Dell Inspiron B130 now on Dell.com (U.S.)

Just noticed the Inspiron B130 is on Dell.com now. It's a budget notebook so not all that exciting, although it is interesting to see they're pushing widescreen budget notebooks now, you can configure this thing with a Celeron M 1.4 GHz or Pentium M 740 1.73GHz (which is actually pretty high-end for a "budget notebook"). You can also choose between a 14" and 15.4" screen, up to 80GB HD and get a DVD burner. So it could actually become quite an expensive notebook if you tweak it out so to speak.

You can get Windows XP or Pro and it's the second Inspiron to have the ExpressCard slot (there is NO PCMCIA slot, only ExpressCard)

Link to product page:
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/basnb_b130?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

Specs

Available processors: Intel® Pentium® M 740 Processor (1.73 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB Cache) or Intel® Celeron® M 360 Processor (1.40 GHz, 400MHz FSB, 1MB Cache)
Operating Systems: Genuine Windows® XP Professional Edition, Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
Dimensions: Height: 1.41" (35.9 mm), Width: 14.0" (356 mm), Depth: 10.5" (265.5 mm)
Weight: Starting at 6.7 lbs.2 and 1.41" thin configured with a 15.4" LCD, 4-cell Li Ion battery and Combo optical drive.
Ports: 3-USB 2.0 compliant ports, Video: 15-pin monitor connector, 10/100 internal NIC, Modem: RJ-11 connector2, Audio jacks: Line-out (external speakers/headphone) and external microphone,
Slots: One ExpressCard slot 54mm
Cards Supported: ExpressCard/34 (34mm) and ExpressCard/54 (54mm)
Screen: 15.4" WXGA TFT active-matrix widescreen display with 1280 x 800 resolution or 14.1" WXGA TFT active-matrix widescreen display with 1280 x 800 resolution
Hard Drive: 40, 60 or 80 GB<SUP>2</SUP> Ultra ATA hard drive
Optional Wireless: Dell 1370 wireless solution (802.11 b/g) or Dell 1470 wireless solution (802.11 a/b/g)

 

Its nice that they are selling budget laptops that are decent now.

 

I love the looks on it, looks much, much better than their ugly Dell 6000s and 700Ms for example, love the black color.

I'm curious, since it has an option for either a 15.4 or 14 inch screen, if you pick the 14 inch screen, will it just be a 15.4 inch screen with a plastic bezel around it or what?

 

You actually have the option of 15.4 or 14.1, which is really nice

 

Yeah, but I want to know if you pick the 14 inch option, will it be a 15.4 inch screen with a bezel around it? I remember that the HP ZD7000 for example was available with a 15.4 or 17 inch screen. When you picked the 15.4 inch screen, it was just a 17 inch screen with an ugly bezel around it.

See, here's a pic of the ZD7000 with a 17 and 15.4 inch screen repectively.

 

hmm good point, probibly a bezel...

 

yeah good point rahul, it looks to me like you're right, the weight quoted by the dell is the same for both and so therefore the conclusion is that the 14" version simply has an ugly plastic bezel to hide where the screen "isn't".

 

Attention Everyone considering the Dell B130.

I just got done with talking to a dell representative and they informed me that the B130 with the 14.1 and the B130 with the 15.4 " screen is the exact same size. It will have a small amount of extra plastic around the trim of the LCD. In my opinion (Stay Away from the 14" and go with the much nicer looking 15.4")

I also asked the dell rep about the difference in battery life. And they told me that the 4 cell battery lasts from 3-4 hours, and that the ($50 extra) 6 cell battery will last a long 5-6 hours.

Also the weight is slightly lighter than what they say on their site.

The weight for the B130 (6 cell battery) = 6.4 lbs
And the weight with the (4 cell battery) = 6.2 lbs

The WHr's for the 4 cell is 29
The WHr's for the 6 cell is 56

I believe the individual Cells in the 6 cell battery are slightly bigger thus providing almost double the battery life with only adding 2 more cells. If you need the extra power without the cord, this is a great upgrade ($50)

UPDATE: Here is the B130 shown with the 14" screen and the 15.4" screen.

Click on the picture to see it bigger.....

 

Inspiron B130 Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740

• 
  -(1.73GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
  
  -Operating System (Office software not included)
  
  - GenuineWindows® XP Home Edition
  
  - LCD Panel 15.4in WXGA Display
  
  - Memory 256MB DDR2 SDRAM 1 Dimm
  
  - Video Card Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics
  
  -Hard Drive 40GB Hard Drive
  
  - Integrated Modem and NIC Internal 56K Modem and Integrated Network Card
  
  - Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
  
  
  - Combo/DVD+RW Drives 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
  
  
  - Wireless Networking Card Dell 1370 Internal Wireless (802.11b/g, 54Mbps)
  
  
  - Office Software (not included in Windows XP) No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
  Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) No Security Subscription
  
  - Primary Battery 4-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (29 WHr)
  
  - Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr HW Warranty Support
  
  - Dial-Up Internet Access 6 Months America Online Internet Access Included
  
  - Digital Imaging or Digital Photography Corel Photo Album™ 6 Starter Edition - Organize and Edit your photos
  
  - Operating System Backup & Recovery PC Restore recovery system by Symantec
  
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  Dell 720 Color Printer Qty 1
  Free Dell Color Printer 720 Unit Price $0.00
  Free 720 printer with purchase of select Dell Systems.
  Limited Time Offer!
  
  
  Catalog Number: 29
  Module Description Show Details
  Dell Color Printer 720 Free Dell Color Printer 720
  Hardware Warranty 1Yr Ltd. Warranty, 1 yr HW Warranty Support, 1 yr Advance Exchange
  
  TOTAL:$550.00 !!!!!!!!
  
  The cheapest ever for a Centrino processor! :centrino:
  
  ------------------------------------------------------
  ADDITIONAL SAVINGS!!
  ------------------------------------------------------
  
  P.S. To save an additional $30 on this laption, Pay with paypal and use this coupon: 1P002ZF2T7QPD0 (Expiration: Dec 06, 2005) and get a fatwallet.com account, and get $10 sent to you by check, or Paypal. :budget:

 

Hi guys,

First-time poster contemplating this model (B130). Does anyone have any experience with these Dell 15.4" screens? Are they any good? One thing I don't like about Dell is you can't see them in person before you buy; I hate the idea of buying a laptop without seeing the screen in person.

Does anyone know of another brand of laptop that uses the same LCD as the B130? Is it the LG used in the 9100?

I wish they would let you add the TrueLife option to these budget classes of laptops.

 

Hi, the dell B130 has a 15.4 inch (1280 x 800) resolution screen. This is the lowest resolution sold for this size of a screen. For the Inspiron 6000 there have been complaints from the buyers who chose the 1280 x 800 resolution. They say it doesn't look nearly as sharp as it should be. I have an older inspiron 9100 (very simmilar to the old XPS) the resolution is (1920 x 1200). I set the resolution down to 1280 x 800 to see what it would look like, and I was not at all impressed. The icons look blury. Even after tonning down the icon size it still didn't look all that great. I supose If you had all of the right settings.... a high resolution picture in the back, good size icons, good crisp font, and made the task bar and quicklaunch buttons a bit smaller your desktop screen would look ok.

The screen is my main consern on this laptop. But you can see it in person. Not many people know about this but Dell has "Dell Direct Stores." There not extremely popular, and depending on where you live you might have to drive to the next city to find one. Go to:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/kiosk?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

You can enter in your zip code and find a Dell direct store near you and see the laptops exc... in person!

---------------------------

The 1280 x 800 resolution looks great on my dads Inspiron 700m, because of the much smaller 12" screen. Just blowing it up sometimes doesn't look that great. My advise to you is go to one of those dell direct stores and take a look at it, it might not be too bad. However it is quite a shame that they don't offer a screen resolution upgrade like they do on the Inspiron 6000. You can upgrade to 1600 x 1200 for ($100 .... a little pricey) but I would do it.

If anyone does decide to go into one of the dell direct stores please let us know what you think about the screen resolution exc...

 

Now I just want to see a review or someone with first-hand experience touching/using this machine.

 

Jackson,

Thanks so much for the informative reply. I am close to a lot of those outlets in SoCal. I will try to get on one of those machines in person, and I will report my findings in the forums.

JD

 

Jason:

How did you get it down to $550? I just built the exact same notebook and the total was: $664.00. It's still $100 over your build even after the paypal discount.

Just to double check, here is my configuration:

Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) [Included in Price]

Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition [Included in Price]

15.4in WXGA Display [Included in Price]

256MB DDR2 SDRAM 1 Dimm [subtract $50]

40GB Hard Drive [Included in Price]

24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive [Included in Price]

Dell 1370 Internal Wireless (802.11b/g, 54Mbps) [Included in Price]

Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics [Included in Price]

4-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (29 WHr) [Included in Price]

No additional battery

No carrying case

No Port replicator

No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only [Included in Price]

1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr HW Warranty Support [Included in Price]

No damage protection, anti-virus, or "Dell On Call"

No additional software or Internet services

FREE Dell Color Printer 720! [Included in Price]

No handhelds or cameras.

AC Power Adapters: None [subtract $59]

PC Restore recovery system by Symantec [Included in Price]

---

I decided to buy a laptop this Friday. I had everything configured for an Inspiron 2200. When I woke up on Saturday, Dell's lineup had completely changed. Seems that nobody knows much about the new series. I'd appreciate knowing how you got the price down an additional $100.

EDIT: There is a Dell Direct store 20 minutes from me. I plan to visit them tommorow. I'll let you guys know how the 15.4" screen looks. I'm not too worried about the lower resolution. I'll just drop the size of my fonts and icons.

 

Hi AngryLlama,

I'm not quite sure either. I went through a link that I found at:

http://www.techbargains.com/dellcoupons.cfm

Go to this like and then hit the home button on the link that I have bolded...

Inspiron B130 Centrino Notebook $600 or less, Nov 24
Great price. Dell Home has the 6.7lb Inspiron B130 value priced Centrino Notebook Pentium-M 740 1.73Ghz 2MB Cache/533Mhz bus, 15.4in WideScreen, 256GB/40GB, CDRW/DVD, 802.11g wireless, 1yr warranty, XP Home $600, $49 shipping. No tax in some areas. Free 720 Printer.
Select 256MB/40GB

Pay with Dell Preferred Account and save an EXTRA 2% Instantly. First select Credit as payment.

Great price. Dell Home has the 6.7lb Inspiron B130 value priced Centrino Notebook Pentium-M 740 1.73Ghz 2MB Cache/533Mhz bus, 15.4in WideScreen, 256GB/40GB, CDRW/DVD, 802.11g wireless, 1yr warranty, XP Home $600, $49 shipping. No tax in some areas. Free 720 Printer.
Select 256MB/40GB

That should get you a lower price. Let me know if you have further questions.... -Jason

---Yes Please let us all know when you see the notebook at the dell direct store... Im very interested about it and might consider it--- ITS A STEAL!

 

Is there a way to find out what the coupon code actually is? I want to try to add it to my Educational discount

 

Well. I just purchased the $550 B130. I hope it is nice. My only concern is the screen. I already own a really nice desktop, so I can always use my desktop for authoring. As far as the resolution, it doesn't matter much to me. I'll just use smaller fonts and/or icons. I'm used to a 1600x1200 though. Also, trying out 1280x800 on a 1920x1200 screen isn't that fair. 1280 is the native resolution on the smaller screen. The 1920 screen must double every-other pixel; tends to blur the image.

P.S: Anyone know what the rotational speed of most Dell harddrives are?

 

The HD's used in the B130's are 5400rpm.

Link to Dell HD Specs

 

Just went to my local Dell Direct. Even called before I went to make sure they had one on display, they said yes. The salesmen were clueless and tried to tell me the 2200 on display was the same thing, only they changed the name. Tried to tell me he could beat my deal I got online, I told him I had it priced for $568 with shipping and taxes included, he was almost baffled and couldn't come anywhere near my price.

Anyone else with any luck seeing it in person?

 

I'm surprised none of the direct stores carry the laptop. I'm also surprised that Dell didn't release any laptops to any online magazines for review. It makes me think they didn't anticipate their black friday sales and they rushed the B120/B130 to market.

 

Same exact thing happened to me - the turd salesman at a Dell Direct stand told me the 2200 had an "identical screen," and was just a different color, so there was "no need to have the B120 in stock." I asked him why, then, did this model's screen go to 1600, when the B120 only goes to 1280? He said (caught in obvious lie), that well, the 2200 is UXGA and the B120 is XGA. Nice try. If it is a different screen, then it isn't the same, now is it?

I won't tolerate fraud, so I skipped the B120 and got a great deal on a Gateway @ BestBuy (15.4" Ultrabrite WXGA, Celeron 360, DVD DL burner, 512, 60 GB, 802.11g, $579) left over from Black Friday. About $50 less than the Dell. I drove to three BB's to get it, but it was worth it.

For as much money as Dell spends on advertising, you'd think they could train their salesmen not to lie.

 

I don't think they lie; at least not intentionally. I think they are just dumb.

 

I think I got a pretty good deal, what do you think? Couldn't get another laptop w/ a DVD burner (dual layer at that!) at this price point:

Inspiron B130
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB), Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition Qty: 1
Unit Price: $839.00
Inspiron B130 Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
KP2BSC2
[464-7245]

LCD Panel 15.4in WXGA Display
15WXGA
[320-4577]

Memory 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 2 Dimm
512MB2D
[311-5481]

Video Card Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics
INTVID
[320-4506]

Hard Drive 40GB Hard Drive
40GB
[341-2808]

Operating System (Office software not included) Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
WHXP
[420-4766]
[412-0689]
[420-4830]
[420-4928]
[420-5460]
[420-5476]
[420-5598]
[463-2282]

Integrated Modem and NIC Internal 56K Modem and Integrated Network Card
56MPC
[313-3794]

Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
ADOBER
[430-1048]

Combo/DVD+RW Drives 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
8XDVDRW
[313-3793]
[420-5111]

Wireless Networking Card Dell 1370 Internal Wireless (802.11b/g, 54Mbps)
TM1370
[430-1443]

Office Software (not included in Windows XP) No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
ICOREL
[412-0803]

Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) No Security Subscription
TMNO
[420-5642]

Digital Music Musicmatch by Yahoo!™ Music- Entry level with 90 days of On Demand
MMBASE
[412-0842]

Primary Battery 4-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (29 WHr)
4BAT
[312-0358]

Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr HW Warranty Support
ST111RR
[950-3337]
[950-9057]
[950-9220]
[960-6910]
[983-2207]

Dial-Up Internet Access 6 Months America Online Internet Access Included
AOLDHS
[412-0625]
[420-3224]
[412-0687]
[412-0787]
[420-5256]

Digital Imaging or Digital Photography Corel Photo Album™ 6 Starter Edition - Organize and Edit your photos
DPS
[412-0845]

Operating System Backup &amp; Recovery PC Restore recovery system by Symantec
PCR
[464-5503]




Dell Home Customers: Save $150 off the Dell Inspiron B130!
Expires on 2005-12-01 12:30:59 - $150.00


Dell 720 Color Printer
Free Dell Color Printer 720 Qty: 1
Unit Price: $0.00
Dell Color Printer 720 Free Dell Color Printer 720
XPR720
[464-2027]

Hardware Warranty 1Yr Ltd. Warranty, 1 yr HW Warranty Support, 1 yr Advance Exchange
AE1YR
[902-7040]
[960-4638]
[960-2840]
[983-2207]




Free 720 printer with purchase of select Dell Systems.
Expires on 2006-01-01 11:59:59 - $0.00



ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS AND COUPONS



Dell Home Customers: $20 off orders over $200!
Expires on 2005-12-06 11:59:59 - $20.00


Sub-Total $669.00
Shipping $49.00

Estimated Tax $68.24
Total $786.24

 

Yea... those are all quite good deals... However... I would try to stay away from gateway (in the past very bad luck), and they require the most repairs out of any notebook brand. I think it is something like 26% need repairs. Also the Pentium M processor Is far superior to the Celeron M processor.

As far as those dell reps go... I don't think they really know what they are talking about sometimes, other times they can be a real help.

 

I was reading along here in this thread and i decided to go ahead and throw in my recent purchase of a B130 as well. Granted i do know it is considered a "Bargin/Basic" laptop... but i needed a second laptop at a value rate and made my decision there. For the price, i think its actually one hell of a deal.... nothing close to my Apple Powerbook (M9970LL/A]... but a second option none the less.


=====================
Inspiron B130
=====================

INTEL® PENTIUM M PROCESSOR 740 (1.73GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
464-7245

15.4 INCH WXGA DISPLAY
320-4577

1GB PC4200 DDR2 533 - 2 DIMM
311-5484

INTEGRATED INTEL MEDIA ACCELERATOR 900 GRAPHICS
320-4506

80GB ULTRA-ATA 5400RPM HDD
341-2810

6-CELL, 56WHr LITHIUM ION BATTERY
312-0359

INTEGRATED 56K MODEM (INTERNAL) AND INTEGRATED 10/100 NIC NETWORK CARD
313-3794]

