Dell Studio 15 1558 Thread

Are you using Internet Explorer (not the 64bit version)?

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Sent my laptop in to get fixed, and it came back WORSE off than it was before. The problem still exists, and now there is physical damage on the outside. Cosmetic, but still, that shouldn't even happen. I thought I was sending it to a "professional".

Dell has terrible customer service. I will not be buying another one once this laptop dies.

 

I went through the same problem with one of Dell's competitors. I had to return the laptop 3 times for them to finally fix the problem. It took over 2 months. They also damaged the outside. Makes you wonder if any company has good customer service.

 

Yeah, I had the same problem, I have a three year warranty and I would not let one of their "engineers" near my laptop ever again!!
I managed to get a replacement after around 5 visits from "specialists" who only caused more problems that were never there before, and never fixed the origional problem. Never going to let one of them near my new replacement laptop!!

 

Nope.

Since human visual acuity is about one minute of angle, you can fully resolve 1920x1080p once it subtends 32 degrees horizontally which is where you're sitting at about 1.5 diagonals away.

That could be 2' from a 15.6" laptop like the Studio 15; 4.5' from a 37" screen, or 12.5' from a 100" diagonal front projection setup.

IOW, it may be worth while if you're going to be watching movies in your lap.

For text, a 1366x768 display barely gets you two legible 80 column text windows side by side and about 50 lines while 1920x108 gets you three across by 80 lines long.

That's invaluable if you plan on doing work on the built in screen.

The problem with working on the 1558 is that it can only drive external displays to 1920x1200 (via HDMI or VGA). You'll want the XPS16 (affordable) or something else with Displayport if you want to run a 2560x1600 monitor (I'd have bought the XPS 16 and lived with the weight if I bought after moving into my new office).

 

No, Im using Firefox. any idea why?

 

please please

anybody knows which BIOS update solves the freezing problem?is driving me crazy :cry:

 

Latest A09 doesn't have any issues at all.

 

My 720p (as well as the extra $100 saved) is serving me quite well. For those of you who care about how many pixels or what angles you view your youtube videos, I am sure it is worth the extra dough.

 

Yeah, it won't work with Firefox. You have to use the 32bit version of Internet Explorer.

 

Well everyone its time to say goodbye to my studio 1558, shes making her way back to Dell for a full refund. I got fed up with all the problems I have had with the 1557 and 1558 line, 7 replacements and 2 motherboard replacements.....can you say W.T.F!!! Idk why every 1557/1558 Ive received have had problems but i can for sure say that the problems was no fault of my own. The main thing that got me pissed off is that Dell will not accept that fact that the laptop is crap, they will rather send you out refurbished replacements until your warranty is up, instead of accepting the fact that its a problem with the whole line or atleast the i7 line. So today I officially give Dell the finger, I will never purchase another Dell product and I will make sure that anyone I know wont either.

PS. Anyone got any suggestions for a new laptop @ around $1400??

 

So what was the problem?

 

Can You turn on the back lit feature by using the bios ? I am wondering if they are the same keyboard but but the regular is shut down by the bios?
Alvin
___________________________________________________________
Dell Studio 1558,
Intel Core,i7-840QM (1.86-3.2Ghz, 8M/8 threads)
6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470, 1GB
320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Disk Drive
Windows 7 Ultimate

 

I am trying to build a Studio 1558 on the Dell site and ran across a couple decisions I need some help with. I am somewhat computer savvy but it's been 4 years since I bought one so I'm a little unclear on the latest basics.

We will use this as our main computer that sits in the kitchen but connects wirelessly to our other computer and printer. We mostly will use this for surfing the net and emailing, listening to music, viewing photos, doing Excel spreadsheets, viewing HD video from our HD vid cam etc. No gaming or intensive multi-media programs. I want to keep this 4 years or so (like my current Inspiron 1505) so I don't want to skimp out on stuff if I'll regret it in the future.

Here are the things I'm debating..

1. Processor.. I'm going with the i5 processor (i5-450M 2.4GHz (2.66GHz Turbo Mode, 3M Cache)) but it offers an upgrade to i5-520M and 2.93 Ghz for an extra $75. Is this worth it for my needs?

2. Memory.. I planned on getting the 4GB RAM (4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz) but it offers a 6GB for an extra $105. Is that worth it for me?

3. Wireless card.. here is where I'm really confused. I basically leave this laptop at home 99% of the time, connect to my other computer and Verizon Fios wireless router, but I was maybe thinking of using the 1558 as a network "hub" so I could network with my other laptop and print directly to my printer wirelessly. Do I need any of the extra upgrades they offer to do this or would I be OK with the N 6200 card? I guess I'm not sure what the "w/Router" does for you. Below are the options..

