Team-BHP > Shifting gears > Gadgets, Computers & Software
Register New Topics New Posts Top Thanked Team-BHP FAQ


Reply
  Search this Thread
1,968,950 views
Old 28th February 2009, 10:07   #1591
Team-BHP Support
 
navin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 25,421
Thanked: 9,998 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by devarshi84 View Post
2. Not really. I would have said yes maybe for 8gb but 6gb is not that great upgrade over 4gb for $250.
3. Probably the home repair service. In Care value you need to send in the notebook I suppose.
ok so 4GB and Ultimate it is.
funny but their Care Value costs more than their In-home (after) Remote (diagnosis) Warranty.

so the option that makes sense is this one
XPS 1330 Pink/Blue, Vista Ultimate SP1, 3 Year InHome-Remote Warranty, 4GB RAM $2069

OK?
navin is offline  
Old 28th February 2009, 12:32   #1592
Senior - BHPian
 
madan80's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Posts: 1,358
Thanked: 82 Times

i dont think the US prices will hold in India. Check Dell's India site Learn about Dell's notebooks, laptops, desktops, monitors, printers plus computer electronics & accessories. before finalizing. Look at the Toshiba and Acer. There are some really good deals with thm, and they are agressivly looking at pushing into the market.

If you are looking at a Dell, i would not recommend the Inspiron, but a Vostro. The Vostro is for the SMB market, and the service support is much faster. Inspiron being targeted at home users, falls to the back f the queue for support.

I would also recommend a downgrade license, which you can downgrade to XP from Vista. This would be nice considering your wife is looking at Photoshop & Music at the same time.

have made a rough config - dunno if i can attach the same. cant seem to upload it.. am copy pasting config here.

Base System:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4
GHz, 3MB Cache, 800 MHz FSB)
V1510T8300

Genuine Windows Vista(R) Business with
Windows(R) XP Professional Preinstalled

Microsoft Software:
Microsoft(R) Office Home & Student 2007
OEM Version

LCD Panel:
15.4" Widescreen WXGA (1280x800) TFT
Display

4GB ( 2 X 2048MB ) 800MHz Dual Channel
DDR2 SDRAM

Hard Drive:
250GB (5400 RPM) SATA Hard Drive

with integrated webcam and the NBD Onsite support.

Last edited by madan80 : 28th February 2009 at 12:46.
madan80 is offline  
Old 28th February 2009, 16:00   #1593
BHPian
 
sai_ace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CBE-BLR-MAS
Posts: 444
Thanked: 779 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by anupmathur View Post
Sai_ace, I can only comment about this part of your query. (I have no idea about the warranty issues with Dell).

You will benefit greatly by having another partition. All important data (pics, music, documents etc..) should be stored in the non-system drive. If your system drive gets badly hit by a virus and you are unable to boot, you might need to do a recovery or a fresh install of the OS.
This will involve loss of all your data stored in C.
If you regularly back up your important files to drive D or E or whatever you name it, such data will not get lost.
However, a physical crash of the HDD will mean losing EVERYTHING! Advisable to maintain backup on another physical HDD or on optical discs.
Thanks anup! wil contact the dell customer care for the warranty implications. Any idea how to partition the discs?

Quote:
Originally Posted by navin View Post

we came up with 4 options all with 256GB SSD, 9 cell battery, Dell Qflix DVD drive
Navin,

having an XPS myself, there is a lot to be desired on the build quality of the laptop. It just does not feel as solid as an HP or Sony. I got my 1530 in India itself but maybe its better in US. And also having a nine cell battery may help with longer hours, but the laptop becomes bulky and and battery themselves feel flimsy.

But then, with the added height of the laptop thanks to the 9cell, you do get some gap between the bottom of the laptop and the surface it is placed upon which aids the ventilation.

cheers!
sai

PS: all opinions based on XPS1530. not 1330.
sai_ace is offline  
Old 28th February 2009, 17:18   #1594
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 3,095
Thanked: 311 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by sai_ace View Post
Any idea how to partition the discs?
Sai_ace, if you have empty space to the extent of the partition size you want, it would be very easy to use the disc management utility built into the OS.

Otherwise, disc partitions can be created with third party softwares like Partition Magic or Acronis. And there are many more.
anupmathur is offline  
Old 28th February 2009, 17:54   #1595
Senior - BHPian
 
devarshi84's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ahmedabad - Tor
Posts: 4,024
Thanked: 213 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by sai_ace View Post
having an XPS myself, there is a lot to be desired on the build quality of the laptop. It just does not feel as solid as an HP or Sony. I got my 1530 in India itself but maybe its better in US. And also having a nine cell battery may help with longer hours, but the laptop becomes bulky and and battery themselves feel flimsy.

