1330 Vs 1530

I'm buying a dell xps in the next couple of days and can you please help me choose between the 1330 and the 1530?

Here are a few points that I'm considering..

1. The grainy screen - This is by far the biggest turn off for the 1530. I'm thinking if it is really worth the pain? There are a couple of others too.. Bulge in the keyboard, shocking and all. I guess that these issues have a simpler solution than the grainy screen.

2. Weight - I suppose that 1330 would get a straight thumbs up. Can anyone tell me the weight of a (with 6 cell battery)
* CCFL 1330
* LED 1330
* 1530.

3. GPU - The classic 8400GS vs 8600GT. Although having a 8600 won't hurt, I think the 8400 would serve all my practical purposes. I'm not a compulsive gamer. But, I do use a few GPU intensive engineering design software which would run smoothly in 8400GS.

4. USB Ports - The 1330 has only 2. Really wondering if it is enough with so many gadgets around? Is the Dell Bluetooth mouse of any use? This doesn't need a USB port right?

5. Price : I configured both 1330 and 1530 with some best config suitable for me... The 1530 is a bit more value for money or so it seems..!

6. Also I have chosen Midnight blue as the color. Is that any good compared to the black with the fingerprint smudging??

I know that I'm twiddling with my requirements. It would be great if you can pitch in with your thoughts and help me out!

 

Here is what I configured..

The 1330 - $1,557.42 (599$ off + EPP)

My Components
SYSTEM COLOR Midnight Blue
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
LCD AND CAMERA Slim and Light LED Display with VGA Webcam
MEMORY 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
HARD DRIVE Size: 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
VIDEO CARD 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
WIRELESS CARDS Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
BLUETOOTH AND WIRELESS USB Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
BLUETOOTH AND WIRELESS USB Dell Bluetooth Travel mouse
BATTERY O PTIONS 56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
SOUND OPTIONS Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition
FINGERPRINT SCANNER Biometric Fingerprint Reader
My Software & Accessories
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 36-months
PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE Microsoft Works

My Service
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 3Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor, 24x7 Phone Support
ACCIDENT AND THEFT PROTECTION Add Accidental Damage and LoJack Theft Protection to 3Yr Warr.
DATASAFE ONLINE BACKUP DataSafe Online Backup 20GB for 1 year
DIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS No ISP requested

ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
Labels Windows Vista™ Premium
Camera Panel Slim and Light LCD with Midnight Blue High Gloss Casing and Camera XPS M133
ADOBE Adobe Photoshop + Premiere Elements

 

The 1530 - $1,531.06 (599$ off + EPP)

My Components
SYSTEM COLOR Midnight Blue
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB Cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
LCD AND CAMERA High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch LCD(1440x900) & 2MP Camera
MEMORY 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)
HARD DRIVE Size: 320GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot Load DVD+/-RW (DVD/CD read/write)
VIDEO CARD 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
WIRELESS CARDS Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
BLUETOOTH AND WIRELESS USB Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
BATTERY OPTIONS 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
SOUND OPTIONS Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition
FINGERPRINT SCANNER Finger Print Reader XPS M1530

My Software & Accessories
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE McAfee SecurityCenter 15-months
PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE No Microsoft Office
ADOBE Adobe Photoshop + Premiere Elements
COLOR COORDINATED MICE Logitech V220 Wireless Mouse - Midnight Blue
NETWORKING & ACCESSORIES Kensington SD100 Notebook Docking Station

My Service
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 3Yr In-Home Service, Parts Labor, 24x7 Phone Support
ACCIDENT AND THEFT PROTECTION Add Accidental Damage and LoJack Theft Protection to 3Yr Warr.
DATASAFE ONLINE BACKUP DataSafe Online Backup 20GB for 1 year
DIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS No ISP requested

ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Dell Printer Driver Windows Vista™ Premium
Software - Adobe Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor

 

Get rid of the Sound Blaster Audigy HD on both configurations. It's worthless, im sure you can downgrade it.

I can honestly say I do not have any of those problems with my 1530.

All it really comes down to is what you want. Portability or Power and a bigger screen.

You use graphic design software? Like Pro/E or AutoCad? I think the biggest screen of the 1530 would be more suitable for you. A bigger screen is always better for graphic design.

The 1530 isn't too heavy or bulky at all. I always carry it in my standard sized Jansport backpack and it fits snuggly with my Calculus and Physics books. Not bad at all. It's really tolerable for carrying around.

 

I personally chose the blue m1330 with the LED display and it's amazing. The screen is plenty big and I really don't think the extra 2'' on the m1530 would make that much of a difference to me.

The bluetooth mouse works great for me and I haven't had any problems with it. As a result the 2 usb ports are plenty.

Also I LOVE how small and light the m1330 is and it has plenty of battery life with the 6-cell. I think it weighs about 4.5 pounds with the 6-cell, although i've never put mine on a scale before.

 

@FearTheTerp - Thanks!

No. The Soundblaster audigy is not downgradeable. There is only an upgrade to the Creative sound card which I suppose is useless for my purpose.

what is the total weight of your 1530?
Did you get the LG screen the first time?

I was a techie guy and I would have the design software installed on this laptop. But, usage will be scarce, as with most managers!

 

@stephen6119 - Thanks!! Great to know about the USB Mouse and the weight..

A couple of questions...

1. VGA Camera - Is is any good?
2. Does the blue matte finish have the fingerprint problems?
3. Can you give me your configuration and a few numbers like 3dsmark and Vista Experience Index?

 

My 1530 is just under 6 pounds with the 6 cell battery. Have no problems carrying it around.

Yes, luckily I did get a LG screen the first time. I hear that you have a much better chance of getting a LG screen if you get the 1440 resolution.

 

Dell BT Mouse is excellent, and has 4 buttons + scroll, so it's a great choice and leaves both USB ports free. I have not yet needed more than 2 ports at once. At home, plugged in, I have a hub plugged into one port and the other is free. While on the road, I typically use one port for my external 2.5" HDD, and the other is free for whatever I happen to want to use it for.

My M133O with 6-cell and LED is supposed to be just over 4 lb, about 4.15 - 4.25 lb, IIRC. The CCFL adds another 1/4 - 1/2 lb IIRC, and some "height" when the laptop is closed.

In addition to size.weight, the main advantage to an LED panel is its superior battery life over the CCFL. Also, it won't dim over time, unlike the CCFL which will. Then again, if you plan to replace it in 2 years, it doesn't matter.

 

@Samuel613 - Thanks! I just ordered the 1330. Same configuration as posted above.

 

If portability is first and performance is second on your list of laptop requirements, then go with the m1330. It is nice and small and light, the graphics card is great for Vista Ultimate and some minor gaming, and everything performs nice and snappy with 4 gb ram and t8300 processor. You get higher specs for the price on the m1530 plus a bigger screen, so if portability is a distant third or fourth requirement for you get that one. Commuting with a larger laptop gets old really fast, though.

 

Congrats !

 

I love my m1330. It hasn't not given me any problems at all. I love te lightweight style and the screen is amazing. The LED is amazing and 13" is good enough.

 

Which is it?