MBP or Inspiron 1520

I'm comparing an Inspiron 1520 and MBP. Similarly configured, the Dell goes for $1000 cheaper. What the heck am I missing out on? Why is there such a large price discrepancy?

(1) Dell Inspiron 1520 with the 256 Nvidia 8600M GT and 2.2Ghz with 2 GB of Ram.

(2) MBP with the 256 mb Nvidia 8600M GT and 2.4 GHz with 2 GB of Ram.

 

The 8600GT is better in the MBP, GDDR3 instead of DDR2 memory for the grphics card. Also Dells are cheaper than most notebooks anyway and MACs are more expensive than the rest lol Plus the MBP also has the LED screen, and better build.

EDIT: basically just thought i had to do this lol

X = Average price of a notebook

Dell < X < Mac

 

I guess the extra goes into the brand name of apple, the aluminum build, illuminated keyboard, led screen, and can't think of much more, just better overall build and design.

 

I really want a MBP. I'm just trying to justify in my own mind why I'm spending $2499 instead of about $1500 for the Dell.

 

Have you considered any other options?

 

i was in the same boat as you. however now i am goin with the mbp. the main reasons of which is for the design of the machine and the reliability of osx. i figure the MBP is a better investment in the long run, and besides you can run xp if needed. theres my two cents hope it helps

 

Why buy a Mercedes when you can get a Ford with the same engine for 20k cheaper?

 

The 2.2 Ghz MBP is also an option. It isn't too much more than a comparably configured dell. The main perks of the MBP to me are the LED backlit screen, the much smaller size and lower weight (the dell is a behemoth in comparison). and the 4 hr battery life. However if you are just going to be using windows there are other options that will give you a better performance/price ratio than the mbp (I would look elsewhere than Dell).

 

Here's how you should look at it. Are you looking for the most powerful notebook for the lowest price? If so, it won't be the MBP, it'll be the Inspiron 1520. But if you want more than just power at a low price, that's where the MBP justifies its cost.

I mean, LED-backlit screen, excellent design, great build quality, backlit keyboard, 8600M GT DDR3, magnetic power cord, two-finger trackpad, Firewire 800, 1-inch thin, only 5.4 lbs, iSight camera, OS X, iLife...and the list goes on. These extras cost money, and that's where the MBP gets it higher price from, when compared to a Dell.

 

$1000 in the bank. I'd take that over flash and gimmicks. heck, throw it into a CD account.

 

if all you really want is os x, you can run it on pc's now if you do a little search on google. although, i can't say if this is legal to do...

 

I'd go for (and I did go for) the MBP. The Dell is very appealing at that pricepoint, but I couldn't go past the looks and style of the Macbook Pro, despite being quite a bit more expensive than a similarly configured Dell. One thing you must remember is that the 8600GT in the Dell is the much slower DDR2 version, whereas the MBP utilises DDR3, which is quite a bit faster. So much so that the 128mb DDR3 8600GT would outstrip a 256mb DDR2 8600GT.

 

Because otherwise you'd be stuck driving a Ford?

Incidentally, have you considered waiting for the XPS 1530?

 

Dell is good for the money.

Apples are expensive.

Apples do hold their value quite well though.

The Dell will plunge to $400-$600 quickly. The MBP will be worth over $1000 for quite some time.

It's really up to you. I think Apples are expensive and I still buy them, and they generally make me happy, so, get what you want.

 

How about this standard:

Does Michael Dell or Steve Jobs annoy you more?
Does Bill Gates or Steve Jobs annoy you more?

Would you rather be part of a system that offers you as the consumer no free choice, or be part of a system that offers you as the consumer no free choice but pretends otherwise?

Tough call!

 

Sam's post says it all best, thread closed.

 

I had the same problem as you, and I eventually went with the cheaper 1520. I have regretted that ever since. If I could do it again, I'd get the MBP in a heartbeat. I've had nothing but problems with my Dell, have already had the motherboard and hard drive replaced, and would gladly fork over another thousand to get a real computer, not some piece of crap masquerading as one.

 

yes, sam pretty much sums it up.

there is no comparison between dell and apple. plus dell stuff their computer with junk ware in an effort to increase profit.

also, apple uses better quality material and component, excellent support, product design, in-house OS/software, extras (remote), etc.

so you see?

