Help me configure XPS M1530 please

My main question is about the wireless function:

1) Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless-N Mini-card [Included in Price]
or
2) Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card add $0
Dell Recommended

Is number 2 better?

This is my configuration so far

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB Cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista ® Home Premium Edition SP1
(PRODUCT) RED (PRODUCT) RED™ ($50 donated to Aids Africa)

LCD AND CAMERA High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4inch LCD (1440x900) & 2.0 MP Cam

MEMORY 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)

HARD DRIVE 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
GRAPHICS CARD 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT edit

OPTICAL DRIVE 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability

WIRELESS CARD Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless-N Mini-card edit
BLUETOOTH 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

3 year return to depot warranty

$1539

Is this good. I could pay extra for the 7200 RPM version of the 320 hard drive and I could pay another $100 for the higher res screen but someone told me that it become harder to see programs if the screen res is too high on a 15 inch laptop.

I will be using the laptop to teach - using power point presentations etc.

 

I would pay the extra for the higher res screen.

Yes I believe its a decent config.

Dell recomends it.. Its a offical Intel Wireless card, But as far as I know there both the initially the same.

 

I would take the intel wireless. However, I wouldn't recommend getting 1920*1200 on a 15" screen. A bit too much if you ask me.

 

Intel Wireless. It has better drivers and is less finicky then the Dell wireless card. Also when you get the Intel one you get a cool little Centrino sticker.

The 1440x900 is good for normal use, but the 1920x1200 is better for multitasking as you can fit more windows on the screen at once.

 

Thanks for the help but I just went to a Best Buy store that opened in my town and they have an interesting alternative from ACER.

It has a 16 inch 1366 X 768 screen that looked nice enough to me.

4gig ram
320hard drive
Blue Ray Rom DVD burner
NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS (they're website says 9600 but the actual unit has the 9500 sticker) either way it is a better card than the 8600GT (rated 10% better for gaming)
Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 (2.0Ghz)
finger print reader
no bluetooth - but my laptop is 3 years old and I've never used bluetooth.

1 year warranty not three like the Dell.

So it's slower and I would give up some warranty -Best buy is crazy prices on warranty. But I get the better graphics card and Blue Ray

$1099.00 so it's $440 less money. That 84XX and 86XX rumoured failures is a little scary to me.

They have an 18.4 inch screen version with a 640gig hard drive and it is $1399. I like the build of these ones over the white keyboard ones - the screen barrel swivel seems to be better built. Pretty darn sexy units. 640gig and 18.4 inch screen - LOL

 

i would still get the dell

 

9500 is comparable(equal) to the 8600 that m1530 has, though the processor T5750 is a last-gen processor

blu-ray looks yummy, but would u use it (or would u think this laptop lasts for 3-5 yrs?

 

8600M GT on the M1530 uses GDDR3 memory, which means the world in performance when compared to the GDDR2. Actual memory size is pretty irrelevant. Bigger number != better performance, or the 280 GTX is pretty damn crappy.