Better for college--E1505 or M1210?

Here's my dilemma--I'm starting college halfway through August, and I'm looking for a laptop. After initially wanting to get a 17" gaming notebook such as the M1710, I realized that besides probably not having much time to play games in college, between academics and being sociable, that almost 9 pounds is way too heavy to carry around frequently, even in a backpack.

So I had pretty much narrowed it down to the M1210 because of the fact that it's under five pounds, but still has a good number of features (dedicated video card for HD video playback, built-in DVDRW drive, etc). I had seen a couple of the ultraportable Sonys in person, but the computers themselves are even more expensive than the XPS line, and they absolutely RAPE you on accessories like extra batteries, extra power cord, etc, at Sony.

So I was all ready to get my parents to order the computer (just to head off any comments--I am contributing a very significant portion of the price of whatever computer I end up with, and the main reason that it's going on my parents' card is that I only have a debit card which gets no rewards for spending, whereas they'll get points if the purchase is made on their credit card), but then I saw that the E-line was getting some INSANE discounts (up to 35% depending on your configuration).

I wouldn't get an E1405 since you can't get dedicated graphics with it and I'd like to be able to deal with HD video, but combining the 35% off with the extra couple hundred dollars I get off with my education discount, I can get a fully specced E1505 for $1,814.38, which includes a docking station, extra 9-cell battery, the works pretty much.

Now, to get a fully specced M1210 (sans the 2.16 GHz Core Duo, I kept it at 2 GHz to make it more comparable to teh E1505), I only get $379.92 off throug the education discount (no deals available on the M1210 right now), which brings the total cost to $2786.08.

Now it would be possible to spend the extra money on the M1210, but I'm trying to decide if the E1505 is too heavy to carry around campus regularly--if it won't be a burden, it seems like it'd be smarter to get the E1505 with virtually the same specs, for almost a $1,000 dollars less.

And while I have your attention, and this is just a quick aside, do I really need 2.0 GHz or above, or could I tone it down to the 1.83 GHz or even the 1.66 GHz Core Duo?

(Sorry for the long winded post, it's just that I've been pulling my hair out with first familiarizing myself with the current hardware options that are available right now, and then trying to find a laptop with the specs I want!)

 

I'd say get the E1505, I'm pretty sure it wont be that much of a burden. To answer your other question -- No, you do not need a 2.0GHz or above processor, I would suggest getting a 1.83GHz. If you really want to save money then by all means go for the 1.66GHz, It's still pretty powerful despite being the lowest.

 

im in the same predicament as gamer jason :/

 

I was in the exact same boat as you, and by looking at my sig you can see what I chose. I mainly chose it because of the looks, camera, size, and battery life. Those 4 things are what I liked about the 1210 over the 1505. But its all up to you and whats best for you. Do some thinking, this is a big purchase and shouldnt be taken lightly. In the end get what you need first, and then go for the goodies if you can, and not the other way around.

 

After heavy researching for my lappy...I came to the conclusion that I don't need a super 2.16ghz ...I'm not going to be doing much work that requires heavy usage of the CPU...so I went with the 1.66ghz...benefits? longer battery life...and cheaper price...so than I said... 5400 rpm or 7200 rpm...once again... 5400 = longer battery life (though others might argue) and cheaper price...so, I kept on cutting down the things that I can live without and... in the end... the deal from Costco fit perfectly to my needs...but that's my opinion... btw, for some reason 4.4 pounds and 6.2 pounds...to me those are some huge differences...I pretty much live at school and literally walk all day...I would gladly shed those extra pounds by getting the m1210...*which I did...=)

 

oh and if you are worried about ram...you can always upgrade the ram cheap at Newegg or ebay and what nots....
btw...since you are going to use this for college... the a/v package should favor you....imagine taking notes by recording the lectures...or even doing Skype with your buddies...yea for the money I say m1210...

 

You can always upgrade memory aftermarket we squinty said. The T2400 and T2500 are more than enough to fit the needs of most. The T2400 (1.83) is generally recommended when it comes to price/performance. Ask yourself what your going to be doing with this notebook. What sort of games will you be playing? 6 pounds is alot to carry around when you put books and the other things in your backpack ontop of it. But if the E1505 is more affortable for you. Then it's a good bet to.