DELL 1370 WIRELESS SOLUTION (802.11 b/g)
430-1443

8x CD/DVD BURNER (DVD+/-RW) WITH DOUBLE-LAYER DVD+R WRITE CAPABILITY
420-5111

WINDOWS XP HOME W/ SP2
420-4766

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 10
420-4928

IMAGE RESTORE
412-0689

DELL SUPPORT 3.0
420-4830

ONLINE TRAINING SW ICON
420-5460

DELL DIRECT DOWNLOAD
420-5476

WILD TANGENT GAMING CLIENT
420-5598

ADOBE ACROBAT READER,V6.0
430-1048

DECODING SW,CYBRLNK PDVD
420-5111

TRENDMICRO 12.5,PC-CILLIN
420-5642

MUSIC MATCH 10.1 BASIC
412-0842

BROADBAND ICON FOR CONSUMER
420-3224

NETZERO ISP
412-0687

AOL FOR BROADBAND
412-0787

NETSCAPE ISP
420-5256

PHOTO ALBUM 6.0 STARTER
412-0845

WORDPERFECT OFFICE 12 + TRIAL
412-0803

DELL/MY WAY HOME PAGE
412-0625

INFO, SERVICES DELL
983-2207

PC RESTORE RECOVERY SYSTEM
464-5503

1YR LIMITED WARRANTY
950-3337

RTD,INSP,S90,SOL,INIT YR,DHS(LOW-2)
950-9220

NO WARRANTY,YRS 2/3(1-1-1RTD)
950-9057

WARRANTY SPRT,INSP,S90,INIT YR
960-6910

THANKS FOR PURCHASING YOUR DELL
463-2282

FREE DELL 720 COLOR PRINTER XPR720
464-2027

=====================================

SUB-TOTAL $809.00
SHIPPING $24.00

ESTIMATED TAX $0.00
TOTAL PRICE $833.00

=====================================


The price for the specs wasnt bad at all. I was actually impressed. As far as the display goes on these laptops... i have heard mixed stories myself on the quality of them as well. But that really doesnt matter now as iam about to find out for myself just what the product is like. lol

 

hey, my first post. I just ordered the b130. im getting it for christmas.

it comes with 1.73ghz intel pentium M processor, 512mb ram, 40gb hard drive, 15.4 widescreen, internal b/g wireless thingy, nothing more to really say. I got it for $780 after shipping and tax ( which killed the price ) it was normally $680... oh well, i believe this to be a good deal, what do you guys think? has anyone got it yet, i would love to see some pictures other than the ones from
dell.com. Thanks!

 

I've also ordered it but don't have it yet, I have the XPS M140 right now that I'm working on a review for and will review the B130 after that. I'll try and get pictures out as soon as i get it though.

 

Yeah, I bought one too, but I want to see pictures of it. The pictures and information on the B100's are not sufficient.

 

Seeing as how we are all waiting on the same thing and all want to see what it looks like a little closer up... i took the liberty of searching high and low for photos of the B130. I did come up with two fairly big ones that are in detail.

Frontview Big

Sideview Big

Hope this helps out with all of us wanting to know what it looks like more in detail.

 

And here is the user manual. It should provide some useful information. http://support.Dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1300/en/om/om_en.pdf

 

ok, thanks for those high quality. When did dell say you guys would be getting it? It says its being shippend dec. 16th, and it will be here dec. 21st. Its already done being built, its being boxed... how come its gonna take sooo long to get here?

 

why is everyone else's already built? Mine aren't even at the "Kitting" stage. I ordered Sunday morning.

 

Hi guys.... Last time I talked to a dell rep, I complained about the delayed shipping date. He told me that the laptop was being built in Malaysia, and once it was finished being built there it would be tested, boxed and shipped to a dell site, then shipped to your door. However what you can do... Complain about the slow shipping date, and they will might bump you up to "UPS Next Day Air!!" ($70 Value) That is what happened to me. : )

When you configure a dell laptop, it usually tells you the "preliminary ship date" near the bottom left of the page. That is usually quite accurate, and usually takes 15 days for them to assemble it and have it in the USA. Then its shipped to you and will arrive according to the shipping method. (Hopefully) But it might be delayed because of this holiday season.

 

Hey guys i am a newbie, but would like to share my buy with all,
I bought the B130 for $550.00 including shipment. And specs are Inspiron B130,1.73GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB, Windows.
LCD Panel 15.4in WXGA Display, Memory 256MB DDR2 SDRAM 1 Dimm, Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics, 40GB Hard Drive, Integrated Modem and NIC Internal 56K
Combo/DVD+RW Drives 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive,
Dell 1370 Internal Wireless (802.11b/g, 54Mbps), 4-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (29 WHr), Dell 720 Color Printer.

Have few questions. First, i have order 1 gig dimm memory for the laptop which cost me $59.99. Whats the maximum gig's can it handle just incase i decide to add another gig to make it 2gig.

And also in the future is it possible to upgrade the processor to 2.13M or higher. Just curious.

And do u guys think $550.00 including the shipment is a good deal or not.

Thanks.... appreciate ya,al help.

 

Yes I think thats an amazing deal and I do think you'll be able to upgrade the processor pretty easily.

 

From what i read in the manual the max. amount of memory the B130 can handle is 2 gigs... 1 gig per slot. Which is completely opposite of what they have it reported to handle on the site and in the Dell catalog they send out every once in awhile.

Im going to test this theory never the less because i have an extra stick of 533mhz 1 gig SODIMM sitting here doing nothing. So may as well give it a go and see what happens.

 

Or give it to me

 

hey, my dad has informed me that the laptop is in with the free printer. You dont know how bad i just want to look at the box!!!! I would write a review on it, but i sadly dont have the laptop here. If there isnt too much reviews by christmas, you will see one over here from me who else is starting to get theirs?

 

I think you got a good deal at $550 shipped. Since Thanksgiving I can't remember how many different prices and configurations Dell has had on the B130. I paid $590 shipped for mine (included sales tax) and I only got the Celeron processor with it, though mine came with 512MB of DDR2 memory.

I ordered once at a lower price, cancelled that when I was watching the prices literally change more than once a day. I then came across a print ad that, with a $50 coupon got me down to $499, than the extra $90 plus for shipping, handling, and sales tax.

I have a sour taste after ordering from Dell because of these price variations. Depending on what ad you read, what link you found online, or what news from websites like this, it looked like there are several prices a day going on the same item. That's pretty slimy of Dell, I think. It was like going to a slick used car dealer, you buy the thing and start waiting for symptoms to appear if you've been screwed or not.

Originally Dell was saying the computer would be shipped around the 13th, though the order confirmation said December 21, and delivery won't be until after Christmas. It is supposedly "in production", so am hoping it might arrive sooner, as I am sure by Christmas I'll have talked myself out of the purchase and cancelled.

Good luck with your good buy on the B130. Let us know what you think of it when it arrives and you've tried it out. If you do find out that the CPU can be upgraded, I'd like to know that, too. I have been wondering if it is same motherboard being used on the Pentium CPUs which, I think, have a faster bus speed than the 400 MHz bus of the Celeron version.

 

Anybody run the Pi CPU speed test on the Pentium M model yet?

 

Woah, this guy really understands marketing. Just complain about how your computer isn't coming when it should be and they could get it there faster than usual.

 

I bought this laptop, and I am running gentoo linux on it. I love it, but, the only issue that I have had, and it's it's driving me crazy is that when I plug in my headphones, the internal speakers stay on. Is this the case with other people who are running this laptop? I'm just wondering if this sound card sucks, or if it's a linux driver issue.

 

Great, I've been waiting to get my laptop so I can format it and install Stage1 Gentoo. Did you just follow the Gentoo laptop and wireless howtos?

 

My 2 quick questions...

I would prefer to get 1gb ram, ordering a 512, them going out and getting memory and installing it to save a few bucks. Is this model easy to upgrade?

How is the sound on this? I'll have a decent pair of speakers plugged into it, but not sure of quality of output going into speakers will be.

TIA.

 

yeah i wanna do the same thing. I got 512mb ram, and i wanna buy a 1gb stick, but i wouldnt know how to put it in

 

It is a very easy step-by-step process and you can search for a thread explaining just that. I'm sure someone will link it, I don't know where it is off the top of my head.

 

strangely when I configure this laptop to what I want, it ends up costing more than a comparable entertainment notebook. I love the black though, im so sick of Silver.

 

I've had this b130 for a few days now. It's the P1.7mhz version w/256mb of ram. Fast the first day, but noticed that it's getting sluggish now that I've added my programs and have started multitasking ... I'm so used to my work laptop (P1.3mhz, 512mb). Kinda bummed when it takes 10+ seconds to open multiple programs at once. Planning to upgrade to the 1gb chips out there I see for $99-110 each

 

Its worth noting that the laptop has two slots for memory. You can just buy another 512MB to acheive 1GB. Of course, if you decided to upgrade again, you would have to replace one of the DIMMs. Gah, Mine has been in Processing for over a week and a half. I want to start hacking at it.

 

dilseacht,

Definately put more RAM in your system... 256MB is bare-minimum, slap in another 512MB chip in there and you'll notice the difference immediately .