 

Honestly, the Dell is the better buy. I have a regular MacBook (C2D 2.16GHz, 120GB HDD, GMA 950, "SuperDrive", 1GB of RAM) cost $1408 after taxes. Was it worth it? Well, OS X is nice. Highly overrated, but still good. Was it worth the money? Not one bit. Would I buy another Mac? Not until the prices are more realistic.

People say that you can run Windows on a Mac now. So you get the benefit of OS X but you can still run all of your old software. If you're running Windows on a Mac, you'll find yourself spending more time in Windows than you do in OS X. I've had a Mac for months now and I've spent more time using Windows than OS X. So much so that I've considered wiping OS X out and just using Windows on it. There are no equivalents on OS X for some Windows software, like Nero or WinDVD (DVD Player in OS X is an absolute joke, even in Leopard).

If you're going to be playing games, why bother with a Mac? If you're browsing the web and talking with some friends in IMs and you suddenly want to play a game, do you really want to reboot into Windows to play or do you just want to start the game immediately?

Some people here have mentioned benefits about the Mac. The MBP does have a backlit keyboard. How useful is that, really? It's been my experience with notebooks that the screen is generally bright enough, even on low settings, to light the keyboard up if you're trying to find a key. And I'm sure most of us here can type perfectly fine without looking at the keyboard... That is, realistically, the only advantage the MBP has over the Dell.

Firewire 800? The Dell has a standard Firewire port, as well as 4 USB 2.0 ports. The Dell also has a fullsize ExpressCard 54 slot, compared to the 34mm slot in the MBP.

The Dell also has an HDCP certified HDMI output, S-Video, and VGA outputs. MBP? DVI only. iSight? Dell has a 2.0MP camera as an option. MagSafe power cord on the MBP? Better, as long as the cord doesn't fall apart on you.

LED backlight on the MBP? Head over to the Apple Support forums or Macrumors and see just how many hundreds, if not thousands of people have had problems with the LED screen turning yellow, being discolored, having dead pixels, etc. When the screen does work fine, it really doesn't offer any image quality improvement over the previous screen. Even Apple's own website clearly stated that the screens would look the same. Comparisons posted online have always been between an older MBP that was heavily used and the backlight in the screen had dimmed as a result of age.

The Dell also gives you the option of a 1680x1050 screen.

The MBP is thinner than the Dell. But with that comes the one issue that Mac owners trying to convince someone to switch never mention........... H E A T. Macs get HOT. The only time it won't get hot is when you're typing something in TextEdit. It even gets uncomfortably warm while watching DVDs. My MacBook literally gets hot to the touch while watching DVDs. Just a couple of nights ago I let my MacBook sit on my desk while playing a DVD. After the movie was over, I put my hand under the desk where the MacBook had been sitting. My desk is wood and about an inch thick. The underside of the desk was WARM to the touch. I picked up the MacBook and it was HOT. Both of my Macs have been that way (first and replacement). If you're using the system on your lap and browsing the web and come across flash ads or youtube videos, you can expect the system to be uncomfortably warm after no more than half an hour of use. Now imagine the MacBook Pro, being all aluminum and having no intake fan. I have an HP (C2D 2GHz, Santa Rosa, GeForce 8400M) and I can sit here and play games on it for hours and it won't even be warm to the touch. I can play a game for a bit, shut the system down, unplug it, take it in the other room, sit on the couch and be using it a couple minutes after I unplugged it. The Mac? I'd have to wait at least 45 minutes or so for the system to cool down.

That brings me to build quality. I don't see how people can say Apple has better build quality. The MacBooks have had issues with yellowing wrist rests (problem still exists no matter what Apple says), plastic chipping off, and the MacBook and MacBook Pro both use low quality optical drives. The MBP has had issues with bent cases out of the factory, yellowing screens, dead pixels, other color issues with the screen, the casing can scratch and dent(!) and its recently come to light that the MBP has been shipping with bad Seagate HDDs that have a knack for dying.

You also better be satisfied with whatever HDD you choose for your MBP because upgrading it will be a hassle and void your warranty.

