XPS m1530 > Having Second Thoughts...

I ordered one earlier this week. I have listed the specs below if you are curious...

I, like most of you, are concerned about the screen quality. Let's say I get the machine around the 20th and I find that screen is not something I want to live with. Will I have any recourse a month down the road? How does Dell handle these things? Woill they swap it out if I pay the difference?

Waiting around is not really an option for me, I need to get a new machine asap...

Any advice would be much appreciated...

Ordered Specs:

1 223-3526 XPS M1530, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.2GHz/800MhzFSB, 4M L2 Cache)
1 313-5814 Tuxedo Black Casing XPS M1530
1 311-7823 4GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm, for XPS M1530
1 320-6077 15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA TrueLife LCD with 2.0 MP Camera for XPS M1530
1 420-7715 Camera Software XPS M1530 2.0MP
1 320-6082 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M G
1 341-5634 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive for XPS M1530
1 420-6813 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English
1 420-7590 Media Direct 3.3
1 420-6995 DELL SUPPORT 3.4,DIM/INSP
1 420-5769 Internet Search and Portal
1 420-5924 Icon Consolidation Application
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
1 310-9764 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP, XPSM1530
1 412-0946 Dell Travel ExpressCard Remote Control, IR
1 310-9246 Creative Earbud EP630
1 412-0917 Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0, for Inspiron
1 313-5820 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPSM1530
1 420-6464 Roxio Creator Basic
1 313-5014 Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
1 430-2449 Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card
1 410-1174 Trend Micro PC-cillin InternetSecurity, English, 15-Month Subscription
1 312-0639 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for XPS M1530
1 412-0148 No Internet Service Provider Requested
1 420-6589 Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1 960-8710 Warranty Support,Initial Year
1 986-5859 Thank you for choosing a Limited Warranty and Service Contract
1 988-5607 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year
1 984-2350 Type 3- Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year
1 986-3557 LoJack Theft Recovery Service - 1 Year
1 430-2566 Dell Wirless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0+EDR)
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System
1 310-8319 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
1 420-7091 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS
1 420-7285 Datasafe Online 10GB,1 Year Free
1 987-7449 XPS,Datasafe 10GB,1YR(Incl w/price)
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks

 

I'm not sure, but I'm interested in what you paid for that set up

 

$2241 was the final price, inclusive of tax, free shipping, and a $150 discount.

 

Yikes that's expensive. If you like, you can save a few hundred by buying the RAM at newegg.com and putting it in yourself.

 

Everything looks perfect except for this -> 1 320-6077 15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA..

Wait until Dell offers the better screen.. that way they will be forced to.. faster...

 

If you are really in need of a laptop then you should be going to a store and buying one. That way there is no second-guessing if you will or will not like something about the computer.

I would probably just wait for the XPS and play with it for 3-4 days. If you find you don't like it, just return it. You most likely will not have to pay the restocking fees (only the return shipping).

 

unsure which type to buy...it's not listed on crucial.com...

any other ways to save money on this config?

 

you will not have to pay for restocking fee nor return shipping it is covered by dell. this however is my experience with dell canada, it should apply to you though.

 

So it seems riskless to try it with the lesser screen...

 

Don't go to crucual's website to buy RAM. You will most likely get the best deal through newegg.com.

You want to get 667MHz DDR2 RAM, 200 pin here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...10260381+1052910525&name=200-Pin+DDR2+SO-DIMM

 

4gb ram for 64.99 http://shop4.outpost.com/product/5456279

 

I just bought one too and won't recieveuntil sometime around Christmas. My worry is does the dvd burner have dual layer write capacity? ALso, because it is slot load, if it doesn't support DL write, am I able to buy a new internal optical drive? Also, I configured mine without blue-ray but could i have a slot load blu-ray driveinstalled a later date by dell? What is their return policy? Thanks for all the help. Im starting to freak about the dvd burner.

 

You want to back that up by paying his fees if you're wrong? I got stuck paying the restocking fee and return shipping with my m1210, it certainly does happen. The OP's fees would be in the $350 range, a bit much to just "check out the laptop".

 

well, to be safe i suggest morecowbell to call dell and ask about returning the laptop and their policy with that matter. as for me i recieved a dell inspiron kept it for about a week and then decided to return it. the return shipping was covered by dell and there was no restocking fee for ME which is what they told me. i dont know how they determine if you have to pay a stocking fee but they ask me one question before concluding i dont have to pay, which was if i was a consumer or not. the process in returning it is pretty easy as well they send you a shipping label and then attatch taht to the box and ship it back, and you will get your money about in a week. Remember this is my experience with dell (canada) it could be different for morecowbell, as greystone has pointed out that he had a different experience.

i suggest to you call them as soon as possible and ask about tehir policy if it is already in the truck theres no way in stopping the shipment to get to you. if you decide that this laptop isnt for you to be safe dont open the box and just ship it back as it is. and i hear you are concerned about the screen. do you mean the size or the quality? i ask because if this is something BIG for you than you should wait since i hear that dell will offer different screen options early next year or soon.

anyways goodluck

 

Although, I'm not really excited about the screen resolution, I still ordered the XPS as I need a laptop pretty soon. I know someone with a 15.4in HP that has the same resolution and honestly it's not all that bad for movie viewing or productivity apps. I even dropped the res down on my 17" laptop and it's workable but not optimal on a bigger screen. If you opt for the blue-ray which I didn't then you may not be happy with that res.

