Advice needed: Inspiron 8500? Latitude D800? Something entirely different?

[ghostoast]

Hi, I was wondering if I might get a little advice from you fine chaps here.

I'm going to be working in Japan for a couple of years, and I'd like to bring a laptop with me. I'm a gamer and a recent graduate, so I'm looking for a reasonably priced Windows laptop, in the $1500 - 1800 range, that can give me some decent video performance. I'd also like something reliable, as I'll be out of the country and I imagine it'll be quite a headache to try and get support or replacements while in Japan.

I've read the excellent D800 review by cpkim on this forum, but I'm not sure if I want to dip into the $2100+ range yet unless absolutely necessary. Would it be a good idea to save some money and get the Inspiron 8500 instead?

Also, the stories about monitor, keyboard, heat, noise, and general construction problems associated with Dell laptops intimidate me -- would it be a better idea to forget about them entirely? If so, I'd be most grateful if anyone could name some other recommended notebooks.

Thanks!

 

[jonah255]

PowerNotebooks
This outfit appears to offer some real mean desktop replacement, 8500 alternatives. And they have a gorgeous reseller rating:
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller_info.pl?seller_id=1980 . .

 

[ghostoast]

Thanks for the tip!

Powerbooks does seem to have a nice selection, competitive prices, and an excellent reputation. I think I've narrowed down my candidates to the PowerPro C 3:16 ULTRA ( http://www.powernotebooks.com/specials.php3?model_id=265 ) , Compaq's Presario x1000, and the Inspiron 8500. They're all around the $1600 range, which is good.

Though I'd like to buy from Powerbooks, so far it looks like the Compaq's in the lead because it has a better video card (M9200 vs M9000) and better display (15.4" WUXGA vs 15" SXGA) than the PowerPro for a better price (with 10% off coupon and rebate). Also, it doesn't seem to carry the stigma that the Inspiron 8500 does as far as construction goes, but that might just be because it's too new? I'm going to drive out and handle one myself to try and see.

If anyone else has any more suggestions, they're very welcome to share!

 

[Sinestr]

I have bought 3 laptops from this company and will buy my next when the time comes. Because I am a gamer and I need the most powerful laptop out there with the most power in the video subsystem. These are it. 128mb or ram on the ATI 9000 is more then enough for any game and the configurations you can get in their laptops you cannot get anywhere else. They are some of the fastest and most reliable I have seen. I have the 5660, 8887 and the new 8890 when it comes out. Check them out and see if you can find a 3.06ghz with any other laptop. And if you can, do the comparrison where you configure Powernotebooks and the other and see if you do not get more for your money. I have done it. I was going to buy a Dell Inspirion 8200 but decided after seeing what power had decided to go with them.
I guess the most important part of buying anything that has a high dollar value is customer service. Powernotebooks has a 9.8 out of 10 on Resellerrating.com. Check it out. The exceed normal customer satisfaction by leaps and bounds. If I was going to drop over 1500-3000 dollars on a computer I would check out all my options, and see who gives the most for the money and the best customer satisfaction. www.powernotebooks.com

 

[ghostoast]

Sinestr,

Right. I know what you mean; really, I'd very much like to buy from them for all the reasons you give. The 8887 is really very attractive to me as a gamer, but I'm probably going to be spending a fair amount of time computing, and possibly gaming, on trains and away from power sources, so I think I'll need a notebook with a PentiumM to ensure I can get as much battery life as possible. I could buy a second battery for the 8887, but I really don't have that much money to spend, and I'd like to keep the weight down as I travel.

So that only really leaves me with either the PowerPro C 3:16 or the PowerPro M 5:16, which are both very nice, but seem to fall behind the Compaq x1000 in the categories I listed earlier. So now it's a question of quality of materials and support / ease of mind VS moderately better video, display, and price. I'm still thinking about it, and I'll probably go and handle a x1000 myself to see how it feels.

Thanks for the input though! All of the testimonials I'm hearing really do impress, and I'd be all over an 8887 if I battery life wasn't so important.

 

[351Cleveland]

I just bought a customized Presario x1000 yesterday. I have yet to receive it obviously.

for $1514 (after mail in rebates of $100 for the computer and $50 for the floppy)..

Presario X1000 Intel + $100 MIR + Free Ship
- Intel Pentium-M 1.4GHz
- XP Home Operating System.
- MS Works/Money/Encarta.
- 15.4 inch WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050)
- 128MB DDR SDRAM (gonna get to 512MB on my own.. its cheaper)
- 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9200
- 40GB 4200RPM HDD
- DVD-CDRW Drive
- Built in 56K modem+10/100 LAN (gonna get wireless set-up on my own, I want the modem for travel)
- High capacity 8 cell LiION
- 3-year damage protection (the "feed it to your dog on accident and we will replace it" warranty)
- USB floppy drive $50 rebate (floppy cost $50, MIR for $50.... free floppy drive)!

Keep in mind that $350 of the above price was the upgraded warranty... without the warranty it would have been more like $1199 after rebates. Addthe $120ish for wireless network (after rebates) and the $60 or so for RAM and for about $1400 you get a solid laptop with wireless! It obviously has room for upgrades in the harddrive arena, and I THINK the video card and processor can be swapped out (maybe for a 2.0Ghz later in life and a Radeon 9600 when it comes out).

 

[351Cleveland]

Hmmmm... I wish I had seen them before... it would have been interesting to talk to them. I still think I am gonna be good to go with my Compaq x1000, but I only really had 2 other alternatives to it (the D800 and the 8500, but price and/or battery life and/or options prevented me). I think there are enough positive reviews here to justify the purchase

PS: I just configured a laptop from Powernotebooks.com, and for the same (as close as I can get) set-up as what I got from Compaq, it costs me $1870. Granted, with this I get a cool carrying case, more RAM, and some nifty software, but for the money... I dunno... hwo good is their customer service again?

 

[fs5]

I have a 8500 and the only thing I like about it is the screen so far. I have had it for about 3 days now. The keyboard is seriously soft and feels like crap. On the dell forums they said there will be a fix for it 7/1, mine was built 6/30, and you have to send the laptop in. I'm not sure if this is the new keyboard or the old keyboard everybody is complaining about. If it's the new fixed keyboard, dell is in serious trouble.

Otherwise the 8500 is a very good desktop replacement. Not a laptop because of it's size though.