Speaking of warranty, its really hit and miss with AppleCare. Sometimes I've spoken to people in the US, sometimes I've spoken to people in India. But when it comes to AppleCare versus Dell's warranty, Dell wins. They offer 3 years of in-home/on-site service as well as 24/7 phone support and accidental damage protection. AppleCare? Unless you live by an Apple Store, which requires you to setup an appointment, you're limited to M-F from some time in the morning until 6PM Pacific. And if you do have to ship your system into Apple for repair, you had better hope they don't ship it to Flextronics in Memphis. If they do, you can expect your system to come back in even worse shape than it went out, have to send it back out to them another 2-3 times before Apple will finally cave and replace it. Thats what happened to me and a large number of other people over at Macrumors. Even if you don't opt for AppleCare or Dell's extended warranty, you still get a full YEAR of 24/7 phone support for ANY issue with your system. Apple will only take phone calls for hardware issues after 90 days, otherwise you have to pay something like $50 a pop for software support, per incident. Even if you have a hardware issue, Apple will sometimes require you to pony up a credit card number just so they can go through the steps to diagnose your issue as hardware.

iLife? Well, iLife is a nice suite of software. But, realistically, you'll only ever use iTunes and iPhoto. Picassa and Windows Vista's built-in photo manager are every bit as good as iPhoto for basic photo organization. You'll most likely never use GarageBand, iMovie, or iDVD.

When it comes to gaming performance, yes the Dell uses GDDR2 and not GDDR3 like the MBP. The real world performance difference is MAYBE 10%, despite what some people say. There has not been any definitive proof that the GDDR3 version is "significantly" faster, as some people here claim it is. There have been no definitive benchmarks proving the GDDR3 version is "significantly" faster, and there just is simply no proof it is that much faster. The real world performance difference is going to be around 10% better. Is 10% worth $1,000 extra for the MBP with the 256MB version? Not one bit. It is also absolutely ridiculous for anybody to say that the GDDR3 128MB version would be faster than the 256MB GDDR2 256MB version, even if the GDDR3 versions did have that much of a speed improvement. Why? Because of the amount of texture memory that games eat up these days! Anybody who knows anything about modern PC games knows that games perform better with more memory than faster GPUs.

Now lets finally look at the specs:

Dell: 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo (Santa Rosa), 15.4" 1680x1050 screen, 256MB GeForce 8600M GT, 1GB of RAM (buy the 2GB yourself for $50), 250GB 5400RPM HDD, DVD writer, 802.11n wireless, 2MP webcam, 9 cell battery (same 3.5-4 hours of real world battery life as the MacBook Pro). All that for $1389. Add the extra $50 for 2GB of RAM. Theres also the option for a blu-ray drive for $160, or a blu-ray WRITER for $360. Or you could get an external combo drive that plays HD-DVD and blu-ray movies.

For $1439 (cost of 3rd party RAM added in), you are realistically getting 90% of what the $2500 MacBook Pro is.. for more than $1,000 less. Sure the system might be a little thicker... but it won't dent, it will run A LOT cooler (you can actually use it on your lap for more than 20-30 minutes), you won't have to restart and change operating systems every time you want to run good software or games at native speed, and you don't have to rely on a company that is anti-Microsoft and anti-Windows for your Microsoft Windows drivers.

The Dell is just an all around better buy. Even though I own a Mac, I cannot recommend them to anybody and I honestly tell them that I would not buy another and I am not happy with my Mac purchase, even though I like my iPods (all four of them) and iPhone. Apple makes great consumer products, but their comptuers are NOT worth the money.

 

Get the Mac if you want OS X. Because there's no (legal) way to do it otherwise on a PC.

The MacBook Pro is expensive, much more so than the Dell, so you have to do a cost vs. benefit analysis. How much is it worth to you to have OS X?

The video card in the mbp is undoubtedly better. Besides that, the dell is a beast compared to the macbook pro. The macbook pro weighs less (and has a small "frame" - besides the screen being larger - than 14" notebooks I've seen.