But then, with the added height of the laptop thanks to the 9cell, you do get some gap between the bottom of the laptop and the surface it is placed upon which aids the ventilation.

cheers!
sai

PS: all opinions based on XPS1530. not 1330.
that's one of the firsts I have heard about XPS quality. My Compaq Charger and My friends Dell XPS 1725 charger are the same and built at the same place. Except that the XPS is supposed to be a premium brand with a dedicated call center. If you get a lemon, return it and get a new one. you are entitled to that much service atleast for the premium brand and price you pay.

My friend got his XPS replaced twice in 3 years which basically means he is using his laptop investment in his 5th year.

Now I am not supposed to divulge how I know so much about dell.
devarshi84 is offline  
Old 1st March 2009, 00:52   #1596
Team-BHP Support
 
navin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 25,421
Thanked: 9,998 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by madan80 View Post
i dont think the US prices will hold in India.
If you are looking at a Dell, i would not recommend the Inspiron, but a Vostro.
I would also recommend a downgrade license, which you can downgrade to XP from Vista. This would be nice considering your wife is looking at Photoshop & Music at the same time..
we were planning to get it fro the US - they have more options there. I dont think they offer the 256GB SSD in India

The laptop must be under 4lbs. We started out considering the Mac Air with iLife.

Why downgrade? I thought Vista was stable after SP1.

Quote:
Originally Posted by devarshi84 View Post
that's one of the firsts I have heard about XPS quality.
Now I am not supposed to divulge how I know so much about dell.
So do you still recommend Dell? or XPS?
navin is offline  
Old 1st March 2009, 01:04   #1597
Senior - BHPian
 
devarshi84's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ahmedabad - Tor
Posts: 4,024
Thanked: 213 Times

Yes Vista is stable after Sp 1 and your laptop also has enough memory to take care of the extra strength needed to run it.

I would suggest you stick to your decision. XPS M1330 is a great product. Do select the WLED display option with Draft-N wireless.

Last edited by devarshi84 : 1st March 2009 at 01:08.
devarshi84 is offline  
Old 1st March 2009, 08:57   #1598
Team-BHP Support
 
navin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 25,421
Thanked: 9,998 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by devarshi84 View Post
I would suggest you stick to your decision. XPS M1330 is a great product. Do select the WLED display option with Draft-N wireless.
ok what protection plan (warranty plan) should I get so that my wife gets attention of DELL India?

the WLED display with VGA camera is better than the standard display and 2MP camera? I know it is thinner, lighter and nicer looking but is it better?

What is Draft N wireless? I thought all laptops have 802.11g built in. Do you mean 802.11n? Good idea as we will eventually get a 802.11n router.


My wife's usage:
1. She writes short stories for kids so she needs Word Doc.
2. She catalogues our home pics and AVCHD movies so she needs Adobe Premier and Photoshop (Sony's Vegas and Pinnacle's Studio 11 plus software need more hardware than Adobe)..
3. She Skypes with her sister and my sister who live outside India.
4. She make small presentations for kids embedding photos into powerpoint.
5. She needs superb portability (think "light") so she can work anywhere.The Vostro 13" is too heavy. So think sub 4 lbs. One reason we are looking at a 256GB SSD technology.
6. She she writes when inspiration hits she needs a fast boot time. Second reason we are looking at 256 GB SSD technology.

We started with the MacBook Air then looked at Sony which was to expensive (more than Air) and now looking at the XPS 1330 in pink.

BTW dont you need a 64bit OS to address more than 3GB? I thought the 32bit OSes couddl only address 3072MB (3GB)?

Last edited by navin : 1st March 2009 at 09:00.
navin is offline  
Old 1st March 2009, 10:55   #1599
BHPian
 
Raja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Pune
Posts: 419
Thanked: 70 Times

Navin, not quite sure what your budget is, but have a look at the Samsung range of laptops:
notebook SAMSUNG
The X360 and X460 are great lightweight notebooks.
Raja is offline  
Old 1st March 2009, 14:16   #1600
BHPian
 
sai_ace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CBE-BLR-MAS
Posts: 444
Thanked: 779 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by devarshi84 View Post
that's one of the firsts I have heard about XPS quality. My Compaq Charger and My friends Dell XPS 1725 charger are the same and built at the same place. Except that the XPS is supposed to be a premium brand with a dedicated call center. If you get a lemon, return it and get a new one. you are entitled to that much service atleast for the premium brand and price you pay.

