Core i3-330m ... Good enough?

Want to pick up a T410. The budget version comes with a Core i3 330m. This should be fast enough for what I plan on doing with it. I'm using a Dell E4300 with 2.53 Core 2 in it right now, and was using an XPS M1330 with a 2.13 Core 2 in it. To be honest, I dont' demand much from my laptop.

However, the techie inside of me is telling me, upgrade. Which is a problem since I just had my offer accepted on a house two days ago I'm already stretching just a bit (not much, but a bit) for the T410 (I upgraded to WXGA+ and 9 cell battery)

If someone can tell me, there is that one KILLER feature I will immediately regret not buying, I'll reconsider. I know about Turbo, but anything else? Just performance I can probably live off the Core i3. The only strenuous thing I may ever do, ever, is when I take it on vacation I'll load raws from my 5DmkII to view, maybe process a little, lightroom or Canon DPP. But it's not an every day thing, I have my quad extreme desktop for that.

So, i3 330m, good enough?
WWAN, should I get it, even though I don't even know what it really is? It's the same price with and without (making sure it doesn't cripple something)
9 cell battery. Worth the upgrade, or should I stick with the 6 cell and it's flush mounting?

 

What is your motivation to buy a new laptop?

2.53 Core 2 is plenty fast enough for an average user, certainly for what it sounds like you do.

I'd stick with what you have any buy something for the new house!

 

If you don't demand much from your notebook, I think the i3 is fine. If you don't know what WWAN is, I doubt you'll need it. Only the four-cell sits flush. The six and nine stick out. I have flush battery for my R60 cause it doesn't go out much, but the nine-cell for my X200 cause I like the 7-8 hours it provides when I'm mobile.

 

Are you 100% sure the 6-cell isn't flush on a T410? On a T400 it sticks out but I'm 99% sure I read that on the T410 it is flush.

Also about WWAN, the OP is asking about the WWAN antenna in the display options. I say get the display with the WWAN antenna since it's no extra $. Basically they pre-wire your unit so that you can add a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) card from AT&T or Sprint or Verizon or whomever your provider is so that you can get wireless data from them. You don't need this feature for WiFi at home or at WiFi coffee shops etc. But it doesn't hurt to have the antenna in case you need to add WWAN later.

 

Actually for the T410 revision the 6 cell is flush, 9 cell sticks out and I believe there isn't a 4 cell anymore.

 

Oh right: back to the i3-330m question. Yes, it should be sufficient for web surfing, streaming video, word processing, etc. But as someone else asked: why do you need a new laptop if you're not even putting a strain on your old one, and you've got a nice desktop, and you're going to be straining your finances to make the purchase? I know you didn't ask for financial advice (nor am I qualified to give it!), but I would think you might be better keeping that cash on hand for closing/moving costs, any extra furniture or decorations you might need, etc.

 

My motivation is that I've wanted a Macbook pro or a Thinkpad. And oh yeah, I've wanted a Thinkpad for about 5 years now, but always end up with Dells for some reason. The E4300 is new. They say the build quality is good. They lied. They being various reviews.

As soon as I got it, I loved how small it was, so light! Looked good. But I knew I was compromising. but the keyboard flexes, the joints aren't tight, it's not solid. One requirement I had on a windows PC was the pointing stick. It sucks on here. I used a Thinkpad (forget which one,I believe R series) a while back and loved it. Got this one and it just sucks.

So I just got it this week, and I can return within 21 days. So it's going to go back after the weekend. Hence when i said I'm stretching its because I'll get money back from this.

I was originally getting the X200, for about $800 new. But, well, I figured out, I don't need particularly light anymore (gf bought me a nice larger laptop bag, and hates that the X200 has no dvd drive).

 

The i3 has similar performance of 2.4 core 2 duo, you're actually downgrading your processor
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i3-330M-Notebook-Processor.23753.0.html

 

The Core i3-330M will be about the same performance-wise as your C2D P8700 - it will be plenty powerful for most any general usage task.

 

Yes, but upgrading the laptop itself. I probably won't notice the slight difference, and I've only had this computer for two days. Not digging the build quality whatsoever.