Anyone received a new Centrino laptop yet?

[dew042]

I set up a toshiba centrino the other day and it was surprisingly quick. faster than most desktops i setup....

though i think most folks don't yet understand what makes a centrino a centrino yet

1 - Pentium M cpu 2 - Intel's chipset 3 - Intels wireless solution

so if you want to save yourself the extra money that getting the name 'centino' costs there are computers with just pentium M chips in them already.... thats the real technology increase....


dew.

 

[IgoByte]

Originally posted by: gordita
just ordered the most expensive IBM T40.
but I don't think i'm gonna get it for a month or so...

Sweet! I'll wait until they're available so I can check it out at a local store...

 

[OdieXPC]

Just picked up an IBM X31 (ultralight Centrino) notebook. IBM had a 10% deal that ended 3/31.

The X31 starts at $1500 for a Centrino 1.3, and has a 40GB 5400RPM option, both rare for an ultralight.

 

[GizmoFreak]

Originally posted by: dew042
I set up a toshiba centrino the other day and it was surprisingly quick. faster than most desktops i setup....

though i think most folks don't yet understand what makes a centrino a centrino yet

1 - Pentium M cpu 2 - Intel's chipset 3 - Intels wireless solution

so if you want to save yourself the extra money that getting the name 'centino' costs there are computers with just pentium M chips in them already.... thats the real technology increase....


dew.

From what I noticed, most vendors seem to charge less for the Centrino package than the Pentium-M with a third party wireless card (usually of g, a/b, or a/g variety).

 

[Derango]

Got my 600m today. Going to play around with it when I get home

 

[GizmoFreak]

To those that have received their Inspiron 600m's:

I've been hearing that the chassis, while nice looking, is somewhat flimsy. Especially the part over the LCD. I've heard that pressing, even lightly, behind the LCD will distort it. And I've even heard you shouldn't pick up the laptop with one hand as it seems to bend the LCD half of the chassis. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Shademeister]

Well, when you press behind the screen, it would say it could distort, but I've never wanted to try and distort my screen. As for the chassis feeling flimsy, nah, it feels pretty solid, actually. One thing that I wish I had personally is Bluetooth. I ordered mine on the 14th, and Dell didn't have an option for Bluetooth on the website. I wonder if I can get it later? I would assume it's an addon for the mobo?

 

[GizmoFreak]

I've heard even light pressing, such as when one adjusts the LCD angle, can distort the screen. While this really isn't that big a deal now, you have to wonder how long such a flimsy chassis will hold up through a year or two of use. I imagine most people purchasing a Centrino laptop will be taking it around quite often so it's bound to experience many minor bumps and bruises.

 

[Shademeister]

Well, that is a good point. I used to work for Gateway before I got the nice desk-job I have now , and I did see a few of the 53XX models with screens that would wobble, some would even fall back down on the chassis. Hope mine doesn't do that!

 

[GizmoFreak]

Not as much worried about the wobble as the chassis being unable to sufficiently protect the LCD.

 

[Bloodstein]

Hmn....this is interesting....I wuz contemplating on getting the 600m (when it eventually reaches here in NZ). In terms of physical stability what would the rating be (on a scale of 1 to 10)? Cuz I plan on keeping my laptop for a while, when I purchase one, and so i really need it to be stable.

 

[GizmoFreak]

Ok, I finally got my hands on a Dell Inspiron 600m. I have to say that my first impression is a bit lukewarm. The build quality is a bit suspect. It basically feels like the Inspiron 4150 to me. If you thought that had good enough build quality, then you'll be pleased with the 600m, which is slightly better. But if you're used to ThinkPad sturdiness, you'll be a bit disappointed. The LCD half of the chassis has a bit of flex but is not as bad as some reports. It does feel a bit wobbly/flimsy when setting at a desired angle however. And I would recommend ever placing anything more than a pound on top of this laptop when closed.

The screen is great. Very bright Keyboard feels very much like the 4150 as well. Touchpad is fine but the touchpad buttons feel a bit cheap and plasticky. I haven't been able to test out wireless reception or battery life yet. Computer feels zippy enough in general use. Haven't tried anything taxing yet.

This was a 1.3 Centrino, 32MB Radeon 9000, 256MB, Combo Drive, 40GB model.

 

[WarmAndSCSI]

Originally posted by: Beefy
Ha, sux to your I600m's, I decided to get the credit-line cranking and ordered the T800 on Thursday

Pentium-M 1.4GHz
512MB RAM (2x 256)
40GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
NVidia GeForce Go 4200 64MB DDR
15.4" Wide Aspect WXGA Screen - WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!
Intel Wireless 802.11 Networking

I seriously can't wait for this machine, its really gonna help out with my computer animation workload. My only regret is that I didnt get the 1.6GHz because they only offer that speed with the 15.4" UXGA screen and between the two, that was a $600 canadian upgrade

I'll let you guys know bout it when it gets here, supposed to be on rush delivery (10 day) so me hopes soon

The Dell Inspiron 600m and Latitude D600 both have 5,400 RPM HDD options. That WXGA screen isn't near as sharp as a typical 14.1" SXGA+ LCD unless it's a WUXGA model.

And why do people make such a big deal over a 200 MHz difference. I seriously doubt there's even a noticable difference between the Centrino 1.4 and the 1.6.

 

[Derango]

Hey, you're the unhappy camper from the dell forums right? Didn't know you posted over here.

my 600m is here. The buld quality is nice. The plastic feels very solid. I couldn't be happier with it. Screen is great, batteries last for about 3-3.5 hours (I was playing simcity 4 for half of that). Wireless reception is good for me (I'm getting an excellent class connection everywhere in my house)