 

exactly the same as squinty here. i chose 1.66mhz and 5400rpm because it's cheaper, easier on battery, and the laptop won't be as hot. it's nowhere near 'slow' and it's totally bearable for a non-hardcore-gamer (i play occasional CS, oh and minesweeper ), non-graphics-designer guy like me

 

Just to clarify, HD video is handled by the processor. The video card doesn't do a whole lot.

For $1,800, you can get a considerably better laptop than a Dell E1505. The Compal HEL80 is worth a look and will come in cheaper.

 

well, I've been looking at the Precision Workstation M65 (the Workstation version of the E1505) and the thing is with that and the D820 is they have killer performance, and they still get great battery (like 5+ hours with the 9-cell, which dosent stick out like some, dell says you can get 7 hours with it but I dont have it yet to vouch for that) but for some reason the E1505, even though its less powerful dosent get as good battery life which is odd... but I think If I was planning on carrying a laptop to all my classes I'd get a 12", I know I'm not going to be carrying my laptop to all my classes (mostly just business and econ classes) so a 6lb laptop is no bid deal at all, its not much heavier than a math text book...

 

I'd say go with the E1505, it seems like its a better deal from what u describe. I have one and I carry it with me to school and back with the Dell carrying case and a few accessories, and its not that heavy. I think the 15" screen on the E1505 is easier to see and work with than the 12" screen. If you want a high resolution screen, like WSXGA+, then the e1505 is your only option out of the two. I recomend the WSXGA+ as you get wayyyy more screen real estate over the base WXGA screen.

 

What do you plan on majoring in? I know people are saying an E1505 is only a little heavier and bigger than a math textbook...but I never brought my math/physics texts to lecture or around campus because they were so **** big and heavy!

Paying the premium for portability for the M1210 for me was worth it, because my bag starts getting heavy after a one or two texts and my notebooks, not to mention the shrinking space. I would be discouraged from bringing my laptop to every class (to program or take notes from lectures) if it was bigger than a 12.1" and heavier than ~5 lbs.

A tricked out M1210 is a waste unless you're doing some serious number-crunching. A T2400 and 1 GB of RAM complements the medium-level graphics card well enough, and you can always upgrade it later. If you're willing to cut down on some of the extras, the M1210 might look a lot more attractive.

 

I will be a sophmore in college next fall, and let me tell you one thing, there is always time to play video games. I got the E1505, but I don't play many games. All I want to do is play a few select games and run Windows Vista. I don't think I would get a laptop that did not have a 15" screen. 15" is the perfect size for a portable yet functionable laptop.

 

My budget is a lot more constrained than yours ... the only way I could get an m1210 was the costco $1299 deal or to go bare minimum and get base+vid card+battery ... I'm a university student too. How did you get an educational discount????? Is it a special deal with your university, or students in general? Sorry to sort of be off topic, but I really would like to know! Woulda emailed you but I couldn't through the forum.

I wouldn't up the processor. It sucks battery life for no apparent gain. Also, for the money you're spending, I agree- you can probably get a better 15" machine than the e1505. It's only been terribly difficult finding dedicated graphics at 14" and under-- if you're willing to go 15", there are lots and lots of options.

 

If you can spend that much on that M1210 then I suggest going for the middle ground in size with the business class Latitude D620.

14" widescreen that weighs 5lb with the 6-cell and can be configured with the NVS 110m (go7300). So the GPU is slightly slower than the go7400 and X1400 but not by much.

Build quality will be better than the e1505 that's made of plastic, and similar to the M1210 since they both have magnesium alloy base and lids.

You can get a real docking station for it, what comes with the Inspirons is just a port replicator that plugs into the USB port. There's no monitor/video outputs on it and you still have to plug your notebook power adapter into the notebook itself.

You can also extend battery life by another 3 hours by getting a modular bay battery that replaces the optical drive.

Downside to the D620 is it's missing a bunch of multimedia oriented ports and features like a card reader and s-video output which may be deal breakers for you.