+ Internal Wireless Card

Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N 6200 [Included in Price]
Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 [Add $30.00 or $1.00/month1]
Super fast 4G wireless broadband from Intel & Clear
+ Internal Wireless Card w/ Router

Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200 with Netgear WNR2000 Wireless-N Broadband Router [Add $69.99 or $2.00/month1]
Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200 with Cisco M10 Valet Hotspot Wireless-N Router [Add $79.99 or $2.00/month1]
Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 with Cisco M20 Valet Hotspot Wireless-N Router [Add $139.99 or $4.00/month1]

4. Display.. I was going to go with the 720 since I don't really watch movies on my laptop. Is $100 worth it for the 1020 for my needs? I realize this is very subjective and since I'm not used to 1080 on my existing laptop nor plan to watch many movies, I'm leaning toward the 720 to save $100.

5. Bluetooth.. I'm not sure what this will do for me but I did read that if you have a bluetooth enabled mouse, then you wouldn't need to have a USB stick sticking out of one of the USB ports (like I currently have). It's only $20 extra so I assume this is a good upgrade?

6. Burner.. it comes with an 8x drive but offers an upgrade to Roxio for $29. I think I would use this but is it just as easy/cheaper to get Roxio post purchase?

7. Sound.. it offers an upgrade for Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio. I do listen to music a lot but never use headphones and rarely need to blast my music. Is this worth $25?

Sorry for so many questions but I've read dozens of pages of this thread and everyone seems to be really helpful and knowledgeable. Some of these topics have been addressed, but I'm thinking the opinions may be different based on my specific usage/needs.

Thanks in advance!

 

1. No

2. No

3. Intel 6200 is good you dont need anything else. If you use your computer at home what is the point of wireless network, it's not 100% secure, it's not 100% stabile. Wireless network should only be used when cable is not available and only for basic tasks, no internet shopping etc. - engineers advice.

4. 720p is ok

5. Bluetooth is mainly for connecting mobile phones, sending pictures without cables and mouse without dongle.

6. You don't need roxio, it's too big has too many feaures and your laptop is not yours anymore, its roxio's

7. You don't need soundblaster, its only a laptop you cannot help it.

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

1 and 2. Not worth it even considering I may hold this thing for 4 years or so? I'm cool with saving $175; I just want to make sure since I know upgrading these post purchase is a lot more complicated than swapping out e.g. a hard drive.

3. I guess it's just my ignorance on this topic that made me think I may need more than the 6200. All I really need to do is wirelessly connect my laptop to other laptop to printer. And I assume I can do all that with the 6200.

5. I think I'll get this based on the fact that it gives me the option of using a bluetooth compatible mouse if I want it. One less USB stick sticking out and hitting my knees is worth $20 to me.

 

There is no point in upgrading the cpu if you don’t need it now. After two or three years it will be old doesn’t matter if it was top or middle class.
Memory is getting cheaper every year and upgrading it is easy so you can buy more when you need it. With computers is always important to buy what you need now and in near future. What will be after two or three years, nobody knows.

 

Hmm.. So how do I download the 32 bit version of IE? Can u give me the direct link? BTW, I also have google chrome, can I use Chrome instead? Also, will IE 32 bit work on my Windows 7 64 bit?

 

Didn't think I would hear about "massaging your balls" on a laptop review site.

 

Yea I wasn't ready for that either. But I guess I can't complain because Jako gave his opinion on my questions!

Anyone else out there? Opinions needed here. Need to buy this thing by Tuesday the 7th. Most interested in the screen (720 or 1080), processor (i5-450M or 540), and the memory (4GB or 6GB). See my "needs/uses" 6 or so posts up.

Thanks!

 

Could someone who owns a Dell 1558 and a 3.5mm microphone please try connecting it and checking whether it becomes the default recording device automatically.

For example, if you are talking on skype (using the integrated mic) and you plug in a 3.5mm mic, does the person at the other end start receiving sound from the external mic or do you have to end the conversation, change some settings and redial?

you can also drop a response here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...l-studio-15-1557-1558-mic-sound-question.html

Thanks!

 

I just bought a Dell Studio 15 about two weeks ago. I go the I7 processor and a 1080p screen. Twice while watching HD home video clips the laptop has "crashed." The screen went completely black and I had to turn off the laptop and then back on. Also while viewing photo's the video would become so unstable (jerky) that I also had to completely power down the laptop. Any ideals why? I guess it is time to call Dell!

 

I'd go for the 1080p screen myself and the processor, you'll never regret buying a faster processor!

Also have you looked at the backlit keyboard? It's great, that and the 1080p screen are my favorite things about my latop.

You have no need for 6GB of RAM at all, happy shopping!

 

Yes, the backlit keyboard was the plan. And I've decided to go with the faster processor but not the 6GB.

I'm 50/50 on the 1080 screen...come on folks, a couple more opinions to push me either way!?

Thanks!


by the way kgh, what is so great about the 1080? Do you like it for everyday typical use or just for movies/videos? Just wondering b/c I don't do much of the latter.

 

IE 32bit is installed by default on Windows 7 64 bit. The 64-bit version of IE is also included in 64bit Windows 7, and it's marked as such in the "All Programs" of the Start Menu.

Just use the shortcut that says "Internet Explorer" and it should work for you. It probably won't work with Chrome either.

 

Lithnight,

My specs are below. I love my laptop. Sure, I just got it and I am still in the "honeymoon" phase but it has been such a step up that it is hard not to gush about it.

I got the 720p screen mainly because I tried the 1080p screen at Best Buy and didn't see enough change to get me to drop an extra $100 on it. Plus, I would have felt like I needed the blu-ray drive and that was an extra $150. Not worth it since I would have watched my blu-ray on my 1080p Vizio and Ps3.

If you can get the 6 gb of RAM upgrade go for it. You may not need it now but you may want to future proof your system.

 

I was on the fence about the display as well, and the lack of blu ray (wasn't spending $200 or so for it) and the fact that I've never watched a movie on my laptop in 4 years pushed me back to the 720. Like you, I'd rather watch a movie on my blu ray player, 54" plasma, and home theater sound. Much better than a 15" display in my opinion. I was really looking to keep the expense low (without being skimpy on specs) and the 6GB seemed like too much money (for what I use my laptop for) so I decided against it.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

RAM is EASY to upgrade later. Your screen is not ...

If you are trying to decide where to spend an extra $100 ... I would definitely go for the screen.

 

The 6250 gives you WiMax 4G mobility.

If you have WiMax in your area ... you may want to consider this ... expecially if you think are going to go "mobile".

Otherwise the 6200 ... will do you fine.

 

Ironically, that actually came up in my conversation with the Dell sales guy. He said the same exact thing as you. I told him that this laptop will stay in my kitchen 99% of the time and even if it's out, I'm never in an area that has WiMax. If I thought I'd be roaming around downtown Philadelphia all the time with this, I'd no doubt go with WiMax. But that likely won't be happening. Agree this may change in the future, but not in the next 3 years or so.

Thanks!

 

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to my questions. I finally ended up ordering. I decided to go with..

i5-450M
4GB
500GB HD
N 6200 wireless card
720 screen
bluetooth
backlit keyboard

Since I really wanted to stay under a certain dollar limit, I decided to not upgrade the processor, memory, or the display. I just kept coming back to the fact that this is 95% for web use, music listening and very basic stuff, so why bother. If I had done all, I'd be out another $300, even just one I'd be out $100. The budget ruled against me.

Sidenote story.. the sales guy obviously tried to sell the extra stuff (equipment, McAfee extension, warranty extension etc.) and I said no thanks. The extra year warranty was $69, and in the beginning of the call I said if you can give it to me for $39, I'd think about it. He said, we'll take a look at the end. Well at the end, he ended up saying he found another configuration that was only $10 higher but included the 2nd year of warranty. I made him repeat that everything else we discussed was exactly the same specs and that the 2nd year of in home warranty would only add $10 to my total. He said yes, so I said sure!!

So I basically got the extra year warranty for $10. Hopefully I don't need it but I'm pretty happy with that.

I'll post back later, hopefully with good news, once I get this thing and get it up and running.

Again thanks everyone. Great thread and great site!!

 

hello, i recently purchased a dell 1558 and its been great except for 2 things. i have put pictures from my digital camera onto this computer and one day i popped the SD card in and it makes a sound but the screeen saying which program i want to use doesn't pop up. i went through the settings and it says that the screen should pop up. In My Computer, the E drive isn't listed when the Card is in either but on devices it is and says its working properly. any help??? i thinks it is a ricoh memory stick device

and my second problem is my i7 720 qm turbo boost "this device can not start. code 10" any help with that. that's the turbo boost technology driver

 

Two weeks with my Studio 1558, constant video problems, 85 minutes on the phone with Dell - the result...they are sending a tech out to replace my motherboard and video card. I'm thinking I should have bought a Mac...that's what my kids tell me!

 

I wonder why Dell no longer offers the Studio 15 with the i7 processor option?

 

That is odd. I swear it was an option a week ago when I was doing my search but I could be wrong.

