Dell Announces XPS M1530

Just in time for Christmas (and a few days late for Black Friday) Dell releases the new XPS M1530 notebook. The XPS M1530 packs a 15.4-inch widescreen display into a stylish notebook weighing less than six pounds and as thin as one inch.

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Standard features include a 15.4-inch WXGA display, slot-loading optical drive, touch-sensitive media buttons, HDMI out, and your choice of three colors: Tuxedo Black, Crimson Red and Alpine White. You can also configure the M1530 with a Blu-ray disc drive, noise cancelation earbuds, and a travel remote that stores in the ExpressCard slot.

Observant readers will notice the XPS M1530 bears a striking resemblance to the XPS M1330, and with good reason. The M1530 is essentially a larger M1330 with some new features, namely Nvidia 8600 graphics (compared to the weaker 8400 graphics in the M1330). In addition, Dell is offering no LED backlight screen option, only standard CCFL displays with the M1530. Still, given the weight of less than 6 pounds, the XPS M1530 is a solid alternative to the Dell Inspiron 1520 notebook (which weighs more than seven pounds).

Priced starting at $999, the Dell XPS M1530 is available now with a limited number of select configurations available for shipping before Christmas. See Dell.com for more details.

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XPS M1530 Details

Display	15.4" WXGA with TrueLife (CCFL, 220 nits) 15.4" WXGA+ with TrueLife (CCFL, 250 nits) - 2008 15.4" WSXGA+ with TrueLife (CCFL, 200 nits) - 2008
Processor	Choice of Intel Core 2 Duo processors
Memory	1GB up to 4GB 667MHz DDR2
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS with 128MB dedicated RAM or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated RAM
HDD	120GB, 160GB, 250GB,or 320GB 5400RPM HDD or 64GB SSD 1GB Intel Turbo Memory
Optical Drive	Slot-loading DVD+/-RW or Slot-loading Blu-ray Disc drive
Ports	VGA, three USB 2.0, Ethernet, Modem, Microphone, Headphone/Speaker out (x2), Firewire, S-Video, HDMI, 8-in-1 card reader, ExpressCard slot
Multimedia	Travel Remote - stores in ExpressCard slot
Power	6-cell (56WHr) or 9-cell (85WHr) battery 90W A/C Adapter
Dimensions	Width: 14.07" Height: 0.93" - 1.38" Depth: 10.36"
Weight	5.78 lbs with 6-cell battery 6.18 lbs with 9-cell battery
Camera	2.0MP camera
Communications	10/100 LAN 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.0 Mobile Broadband - WWAN with your choice of Sprint or Verizon (or AT&T in 2008)
Security	Built-in fingerprint reader
Internal Expansion	3 Mini PCI-e card slots

 

Sitting here in Canada days away from purchasing an M1330... keeps my mind spinning... I wonder if we will have a similar deal...

 

Yes... Same Deal: http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1530?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs

 

The only Canadian configuration available on the LCD is Glossy, WXGA (1200 x 800)... brutal for a 15.4" IMO... makes the decision to go with the M1330 easy, especially since there is only a small price difference with similar settings/specs

 

Thanks for the news Jerry. I was under the impression that the M1530 was not going to include a 8600GT videocard option. Now that it is, it is going to much more competitive and attractive.

 

Indeed. About the only issue that makes the M1530 a little unattractive (for now) is that the WXGA (1200 x 800) screen is the only option until later this month/2008.

 

I wonder why they didn't do the LED-backlit screen. I was especially looking forward to more notebooks starting to appear with 15.4" LED-backlit screens.

-Zadillo

 

Perhaps they think LED-backlit screen is way too expensive to be used on 15.4" screen rather than on 13" screen. Oh great, at least Dell gives us 8600GT.

 

It is, in part, a matter of expense, but this is Dell's XPS line. The main reason there's no LED-backlit screen is the parts shortages we're seeing for LCDs.

