6400 or 640m????

Which one's better? The 6400 or 640m? I'll be using it for MS office programs, Wed design, graphic design, surfing the net, photo & video editing. I'll also be using it to download some tv shows. I have no plans of using it for games.

 

The Inspiron 6400/E1505 is the better choice if you are going to do some photo and video editing and graphic design.

 

Neither is "better" than the other. The 6400 is 15.4" and the 640m is 14.1". From your description of how you'd use either notebook, your main deciding factor will be on size. If you want a more portable laptop with better battery life, get the 640m. If you'd like more of a desktop replacement that is still rather portable, then go with the 6400.

 

Depending on the intensity of graphic design your doing, the notebook with the dedicated graphics card option - the E1505 might be a better option for you. In general integrated graphics is fine, but for high end graphic design and video editing (effects) a dedicated card is preferred. If your just doing light tasks, then they will perform the same.. And then it all comes down to what size you prefer, and if you care for more battery life, or a bigger screen etc.

 

I see, so the main difference between the two are the graphic card and the screen? In terms of other components/features, is it safe to say that they are fairly "identical"?

 

Yes.

On the one hand you have a 15.4" with teh option for graphics card, which would be better for 3d design, and slightly better for photo editing, (since it has the option for a larger resolution - and it doesnt use integrated graphics that uses up system RAM).

But the 14.1" is more portable, lighter and easier to carry.

Other than that they are identical

 

Thanks for the insights! I'll surely use them in choosing which notebook to buy