---> OFFICIAL: Dell STUDIO 14z Owner's Lounge <---

I think he's referring to the $50 Home Premium Upgrade from Microsoft. That expired on the 11th, and the Home Premium Upgrade now costs $120. The free Windows 7 upgrade for computers purchased new with Vista after 26 June is still going on.

 

My 14z arrived today, but I'm still at work so I can't play with it yet. I'd be happy to try out some tests/benchmarks later as well.

One thing I didn't expect so much hassle with is outputting to a VGA projector. I knew it wasn't going to be the easiest thing, but I was expecting to find lots of HDMI to VGA or Displayport to VGA adapters out there. In fact I'm finding very little.

Anyone have any ideas regarding what the best output adapter solution is?

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158150



N

 

Unfortunately newegg's not offering that adapter on their Canadian site. However, I just searched for the same model of adapter elsewhere and found it on tigerdirect.ca

After tigerdirect's ridiculous shipping cost it comes to $67 there though, which is a lot more than I was hoping to spend. I guess if there's nothing else I'll take what I can get.

 

I'm so sorry - didn't even see the flag in your post Blatantly obvious now...


N

 

No problem. I love Canada but I hate buying electronics here

 

Try Singapore, pachaim. I visited there a few months ago and was shocked to find all electronics were considerably more expensive than here in Canada!

I did some looking at CanadaComputers.com, and they have HDMI to DVI for $11, and DVI to VGA for $8, with $7 shipping. Would a "stack" like that work for you?

 

For your adapters and cables, try monoprice.com. Best deals I found when I was setting up my home theater.

[edit] forgot to mention the huge selection, great quality, and they ship to Canada!

 

Finally- dell shipped my order should be here in 3 days i cant tell you guys how excited i am for this

 

When did you order yours?

 

Yea, I was disappointed that it did not come with a VGA adapter for the display port.

 

i ordered it on 6/24

2.66 ghz
320 gb 5400
3 gb
backlit keyboard
chainlink
900p

 

I'd probably need one sooner or later if I get this laptop.

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4624348&CatId=467

Would that one work? I don't know much about this stuff.

 

Yes, it will work.

 

Is that a Kensington lock on the left side of the hinge? Could owners please confirm?

 

Oh sorry, forgot this was a different forum. It dropped to 599, and you need to search for the evalue code here

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1445187&p=21141189&highlight=studio+14z#post21141189

The deal lasts until the 20th and you save 170$. Sorry I didn't specify

 

Yes, I believe it is.

 

http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/...ell-studio-14z-notebook-a-real-contender.html Review up! It's 22 minutes long! Good things to be said

DAMNIT the video is private for some reason!

 

Aha yeah, I noticed that as well. Maybe he'll make it public in a bit..

 

New to the forum and not a studio-z owner as yet. but wait I have one on order. I ordered on June 1st, and after numerous delays and cancellations I was about to give up on the studio. I noticed that whenever I went online and configure a new unit my delivery date was sooner than the one on my order. The last time dell did not let me respone to their e-mail concerning accepting the new shi date, they just cancelled my order.

I re-ordered and now my del date is 7/24. As I am wiriting this (7/15) my order is showing on dell site as "in production". Still hoping to get it on 7/24.

However I am writing to ask if anyone else noticed that Dell have removed some of the options for the studio-z? The following seem to be gone: 900p, back-lit keyboard and wireless g card. ( I could be wrong, but I keep configuring new units to see ship dates and thoae options are not available).
I configured mine with almost all the options available sans the memory and it seems that is when things get delayed. Dell has denied that, but will not confirm the reasons for my delay.

Still hoping that I will be able to return here with a happy post.

Bigdog-1

 

All options are available as long as you customize the base $649 configuration.

 

I was looking at the 14z that Best Buy offers on their website and noticed this:

# 8-in-1 digital media reader
Supports Secure Digital, Hi-Speed Secure Digital, Hi-Density Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD-Picture Card and SDIO formats for easy digital media transfer.

I haven't heard anybody mention anything about a digital media reader being included in the Best Buy model. Is one included in the express card slot, or is this a typo on Best Buy's part. If not, then that's pretty cool!

 

Bigdog-1, it will stay "in production" until it ships. Mine showed as In production until last Wednesday, shipped on Thursday, was in the local courrier's sorting centre on Friday and arrived Monday morning.

Pachaim, I downloaded the Vista bluetooth stuff from the Dell site after upgrading to Windows 7. As far as I know it's working fine, but I haven't actually paired it with anything yet. But the app shows up in the taskbar, etc.

 

Hmm, cancel that, I got it working. I think I must've been doing something stupid.

Officially no complaints about my 14z!

 

I recently purchased a 14z and it is on its way. Received a discount on a model but I didn't have the ability to choose the color, it had to be black chain link. Anyone know a nice cover or skin that would work for this model? Haven't had much luck finding any. Thanks.

 

I ordered my laptop on the 8th and I do not see anything in the Order Status on Dell's site!

 

Is there a significant change in heat dissipation from the lowest to mid processors? Just curious what I would run into as far as heat (and fan noise) if I put that chip in the laptop.

 

DARN, I JUST ordered my 14z on the 10th and it is now in production so if I returned it, I would incur a restocking fee.
With that slickdeals e-value code, it allowed me to add the wireless N card, the 8 in 1 card reader and upgrade the HDD to a 250GB 7200RPM drive.
That alone would have added 100 dollars to the total... oh well.
Still getting a great system overall and there was no guarantee that I would be able to get the additional student pricing on that configured laptop.

If anyone wants to get this laptop with the most accessories and barely meet the 799 mark to get free shipping, I suggest you get the base model and upgrade as follows:

colored cover
900p screen upgrade
backlit keyboard
8 cell battery
HDD upgrade (25 dollars to upgrade to the 250GB 7200RPM drive)
wireless N upgrade (as default with e-value code)
8 in 1 card reader, (or bluetooth upgrade, or soundblaster audio upgrade)

After all that configuration, you may want to try to get the student discount by talking to a rep HERE IN THE USA (team blackhawk is who I configured the system through). If that doesnt work, you could somehow try to get the 7% epp discount? At the least, possibly 3% off using the dell credit card they have, 0% interest for 9 months.

 

What was the total cost of your configuration?

Also, if you are willing, try and test the sound with the soundblaster software installed and then uninstall it and see if there is a difference in audio quality, just from the speakers alone, not hooked up to a sound system.

I think if you got the soundblaster software, you should get the backup software disk as well. Wonder if its possible to host it somewhere for a trial to see if it changes anything, and if it does, Id just call up dell and try to buy the software from them.

 

Video review is now up and working correctly on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSw_dkghkV8

 

FIRST REVIEW!!!

Signed up after lurking for years, im so keen on this laptop, want it to come to AUS badly!

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/member-reviews/20141-dell-studio-14z-review-image-heavy.html

 

I heard that you can even order one of the color covers for 14z directly from Dell, and they will provide the instructions how to replace them.

 

If you click "Order Status" from the email that you got, most likely it will not show anything, at least it never worked for me. This is what I had to do to actually *see* the order status:
- copy your customer number from the email
- click the "Order Status" link in the email, it takes you to Dell's Order Status page that asks you to enter order number and postal code, and which does not work
- after you enter order number and postal code and click "Go" it will show you an error message with a link saying "Contact Us", click that link
- on a new page that will open, on the bottom left, under Order Support click the Order Status link
- now it will bring you to yet another page to check the order status (the page looks different from the first "Order Status" page
- here enter your customer number and postal code, and it should show you your order status, finally!

OR

just hit this link (this is for Dell Canada):
https://support.dell.com/support/order/GlobalOrderHome.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&~ck=anavml

Hope that helps!

 

Still can't get it to work. Thanks though!

 

It's worth noting that if you contact a sales rep, it's possible to cancel an order in production and place another. I did this when I found out the 8-cell battery sits flush, and others have as well.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I picked it up in red for $49 minus EPP discount.

 

I just ordered my 14z on 7/14 for $795.18 total shipping in a couple weeks

Hopefully staying with the T6500(2.1 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 720p screen will be good enough..had to cut as much cost as I could. I can't wait for it, and Windows 7

btw, is the 720p screen at [1366 x 768] or [1280 x 720]? I've seen both on the internet..

 

The screen is 1366 x 768.

 

Nope, it stays at 48 degrees. I have not experienced any heat problems with the T9900 in it. The TDP is 35W which is the same as the T9550 you can have Dell put in it, which is kind of why I figured it would work to start wit.

N

 

Awesome! thanks

Hopefully the 14z doesn't come with an unbalanced chassis like the Digital Home Thoughts youtube review..has anyone received one like this?

 

just got my laptop i like it except a couple of drawbacks i dont like the trackpad slight heat problem,and, theres not enough room to rest your hands if you have any questions let me no!!

 

btw upgrading to windows 7 now

 

let us know how it goes.

 

wait a minute you mean windows 7 has been released this early.

 

or are you using the release candicate (beta)

 

rc obviously- took a really long time to instal- hour and a half just saw my desktop for the first time its gorgeous

 

did you do an upgrade or a clean install?

 

upgrade only burn at 1x btw or it will be corrupted

 

I'll be installing it from a Thumb drive when i get mine so no need to worry bout that, thanks for the heads up though.

 

Has anyone done some multitasking tests yet? i.e. running Photoshop, Illustrator with a number of files open, browser windows and tabs, etc.

I'm deciding between the 14z and the T400. I am -really- impressed with the 14z's features, especially, screen res, weight, and battery, but the 3GB of RAM standard with no cheap upgrade option seems like a real bummer.

The Youtube review up now was helpful but didn't really speak of any performance in regards to the 3 gigs RAM.

EDIT: Also, is anyone experiencing the unbalanced/flexing at the palm rest areas that the reviewer's system has in the Youtube review?