Between IBM and Dell...

[simms]

Looking to spend around $1000-1100 on a laptop from either Dell (massive sales discounts) or IBM (solid build and quality).

Minimium requirements are that it must have wireless, preferably Centrino processor. I will upgrade the memory anyways, so that doesn't matter.

I'm not sure what to get. T43 is a bit pricey. The R series from IBM is kinda low-end and the X/Z series are too expensive.

The Inspirons are in my price range but I don't know about the quality of them. Recommendations? I WAS looking at the 700m but the keyboard is smaller than normal ones. T43 looks amazing but is a bit out of my budget as a university student. 600m is being phased out, and 6000/9300 looks too big to carry to and from school (1 hour commute both ways).

I am LOOKING to hold off until next summer when Longhorn comes out so I can buy a laptop with it preloaded. Please help.

 

[macwinlin]

I don't know if you can get the Dell Latitudes since they are for businesses, but I would look for that in addition to the Inspiron series.

Have you tried looking on eBay for the Thinkpads too?

 

[simms]

Originally posted by: macwinlin
I don't know if you can get the Dell Latitudes since they are for businesses, but I would look for that in addition to the Inspiron series.

Have you tried looking on eBay for the Thinkpads too?

Latitudes are nice, but there are never any deals on for them, so Inspirons would probably be the better choice.

For high-ticket items I would like to avoid eBay and instead buy from a store. The hassle of bidding on a laptop with a lack of warranty or support is enough to deter me from buying from eBay (although I deal plenty on eBay, see sig).

 

[macwinlin]

It's pretty hard to get a T-series notebook at that price unless you look at older models, or you know someone in IBM/Lenovo's EPP. But with those models, they just have basic features, unless that's what you only need. And most of them will probably require you to upgrade the warranty as a lot of them have 1 yr. warranties. You'll most likely get more for your money by going with a Dell Inspiron.

 

[fbrdphreak]

IBM Certified Used

 

[The Linuxator]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
IBM Certified Used

Certefied IBMs are nice deals, also check out IBM's Thinkpad 13-th anvirsary sale link some nice deals on the T-series, and OP I spotted you saying that the R-series is low end, I think that is presompteous of you, the same way I thought about my R50e but when I ordered it and took a look myself,what is missing from it is the stuff that only hardcore business men would need, I mean what is missing is the fingerprint reader, an IR port, plus it's made out of ABS instead of composite material, the Thinkpad in my sig I got for $ 849, the same config but in a T-series costs $ 600 dollars more!!

I was going to order a T43 / 2 but I said to myself, I am a student still, and that's $ 600 I can put in my pocket instead of blowing it on some sweet composite material goodness, but you know what that $ 600 is going to stay there untill I am comfortable enough after graduation then at that moment I will bust out the big green dollars for a top of the line T series(and hopefully by then they still don't have a window key), but believe me whne I say this, the R50e is awesome for the money, I promise you there isn't a Dell laptop that you can lay your hands on for $ 849, that will have the same quality , manfacturer support, multi OS support, durability nor build quality same as my Thinkpad, and that's the R-series what would be the situation for a T-series then ?

Thinkpads are expensive for a reason, they are worth it, they have a very low TCO , I bet you the money you save on a Dell you will have to blow on a long ass warranty through Dell becasue you know that Dell in no time, when I was a kid I used to work in a PC repair shop we used to service Laptops besides Desktops, I have rarely seen a Dell with a minor issue, all of the cases that I have seen where issues beyond repair / not worth it to repair, like motherboards that have gone completely bad, unfunctional LCD's ...etc and all of that within a short period of time of purchase ( offcourse the customers who brought those laptops to the store didn't bother with a Dell warranty thinking that Dell is top quality and such) .

Meanwhile the Thinkpads that I have seen at the shop were either there for an OS upgrade and such or a battery replacement, and I have seen a couple with bad old harddrives (but that's kind of irrelevant) ,none with bad LCDs nor motherboard's, thoough I have managed to see one with a bad motherboard but that was like really really old like 7 yrs+ in service it wasn't like the case of the Dell's that I saw in and out of the store 4months-1 year old. And don't get me started on Dell's perephirals , I have seen a SH!T load of Dell AC adapters going bad.

 

[RichieZ]

cheapeast EPP T43:

ThinkPad T43 (Think Express Program)
1875DLU
Customize & buy
Your price
$1,049.25*
Web Price
$1,399.00*
Within 2 weeks**
Intel Centrino Mobile Technology
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
512 MB
60 GB
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 1.73GHz
14.1"
1024x768
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
4.7-5.12
UltraNav
Ultrabay Slim
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo
None
One year parts and labor (system battery: one year)
Integrated Gigabit Ethernet
56K V.92 designed modem
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG
Fingerprint Reader Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0

 

[fbrdphreak]

Change that to a SXGA+ & X300 and you've got a helluva deal right there!

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Change that to a SXGA+ & X300 and you've got a helluva deal right there!

Your price
$1,236.75*
Web Price
$1,649.00*
In stock**
Intel Centrino Mobile Technology
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
512 MB
40 GB
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 750 1.86GHz
15.0"
1400x1050
64MB ATI Mobility RADEON x300
5.5-5.84
UltraNav
Ultrabay Slim
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo
None
Three years parts and labor (system battery: one year)
Integrated Gigabit Ethernet
56K V.92 designed modem
Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG, Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG
Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0

Your price
$1,311.75*
Web Price
$1,749.00*
Within 2 weeks**
Intel Centrino Mobile Technology
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
512 MB
60 GB
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 2GHz
14.1"
1400x1050
64MB ATI Mobility RADEON x300
4.8-5.2
UltraNav
Ultrabay Slim
DVD Recordable
None
One year parts and labor (system battery: one year)
Integrated Gigabit Ethernet
56K V.92 designed modem
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG
Fingerprint Reader Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0

Probably more than he wants to spend tho

 

[fbrdphreak]

That bottom one is the ****** right there guys, 2GHz & everything. Of course 1.86 vs 2.0 isn't a big deal, so the top one is still awesome.

Now just find someone who will share their EPP with you

EDIT Upon closer reading, get the top one. 1.86, SXGA+, X300, & 3 year warranty

Bingo bango! If you can add Thinkpad protection to it you are set

 

[simms]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
That bottom one is the ****** right there guys, 2GHz & everything. Of course 1.86 vs 2.0 isn't a big deal, so the top one is still awesome.

Now just find someone who will share their EPP with you

EDIT Upon closer reading, get the top one. 1.86, SXGA+, X300, & 3 year warranty

Bingo bango! If you can add Thinkpad protection to it you are set

Well, those are nice - but I'm in Canada, so I'd be buying it through a relative in the States. I don't think the warranty will transfer over, as much as I want one. But I could probably buy one in the US and add on warranty in Canada.

Regardless I guess the main answer is IBM is the way to go. Linuxator, I really appreciate your post.

Now how do I go about an EPP? I know someone who works for IBM here in Canada, but the 15% tax up here kills virtually any deal. There are very good deals here: https://www-03.ibm.com/lenovo/shop/personalpages/public/public/products/dsp_product_list.cfm

Especially the R series, brand new for $800.

Lastly - should I just wait until Q2-Q3 2006? That's when the next Windows rolls out so I could save by buying the new OS with the laptop, and prices will probably drop. It's not like I NEED a laptop right now but it would be pleasantly nice...

 

[cheesehead]

IBM is THE way to go. I wish I had bought one myself.

Also, I would not wait until the new Windows comes out. It will likely be a nasty system hog, and appears to be the functional equivalent of ME: It looks a bit nicer, has a few extra features, and no one in their right mind will run it.

 

[WackyDan]

Some T42's can be had for the price you are looking for and the R series do have some higher end models worth looking at. -just to confirm what others are saying.

 

[Hacp]

I would try to get a T42 series that those have longer battery lives than the 43. Also, you can alawys ship back to the relative in the states and get the warrenty done that way,

 

[simms]

Originally posted by: Hacp
I would try to get a T42 series that those have longer battery lives than the 43. Also, you can alawys ship back to the relative in the states and get the warrenty done that way,

Do all T42s have longer battery life than the T43 - which models?

 

[Insane3D]

Keep your eye out for some Dell coupons if you are still considering the Dell. I just picked up a i9300 with the following for just under $1200 shipped...

Inspiron 9300 - Intel? Pentium? M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)

Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Professional

LCD Panel - 17 inch UltraSharp? Wide Screen XGA+ Display

Memory - 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm

Video Card - 128MB ATIs? Mobility Radeon? X300

Hard Drive - 80GB Hard Drive

Network Card - Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem

Optical Drives - 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability

Wireless Networking Cards - Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)

Primary Battery - 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)

TOTAL:$1,170.00

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: simms

Originally posted by: Hacp
I would try to get a T42 series that those have longer battery lives than the 43. Also, you can alawys ship back to the relative in the states and get the warrenty done that way,

Do all T42s have longer battery life than the T43 - which models?

T42's use the 400MHz FSB chips, which therefore use less power. T43's in general run pretty hot and loud, not sure if that's been resolved yet. T42's are in general a better deal than T43's, but there are likely to be more sales on the T43's than T42's.

 

[simms]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
Keep your eye out for some Dell coupons if you are still considering the Dell. I just picked up a i9300 with the following for just under $1200 shipped...

Inspiron 9300 - Intel? Pentium? M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)

Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Professional

LCD Panel - 17 inch UltraSharp? Wide Screen XGA+ Display

Memory - 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm

Video Card - 128MB ATIs? Mobility Radeon? X300

Hard Drive - 80GB Hard Drive

Network Card - Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem

Optical Drives - 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability

Wireless Networking Cards - Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)

Primary Battery - 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)

TOTAL:$1,170.00

That seems like a completely high end system for the money. Thing is IBM definetely won't give you that much for that price/performance.

But now Dell deals have cooled off, there are no more 750 off 1499 systems now.

 

[Conroy9]

how about this one?

Inspiron 630m 5.4lb Centrino DVD Writer Notebook $849 - November 11, 2005
600m replacement. Dell Home has their 5.4lb Inspiron 630m light Centrino Notebook Pentium-M 740 1.73Ghz 2MB Cache, 14in WideScreen, 512MB/40GB, CD/DVD Burner, Intel 802.11g wireless, Word Perfect, 1yr warranty, XP Home SP2 $849 shipped free. $24 handling. N

 

[fbrdphreak]

Eh, I was never impressed with the 600m's build quality; esp the keyboard. I'd pass

 

[trikster2]

600m was a rebaged lattitude D600. 630m is a totally different critter, there is no lattitude equivalent, it's more in line with the 6000/9000/700 series.

Not saying it is a good or bad laptop, it's new and the jury is still out. But comparing with the 600m is totally irrelavent, dell can make huge changes between model revisions (for example I hated my D800, but loved my D810 based M70).

 

[WackyDan]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: simms

Originally posted by: Hacp
I would try to get a T42 series that those have longer battery lives than the 43. Also, you can alawys ship back to the relative in the states and get the warrenty done that way,

Do all T42s have longer battery life than the T43 - which models?

T42's use the 400MHz FSB chips, which therefore use less power. T43's in general run pretty hot and loud, not sure if that's been resolved yet. T42's are in general a better deal than T43's, but there are likely to be more sales on the T43's than T42's.

True, to a point. BUT - The T43's ship with the newer batteries that have a higher amp/hour rating. THe difference in battery life is barely worth comment.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: WackyDan

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: simms

Originally posted by: Hacp
I would try to get a T42 series that those have longer battery lives than the 43. Also, you can alawys ship back to the relative in the states and get the warrenty done that way,

Do all T42s have longer battery life than the T43 - which models?

T42's use the 400MHz FSB chips, which therefore use less power. T43's in general run pretty hot and loud, not sure if that's been resolved yet. T42's are in general a better deal than T43's, but there are likely to be more sales on the T43's than T42's.

True, to a point. BUT - The T43's ship with the newer batteries that have a higher amp/hour rating. THe difference in battery life is barely worth comment.

My T41p with the extended 6600 battery = ~9 hours 22 min on a full charge with power save on. and it doesnt heat up enough for it to be uncomfortable on my lap nor does my palms sweat from the keyboard being too hot.

BTW the T41 and 42 are almost identical in most ways.

Plus i hard the t43 has a lot of issues with users getting new hard drives. :\ Only thing cool about the T43 is the finger swiper. But id take my T41p any day of the week expeciall since i only paid like 220 for 2GB's of crucial RAM

 

[trikster2]

thinkpadforums.com for thinkpad info. T42>T43 according to the wisdom on that forum. Better battery life, quieter fan, runs cooler. Our 15" T43 barely gets 2 hrs of battery life with the standard battery, and the fan runs non-stop.