If Dell does offer a better display w/i the next month then I'd possibly return mine. Otherwise, I'll just upgrade the lcd when I can.

 

How much do you think it is to upgrade the LCD down the road? Plus, do you need to change drivers or is it just plug and play?

 

To get around the restocking fee just tell them something is wrong with the laptop (defect). Voila! No fee

Dell is a big enough company to let your 15% restocking fee disappear....

 

I think 1280x800 is perfect. I'm on a 15.4" screen, and I couldn't be happier. I've used laptops with higher res and I must say, I didn't like it.

 

Yup, from what I've been hearing is that the current WXGA screen is looking quite nice on the 1530.

I'll decide for myself pretty soon

 

Most LCD's from wholesellers can be found in the $300-$400 range. Not to say that the M1530 lcds will cost the same. I can't speak with certainty on the driver but driver upgrade may very well be necessary. The dedicated GPUs supports the higher resolution which is a must. Otherwise, no sense in uprgading the lcd.

 

1280x800 is just perfect for a gaming laptop, smaller native means better performance, less strain on the machine. Plus it's less prone to grain.

I have 30" Eizo screen with 2560×1600 native resolution. And sometimes when I go on my laptop I feel confined, so I can understand why people find 1280x800 a terrible resolution.

Suck it in and deal with it I guess.. lol..

 

how did u get $150 off?

 

After going though the conifg the Rep asked me how I was going to be paying. I said, "American Express", to which the rep said "If I speak to my supervisor, I may be able to get you $100 off for opening a dell financial account."

So I said, "Tell your supervisor i'll open the account for $150 off and free overnight shipping"

He put me on hold for about a minute, came back and told me we had a deal.

So, as soon as I get the bill, i'll just pay off the entire thing, and it's basically $150 off and free overnight shipping for doing nothing...

 

I'm in the same boat with you. I just bought the thing the other day and then i found out about the screen resolution. I too have been looking into getting the screen changed out later on down the road. I am very pissed about the whole deal. I thought the whole "XPS" deal was there "elite" laptop models...

They hooked me up with a military discount. I think the price is reasonable.

Here's my description:

Order Date: 11/28/2007

Shipping Method: 3-5 Business Days
Est. Ship Date: 12/20/2007
Est. Delivery Date: 12/25/2007-12/27/2007


1 223-3529 XPS M1530, Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB 2M L2 Cache) $1043.65
1 313-5814 Tuxedo Black Casing XPS M1530 $0.00
1 311-7821 2GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm, for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 320-6077 15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA TrueLife LCD with 2.0 MP Camera for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 420-7715 Camera Software XPS M1530 2.0MP $0.00
1 320-6082 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M G $0.00
1 341-5632 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 420-6813 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English $0.00
1 420-7590 Media Direct 3.3 $0.00
1 420-6995 DELL SUPPORT 3.4,DIM/INSP $0.00
1 420-5769 Internet Search and Portal $0.00
1 420-5924 Icon Consolidation Application $0.00
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp $0.00
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access $0.00
1 310-9764 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP, XPSM1530 $0.00
1 412-0946 Dell Travel ExpressCard Remote Control, IR $0.00
1 310-9246 Creative Earbud EP630 $0.00
1 412-0917 Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0, for Inspiron $0.00
1 313-5820 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPSM1530 $0.00
1 420-6464 Roxio Creator Basic $0.00
1 313-5014 Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy $0.00
1 430-2449 Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card $0.00
1 410-1174 Trend Micro PC-cillin InternetSecurity, English, 15-Month Subscription $0.00
1 312-0638 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 412-0933 AOL for Broadband $0.00
1 412-0934 Earthlink $0.00
1 412-0935 NETZERO ISP $0.00
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested $0.00
1 412-0359 Soft Contracts - Qualxserve $0.00
1 950-3339 3 Year Limited Warranty $.00
1 960-3652 Warranty Support,2 Year Extended $42.00
1 960-8710 Warranty Support,Initial Year $.00
1 988-5618 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year $.00
1 983-5942 Type 15- Third Party At HomeService with Nights and Weekends, 24x7 Technical Support,2 Year Extended $212.00
1 988-5617 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year $189.00
1 984-2360 Type 15- Third Party At Home Service with Nights and Week ends, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year $50.00
1 986-3557 LoJack Theft Recovery Service - 1 Year $49.99
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System $.00
1 310-8319 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor $.00
1 420-7091 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS $.00
1 420-7285 Datasafe Online 10GB,1 Year Free $.00
1 987-7449 XPS,Datasafe 10GB,1YR(Incl w/price) $0.00
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online $.00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sub-Total : $1586.64
Shipping : $.00
Tax : $119.13
Order Total : $1705.77

 

How is it Dell's fault that you purchased a laptop with a low resolution screen?

 

They don't let you swap parts and pay the difference. You have to return and reorder.

 

i'm not saying it's dells fault that i ordered it. i'm saying that i'm pissed that they are putting so many people in this situation. that's like Lamborghini making a 4-banger and then putting it out on the market advertising it as a diablo. you jsut don't do that. the "XPS" that they slap on the front of it stands for an elite model.