I've owned Dell, HP, and Apple notebooks. I've had the most problem with the Apple notebooks. I don't know whether they just make lousy computers, or just because I was unlucky. But my Dell 700m has been chugging along for over 2.5 years now without problems. All my problems with Macs were right out of the box - once I got perfect machines, I've never had subsequent problems. My MacBook pro was perfect right out of the box. It might have a yellow tint but it's hard to tell...maybe it's the placebo effect from reading so much about it. But don't think that Dells don't have their fair share of problems...

But money is money. And if you'd rather have the money in your pocket for other stuff, than by all means get the dell. I really do think Macs hold their value better though. Just go check Ebay and you'll see what I mean.

Truth is that you'll be happy with whatever machine you go with. I enjoy using my mbp more than my Dell - bigger screen (duh), brighter screen, better keyboard...etc. And I've used a whole bunch of laptops while working at Future Shop...the keyboard on all of them is BS compared to the macbook pro. Some of the newer HPs, the keyboard sinks right in.

Best of luck w/ whatever you choose.

 

Cos It's a Ford

 

You gotta pay to play. You get better service, better quality, cooler gizmos, much much more luxury, and the prestige of Mercedes.

 

If you ask me, this all goes back to what the user is looking for. Sure, they may have the same engine (and they don't ), but is brute power all that people look for these days? How about design, comfort, features, quality, warranty, extras?

Sure, the Ford and Mercedes may have the same power and speed, but who really buys cars for power anymore? Most cars are similarly powered these days, its the design and features and price that people look at. And I'm talking average consumer, not the speed racers or the really technologically-knowledgeable people like you guys .

Which is the same analogy as I used. If you're looking for the most powerful notebook at the lowest price, then its not going to be a Mac. But if you want more extra features, then they come at a price.

If you want a powerful car for the lowest price, it won't be a Mercedes. But if you're looking for more, that's where the higher price gets more justifiable.

 

Mercedes hood ornaments are worth a lot more than Ford ones (not counting jags and the like)!

...not that I would know of course...

 

Whatever you get, just make sure you put a Mercedes emblem on it and you'll be good!

 

Like those PC people who stupidly put the Apple stickers on the back of their Windows laptop.

 

Are you sure about that? Looking at the Inspiron 1520 spec page it doesn't show HDMI.


USB 2.0 (4)
Integrated 10/100 LAN (RJ45) and 56K Modem (RJ11)
IEEE1394a
8-in-1 Memory Card Reader
VGA video output & S-Video
Stereo in, headphone/speaker out & Dual digital mics
1 ExpressCard 54mm Slot


For me, at first this was going to be why I ruled out the Inspiron and Vostro because they don't have HDMI, but as I really started thinking about how often I would be connecting the notebook up the HDTV in the living room I realized that it was not a critical feature to have. Maybe someday I'll want to do that but I'll probably build up a home entertainment PC for that.

 

lmao!

 

I think I would rather put a Mecredes sticker on the back of a Windows Laptop cuase it would be cheaper , not turn yellow and make it faster

 

If anyone remembers forum member alenas, he put a Vista sticker over his MBP's Apple logo .

 

Well you gotta admit that as far as logos go, the Windows logo looks prettier than the Apple

Maybe I should put a basket sticker under the apple, and then add a few bananas and oranges and create a whole fruit basket.

 

I got my last Dell E1505 for $1250. I used a coupon, but, that's not cheating, it's kinda normal. It had a 2GHz Core2 Duo, a 160GB HD, an X1400, a 15" screen with a 1680x1050 resolution and a 3 year warranty.

I got my current MBP for $1999. It has a 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo, a 120GB HD, an X1600, a 15" screen with a 1440x900 resolution and a 1 year warranty.

It's REALLY hard to say that Dell does not offer a decent value.

 

I've never said that Dell's aren't reasonably priced. For someone who wants to save some cash while still getting a lot of power, Dells are a great option. I've just stated that a MBP is not necessarily overpriced when compared to a Dell either, when you actually look at it as a whole, and not raw power alone.

 

I dunno, $1250 v. $2000 is pretty dramatic.

Esp for less warranty, less screen resolution and a smaller HD.

I had to add 1GB of ram to the MBP, the Dell already had 2GB.

I'm not complaining, I sold the Dell since I had someone offer to buy it and I like my MBP, but... they are a bit pricey.