Deal on XPS M1210(Canada)

I am wondering if I found one.
I am really torn between a 6400 and M1210.

I have M1210
T2300/1GB ram at 667hz/80GB/256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7400 TurboCache/9 cell no A/V package costing $1239Cdn
My only concern is the 1.66Ghz processor enough, to keep computer running statistical program/mathematical program (stata and maple) for graduate school in a year.
A few question,
1.How much dedicated memory does the videocard have?
2.How easy is it to expand ram with this laptop?
3.What type of screen does M1210 come with if you don't get a/v package?

The 6400 has
T2400/1gb/ 100gb/256 mb ati x1400 hypermemoy/9cell/dvd burner
at a cost of $1249

I have same first 2 questions for 6400 as well.

All help is apperciated, Thanks.

 

1. The GPU has 64MB dedicated and can have up to 192MB shared.
2. The RAM is quite easy to upgrade on all notebooks (including the M1210).
3. If you don't get the TrueLife screen, it comes in matte. I personally don't like matte as much as glossy, but its personal preference. If you have no idea what the difference is, I suggest going to BB or CircuitCity and checking out the differences between the two on the laptops they have there.

 

My mom got a glossy screen on her 14", and I hated it for the first few days. I thought the glare was awful, and din't know why anyone might use it.

After about a week or so, it really grew on me. I personally would not get a non-glossy screen now. It's better for all sorts of different environments-- around the house, outside, inside ... a note of caution: if you're in an office most of the time, matte is better -- the glossy will reflect the overhead lighting annoyingly. I believe many business laptops still have matte for this reason.

Definately go check 'em out if you haven't seen anything glossy.

 

??? where are you getting the price from?
is that including some sort of coupon?

 

I got it from the advertised section, has M1210 starting at $1049Cdn

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/catalogue_notebooks?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs

I think it's a great deal, since going to M1210 directly has a starting price of $1500Cdn(although you are getting 2Gb ram)

My only concern with the m1210 that I have configured is that the only option is for 1.66Ghz processor.

 

Are you sure that don't get truelife without A/V package, under tech specs it says truelife is standard?

 

The M1210 only offers a glossy screen & no matte screen.

 

1.66 ghz vs others: I talked to three different dell technicians who told me to put my money elsewhere, as a processor upgrade wasn't worth it. I wonder if there's a power difference between the processors? I'd assume the faster ones create more heat and take more power, though i don't know if this is the case. On the other hand, I was pretty concerned about battery life...