Dell Inspiron 1520 vs. Asus G1S-A1

[Ichigo]

This is based on the Dell configuration that I have. The two laptops are roughly equal in price. ~$100, maybe.

Common specifications:

8600m GT 256MB
2GB DDR2 667Mhz RAM
15.4" 1680x1050 glossy display
Vista Home Premium

Dell:

9 cell battery vs. 8 cell for Asus
2.0MP camera vs. 1.3MP for Asus
3 years Complete Coverage vs. 2 year Manufacturer's Warranty for Asus
Logitec VX Revolution vs. Asus branded MX518 (well, this one may not necessarily be an advantage, who knows)

Asus:

T7500 vs. T7100 for Dell
160GB 5400RPM HDD vs. 120GB 5400RPM HDD for Dell
HDMI and eSATA vs. none for Dell

Merits of both. Fight.

 

[ArchAngel777]

The 8600m in the Asus is GDR3 clocked at 1400 Mhz

The 8600m in the Dell is GDR2 and clocked at 800 Mhz

The Dell's 8600m is vastly inferior to the Asus.

 

[Ewat]

It came down to these two laptops for me about a month ago and I decided to go with the Dell. However, my Dell has the T7500 and a 7200rpm 160GB hard drive. Be prepared to wait several weeks before you receive your Dell, though. I had to wait five weeks before they shipped mine. I'm pretty sure the HDMI on the Asus is a dead port. My friend has a G2S and the HDMI port on his doesn't work at all. His manual doesn't even mention it.

 

[Ichigo]

A dead... HDMI port? Can anyone verify this?

I'm slightly leaning towards the Asus now, but I would have preferred the warranty... How is Asus' warranty anyways?

Are there any other compareble laptops in this price range? (~$2000CAD)

 

[Brainonska511]

Asus has excellent warranty service. And IIRC, they are now giving a 3 year warranty (2 years global, 1 year local) standard with their laptops.

 

[Ichigo]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
Asus has excellent warranty service. And IIRC, they are now giving a 3 year warranty (2 years global, 1 year local) standard with their laptops.

"Excellent" does nothing for me. Dell's Complete Care covers spills and cracked screens, things of that nature. Is there anywhere I can find out exactly the spectrum of what the Asus warranty will cover?

 

[Ewat]

I couldn't find out a whole lot about the warranty on the Asus. If you were to have a problem with the G1S you would have to mail it in.
Dell's complete care has at home service, which was the deal breaker for me, especially because I'm going to be at college and will need my laptop for class.

 

[corkyg]

Nowadays, Asus is way ahead of Dell quality-wise. Dell is living on past glories with the "Dude."

 

[Ichigo]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Nowadays, Asus is way ahead of Dell quality-wise. Dell is living on past glories with the "Dude."

Once again, this is vague and reveals no actual information. Just because you say it is better doesn't make it so. I would rather have the Asus, given the fact that, as someone pointed out, the GDDR3 RAM makes a significant difference. I researched it a bit after that; it is true. However, Dell's warranty is amazing. Therein lays the problem.

So if someone who knows how the Asus warranty works would please elucidate this matter with facts instead of useless generalization, I would be grateful.

 

[Fraggable]

I can't speak for the warranty, but here's another thing to consider:

Dell Inspirons are backordered at least a month, possibly 2 now.
The Acer can be had from Newegg in about 4 days.

Personally I'd probably go with an HP right now. Customizable online and reasonable ship date, and they look nice. Price should be similar to what you're looking at.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: Ichigo
Once again, this is vague and reveals no actual information. Just because you say it is better doesn't make it so.

All you have to do is read current economic and business news. It is so. No need to keep repeating the same stuff. Dell has been in financial trouble since 2006. Michael Dell returned to take over in Jan 2007. They have lost market share steadily since 2005. There is a good reason why they are falling behind in deliveries. Asus wins this one hands down.

Dell has been in the news just about every day last week. Samples:

Dell

DELL2

DELL3

 

[Ichigo]

Originally posted by: corkyg

Originally posted by: Ichigo
Once again, this is vague and reveals no actual information. Just because you say it is better doesn't make it so.

All you have to do is read current economic and business news. It is so. No need to keep repeating the same stuff. Dell has been in financial trouble since 2006. Michael Dell returned to take over in Jan 2007. They have lost market share steadily since 2005. There is a good reason why they are falling behind in deliveries. Asus wins this one hands down.

Dell has been in the news just about every day last week. Samples:

Dell

DELL2

DELL3

How does this directly refer to the components and warranty of the laptops made by their respective companies? I could not care less about how each company is doing financially. This isn't a fanboy "Intel vs. AMD" war. I'm trying to figure out which laptop is the best buy for the money, not which stock.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Ichigo
Dell:

9 cell battery vs. 8 cell for Asus Just to note - you can't compare batteries by cell amount. Cells could be different sizes.

You should really rethink your whole situation.

You're basically comparing a Lexus to a fully-loaded Saturn. The Asus G1 is a notebook designed for the high-end notebook market. You get build quality that you just won't see on a Dell Inspiron. Those plasticy parts that will break or wear down on a Dell after a couple months won't be seen on the Asus.

Sure, you can get the Dell piece of plastic and when something breaks, you can deal with the hassle of their miserable customer support and attempt to explain what part you need. The Asus support is much better from all the reviews of it (for the rare time someone needs it) over at NotebookReview.com.

And as far as a CompleteCare warranty goes - I personally feel it's a little overrated. Sure, it's a nice thing to have if you're careless with your electronics, but all in all, a little common sense and care for electronics leads them to a long life of service.

Finally, try to tone down the nasty attitude. People are more willing to help when you don't act like an ass.

 

[Ichigo]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: Ichigo
Dell:

9 cell battery vs. 8 cell for Asus Just to note - you can't compare batteries by cell amount. Cells could be different sizes.

You should really rethink your whole situation.

You're basically comparing a Lexus to a fully-loaded Saturn. The Asus G1 is a notebook designed for the high-end notebook market. You get build quality that you just won't see on a Dell Inspiron. Those plasticy parts that will break or wear down on a Dell after a couple months won't be seen on the Asus.

Sure, you can get the Dell piece of plastic and when something breaks, you can deal with the hassle of their miserable customer support and attempt to explain what part you need. The Asus support is much better from all the reviews of it (for the rare time someone needs it) over at NotebookReview.com.

And as far as a CompleteCare warranty goes - I personally feel it's a little overrated. Sure, it's a nice thing to have if you're careless with your electronics, but all in all, a little common sense and care for electronics leads them to a long life of service.

Finally, try to tone down the nasty attitude. People are more willing to help when you don't act like an ass.

I'm asking for an opinion between the two laptops and he spends two posts just to tell me about Dell's accounting problems. There was no help there, just a rooted dislike of a company that is irrelevant and sometimes irritating to me.

Also, unless Asus uses titanium or something, I do believe that their laptops are composed of plastic as well. While I have heard reports of Dell's laptops having build quality issues, I've also heard about it in regards to Asus. If it comes to it, I could always just buy a Vostro 1500, which should cover the build quality issue. At least, this is what I would think.

The only review I had managed to find on the G1S was good, but it omitted any mention of warranty. If you have that support review linked, I would appreciate it.

Compete Care is there for accidents and my peace of mind. Accidents happen, no matter how careful you are. I'm the type of person who wouldn't take a risk with such an investment, and that prudence extends to knowing my own clumsiness.

In truth, I am leaning towards the Asus just for the better components and the fact that it is stocked at a nearby B&M store. I just wanted some educated opinions before I made a decision, and I thank everyone who did offer their advice.

I'm not nasty. If you want nasty, go the gaming forums. However, I am not going to waste my time and humour someone who can't take a hint.

 

[Fraggable]

I hate to break it to you but the Vostros and Inspirons are using the same frame. You'll get the same build quality out of either one.

And what he said about Dell's financial stability is very relevant to your question. If they're losing money they're more likely to lower quality, and more likely to provide crappy support with your 3-year warranty.

Personally I'd go with the Asus, just because I'd want the laptop sometime this century.

 

[Ichigo]

Originally posted by: Fraggable
I hate to break it to you but the Vostros and Inspirons are using the same frame. You'll get the same build quality out of either one.

And what he said about Dell's financial stability is very relevant to your question. If they're losing money they're more likely to lower quality, and more likely to provide crappy support with your 3-year warranty.

Personally I'd go with the Asus, just because I'd want the laptop sometime this century.

Really? Is it just the Latitudes with the better materials then? The Asus has a $100 rebate, which is the only reason why it came close to the Dell's price. Hopefully they won't pull any tricks on me...

 

[Shigeru]

I don't see how you can think that the Dell's accounting problems and financial instability have no relevance to this. Since this is a long term investment i would think it'd be very important to look at the stability of the company. Your 3 year Complete Care warranty doesn't mean shit if Dell isn't around to honor it anymore. Maybe the company would be forced to merge or restructure and will no longer honor the old contracts. Who knows.

Taken from the Asus Website:

"ASUS currently provides the best notebook product warranty in the industry ? ASUS 360 with ?20224? protection**, including 2-year global warranty, zero bright dot (ZBD) guarantee for LCD display, free two-way standard overnight shipping for repair, 24 hours tech support. Now, ASUS is leading the industry again to provide ASUS notebook users with one year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW) Program free of charge**, if your ASUS notebook computer is purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007."

http://adw.asus.com/content/adp/default.aspx

I believe there always was a way to extend the warranty of their laptops. I remember seeing it when i was roaming their site not too long ago.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Ichigo
I'm asking for an opinion between the two laptops and he spends two posts just to tell me about Dell's accounting problems. There was no help there, just a rooted dislike of a company that is irrelevant and sometimes irritating to me.

Also, unless Asus uses titanium or something, I do believe that their laptops are composed of plastic as well...

Wrong!!! 😀

 

[Jeffwo]

Originally posted by: corkyg

Originally posted by: Ichigo
Once again, this is vague and reveals no actual information. Just because you say it is better doesn't make it so.

All you have to do is read current economic and business news. It is so. No need to keep repeating the same stuff. Dell has been in financial trouble since 2006. Michael Dell returned to take over in Jan 2007. They have lost market share steadily since 2005. There is a good reason why they are falling behind in deliveries. Asus wins this one hands down.

Dell has been in the news just about every day last week. Samples:

Dell

DELL2

DELL3

That's the same story told 3 different ways.

Someone's just hatin' on Dell.

Yawn

 

[alimoalem]

asus. look at anand's reviews or some notebook reviews for this. i believe the g1p has one of THE BEST screens out there. not sure if that would mean the g-series is good in general but it might. plus, the GPU AND CPU are better, which should be a big deal for you but for some reason you're getting off to dell's 3 year warranty instead. nothing wrong with that but 2 years is fine for you. if your computer craps out in 2, you'll get a new one. you want something that'll be best for you NOW and for the following year or two, not in 2-3 years.

also, dell's batteries are garbage. in 8 months if it can hold 1/3rd charge you should be happy. i know nothing about asus's batteries but i really doubt they'll degrade so quickly.

furthermore, if you don't agree with what people are posting, do your own research. and don't repeat what you tell others not to do. i'm quoting you...."Just because you say it is better doesn't make it so.....someone...please elucidate this matter with facts instead of useless generalization."
and then...
"In truth, I am leaning towards the Asus just for the better components." this was after you stated how you believe asus uses the same material to build its laptops.

again, do your own research as well. why do you keep asking about Asus's warranty? type in asus.com in your browser, find an 800-number and ask.

lastly, if you honestly believe you've been cooperative and haven't taken a tone, you might as well not ask for help. to ask for help, get some, and still speak ill of the posters...man i don't even wanna know how you think. btw, the financial/accounting/etc. articles the people posted does have relevance. put 2 and 2 together. if you can't, ask nicely.


now hopefully he's read this after 1 month of being absent 😛

 

[VinDSL]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've never seen an Asus notebook in the wild...

Going by the pics, they look like every other notebook out there.

Assuming they are better than a Dell, and never break down, what difference does the warranty make?

I mean, if you'll never have to use the warranty, who cares? And, if you have to use the warranty, e.g. it's unreliable, what makes it any better than a Dell? 😉

 

[Horus]

My Asus F3JC took a poop on me on the first day of classes. Wouldn't post, or anything. I called them on thursday.

FedEx was at my door on friday afternoon.

I had it back Monday. Rather than do a quick-fix, they swapped the whole motherboard. A friend of mine has the G1S after getting fed up with a Acer Travelmate which died 7 times within 1 year with the same issue, and that thing works like a charm.

And the HDMI port IS active, we hooked it to his HDTV.

 

[Maximilian]

If they are the same price go with the ASUS, it has the GDDR3 on the graphics card.

They really shouldn't be close in price though... the dell should be much cheaper, try configuring a vostro, they are the exact same as the new inspiron line and see if its any cheaper. I have a vostro 1700 right here, its great, solid build, nice keyboard, excellent price! Im in the uk and i got:

Core2duo T7300 2.0ghz 4mb cache
2GB DDR2 667
160GB 5400rpm HDD
Intel Wireless N card
2.0MP webcam
17" WUXGA (1900 x 1200) TrueLife
9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion Battery
256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT GDDR2
Vista Business

All for £710. Not bad considering the laptops with 8600GT's are usually £1000+ Or made by acer which apparently have poor build quality unlike these new dells.

 

[Slappy00]

ill tell you this much ... I had a Compaq x1000 which is HP with a different name and it died exactly 2 months after the 2 year warranty expired. I didn't abuse it more than anyone else would toting it around.

Aside from it dying it had problems with the HDD not connecting correctly and wifi issues. Good luck trying to convince someone on the other line ("Bill" in my case) whats wrong. Bill told me that it was a virus and that is not covered and I should fix it myself. I told him to honor his warranty and later to go fcuk himself and his garbage warranty. Compaq pulled this same bull with my aunt awhile back when her CDrom (a goldstar) had a well-known firmware issue. They don't care about your business, unless you have a big contract with them.

I wont be buying Compaq HP or Dell or any of that garbage... Crap with a 2 year warranty is still crap, I'm gonna shake the magic 8-ball and tell you that if you take your lappy to every class like i did the Dell you buy will have a limited lifespan.... limited to a few months after your warranty expires. In the meantime if you have any problems enjoy talking to "Bill" "Charley" or whomever you manage to get a hold of and convince them that you really do have a problem.

My apologies i got a bit carried away.. i had a bad experience and I'm not going back, I didn't have time to put up with their crap then I don't have time now.

Now get off my lawn

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Slappy00
ll tell you this much ... I had a Compaq x1000 which is HP with a different name and it died exactly 2 months after the 2 year warranty expired...

Bill told me that it was a virus and that is not covered and I should fix it myself. I told him to honor his warranty and later to go fcuk himself and his garbage warranty. Compaq pulled this same bull with my aunt awhile back...

Crap with a 2 year warranty is still crap...

Now get off my lawn

LoL!

Everyone told me to get the longest warranty I could buy 'cause lappys suck!

I'm like, "Yeah, whatever!"

Nothing personal, but extended warranties are for dumb asses! That's why they treated you like one... 😀