 

What video problems are you having?

 

It just happens. Customization options change with component supply.

 

The display become unstable and completely black. The screen tries to display the content but becomes unstable switching between being completely black and trying to displaying parts of the page. You then have no use of the mouse or keyboard and have to restart the machine.

 

I have ordered the following configuration (dell india customer) -
i7 740qm
4GB ram
5470 1gb (by default here ... no option for onboard or other gpu)
500gb.7200rpm hdd
720p Screen 1366 * somethin....
backlit keyboard
3 year complete cover

I got free bluetooth mouse a targus meridean backpack and mc afee 15 month

for - 1338$ - (converted for you 65k+ in Rs.)


Order date - 30 - aug -2010
EDD - 29- sept - 2010

problem - ty call centres in the country of BPO's....
They have a poor english.... dont talk in hindi.... maybe its a sort of rule for them and are bloody lunatics... s....

 

Well I tried the calling Dell up but they only offered a £20 discount (free postage and packaging), when I could get a £120 discount online using a discount code!

In the end I ordered:

Dell Studio 15
Colour: Victory - England by Anthem Collection EMEA
Core i7 720qm
8gb DDR3 ram
Ati 5470 1gb
500gb 7200rpm HDD
Full HD WLED (1920 x 1080)
Backlit Keyboard
9 Cell Battery
Bluetooth
Intel Wireless LAN 6200 2x2 802.11a/b/g/n card

Grand Total: £1,093.70 ($1,678.61). With the Discount code worth £120 + Dells £319 off for the next few days, I made a saving of £439 ($673.77).

 

hey everyone. If i choose the 9 cell battery, would that mean i only get 1 battery? I will mostly be using this laptop at home. Should i just stick with the 6 cell battery instead? Is the 9 cell battery a lot heavier than the 6 cell? How long is the battery life for 6 and 9 cell battery?

 

Just one battery.
I too use it for home use (plugged in 90% of the time). With that said, I opted for the 9 cell. This was based on my 4 years of having my current Inspiron 1505. I bought it with the 9 cell and enjoyed 3-4 hours of battery life for awhile. (I noticed that much depends on what you're doing with it and also brightness is set at.)

Anyway, after 2 years, my battery started to drain..and quickly. Within a couple months of first noticing, I was down to 20 minutes or so of life. When it went, it went fast. So I ordered a replacement online (not from Dell..much more expensive than 3rd party) and it's lasted me another 2 years. Recently I've noticed battery life decreasing faster than normal so maybe this battery will do what my first did.

I should be getting my new Studio 15 tomorrow so my old Inspiron will be used much less and be plugged in 99% of the time. So hopefully no worries.

The 9 is indeed a bit heavier but nothing noticeable in my opinion. But again, mine is plugged in most of the time.

Sorry for the book, just wanted to give you my experience with the battery.

 

Hey everyone. I play poker online and want to get a new laptop for it. I use programs like Holdem Manager and Tableninja which uses memory and play 20 tables at one time. My old laptop lags a ton whenever i play 20 tables and have the Holdem manager and tableninja on.

This is the laptop i am looking at

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...2&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=laptop-studio-1555

What would you recommend to upgrade? Should i upgrade the HD display from 720P to 1080P? Does anyone know what is the resolution for 720p and 1080p on a 15.6 laptop? I currently have a very old dell 15.4 laptop that is very slow pentium 4 processor and 2gb ram and has 1280x800 resolution. It lags a lot whenever i do 16 tables. What about the battery? Is it better to choose the 9 cell battery as oppose to 6 cell? I know 9 cell is more heavy but if you choose 9 cell does it mean you only get a 9 cell battery?

I don't play any video games and this laptop will be for 24 tabling sngs and browsing the web and playing music. Should i get the backlight keyboard?? I rarely use a laptop and have my lights closed. I don't think i need to upgrade the 320gb hard drive to 500gb because i don't download movies and keep lot of files in my computer. I will mostly be using this laptop at home when I'm watching some football games on tv and grinding sngs. I didn't want a 17' laptop because it is too big and a 13.3 or 14' one would be too small.

Any advice would be great.

 

new Bios A10
Dell - Support

mentions slp 2.1 whatever that means

 

Hi, sorry if this has been asked, but how do I use the numpad on the 1558? I've tried using Fn, but this doesn't appear to work.

 

There is no numpad on 1558 keyboard

 

The numbers on my 1558 are just below the function keys and above the alphabet keys. You use the by just pressing them. To access the symbols on the number keys you hold down the shift button and press the appropriate key with the symbol that you want.

 

numPAD
10char

 

Can anyone help me with my questions?