I give up...

Well, after reading all the great reviews of the m1530, I decided to give it a try. After months of research, I knew the pros and cons of the laptop, and became familiar with the various common problems (i.e. the keyboard bulge, over heating, noise, faulty gpu etc.). As a long time Dell customer, I was prepared to give them a chance and ended up making the purchase.

All in all, the reviews are correct; it's a great machine. Thin/light, great styling, and lightning fast for a laptop. Unfortunately, it has the worst build quality imaginable, and the engineering flaws are obvious and pathetic in the sense that I can't believe Dell is trying to pass this off as their high end laptop.

Issue 1/Computer 1: Large keyboard bulge and misaligned LCD screen/bezel. Ok, so the problems were small enough I thought. I called Dell customer support and they sent out a tech to correct these issues. I read that the keyboard bulge was typically caused by bunched up wires; however, in my case, the entire metal frame on the inside looked severely bent. He offered to have the computer sent to the repair center to have the issues corrected, but me being in school right now, I could not go without having a computer for 2 weeks. As a result, I got in touch with Dell, and was able to convince them to send me out a new computer despite the fact that my 21 day return period ended (though I initially called about the problem before the 21 days were over).

Issue 2/Computer 2: The Dell rep told me that the computer would likely be refurbished, but that it would still be in "new" condition and wouldn't have any of the problems my other computer had. Well, he was right, but to my misfortune, the problems on this new machine were worse. Firstly, there is a large gap between the actual screen and the bottom bezel large enough that I could clearly see light coming through. Second, and most important, the entire computer looks bent to the point where it can't sit flat on a flat surface. Even from a distance, I can easily notice that the frame curves inward.

Overall, I am completely dissatisfied with Dell's build quality. I have never heard of a laptop, let alone a high-end laptop suffering from such poor quality control. I will be contacting Dell, and hope to get my money back. I wouldn't accept such problems in a $600 laptop, and I sure as hell won't accept them in one that cost twice that..

 

Call them on it.

 

I had originally called XPS support about a severely misalligned barrel hinge and they went ahead and processed a new replacement for me (it is in the build stage of production) without any hassle.

Granted my Bluray drive ate my DVD and wouldn't spit it out later that night... but they did originally agree to send me a new replacement due to the barrel hinge; no in home service, just a straight out swap.

I'd call again because this way you get to keep your current laptop while your new one is in production. good luck!

 

Hey there Orangeblue,
Well, obviously this has more to do with DELL’s lack in quality control and zero care of the end user than anything else. DELL would rather have their unassuming buyers pray to the laptop gods that they will receive their wifi-multitasking core 2-duo flawless in every aspect of the word. At least that’s exactly what ‘you’ should expect from having to shell out one-thousand plus for one of these beauties! Your post gives me more reasons to just go out and buy a cheap ACER for my MS Access needs and a better quality Mac product! I would rather have an $400.00 ACER turn up to be a paperweight rather than an superior XPS machine! DELL are you listening YET!!!!!!!
Sorry for the rant, but here is a perfect example of why PC manufacturers (such as DULL) are getting bad press lately.
I for one am now looking forward to the October 14 release of the new Mac products.
Cheers!
-Capt.

 

Thanks everyone.

I did get them to let me keep my 1st computer until the 2nd one arrived since I told them I could not go 2 weeks without a computer (so I have 2 computers right now that need to be sent back).

Overall, I know that I probably sound anal about the problems. Technically speaking, both laptops work just fine, but after spending $1200 on a computer I feel that I have the right to expect perfection. Poor build quality indicates poor quality control, and I don't think that I can trust a laptop that isn't even assembled correctly to last me for 3-4 years.

If I can get my money back, I will be going with HP for my next computer. I've found that with the current $400 coupon, I can get a dv5t with better specs for less than I paid for the Dell m1530.