outlet e4300 - better options?

Test

 

preface:
i'm about to purchase (hopefully this week) my first notebook. instead of ressurecting old threads, i'm starting a new one with a similar purpose. since i last posted i've narrowed my search further, and refined my interests. thanks in advance for you help!

summary:
i'm looking for a simple, black 13 or 14" notebook with good sound, bright display, a matte screen and matte touchpad. width and weight make little difference to me, and i won't be playing games, so i need either integrated or switchable graphics to preserve battery life. it'll be used mostly on the road for internet use, reading pdfs, music and watching video files (dvd a plus but not necessary). i like the look of a business notebook, but has to meet the above requirements.

i would really like something with a perforated (inverted nub) touchpad like the hp tx series or the asus k series, but i've yet to find anything priced reasonably (can't justify spendin thousands on a voodoopc notebook, but i do like the design).

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General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$750-$1000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

13 or 14"

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

united states

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

no preference. first notebook purchase.

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

mostly internet, reading text, movies and music.. no gaming.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

my desktop serves me quite well at home, so this will be mostly to take out with me.. work, travel, etc.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?

monkey island

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

would like to make it through a 4-5 hour flight without having to switch batteries.

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?

no preference.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

i use vista at home, and have no problems with it.

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

this is my first notebook purchase, so not quite sure. i use fairly low res at home. going to be watching movies on a small screen, though.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

preferably something bright and matte, for visibility in public places.

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

very. square, black, minimal, and classy. solid / well constructed. will bend a bit, but won't buy anything that looks cheap (i like the look of current sagers and hp probooks).

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

i'd like to purchase one within the next couple of days to a week, and i'd like it to last a few years (5?).

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

i'd like to store some movies and music, but not a ton, because i have a desktop for that. maybe 250 or 320?

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

again not necessary but wouldn't mind just a simple dvd or cdrw / dvd drive.

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thanks once again!
matt 004

 

E4300 seems like a good match for your needs. Only downsides are that the 6 cell battery sticks out a lot and the screen doesn't have high contrast.

If you go up to 14" Dell E6400 or Lenovo T400 you gain a lot of weight.

There are great deals on the E4200, a very nice and portable laptop only weighing 1 kg. But the hard drive options are not big enough for your needs.

 

E4300 speakers are terrible though, unless you plan on wearing ear/headphones all the time.

 

thanks Phil and others for all your help thus far. i guess what i'm looking for is a business notebook with good sound.. or an multimedia notebook with poor graphics

the e6400 seems to get better reviews than the 4300, most notably on the screen. currently what i'm leaning toward.

http://notebookreview-cnet.com.com/...aptop/4505-3121_7-33200149.html?tag=pdtl-list

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4645

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4586

Pros

* Excellent display (LED backlit WXGA+ option)
* Very rugged build
* Good performance
* Up to about 6 hours light usage with a 6 cell battery
* Cool and quiet, except under heavy load when the fan runs fast
* Easy access to most components

Cons

* Overweight
* Big standard power brick (what happened to the new E series slim 90W PSU?)
* BIOS does not make proper use of the optional slim 65W PSU
* Poor quality audio from the surprisingly small speakers hiding behind those big grilles
* Overweight (yes, I said it twice)


seems to be exactly what i'm looking for, minus the poor sound. again, weight and width are of little significance. perhaps headphones it is? any other suggestions?

 

Dell Vostro 1320 has matte display option too. It's all black.

 

minus the speakers, i think the e6400 is going to suit my needs just fine. plus, it has a backlit keyboard. however, a reasonably configured model is going to run about $1240, which is a little over budget. any suggestions on that? there's no price difference downgrading the processor, and i'd like to keep the memory and hard drive as it is.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...cs=04&kc=productdetails~laptop_latitude_e6400

+79 for WXGA+
+90 for 2 DIMM 4GB
+85 for 250GB 7200RPM
+40 for 5300 mini card
+19 for fingerprint reader
+69 for 9-celll

PROCESSOR
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.40GHz, 3M L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM
Genuine Windows Vista Business Bonus-Windows XP Professional downgrade
LCD PANEL
14.1" UltraSharp™ WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display - Brush Metal Black
WARRANTY & SERVICE
3 Year Limited Warranty and 3 Year Mail-in Service
GRAPHICS AND EXPANSION SLOT
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD With PC-Card
MEMORY
4.0GB, DDR2-800 SDRAM, 2 DIMMS
CAMERA/MICROPHONE
Digital Microphone
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
No Intel® vPro™ Secure Advanced Hardware Enabled Systems Management
PRIMARY STORAGE
250GB Hard Drive, 7200RPM with Free Fall Sensor
WI-FI WIRELESS CARD
Intel® WiFi Link 5300 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card
MODEM
No Modem
FINGERPRINT READER OPTION
Internal Fingerprint Reader
BACKUP OS DRIVERS AND SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION
Resource DVD - Contains Diagnostics and Drivers edit
My Accessories
BATTERY 9 Cell Battery
My Services & Warranties
ON-SITE SYSTEM SETUP
No Onsite System Setup
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
INTERNAL KEYBOARD
Internal English Backlit Keyboard
OPTICAL DRIVE
8X DVD+/-RW w/Roxio and Cyberlink PowerDVD™

 

Option a) Try the outlet.

Option B) do the upgrades of hard drive and memory yourself and save a lot of money.

 

i've always been more the 'have someone else build it' type, and there's currently nothing 'as new' in the outlet with just the right specs. i'm going to give it a few more days until i decide, but i'm eaither going to try and upgrade the memory and hard drive myself, or simply bite the bullet and spend the extra few hundred.

i unfortunately just now saw there were dell latitude coupons that just expired a few days ago. does anyone know of any current or upcoming sales / discounts? a 10% or so would be perfect. thanks again for the help!

 

The outlet coupons will supposedly be back June 3rd, if you don't mind waiting (hopefully it's going to be at least 15%).

 

just saw a new coupon code on twitter..

20% off any Dell Outlet Latitude™ Laptop or Tablet PC. Enter code PHTK5R655CZZWX at checkout at http://bit.ly/BGOzL - exp 6/1/09

..so i bagged myself a new e6400.
i'll upgrade the ram to 4gb myself. only complaint is the 6-cell battery. anyone know of any cheaper was to obtain one? (regularly 179)


Latitude E6400 Laptop:
Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz, 3M L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Documentation
Service Software
8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
No Modem
No Fingerprint Reader
Back-lit Keyboard
Operating System DVD
14.1 inch UltraSharp WXGA+ LED Display
Brushed Metal Black
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (1 DIMMs)
90W AC Adapter
NO Intel vPro Secure Advanced Hardware Enabled Systems Management
Previously Ordered New
125V Power Cord
No Camera
Resource DVD
Dell Control Point software
Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD With PC-Card
6 Cell Primary Battery
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card
Genuine Windows XP Pro with Vista Business License
250 GB Free Fall Sensor Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Roxio Creator
Lat E6400: 3Yr Basic Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service (Included In Price)
TOTAL: $687.20


grand total with tax was about $735. similar configuration was going to run me close to $1200. quite pleased. thanks everyone for your help!

 

Nice deal you got there.

Ebay is good for batteries.

 

thanks for the tip. seems to be some posted for around half the price.