My friend got his XPS replaced twice in 3 years which basically means he is using his laptop investment in his 5th year.

Now I am not supposed to divulge how I know so much about dell.
Hmmm. I would call it a lemon if the machine has some problems w.r.t the functions right? I dont know how one could possibly exchange on the basis of build quality? Also, I havent seen any other xps1530 to compare with :(.

The laptop otherwise functions brilliantly.
sai_ace is offline  
Old 1st March 2009, 20:57   #1601
Senior - BHPian
 
devarshi84's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ahmedabad - Tor
Posts: 4,024
Thanked: 213 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by navin View Post
ok what protection plan (warranty plan) should I get so that my wife gets attention of DELL India?

the WLED display with VGA camera is better than the standard display and 2MP camera? I know it is thinner, lighter and nicer looking but is it better?

What is Draft N wireless? I thought all laptops have 802.11g built in. Do you mean 802.11n? Good idea as we will eventually get a 802.11n router.


My wife's usage:
1. She writes short stories for kids so she needs Word Doc.
2. She catalogues our home pics and AVCHD movies so she needs Adobe Premier and Photoshop (Sony's Vegas and Pinnacle's Studio 11 plus software need more hardware than Adobe)..
3. She Skypes with her sister and my sister who live outside India.
4. She make small presentations for kids embedding photos into powerpoint.
5. She needs superb portability (think "light") so she can work anywhere.The Vostro 13" is too heavy. So think sub 4 lbs. One reason we are looking at a 256GB SSD technology.
6. She she writes when inspiration hits she needs a fast boot time. Second reason we are looking at 256 GB SSD technology.

We started with the MacBook Air then looked at Sony which was to expensive (more than Air) and now looking at the XPS 1330 in pink.

BTW dont you need a 64bit OS to address more than 3GB? I thought the 32bit OSes couddl only address 3072MB (3GB)?
Warranty plan is a personal preference but my suggestion is this. If paying from personal expenses stick to a basic 3 year warranty, otherwise go wild and get the best warranty available.

WLED is an overall better technology than CCFL backlighting. power, contrast, colours, weight, batterylife, viewing angles etc etc. The downside will be the price as the manufacturers have just embraced this technology.

Draft N is the successor of g standards of wireless. Yes you need a Draft N router but having a Draft N card will just futureproof your pc.

SSD beats HDD by most ways and is a great option but do compute the price difference between 128gb and 256gb. If its huge, better get an external hard drive.
devarshi84 is offline  
Old 2nd March 2009, 21:06   #1602
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sydney / Secunderabad
Posts: 277
Thanked: 14 Times

I have a budget of around 30-35k for a laptop for my parents.The usage is going be minimal such as Microsoft Word,Internet browsing etc.

Which is the best model in this price range?Would prefer the Laptop to have a webcam,Wifi and good connectivity options.

Thanks

D.V.R
D.V.R is online now  
Old 2nd March 2009, 21:11   #1603
BANNED
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NA
Posts: 513
Thanked: 5 Times

Try a Compaq Dual Core, it would come around 30K & suffice for the requirements.
bhp1 is offline  
Old 2nd March 2009, 21:40   #1604
Senior - BHPian
 
harry10's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Faridabad/Delhi
Posts: 2,743
Thanked: 4,108 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by D.V.R View Post
I have a budget of around 30-35k for a laptop for my parents.The usage is going be minimal such as Microsoft Word,Internet browsing etc.

Which is the best model in this price range?Would prefer the Laptop to have a webcam,Wifi and good connectivity options.

Thanks

D.V.R
Check out Inspiron series from Dell as well. My friend uses it. Quiet nice and reliable and also within your budget.
harry10 is offline  
Old 3rd March 2009, 01:52   #1605
Senior - BHPian
 
devarshi84's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ahmedabad - Tor
Posts: 4,024
Thanked: 213 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by D.V.R View Post
I have a budget of around 30-35k for a laptop for my parents.The usage is going be minimal such as Microsoft Word,Internet browsing etc.

Which is the best model in this price range?Would prefer the Laptop to have a webcam,Wifi and good connectivity options.

Thanks

D.V.R
If not CARRYING around then look at the Dell Inspiron 1530. Should be about 35-36. Much better than compaq Counterparts.

Strict advice. Stay away from Acer. Not everyone has been having good ownership reviews. I was in Bestbuy the other day and they had 14 Acer units returned for issues. And this is not a one time issue.
devarshi84 is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed


Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks