Amazingly cheap m1330 from Dell, should I buy?

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/quickship?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Basically, it's a "pre-configured" Dell m1330 designed with "popular specs" for quick delivery, and now after Xmas they are reducing the price and shipping them out.

I want to get the black 1330 for $1599, has all the right specs for me and at several hundred dollars cheaper than I've ever seen it.

However, this sounds like a ploy to palm off returned units with things like CPU whine and grainy screens, not issues for some customers. Basically, is there a way to tell if it has been repackaged and sold back, or turned on and used before if I buy one?

Should I buy one anyway? Is it easy to upgrade to 3G of ram if I want to a bit later (only spec I was concerned about)

Cheers guys

 

You get 14 days to return one for whatever reason after you get it, even if it's open. Yeah, it's a great deal and upgrading RAM is extremely easy, though I think a little soldering is required on the M1330.

You wouldn't be able to tell if it was ever used before.

 

Prices are cheap right now because of the upcoming Intel Penryn ships.

 

Huh? Soldering for RAM? It's just plug in last time I upgraded my memory in my M1330.

 

Is it worth waiting for the Penryn chips? Just ordered an M1330 T7500 3gb RAM, and would like to think that I'll keep an use it for at least 2-3 years. The savings were so tempting ($1350 inc tax)... how much more expensive might the penryn chips be?

 

Personally, I don't think its worth upgrading to Penryn if you already have Santa Rosa.

 

And they would all be configured the same? I just don't see it.

 

Looks like a great deal. If you want to save money, and you really want the laptop, go for it.

 

There is no way Dell (or any respected company) at least in the US will sell an opened, used or previously defective system as new. With Dell, once a system has been shipped to the customer and returned back to Dell, it can be sold only in the outlet. Dell's online outlet is at: http://www.delloutlet.com/

If you are looking for an extremely good deal, try "Previously Ordered New" or "Certified Refurbished" systems at the outlet. Check out the specifications, some times they throw in a nice bundle. My friend got a Previously Ordered New maxed out configured M1330 with Microsoft Office Professional 2007, Adobe Acrobat Standard 8 and a few more softwares and hardware accessories for under $1600. There were no scratches or defects and it was an extremely good deal. Worth a try!

 

Penryn will likely not be that much more expensive looking at Dell's past practices.. will be worth the wait...

 

I don't think Penryn will be worth the wait. I've read reviews of Penryn testing, and the performance increase isn't really anything spectacular. However, comparing the performance increase that does exist with the current price deductions going on right now, I'd say that you would save a lot of money buying your laptop now. That's just my two cents.

 

Not to mention the end of a fiscal year and sales abound everywhere!!!

 

Agreed , it's the truth from my friend from Intel

 

Just to confirm that no soldering is needed to remove & add ram or open & close the notebook.

 

Go here for instructional video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zczPx9N5RRY