About to buy Studio 14

Hi, I'm about to order the Dell Studio 14 with 720QM cpu, 4gb drr3, 1333mhz and ATI 4530.. with the 9 cell battery and the backlit keyboard option.

I'm planning to order by phone because I'm wondering if there's a student discount in Canada and the website says there's some option to have 1600x900 on the notebook but I can't find it on the site...

I'm also going to follow this kind of procedure: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=456885

Anything I should know before ordering this? About the Studio 14, the parts I chose, etc..

Thanks

 

Make sure you get one with the 1600x900 screen, they are gorgeous, perfect screens Don't get the 720p screen, 'coz they have some issues. If not available right now, wait a little, the screen alone is worth the purchase (and the backlit keyboard too). Other than the Alps touchpad, which has a mind of its own, everything else is just great.

 

I don't think I'll use the touch pad that much anyway, I hate touchpads.

Thanks for the advice on the 1600x900 screen, I know its not offered on the website but I hope I can get it on the phone, after all if the Studio 14z has it in canada, the studio 14 should have it.

The thing is.. I can't wait too much because I need a laptop very soon, I've been shopping for about a month.. waiting for macbook pros, etc..

 

I got from Asia before it was offerred here and i have used it for some time now. Not sure what the issue is with the 720p screen cause that is what i ordered and mine is crisp and beautiful. I would be interested in hearing what issues that LexusForever is experiencing with his Studio 14 720p? Also my Alps touchpad is one of the best touchpads i have used to date...but that is just my experience...different strokes for different folks i guess.

Keyboard sucks large on this machine...feels like typing on cardboard but the backlight is a wonderful feature. I would also hold off on the purchase until the new video card is out. The latest BIOS update is support for 5xxx series ati card. Almost the same speed in gaming but has a large advantage in that it can put 7.1 uncompressed over the hdmi and can also do HD picture in picture.

No issues with throttling on this machine...i ran prime and futuremark tests to confirm. Heat management is also top notch, x264 video conversions which run 8 threads and cpu at 100% for over 10 hours leaves the laptop running surprisingly cool.

So far machine is working out good for me...Don't get black if you hate fingerprints!

 

I've been waiting to buy this machine since the first day that Dell.com listed it with the new i5 processors. I just really want that 900p screen that's advertised..... and that's the only thing holding me back from ordering this computer.



And I wish that they would upgrade the "2 x 2" Intel 6200 advanced wifi to the "3 x 3" Intel 6300 ultimate wifi. (I want to make this computer have the newest and best hardware as I can get for the money because I plan on using it for the next bunch of years..... and I figure I can replace the 250GB 7200rpm HDD with a 128GB SSD drive within the next year when I can find a good and cheap Intel or OCZ when prices start to drop)



What's strange is that I can find too many 13" - 14" inch laptops offering a 900p screen. It seems that every computer company is going with the 720p screen.

 

Sony CW or Sony Z offer it, as well as HP/Dell business models such as HP Elitebook 8440 or Dell Latitude 630 (refresh is imminent for this one).

 

Don't buy a dell studio!! BEWARE! there such pieces of shyt seriously. my 2nd replacement came a week ago and had a lot of problems on it just like the first one they sent. i finally got a refund from dell. PZ dell you won't get my money ever again!

 

Well first off the Sony Z is out of my price range but it does have the 900p screen with the Intel P8800..... but I wonder if the new refreshed models with the i5-540M will continue to have 900p screens. The Sony CW used to have a 900p screen because I thought about buying that laptop for the last 3 months. But as soon as they refreshed it with the Intel i3/i5 processors, all it's saying from the USA Sony site is 720p (and no upgrade option):

And I know older laptops like the Dell Studio 14z has 900p but I want the new Intel i5-540M..... I even considered some CULV processors on the Asus models like the UL30 and the UL80 but again only 720p, and I looked at the new i3-350M U30Jc and the i5-540M K42JR from xoticpc which only have 720p screens. The new MSI laptops CR420, CX420, and the X420 (CULV model) all had 720p, and when I checked the HP site all the i3/i5 14" inch laptops and ultraportables all had 720p or 1280 x 800 (I can't afford the Envy but that even had 720p). Over at Lenovo it was either 720p or 1400 x 900 for the laptops that I considered. Toshiba Satellite with the i5 also had a 720p. Every site I check out seems to only offer the 720p for the newer laptops (I don't want an old business model).


Maybe I'm being overly picky. I just have this feeling that this laptop I'll be getting is going to have to last me for the next 3+ years, so I want to be happy with it..... the Dell Studio 14 seems to have almost everything I want:

9 cell battery
good wifi with the Intel Advanced-N 6200 (I would prefer the Ultimate-N 6300 wifi)
backlit keyboard
slot load CD/DVD
LED backlit screen with nice color (want the 900p though)
i5-520M with turbo boost / 4GB DDR3 RAM
Intel GMA HD (I don't game so this should be perfect for me)
a nice speaker that's not directing sound into my lap.
7200rpm HDD that can be replace by a SSD down the line.
and a nice no-fingerprint lid.

... and as a Linux user I find that Dell has good driver support for things like webcams/microphones and multimedia buttons.


Right now I have most all the specs I need for $1,029 and I'm ready to order it..... but I keep waiting for a better 900p screen and possibly the Ultimate-N 6300 wifi. And the Intel i5-540M would be nice too.

 

Sony does come with higher resolutions and at an absolutely amazing price right now:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+...lack/9723951.p?id=1218159867078&skuId=9723951

If i didn't need a quad core i would have gone with the Sony CW in a heartbeat the video card is quite powerful for a laptop this size. Price is less then a Dell but you get Sony quality. Might not have everything you need but worth consideration if you're in the market for an i5.

Mini wifi cards are and hard drives are cheap and easy to swap out down the road. No slot load but you do get a BR Player which i think is a bonus cause those are swapable too...if my S14 didn't have a slot loading drive i would already have a BR player in it since i have a spare one sitting around.

 

Just wanted to give a few impressions of my Studio 1458 that arrived yesterday, with the Core i5-520, 6gb RAM, 720p screen. The screen is excellent, with very good contrast and sharpness, and to my eyes a good fit for the 14" size. I do use my laptops with an external monitor, so this helps with the need for extra rez. One poster above lamented the keyboard, but the board on my 1458 is solid, with no flex that I can detect.
Performance is mostly smokin', though you wouldn't want to use the ATi 4530 to max out your Crysis settings haha. Photoshop/Lightroom and my video editing software works very well. Speakers seem pretty good, though a tad more bass could be desired, and overall the machine runs pretty cool and quiet, with the occasional ramp up of the fan. I like that the main vent is now on the left side of the laptop. Helps keep the coffee mug warm on cold winter mornings haha.

 

The Dell Canada site still lists HD+ on the features screen although no selectable option. I wonder how long it will take to get the 900p w/ Ati 5450 (listed on the Dell India site).