 

How many dimm slots does the 1210 have for ram? I'd buy an extra Gig from newgg but I know Dell will stock my 1210 with two 512 sticks. So does the machine have two or three dimms? If it has two I might as well just get 2GB from dell. I have the EEP coupon so upgrading is not a problem

 

the m1210 has two dimms...so..unless you are all spec crazy... pay the crazy premium for 4 gb (which the lappy probably can't even fully utilize) or get a 1 gb and be happy...if you want to upgrade than do it outside the dell web...though...unless you can get one stick (1gb) cheaper than 90 bucks through dell...go for it....other than that...sell the ram that comes with it and invest in a bigger ram...I reccommend 2 gb...but nothing higher until next year or something...

 

I have a 15" and a 12" laptop. Since I have the 12", I only travel with 12". If you are planning to run Vista, you will be a lot happier with 4GB RAM. It will be a lot faster as Vista learns your habit and prefetchs programmes at background before you hit a key/mouse to run a certain application.

 

Do you know how much more it costs to get 4gb of ram on the 1210? Its $3000, nobody is going to spend that much, 2gb is plenty for vista and doing some gaming and such. Beta vista uses around a gig by its self with no other programs running. If you have 2gb, then you can game and do other stuff too. But 4 gb is completly ridiclous, unless your doing some major CADD or computer animations that take alot of rendering time.

 

Well, as long as we're throwing out suggestions, I would take a look at the Asus W3J. 14" widescreen, x1600 (more powerful than any of the others), good build quality, and is cheaper than both the E1505 and M1210 you mentioned. Not to mention it comes with 1GB of RAM in 1 sodimm, meaning you just have to buy one more 1 gig stick to have 2 gigs if you decided you want it. Only problem is that Asus customer service isn't that great, but from what I hear you can buy some customer service through the retailer (check powernotebooks.com).

If you have to decide between the E1505 and the M1210, I would take a little lower specced M1210. Better quality, better customer service, and just as powerful in a smaller, lighter package. And yes, 4GB of RAM is ridiculous, even for Vista. The great thing about Vista is that if you need more RAM, you can get a cheaper 1GB flash drive off of new egg and use it as temporary RAM.

 

I'd take a look at the Asus W3J too - it slots in between the E1505 and M1210 in terms of size, but has a more powerful GPU than either.

As far as the two Dells go, I personally would go with the M1210 - smaller, lighter, and more compact than the E1505. I would only go for the E1505 if you really needed some more screen real estate.

 

I don't understand, how you can compare the two, pricewise. With the 30% coupon, a nicely loaded 1505 can go for just about 1200$. This price difference, is what makes the decision hard. Also when comparing the 1505 with something like the Asus w3j...

 

the m1210 does everything the e1505 does, maybe better, but without the massive bulk and a large screen. It becomes a personal preference at the end - as a college student, I prefer a smaller screen and overall weight so I can use it in the library without getting a hernia biking there. (ok, that's a stretch, but you get the idea)

 

I would go with the e1505 because of the cheap price it offers after the coupon discount and it's performance is extremely high. Except if you have more than $2000 to spend than go for the m1210. And I think the e1505 is not to heavy to carry around. It's screen size is just perfect for gaming and watching video's.

 

it is hard to determine the true price of the m1210 because I think that most of the folks who now own them fall into 2 categories:

-Those who bought when they first came out and paid the premium

-Those who ran into the 30% off EPP coupon late last June/early July and were compelled to buy (myself included)

Dell's business model has always favored undercutting competitors, but they had a pretty bad earnings report last week and a selloff ensued. I wouldn't be suprised if they offered more XPS coupons soon to try the same tactic. A well-equipped $2000 m1210 could run 30-40% less in the next few weeks/month to conicide with the highly competitive back to school computer season.

 

That XPS compatable 30% EPP coupon came out a week after I ordered my $2500 system (printer and goodies included in price). Oh well it wasnt even my money, college money, so its ok.

 

Better for college Either one of these two machines would do just fine. Question is, which one would better suit your needs. If I was going back to college, I'd probably go for the most economical solution, the E1505.

BTW, have you ever lugged around a laptop on a regular basis? A 15 inch laptop really isn't very difficult to carry around. I think it's pretty funny hearing people complain about todays modern laptops are too heavy. Back in the day people carried around laptops the size of a small carry on!

Really, a 15 inch laptops are quite manageable; your text books for chemistry and physics are probably heavier. On the other hand, battery power is a more valid concern. I'd say a laptop with a good 3 hours of juice should do the trick. Due note that finding an electric plug when running around campus shouldn't be a problem. If plugs are hard to find on campus, get the extended 9 cell battery, that should get you near the 5 hour mark.