Dell doesn't want another round of lengthy shipping delays like they experienced earlier this year with the M1330.

 

I think Jerry is right, they took a lot of grief over shipping delays with the M1330 and in order to avoid that going with the CCFL is the way to go. Also, with the CCFL you get the 2.0MP camera.

 

Now the question is whether the gfx card is gddr2 or gddr3. If it was 3, I would get this in a second.

 

Dell is claiming DDR3. That said, we didn't put that in our news because other manufacturers have "claimed" notebooks used DDR3 when they actually used DDR2 in the past.

If we can confirm the use of DDR3 when our review unit of the M1530 arrives we will mention DDR3 in the review.

 

*droooooools* Ah man, that'd be sweet if it was gddr3!!!!!!!

 

Blu-ray drive on a 15.4", not bad. Blu-ray drive on a 15.4" at 1280x800... pointless. Especially as a $500 upgrade.

Also, the Dell site only shows one monitor option right now, too. Sad panda.

 

Well, it does have HDMI out so you can connect it to your HDTV ... but, yes, it's a bum deal that the 1280 x 800 screen is the only option until late December or early 2008.

 

The hype over the XPS confuses me...I guess I'm missing something, because there are laptops out there with the same specs or better for cheaper...is it the aesthetics and thinness of the notebook that makes these thing popular?

 

yup... almost had me but for the screen... higher res, with LED, and I'm sold

 

Just as a heads up, if you want a screaming deal, the Inspiron dell coupons are working on the XPS M1530 right now. There's a $200 off $899+ and $300 off $1199+.

 

Is it a typo or not?

 

Nope, that's what Dell's official spec sheet listed.

If it's a typo, it's Dell's typo.

 

$500 for a blu-ray upgrade is obscene considering the fact that you can purchase a PS3 for $399...AND it has HDMI 1.3 (skeptical whether HDMI in laptops are even at 1.3 spec). Did I forget to mention that the PS3 blows the 8600GT (and this laptop) out of the water in terms of gaming?

But it's looking good - if the graphics is DDR3 confirmed, the WSXGA+ becomes available with LED backlighting, and more options become available this looks to be a nice deal. It would also be nice if Dell offers solid state drives as well but that's contingent with the rate of price decline for that hardware.

Is this laptop based on the new Santa Rosa platform? If so, why is Dell even offering the option for us to get an Intel -N wireless card?

 

it's a shame that so many sacrifices and so much money is necessary for a decent gaming laptop.
my solution?
get a cheap $600 laptop (Dell Vostro) and build your own desktop.
i just built a Quad Core 6600 with 4GB RAM, with an 8800GT and 1.5TB of HD for $900 on black friday deals!
that way, you spend the same as on a gaming laptop, yet you can get the best of both worlds.
a lighter laptop with onboard video and better battery life, and actually good gaming PC. an 8600 really isn't that good. not with crysis and Unreal Tournament 3

 

True, and it wouldn't be too bad as a portable Blu-ray player. Then again, it'd be cheaper to just buy the $400 PS3, get blu-ray and entire gaming system out of it. =P Not as portable, but they have some killer PS3 backpacks. Then you'd have both a nice 15.4" laptop along with a gaming system.

But seriously, I don't really see the HD-DVD/Blu-ray options in laptops working out well until they're a $150 to $200 upgrade. They'll take off then.

 

Now this sucker looked sweat. I can wait for WSXGA+. B)

 

The dell canada prices are crazy low right now which will definitely go up a lot soon...right now you can get the following for $1319.

T7250, 2gb ram, 120gb 7200rpm, 256mb 8600GT...even blu-ray was only $300 more but is kinda pointless because of the resolution.

 

Dell doesn't have 10/100/1000 LAN on consumer-oriented laptops anyway...only Latitudes and workstation models.
M1530 seems just like little stretched-out M1330 but then again, why change a winning formula.

 

Ugh, glossy TrueLife only. Damn you, Dell!

 

Sweet! The reason i didn't get the XPS 1330 even though it was sexy was because i was looking for a 15.4". Now Dell launches this, but I've already bought a laptop when i came to uni.

 

Wow, this thing is very cheap with the Inspiron coupons and $100 gift card.

Very tempting indeed.

 

this is what i'm struggling with right now. i know i could get a desktop with an 8800 gt for much cheaper but the thought of all those wires cluttering up my new home office is kind of a deal breaker (my desk sits in the middle of my office).

specs on this lappy looks kinda lame. the 8600 gt ddr3 is nice but that screen blows! that's some seriously low dots per square inch.

 

The 1530 is not meant to be a stand-alone gaming laptop and you really should not be looking to buy it as that. That should have been clear based on their 1330 model and how they distinguish between that and their 1700 "gaming" series and their purchase of Alienware.

Blu-Ray players, as is, are $400+and this one happens to be in a laptop. A blu-ray player isn't for your average computer buyer but for those with just the extra money to burn. Consider this: If you have a blu-ray player on a laptop, you're still watching a movie on a 15" monitor. If you have a TV worth watching a blu-ray movie, you probably have a PS3 anyways or a blu-ray player in your entertainment system. So a $100 discount on a $500 item is not obscene when you're paying as much for similar products that do a lot less. Keep in mind that it is also a BD burner.

The Rep I spoke with did not reveal any information on screen resolution, which sucks. Considering the screen res on other models, it would seem reasonable to expect the same maybe later.

People really shouldn't be treating this for what its not. Its light for its size, with a decent video card for mid-range gaming, and plenty of options for the price conscious. This isn't the Messiah of Laptops that is somehow supposed to deliver you to god.

 

This looks really nice, except that they aren't yet offering the higher-res display options. I'm disappointed that they dropped the LED backlighting option too. But it's nice that they were able to get the 8600M GT in there after all, and the pricing is pretty decent (except maybe for the Blu-Ray option).

 

Shucks.

It doesn't weigh four pounds.

Why doesn't anyone offer the T7300 these days? Yes the T7250 is pretty much the same thing, but still...

 

Guys,

I just talked with Dell online and they said that it is going to be a GDDR3 memory type for the 8600 GT on the the XPS m1530, with higher clocks comparing to the 8600 GT DDR2 of the inspiron 1520/1720.

There also will be a LED option very soon with up to 1680*1050 display.

 

Im about to pull the trigger but since there is no option for a higher res screen I think imma wait.

 

I've been waiting very patiently for this laptop and when it's finally announced, Dell greatly disappoints me. I could perhaps accept the no LED option if there's a HIGH-QUALITY LCD display but 1280x800 resolution is completely unacceptable. And I would assume it would be unacceptable to the majority of potential buyers.

 

Coupons don't work as mentioned previously...or is it just me?

 

Looking at the list of LCD options, it seems it uses same panels as 1520....For XPS, they do really need something better than that...

 

Hmm, interesting. Weight being 5.8lbs comes right where I expected it to (who the hell came up with the 4lbs thing? That part was doomed from the start...), and the weight and pricing puts it squarely in the range of the F8Sv, 810p, and T61p, which are all similarly powerful. The low res display kinda blows, but I can understand their decision to hold off on the higher res screens until the demand decreases due to the M1330 fiasco.

The good: 8600GT is a nice upgrade from the rumours that were specifying the GS. GDDR3 is better, but even if its DDR2, its fine regardless. The upgrade pricing is actually pretty reasonable, so long as you stay away from the higher end processors and RAM. Has pretty sleek styling, and a nice low starting price.

The bad: LED backlighting is AWOL, at any resolution. Its not actually that much different in style from the dv6500t, though the 8600GT is nice in essentially the same FF. The white colour was a bad idea in the first place. That nice low starting price jumps quickly once you add the necessary options like a 2GHz processor, 2GB memory, 160GB HDD, and 8600GT - and even more once the additional display options are added. With the 9 cell battery, its not really that light, and an MBP is a lot lighter. Now that we have mentioned the MBP, we might as well mention the fact that identically equipped, the M1530 isn't a whole lot cheaper. And the MBP is better in almost every way. The M1530 has eliminated the modem. I found that interesting, but it probably wasn't necessary to do so.

All in all, I'm not impressed. If I wanted a mobile gaming notebook, I'd get an F8Sv.

 

Yea 5.8 with 6-cell isn't anything groundbreaking, my laptop is 6.0 pounds with 6-cell. But considering this thing is running only $80 more than the inspiron 1520 with the same specs isn't it a steal? I mean I've never played with the 1330 but i've heard its build quality was awesome, those materials on a 15.4" shouldn't be coming in at this low a price i'd say.

 

Very interesting. It appears that Dell took the same approach as the M1330 instead of the "How-much-power-can-we-stuff-into-it" approach that the M1730 used.

Either way, it looks very appealing to me. To me, the lack of LED backlighting isn't such a bad thing, and I love the fact that WSXGA+ and 8600M-GT options will be available--options the HP Pavilions sorely lack.

 

Once 1680x1050 is offered I'm buying, the tough part will be the waiting. Would have been nice to have in time for Christmas at my parents. My Inspiron 8600 still plays WOW great but struggles with the newer games, which is to be expected. The XPS M1530 is what I've been waiting for as a replacement. I didn't like the current crop of "luggables" and the M1330 wouldn't have offered enough gaming prowess.

 

The M1530 seems great imo now I wish I had waited with my laptop purchase another 8 months lol.

 

This is the only reason I ordered it..........the coupon worked . I used the $300 off . If this coupon had not worked I would have waited for higher res.

Dell might still kick the order..........who knows

This is what I got..........I will upgrade the ram and the HD aftermarket.


1 223-3529 XPS M1530, Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB 2M L2 Cache) $761.71
1 313-5813 Crimson Red Casing With Microsatin Finish XPS M1530 $0.00
1 311-7820 1GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 320-6077 15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA TrueLife LCD with 2.0 MP Camera for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 420-7715 Camera Software XPS M1530 2.0MP $0.00
1 320-6082 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M G $0.00
1 341-5630 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 420-6813 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English $0.00
1 420-7590 Media Direct 3.3 $0.00
1 420-6995 DELL SUPPORT 3.4,DIM/INSP $0.00
1 420-5769 Internet Search and Portal $0.00
1 420-5924 Icon Consolidation Application $0.00
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp $0.00
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access $0.00
1 310-9764 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP, XPSM1530 $0.00
1 412-0946 Dell Travel ExpressCard Remote Control, IR $0.00
1 310-9246 Creative Earbud EP630 $0.00
1 412-0917 Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0, for Inspiron $0.00
1 313-5820 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPSM1530 $0.00
1 420-6464 Roxio Creator Basic $0.00
1 313-5014 Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy $0.00
1 430-2590 Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g Mini Card $0.00
1 410-1174 Trend Micro PC-cillin InternetSecurity, English, 15-Month Subscription $0.00
1 312-0638 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 312-0637 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery, for XPS M1530 $0.00
1 412-0148 No Internet Service Provider Requested $0.00
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested $0.00
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec $0.00
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty $0.00
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3 $0.00
1 960-8710 Warranty Support,Initial Year $0.00
1 986-5859 Thank you for choosing a Limited Warranty and Service Contract $.01
1 988-5607 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year $189.00
1 984-2350 Type 3- Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year $50.00
1 986-3557 LoJack Theft Recovery Service - 1 Year $49.99
1 430-2674 Auto/Air Combination Power Adapter, for XPS 1330 $48.40
1 430-2566 Dell Wirless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0+EDR) $14.89
1 310-8319 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor $.00
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System $.00
1 420-7091 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS $.00
1 420-7285 Datasafe Online 10GB,1 Year Free $.00
1 987-7449 XPS,Datasafe 10GB,1YR(Incl w/price) $0.00
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online $.00

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wtf...the inspiron coupon dont work no more!! I wonder if i call dell they will let me use it...? BTW does the fact that there is no LED backliting make much of a difference?

