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Sorry for the long note, but thought I should lay it all out. Thanks in advance!
I've recently struck out on my own after 15 years as a writer/editor at a metro daily newspaper and website.
I need a laptop for writing, research on the web, email, posting to the blog I manage, managing my expenses on Excel, and other business functions like managing my contacts, invoicing, etc.
Managing my blog (on Moveable Type) involves some handling of media -- I'll upload photos and slideshows to the blog, create and post surveys, embed video -- but for now I am not a creator of multimedia. That is, I don't tend to shoot a lot of my own photos or video, and don't foresee needing to store, edit or create a lot of multimedia, although I may have to start doing more of that. Still, I anticipate spending most of my time doing what I do now -- writing, editing, and posting mutlimedia others produced -- and don't foresee becoming a digital designer (although if someone just wants to gift me those skills, I'll take em!).
I also doubt I would need to store a lot of files on the computer, as I have a desktop where I'll continue to store my music collection, and can also store multimedia I am not currently working with.
Gaming, being able to watch a movie -- those things are not important to me at all.
This is a business computer, although it is also a personal computer in that it won't be part of a business network, I won't be lending it out to other employees, etc.
I'd say I'll use the machine about 50/50 at home on the road. I spend a lot of time out of the house when I need a computer, and also need to share the desk top with my wife. I will want something that has good wireless, and that's not too bulky and weighed down with entertainment/gaming bells and whistles that I don't need or want.
So basically, I am looking for that nexis between performance, value, comfort (ie screen and keyboard size and quality), portability, and durability.
One thing that is probably already clear is that I am not a computer guy. I am comfortable on computers and on lots of software, but a lot of the technical stuff is over my head, and I find myself overwhellemed by the choices out there!
Despite that, I've come to be taken with the Dell Studio 15. Most of them seem fairly well equipped and I like the sleek, clean design. (Looks generally don't mean much to me, but I tend to favor clean and minimalistic.) I had a chance to play with a Dell Studio with a 14-inch screen (the one made for Best Buy) and liked it, but decided I really want the larger screen. Sure, I'd like it to be even bigger, but because of price/portability issues, I think somewhere in that 15-16 inch range would be perfect.
1) First off, do you think I'm o the right track and that a Studio 15 is a good choice for me?
2) Is there anything else you'd recommend?
3) What type of configuration should I be looking for? 4gb memory, I'd assume?
Secondly, to get within my budget (about $700-$900, see below for more info), I am going to have to pick up something at discount, and was thinking about certified refurbished or new. But I find the number of options on those sites truly dizzying.
A) Any advice on using delloutlet.com or other sites like it? Any advice on buying a previously shipped computer?
B) Help narrow what I am looking for. There's all the subsets of the Studio 15 -- the 1536, 1537, 1555, etc. I can't seem to figure out the difference. Which do I want given my needs?
C) I noticed some of the delloutlet computers have microsoft office (which I'm pretty sure I need) installed, and other microsoft works, which I am not familiar with. Some have 32 bit drives, others 64, etc. etc. There are a million configurations! What should I be looking for?
OK, sorry again for the long note and thanks for any advice you offer. Below is some additional info.
1) What is your budget?
Preferably $850 or less, with Office (I already have norton 360) installed, taxes and shipped. Willing to buy after market or even used.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen -- but on the lighter end for this size
3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA; Web or the local best buy
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Really don't know enough to say.
b. Dislike: Having nothing against HP, but walking around the best buy checking them out I really disliked the sticky feeling a lot of their mouse pads had.
5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
writing, editing, business management, connecting to the internet to research, check, email, and work on a blog tool, including the handling of some multimedia elements.
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both? both
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games? NO
8) How many hours of battery life do you need? The more the better, but battery life comes after value, performance, screen size, and weight in my list of priorities.
9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK? OK online, but would rather see it. Doubt that will be possible, though.
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc. Currently using XP but wouldn't mind upgrading.
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If he says he prefers the Studio 15 because the 14" model is too small, then he's certainly not going to want the 13" XPS M1330. Please read posts before replying to them.
Anyway, gjm, I think for your purposes, you've made a good choice with the Studio 15. You can get several hours of battery life with the optional 9-cell battery and integrated Intel 4500MHD graphics, if you're not going to game. The 9-cell battery does stick out at the bottom, though. If you get the completely flush 6-cell, it will still give you plenty of time, especially with the Intel onboard graphics.
The Dell Outlet is a pretty reliable place to get used and refurbed computers, and at awesome prices. The best part is, all Outlet systems come with the same 1-year standard warranty that brand-new systems do.
And if you're worried about seeing the machine in person, I know Best Buy has the Studio 15 on display; maybe the one you went to was just out at the time. Try another location in your area, or a different computer store. -
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Haha, I don't blame ya. It's quite a post to read through all the way.
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I'm not sure about the weight difference, but I own both a 9 cell and 6 cell, and I can't really consciously feel the difference when it's in my backpack. I'd say it's a fraction of a pound at most.
The 1555 and 1537 are pretty much the same size; the 1555 is just a tiny bit wider and a tiny bit shorter than the 1537. And yes, it's generally a more minimalist-looking machine; it has no LED's or lights of any sort on the exterior. The 900p and 1080p LED displays of the 1555 have received tons of praise for being excellent quality. The 720p is not as excellent, but still a great display. The 1537 does use some LED displays as well, though I'm not sure how they compare to those of the 1555.
The pictures aren't really good for side-by-side. The 1555's picture looks like it was taken from significantly further away than the 1535-1537 models.
xxbadboys, I'm pretty sure he's going to get the Intel graphics instead of the ATi anyway, so the extra heat from the 1555's ATi card will not be present.
gjm: I think either the 1555 or 1537 will be good for you in this case. The internals will be pretty much the same, so it's just up to you whether you want the occasionally glitchy touch-sensitive media buttons of the 1537, with its 16:10 aspect ratio, or the slightly wider, more minimalist 1555. Also, another significant difference is audio quality: the 1537 has pretty poor speakers. Dell aimed to fix this in the 1555 by including a subwoofer.
EDIT: Here's a picture comparing the size of the 1535 (left) to the 1555 (right). The 1535 is identical to the 1537:
![[IMG]](images/storyImages/15351555dispcomp4.jpg)
Dell Studio 15 inch on delloutlet.com
Discussion in 'Dell' started by gjm, Jul 3, 2009.
