Dell Studio 1555

Does the battery really have a memory? I didn't know once you start charging that you should leave it charged till it reaches 100%.

 

yeah. your battery life will be much shorter and the capacity will decrease more rapidly if you are not charging and decharging it fully.

but I'm just wondering if it is still hurting the battery if you are shutting down the lap, disconnecting the powersupply and then when you are at home plugging it in again until it is charged to 100%..

Because you can't always avoid that.. or if the power cord acidentally slips out for a sec..

 

hi i have question on how to do a clean install on the dell S15 . .
there is an option before the installing where it asks you whether you want to install driver or not using (usb or cd ++)
how can i use this option ?
i tried ejecting the win vista cd and put in the driver cd and click on subfolder and it won't load
how can i make it okay?

 

I've always used the driver downloads straight from the Dell website. Try that instead.

 

Exactly. The drivers from support.dell.com are always going to be more recent than the ones from your driver disk, anyway.

 

hm, maybe I'm wrong .. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=67280

 

just received my Dell 1555, its a babe the screen is amazing, very happy with it, i'll upload some picture later. Anyone here notice the battery is not very steady? and btw the underneath laptop is kinda hot, should i be concern abt that

 

First of all these are lithium-based batteries, so the memory-effect loss does not apply here.
This also means you can't really "hurt" the battery when disconnecting the power supply.
Important: fully discharging a lithium-based battery can kill it! Fortunately manufacturers kept this in mind (when your cell phone or laptop shuts off because of empty battery, there is still some energy left )
Still it is best to "fully" (as I said before 100% empty is normally not possible) discharge your laptop battery once in a while (every 30 charges according to my source). It calibrates your battery, meaning when your laptop says the battery is at 100%, it will be really 100% and not less.

What really influences battery life is temperature and charge level.
For more information, read: http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

 

Maybe i will have to give them a call and get it added, any idea how much extra it would be?

 

Just ordered mine got it for £ 853.91, think i got a good deal?

COLORS, PATTERNS, & ARTIST DESIGNS Jet Black Colour with Matte Finish
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40Ghz, 3MB, 1066MHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista SP1™ Home Premium (64 BIT) - English
OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word)
HARDWARE SUPPORT 3Yr In-Home Warranty Support, including evenings and Saturdays
LCD 15.6in Widescreen Full High Definition (1920x1080) WLED with TrueLife
WEB CAM 2.0 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera
MEMORY 4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
HARD DRIVE 500GB (5.400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
GRAPHICS CARD 512MB ATI Mobility RADEON HD 4570
OPTICAL DRIVE Fixed Internal Blu-ray Disc (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM) Slot Drive including SW
PRIMARY BATTERY Primary 9-cell 85 WHr Lithium Ion battery
KEYBOARD Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard
PROTECT YOUR NEW PC No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module - European
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Intel WiFi Link 5300 Half Mini Card (802.11 a/g/n) (Centrino)

 

It cost me £30 extra, but you know it is well worth it!.

 

Helo

I see an additional part in the options which i dont understand. The upgraded item is "Dell wireless 370 Bluetooth Module - European". What does it mean? I cant use the default bluetooth outside the UK... ? Maybe im lame with it but its just bluetooth right?

 

I talked them via chat and they told me that the backlit keyboard is not an option as the 1600x900 screen neighter. Maybe is should call them?

 

Yes you need to call them.

 

So I'm still waiting on a response from the Unresolved Issues people (fingers aren't crossed) about getting a 64-bit Vista disk, but in the meantime I've downloaded and installed it on my own. Worked fine, had to phone in my activation (the automated system is designed to be idiot proof so if you know what you're doing it takes a long time), but I'm back up and running now with my full 4GB of RAM. System is even snappier now, and I really have no complaints.

I did a very unscientific battery test the other day, and just doing browsing and email and stuff and a little online video streaming I got about 3.5 hours of battery life. That was with WiFi on, Bluetooth off, keyboard backlight on, Power Saver, and screen at about 30% brightness (which is really workable...100% could light up a small room).

The only thing I'm still noticing is that the palmrest gets pretty warm on the left and under the touchpad. The left-side is above the hard-drive just like the old Studio 1535 (or maybe that was under the right? it was near the palm rest in any case). The touchpad gets hot since Dell moved the wireless cards under there, almost directly. So my WiFi Link 5100 and the 370 Bluetooth card sit right under my thumbs and they heat up quite a bit. Not a huge deal (keeps me from getting "mouse hand") but some people might find it more uncomfortable.

Keyboard is really nice to type on. It feels a little more firm and also a little larger than the old 1535. I could be wrong and maybe it's just the new laptop effect. No complaints about it either way.

 

Does using the laptop without a battery while directly plugged into the wall harm it? I wanted to prolong my battery by storing it while at home.

 

very interesting link! thx

 

Ditto, good link. The Simple Guidelines section is interesting. So heat seems to be the main culprit.

"Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery"

"Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns"

 

Checkout http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=385268

 

It's likely related to European Telecommunications standards and the need of certification of the module.

 

The RAM modules are under the left side of the palmrest, and yes, they do get very warm. The hard drive is under the right, and should not be as warm.

No, you'll be fine.

 

That is a good price I have spec'd a 1555 up without bluetooth and without backlit keyboard to just slighty more than you paid with both of those features included, how did you get that price was I would like to pull the trigger before the current offers end on Wednesday?

(EDIT)

Just noticed you have gone for 1366x768 where I have spec'd 1920x1080 without bluetooth and backlit keyboard and it comes to £647.11, will need to give a call as you can't add backlit keyboard on web.

 

Yah, I did called them and also I've gone for Processor upgrade P8600.
Just call them and negotiate you will get good deal

 

Does the Studio 1555 have a HDD Protection System like the Lenovos have?

For example in case there is a shock, the HDD head will instantly be moved into a save location so that a headcrash is prevented. And the HDD is mounted into a rubber-like shock absorber..

Does anyone know?

And btw:
Whats the manufaturer of the HDD in the 1555?

 

I guess what u mean is Free Fall Sensor. Yeah u hav that option in some countries, comes with 7200rpm drives. My 500gb is manufactured by Western Digital

 

Thanks for that will give them a call

 

Previously on this thread:

Finally:
Sins of a Solar Empire Entrenchment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Furv9uAPI&feature=channel
Crysis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEcfMF_n2dY&feature=channel_page

There, that should be good enough to see how the 4570 runs.

 

^ Those videos are really nice....
Good to hear i can play all games well... Thank for posting them.

BTW, I placed an order for my 1555 yesterday by phone...
Specs: [P8600, 4GB, 500GB-5400rpm, 512MB-Mobility Redon HD4570, Backlit Keyboard, Plum Purple color, Integrated CREATIVE Sound Blaster(R) X-Fi MB Audi Software Solution, Vista Home Premium 64bit...]
My sales person was very kind, he gave me some discounds... It cost around $1150 (55,750 INR), I'm looking forward to do the payment on monday...
I have few queries,
1. The guy offerd me a free backpack which said "Belkin Simple Backpack 15.6' Pitch Black / Soft Gray (Jetset Red)" Is it a good one? I googled a lot, but was unable to find any information on it, if anybody have any info or picutres of this please share with me...
2. Is the price good?
3.Does dell provide some kind of compensation or modification in my system, if the price of this laptop goes down after placing my order?
Any help will be highly appriciated...

 

Does your HDD also make a clicking noise here and then?

Mine does it, and I hope its not the "click of death" which sometimes kills a HDD or is an indicator that the HDD will die soon..

 

Is it really audible? Can you hear it over the fan?

 

I received my Dell yesterday here's some pics

 

hi for anyone with the 9-cell, is the battery protrusion on the bottom really annoying/noticeable (i.e. while on your lap)?
also, how is the battery life with the T9550+4570 512MB? im wondering if i should just get the P8600 if the T9550 kills the battery life that much.

 

If you have a 6cell, the T9550 seems to have somewhere between 3-4 hours on power savings/ 30% brightness. I believe the P8600 will put you over 4 hours. I have not really sat down to do a good test though.

 

I have the 9-cell with my Studio 1535, and the protrusion underneath is not very bad on the lap. Obviously it's not as good as the completely flush 6-cell, but it doesn't hurt. And on a desk, it's way better than the 6 cell because it angles the machine nicely, giving you a pleasantly inclined keyboard.

I have the T9500 with the ATi 3450 graphics, and I get around 5 hours with the 9-cell. I imagine the TDP is similar for the T9550 and ATi 4570.

 

I don't hear the fan at all so..

 

@alastiar

Thanks for the post. Hopefully you can post more pictures/video later.

 

Do you know if it's a Samsung hard drive? If so, Dell has an update to correct the clicking noise- LINK

 

How can I tell if I have the Samsung hard drive?

