Anyone get their M1330 from Costco?

I'm THIS CLOSE to pulling the trigger on an M1330, after really wanting the Sony SZ.

Having read reviews on the Dell, I'm pretty impressed. Wish I could "touch" one, but unfortunately, as of a week ago, according to Dell, Best Buy now no longer carries the XPS line (I went to Best Buy before talking with Dell, and they didn't have them)

Anyways, I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Dell today, configuring an M1330.

Dell Config:

XPS M1330, Intel Core 2 Duo T8300(2.4GHz, 800Mhz, 3M L2 Cache)
Matte Black Casing XPS M1330
1 3GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm
1 13.3 Inch Wide Screen WXGA TL WLED Backlit LCD with Camera, XPS
1 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, for XPS M1330
1 250G 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English
You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System
Slim and Light LCD with TuxedoBlack Casing and Camera XPS M1330

* -DISCOUNT/COUPON APPLIED

I then found out that Costco carries the M1330, and what's REALLY attractive is, they offer 90 day return option. I don't plan to return it, but with a purchase of this size, I really feel more comfortable with a no hassle, no restocking return policy, and 90 days is awesome!

The Dell config is basically $2,000.

The Costco configuration is $1.399, much easier on my pocketbook!

The Costco config is as follows:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7250 at 2.0GHz
* 2MB L2 cache
* 800MHz Front Side Bus
* 3GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 Dimm (shared)

Drives:

* 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* 8X DVD+/-RW Slot loading
* 8-in-1 removable memory card reader

Graphics & Video:

* 13.3" Wide Screen WXGA Glossy 1280 x 800 Display
*

Intel integrated graphics media accelerator 3000
*

2.0MP WebCam

Communications:

* Intel PRO/Wireless 1490 (802.11a/g Mini Card)
*

Integrated 10/100 Network Card

# Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth connectivity (2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)

Audio:

* Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0

Productivity Software:

*
Microsoft® Works 9.0

Additional Software:

* McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 15-months


Operating System:

* Microsoft® Windows® Vista Home Premium

Basically, I"m getting integrated graphics instead of the dedicated. I"m also NOT getting the LED screen, smaller hard drive (I currently have 120 GB, so I can easily live with 160, but wish it were the faster 7200).

Anyone purchased this config?

I assume I can't really play games on this laptop with the integrated graphics? I don't play that many games, but it would have been nice to be able to if I wanted.

Anyways, has anyone gotten the Costco config'd M1330, and if so, what do you think?

If anyone cares to give feedback on what I might miss the most, or if some of the upgrades with Dell aren't that important, I'd love to hear your comments.

Will the slower processor matter much? I do mostly browsing, e-mail, some PowerPoint, some Photoshop, some movie ripping... basic stuff.

Currently have a Duo Core 1.73 HP.

Thanks for any feedback!

 

new processor that is supposed to be Penryn, that should be low voltage/heat and should increase battery life a bit...
I do not really think that you would notice much of a performance boost though for what you want to perform on your laptop...

dedicated graphics: give you the ability to play some games... and actually they works pretty well... not for the newest games of course, but better it is definitely better than the integrated option ...

 

You won't notice a HUGE difference in performance but there definitely is one since the $2000 model has penryn AND it's 2.4 instead of 2.0.

Overall, I think both systems are priced fairly, you get what you pay for. Neither is a sweet deal or anything. I think the Costco model would be more than enough for your purposes, although I would recommend a larger laptop for working with Photoshop.

If you're looking for a better deal, wait for Dell to have a sales and apply some coupons and such to get a lower price.

 

INoob.x and Flip
Thanks for the feeback.

Where do I watch, to find Dell coupons and discounts?

I just played around on Dell's site, and they're giving a $300 instant discount.

Upgrading to the T8300 2.4 and 160 GB drive with the Freefall feature, I'm now at $1,499.

If I could find a way to shave a couple hundred from that price (am I dreaming?? or do you think with coupons, I could get it for around $1,300?) I'd pull the plug and get it from Dell.

I also get a 3 year home service warranty with Dell, as compared to 2 year with Costco.

Thanks again!

 

If you look at the navigation bar at the top of this website, there's a button called "Dell Coupons". It lists all the latest coupons that Dell releases. There's also the "laptop deals" button that takes you to a page that shows all the latest laptop deals from all companies (Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc). Check both of these sections and look for a nice deal before buying! The thing about Dell is that you shouldn't buy one if it's not on sale, because they have so many sales lol.

The $1,499 does not include any coupons right? It's only the $300 instant savings? If so, then I would wait for an m1330 coupon.

 

Make sure the warranty levels on both Costco and Dell priced units are the same, including any Accidental Damage Protection.