Any info on updated XPS 17"?

I posted a couple weeks ago, but no replies, so I guess no info at that time. Thought I'd try again in case anyone has heard anything since.

I'd like a Dell XPS w/a 17" screen. The current 1710 is pretty outdated, and w/the release of the new XPS 1330, I've gotten a taste of what new tech Dell might be putting into the 17" XPS (1730?). Seems silly to buy the current 1710.

I of course want the Santa Rosa platform, but the addition of the new LED backlight on the 1330 gives me hope it might also appear on the 17" update. Other additions, like the updated hinge that looks pretty sturdy, makes waiting hard.

Does anyone, connected into the industry or otherwise, have any idea how long it might be before an updated 17" XPS might appear?

 

My guess would be that dell won't update it until a 256-bit DX10 GPU comes on the market, which could be as late as Q1 of next year, but more likely will appear by the end of this year.

 

Yeah, tht's also my guess, they wait until there are decent GPUs for a XPS machine. At the moment, the 7950GTX is still the most powerful card on the market, but 8700 GT already gets pretty close.

 

Hi oldcrank

There are currently no 17" notebook LEDs widely available, so I wouldn't hold your breathe on that front (15.4" is currently the largest). That said, other updates (like Santa Rosa, an 8700M or 8800M graphics card, possible Core 2 Extreme CPU option etc.) are more likely to come, although right now it's all just speculation.

As for dates, again, take your pick. There appear to be no service manuals for a new 17" XPS, so that indicates that it's not due for imminent release. The popular consensus is an August/September announcement and shipping in September/October, but as time goes by some people are thinking more towards Christmas time. That said, according to another forum thread, Games for Windows magazine has an article with the following statement:

Make of that what you will

Kind regards

 

Thanks for the reply, and the pointer at the other thread; read it. Bugger, tho. I finally set aside a budget for a fairly high-end laptop (~ 4K US), and frak that Dell isn't ready yet! Doesn't help any that the sweet little 1330 is just sitting there with all its new tech, laughing at me. (Yes, I know, time to see the shrink if I hear inanimate objects laughing at me.)

Before you ask why don't I buy from another maker, I'm kinda locked into Dell, on account of I belong to an organization that allows me to get a fairly decent discount on a new Dell system. (Like hundreds of $$.)

It also doesn't seem like Dell is going to put Santa Rosa into the current XPS 1710, does it? Otherwise, they'd probably already have done it, right?

I don't do gaming, but I do want the system to be strong enough to run Adobe Premiere and Photoshop (the new versions), as well as function as a portable DVR. I also want Vista. I did look briefly at the Alienware 17" (the 9750? or something), assuming I'd be willing to give up my discount, but it looks like it's focused on gaming (understandably, as that is their gig)--i.e. no Vista, no Santa Rosa, etc., but some serious GPUs. (Sigh.)

Waiting is not fun.

 

I have to ask why you don't go for the new Precision M4300? It's not focused on gaming, but it has excellent specs.

 

I think I looked briefly at these awhile back--can't remember why I rejected them, but I'll have another look. Thanks for the heads-up. Problem is, I want a 17" screen. Basically, if the XPS 1330 was scaled up to a 17", I'd be all over it!