 

You could check Device Manager, or physically look at the label sticker on the drive.

 

^ go to computer> right click on any drive, select properties> go to hardware. There u should be able to see something like samsung, wdc..

 

Has anyone seen any reviews of the 1555? I'm surprised that none of the PC mags/sites haven't reviewed it yet...

 

Has anyone gotten a 1080p 1555 yet? My order was delayed to June 11 because of the screen I believe.

 

It sounds like a loud kshhh every so often right? This is probably just the hard drive stopping. It's done to save power, but the sound is incredibly annoying. You may be able to set some kind of power settings in the BIOS to keep the drive spinning all the time.

I used to use Notebook Hardware Control to keep the drive going on my Vostro 1500....I'm not sure if it still works on newer laptops, as it's pretty old now. You can give it a try though, http://www.pbus-167.com/ is the site. Make sure to get the "bugfix" version for Dell laptops.

 

ah i think ill go with the 9-cell and the T9550 and the 4570 512MB then.... 5 hours is amazing!
thank you all for the replies! ^_^

 

Bad comparison...
It's quit usual for Dell that the standard configuration screens are mediocre compared to the upgraded options. So you can't compare a 1440*900 (upgraded) vs 720p (standard config). Probably the 900p and 1080p screens on the studio 1555 will be much better than the 720p!

Dell doesn't hide this either. Most of the time you can find the viewing angles of the screen options in the manual.
For the dell 1535 they gave the following
Horizontal ±40° (WXGA AG) (1280*800 screen)
±55° (WXGA+ with TrueLife) (1440*900 screen)
±55° (WUXGA+ with TrueLife) (1600*1200 screen)
Vertical +15°/–30° (WXGA AG) (1280*800 screen)
±45° (WXGA+ with TrueLife) (1440*900 screen)
±45° (WUXGA+ with TrueLife) (1600*1200 screen)


For the dell 1555 they only gave the 720p screen specs (probably because the 900p and 1080p aren't fully implemented yet):
Horizontal ±40° (HD with TrueLife)
Vertical +15°/–30° (HD with TrueLife)


Still it is good to know the 720p screen isn't that nice. Better upgrade!
Anyway, thank you for the pics, RickyIT!

Maybe someone can do a old studio 1535/37 1440*900 comparison with the new studio 1555 900p? Then again, the odds someone has these two exact configs in hand...

 

finally have the backlit keyboard option, order as follows

Studio 1555 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40Ghz, 3MB, 1066MHz)

Item Description Quantity Total Price


Midnight Blue with Microsatin Finish 1 ��609.58
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40Ghz, 3MB, 1066MHz) 1
Genuine Windows Vista SP1™ Home Premium (64 BIT) - English 1
Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word) 1
1 Year Limited Warranty - Collect & Return 1
15.6in Widescreen Full High Definition (1920x1080) WLED with TrueLife 1
2.0 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera 1
4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048] 1
320GB (7,200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive 1
512MB ATI Mobility RADEON HD 4570 1
Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software 1
Primary 6-cell 56 WHr Lithium Ion battery 1
Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Backlit Keyboard 1
1 Meter Power Cord (3 Wire) - UK 1
English - Documentation Studio 1545 1
N0653504 1
1Yr Limited Warranty - Collect & Return 1
Studio 1555 Order - UK 1
Studio 1555 Resource DVD (Diagnostic & Drivers) 1
90W AC Adaptor 1
Wireless Label (Intel Wireless Cards) - Core 2 Duo 1
Palmrest Standard 1
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English 1
No Carrying Case 1
No Bluetooth Upgrade 1
Intel WiFi Link 5300 Half Mini Card (802.11 a/g/n) (Centrino) 1
No Accidental Damage Support 1
DataSafe Online Backup 2GB 1 year 1







Subtotal: £609.58
Freight: £0.00
Total Net: £609.58
VAT (Rate %): £91.44
Total: £701.02

 

hey mikebuzz you order online or on phone? i still dont see the backlit keyboard option fo uk

 

I ordered my Dell first week of April this year and had it delivered within 8 working days.

This is a little out of context but first thing I tried was Crysis Warhead and it just doesn't start. Still need to fix that. Any ideas?

 

According to www.canyourunit.com Crysis Warhead can be played on S1555..

 

Had to call up and get them to double check as they said it was not a option at first, they checked with tech and then said they can offer it as a option, works out about £27 extra