 

LED back lighting means that the screen will be brighter and it also has more contrast. In my opinion the extra $ for the LED screen is not worth it but to each their own I guess.

 

Well, it's closest compitor is (IMO) the Sony FZ, and that also only offers 1280x800. Still, I would much prefer to see a higher-res option.

Configured with Vista Premium and not accounting for the screen difference, it's about $500 cheaper than the base model MBP. And Dell includes a year of at-home service and LoJack protection. (And 256 MB video RAM, so if this is really GDDR3, maybe I should compare it to the higher-priced MBP instead.) Add another $100 or so if you were going to buy a copy of Windows for the Mac. I'd say that's significant.

Also significant is the fact that you don't have to spec it like the MBP. If you want to save more money, it's easy to find ways to do so: use wireless G instead of N, or get "only" a 2.0 GHz processor, or buy the RAM aftermarket and upgrade it.

Except for the number of USB ports (the M1530 has 3 USB ports vs. 2 on the MBP), Expresscard/54 slot (vs. 34), HDMI (vs. DVI, though I guess this one's debatable), media card slot, fingerprint reader, amount of video RAM (unless you want to compare to the more expensive MBP model), probably a better keyboard (in my opinion, assuming it's similar to the M1330 keyboard), Blu-Ray option, internal WWAN option, pricing, and configurability.

Of course, the MBP has some advantages too: LED-backlit WXGA+ screen, firewire 800, backlit keyboard, OS X support, weight, sleeker styling (IMO), MagSafe power cord, gigabit ethernet (the M1530 really should have had this one), and digital audio ports.

I'm not sure how battery life will compare.

Well, it's about time anyway.

Sure. Some people prefer a 15.4" screen though.

Wow... if you can really use a $300 off coupon, then this is even a much better deal than what I was saying.

 

u cant use it...i just spent an hour trying to convicne them to let me...they said it was a "glitch" in the system (****ing bull**** but w/e)

 

are you guys talking about the $300 off $1,199.00+ coupons or the 25%/50%/75% off coupons? cause I tried using the 25% (damn! I want a 50% or 75% coupon!) one and it seems to work.

 

Engadget: Dell's 15.4-inch XPS M1530 multimedia powerhouse available on-line -- starts at $999

Posted Nov 27th 2007 1:21AM by Thomas Ricker

Thar she blows! Dell's mysterious XPS M1530 is up live and dancing on Dell's Singapore site. With any luck, she'll be struttin' that 15.4-inch, 1440 x 900 CCFL (not LED-backlit) display, HDMI-out and optional slot-loading Blu-ray Disc and 64GB SSD Stateside by morning. This XPS powerhouse packs up to a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo T7800 processor, 256MB of NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics, 4GB DDR2 memory, and either a 7200RPM 200GB or 5400RPM 320GB SATA disk. Rounding things out are 802.11n WiFi (with built-in WiFi catcher), Bluetooth 2.0, 2 megapixel webcam, and optional HSDPA or EVDO cards. It's even sporting a panel of touch-sensitive, capacitive controls for your media. Thing is, that rumored 4-pound weight is 5.78-pounds in reality -- more if you opt for the 9-cell battery. Still, that weight was always a bit too good to be true for a fully-spec'd, 15-inch laptop.

Update: Ooops, the Singapore site is down (gone?). No worries, the site is up in Germany, France, and the UK.

Update 2: Dell's US site is now hot. Prices start at $999 for the "good" configuration on up to $1,499 for "best." Oh my, and the display has been rolled back to just 1,280 x 800. Why so stingy with the pixels Dell?

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/27/dells-15-4-inch-xps-m1530-powerhouse-available-on-line/