HP has them and I found out this bit of wisdom in the nick of time. Or maybe not, they classify any with any marks on them as 'scratch and dent'. I don't think anyone could have known by it's appearance that it wasn't brand new, right down to the packaging. And three years of Complete Care too. File that under 'a cheapsters dream come true'.

But if you decide on the Dell I think the expensive piece of glass laminated onto a matte screen and named 'edge to edge' is well worth it. A matte screen is a matte screen whether it's LED or not and I'm sure it has the additional brightness and Adobe color gamut as the edge to edge display but I've come to much prefer glossy displays both for the image clarity, depth and contrast of color and all of the maintenance issues I mentioned in that last post.

I do a lot of photography but it is secondary to the main functions of my 6400 and my Fuji s1100fs is much more competent than I am, and it's marketed as a camera for amateurs, which is all I am. But I'm not blind to image quality and the edge to edge display has it in spades. Again IMO. And the fact that the colors on my display are the same ones that come out of the printer is a credit to both probably, but the display has to be half the equation. And the upgrade to the LED screen itself makes the m6400 with it a different animal than one without it. And consider yourself lucky to be able to see before you buy, I don't and am lucky in that I've always gotten what I expected. And though this is starting to sound like I'm a Dell salesman, I assure you I am not. Happy shopping!

 

Perhaps I am being dense, but I looked for some way to respond to you without posting to the entire forum and came up empty. It may have to do with the fact that I am new to posting to the forum, so I don't have the complete option set.

The FAQ said I should look for an e-mail button in one of your posts. I don't see any thing like that.

 

To gulfstreamtec

Hey, I wasn't insulted, no need for apologies

Poland is a third-world country. In our capital (2.000.000 people) there is no place I can see RGB LED M6400 in action. There is no place I can compare one RGB to another. I just called Dell rep and he told me that I cannot see RGB in person, period. They only have white LED available.

I have no idea how this Dell company works, really. I'm shocked.

Better yet - if my company buys one (let's say cheaper one) and then decide to switch, it's not possible for free. I cannot send one notebook back and order another.

So Dell wants me to guess. I have 50% chances of winning.

I think I'll go to Sony Center instead. If their 18,4'' screen pleases me I would just buy Vaio and get going with my postponed work.

Thanks for your input though, you were helpful (and yes, I suspect you work for Dell )

 

that's shocking..waht part of poland are you?
Anywhere close to Lodz?

 

Warsaw. Capital. 2000000 people around. No RGBLED Dell M6400. That is silly

 

Hi

I live in Germany and there is also as far as I know no DELL Outlet or any other 'Shop' where you can see a M6400 life. I know that the Metro Group sells Vostro and Latitude Notebooks in very small selection since a couple of years know. I don't know if there is an reseller shop where you can see a Precision Notebook life. Are there no reseller-shops in Warsaw?, Maybe you can contact one of them.

Dell is a online seller, here in Germany if you buy a Dell Notebook as a private person youi can send it back within 14 Days. As a Company you can not.

I mean i read about some Dell Outlet Stores in GB, are there any other countries in europe with Dell Outlet Stores?

regards
Christopher

 

Hi guys,
I have a quick question: I just ordered from DELL two Dell branded SSD 256 GB each, to replace my spinning Seagate disks. Did anybody in the group try them? Who is manufacturing the? Where do they stand compared to Corsair? Price was the decisive factor, I got them for $972, including NY taxes and shipping. With this money, I would be able to buy only one 256 GB corsair.

Precision M6400 Covet, QX9300, 8GB RAM, Quadro FX3700M

 

If you click on my toucan it takes you (or me anyway) to my 'profile' page and there's four rectangular boxes there. One just says "Leave a private message for gulfstreamtec". I really don't understand it either unless maybe you didn't fill in any of the 'profile' question, because yours doesn't have a 'leave a message' option.

But it's probably screwed anyway. I looked more carefully at the license and key they sent and it sounds like it might be past a deadline for accepting it. But it still may work, possibly, so whether you can get me your email or not may be futile at this point. Sorry for crossed connections or whatever you care to call it.