In the end, if you have the money and you don't have any better uses for it, I'd say satisfy your need for the cool laptop and get the M1210. If you are more economically minded get the E1505.

If you really feel the laptop is just too big, but still want to spend a little less consider the new HP dv2000t. It's a 14 inch laptop, with a very cool look and can be nicely configured with a go7200 for around 1.2k. This would be a good compromise between the M1210 and E1505.

The one thing that concerns me is your handle, with a name like gamer_* makes me wonder if you'd really be satisfied with a PC that's not equipped for gaming. If you end up really wanting to game, consider this idea, buy a cheap laptop and then spend the extra $$$'s you would have paid for the more expensive, yet not powerful enough, laptop to get a desktop for gaming.

Mike

 

Just curious, what did you buy? If you have not yet decided, those with 12" and 15" laptop experiences will offer you really good advise.

 

If it was me, I'd definitely go for a smaller notebook. 12"'s are great and the XPS M1210 does have a full sized keyboard, unlike older dells like the 710m. 12" is much more portable. The GPU in both notebooks is very comparable, so your getting a lot for such a small package. There are other 13.3" and 14" notebook options out there w/ ded. GPU options.., just be open to other notebook manufactures. Compal HGL30 is one, and the W3j, A8jm and W7j are all great options...

 

If I could have afforded an M1210 - I would have gone it in a flash. But, seeing as how over here it's twice as expensive as the 6400, I went with it.

I too do not understand what the weight problem with these laptops is. A lot of people must have arthritis in their early ages

Also, I love my 6400's speakers. I'm sure they would drown out the M1210's.

But - if you could get something along the lines of an Asus or Compal for the same price as the Dell, I think that would be the way to go. I really like the look and specs of the HGL-30, but too bad Compal notebooks aren't available in Australia.

 

M1210 is ridiculously small, have you ever seen a 12" laptop in person? I don't see how people can even type on those things, just reading the tiny text strains my eyes. I would go with the E1505, it's perfect as far as size/portability...and will cost you a lot less on top of it.

 

Buying my E1505, I was disappointed that I'd have to settle because of the weight and the lack of at least a Go7600. But, the graphics card can handle BF2 on low settings (medium just seems to big of a risk), the 9 cell battery can last about 4 hours with wifi on and brightness almost all the way up, and it's cheap.

Actually, the initial prices you posted were insane. That's a lot of money. From the Dell Outlet, I got my E1505 for $891 shipped. That's a little less than half the inital price you were posting. Check sig for specs.

Really, you could probably get something much better at the prices you were posting. The Thinkpad T60 happens to be a really nice machine. So is the A8Jm.

Lastly, I used to be like you when it came to battery life. I wanted two batteries. But, really, the time I get on my E1505 is more than though. I could probably make my battery life around 4:45 with brightness low.

 

the m1210 is much better for college since its very easy to take with you..last year before i graduated, the majority of laptops i saw on campus were the 710/700m's which are also 12"

 

Well, someone is "typing on those things" because thin and light laptops seem to be doing pretty well these days (see also: MacBook, Sony SZ). I mean, if you can't deal with a smaller screen then you must never send a text message on your cell phone, use an MP3 player or a PDA. In addition to being a very portable device, these computers hold their value better and offer a choice from the ordinary 14" and 15" lappers.

It isn't any more difficult to read the text on a 12" screen than it is from a 7" or 17". The screen itself is the difference, and with size comes liabilities and advantages. I don't squint any more on my m1210 than I do on my 2007 WFP (20") desktop monitor, the difference is that there is more real estate to use with the latter.

Every laptop has it's purpose. Some ppl need a desktop replacement, some need portability. Let's leave it up to personal preference shall we?

 

Ya typing one sentence on a phone relates to reading pages of text on laptop - great comparison there. And sorry to burst your bubble hauss, but this thread is nothing but personal preferences, i believe that was the intent.

 

You're right, I apologize for actually putting some critical thought into my response and not just "the text is too small and it hurts my eyes so I dont know how anyone would use one.." all the while knowing that text size can be increased and decreased easily on ANY size screen.

I know that this thread is about personal preference. But there is a difference between a genuine opinion and belittlement of those who own a different product than you do.