Dell 600m Questions

I've been looking at different laptops for a while now, and I keep coming back to the Dell Inspiron 600m. I really like its size and supposed good battery life. I have it customized the way I like it (2 GHz Pentium M SXGA+ w/64mb Video Memory, 1 Gb RAM, 80 Gb hard drive, and so on) and with the latest coupons, it comes out to about $1250.

My question is, should I do it? I have read an unnerving amount of negative comments on all Dell computers, including performance, breakdown problems, and support problems. I would just like to get some advice from you guys before I go and spend all that money. Do you have any problems with Dell computers (especially the 600m)?

 

There is nothing wrong with the 600m. It has been on the market for quite some time...but why ? The answer to that is because it's such a great notebook and it's still selling. Also, the machine you described is pretty high end for a laptop, if you think about it (very fast processor, nice screen, a lot of video memory, loads of ram, huge hard drive...) - those are pretty impressive specs, in my opinion. What do you plan on using it for ? You could probably get it for even cheaper if you dim it down - if you don't play games or do video editing, there's no need for the video memory (unless it's shared, which I think it isn't). You're better off getting a faster hard drive than the 2 GHz processor - you'd notice more of a speed hike. I like the price for that notebook. It's a solid, all-around great thin and light.

About the support, only the phone support in my opinion isn't that great because they're not from around here and it's hard to communicate. However, I one time my Dell computer's hard drive broke, and they send a techie over when I asked them to and they fixed it for free - it was great!

To conclude, there is nothing wrong with your system. You might want to fill out the form that's been stickied (What should I buy? - those questions that help us evaluate your needs) so we can give you exact specs you should be looking at, and perhaps other models you could compare the 600m with. For that price though, it's hard to beat.

Anyways, post your needs and such and I can get back to you. For now, here's a nice review of the 600m:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2154&review=Dell+Inspiron+600m

You can also check it out at your local Dell kiosque, if you have one near you. I've seen it; it's a pretty small, nice looking machine.

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB

 

Thanks for the info. I really wanted to max out all of the components in the laptop because I want this laptop to handle whatever I can throw at it. Meaning, if I wanted to play a game, I could, or if I wanted to do some video editing, I could. I know most people would think that was wasteful, but with a price like that I can't turn it down. One more thing before I fill out the form, I couldn't find the faster hard drive on the Dell site. They only had the 40, 60, and 80 Gb models, which I assumed were at 4,200 RPMs each. OK, here's the form:


General Usage

What will you be using the notebook mainly for? Will you be using it to play games? Will you be using it for word processing / general productivity? etc.

-Everything. I'm planning on making this my primary computer at school, which includes basic productivity (Office, some programming, some web development, etc), and some gaming.

Are you looking more at a very small notebook, a standard notebook, or a large desktop replacement?

-A small to standard notebook.

Will you be carrying the notebook around a lot or be keeping it stationary most of the time?

-I will probably bring it to some of my classes, or move it around either my house or my dorm room, but for the most part it will be stationary.

How important is battery life to you?

-On a scale of 1-10, battery life is a 7.

How long do you intend on using this laptop?

-As long as I can I guess. Two to four years probably.

Features

Do you need lots of hard drive space?

-Yes, I have a lot of music files that will keep increasing.

Will you be burning DVD's or just CD's?

-Just CD's.

Do you tend to work with a lot of applications at once?

-I work with a lot I guess. I usually have WinAmp, Trillian, Firefox, Thunderbird, and maybe an Office document open at the same time.

Graphics & Display

How big would you like your screen to be? Do you care if it's widescreen or not?

-I don't think I like the widescreen's too much. My roomate has a 700m and I'm not a fan of it or its screen. Standard size screen is fine, if there is a standard size.

Are you willing to pay more for premium screens enhanced by XBRITE, Crystal View, or Bright View? (Go to the bottom of this post for an explanation)

-I would pay more for the screens, but I didn't see any of those options on the Dell site.

(If applicable) Will you be playing casual games or the latest games?

-Casual games. The game with the most demanding graphics would probably be Morrowind.

(If applicable) Will you be doing work in a 3D modeling program like 3D Studio Max or Maya?

-No, not in the forseeable future.

Miscellaneous

Do you care if your notebook looks good or not?

-Not really.

Are there particular brands you prefer or won't buy from?

-Nope.

How much are you willing to pay for this notebook?

-I would put my spending limit at $1400.

Are there particular models you have already looked at?

-I've looked at a lot of different models, including the Thinkpads, the Vaios, the HP Pavillions, but I keep coming back to the Dell 600m.


Thanks for the help.

 

Sorry to post again like this, but I just remembered something. I had originally configured the 600m to have 1.8 GHz Pentium M w/64mb video memory and 512 Mb RAM (2 dimms). Do you think this would be sufficient?

 

As for the screen, I think you have selected the best one - it doesn't come in wide-screen, but you can increase the native resolution (so you can fit more on the screen), which I would recommend, and you did it . I think this is a great choice for you - the 600m fits all of your needs perfectly, with everything you'd need. It has good battery life, a good form factor - as I said before, it's an overall solid system. You could upgrade to a faster hard drive yourself, but no one likes opening their brand new computer [ ] - at least I don't . The system you've customized is very fast; you could get away by making it slower, but of course if you want to keep it for a time, you should get one of the fastest ones - you want it to always be on top of things and reliable. A counter argument to this would be " There's no point in getting the fastest one ; in 3 months, it'll be obselete and you won't really care if you have 2 Ghz or not because the more recent one is light years ahead of it..." That's technology ; there's nothing you can do. Considering that great price with coupons, I'd say buy it.
Good luck!

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB

 

Thanks for your help and advice. I'm going to put the order in today on the 2 GHz and 1 Gb RAM 600m.

 

My g/f has had the 600m since Christmas and she is satisfied.

Right now, she's sitting next to me playing GuildWars with other windows open and switching between them ... No problems whatsoever. I'm pretty sure she's 1.6ghz/512mb, too.

Asus W3V, Pentium M770, 2gb RAM ... I like it

 

Good for you!

I hope you like the machine!

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB