Dell Inspiron notebooks $150 off with free shipping until 10/11

[Relayer]

Not to bad if your in the market...

Dell Inspiron

 

[rdgr8]

Relayer,
My wife has been looking for a notebook and this might be a good time to order one fm Dell. Do you know if CA residents are taxed when ordering fm Dell since they are located in Texas? Thanks for the info...

 

[Relayer]

Pretty sure tax is added. Hey, I'm 110 miles north of you.

 

[rdgr8]

Yup, we are close...I went to Bakersfield 3 weeks ago to visit some old friends who were originally fm Salinas but decided to transfer there because of affordable homes. Houses here in LA are outrageously priced...too expensive. 110 miles...Well, if your City is just a little bit closer to LA then I would definitely be living and buying a new house in there.
Went around and check OM, Good Guys and Radio Shack for bargains but found nothing exciting during my visit in your City. Couldn't find OD...Do you have one in your area?

 

[flippo]

When I order my Inspiron 7000 about a year ago from Dell they don't charge me with tax. but a week ago when my friend ordered Dimension desktop Dell charge the shipping and tax to him. It means that Dell already have warehouse in CA, I think
By the way I live in Los Angeles.

 

[ZeroBurn]

i thought sales tax was only applicable if the company was _based_ in the same state ?

damn you oregon'ers

 

[Spyboy]

My sister (in Pennsylvania) just bought a Dell. The only thing they charged tax on was the upgrade on the warranty from one year to 3 years (next business day). There was no tax charged on the computer.

 

[Daniel]

I live in PA, I order dells all the time for work, they currently have 100 off desktop models too, just the dimensions I think. They charge us tax on purchases, we have to get it credited every time cause we are tax exempt but they do charge it. Also I called to inquire about shipping charges so I could spec within budget and right now the shipping is free too so that whacks about another 100 dollars off.

 

[Relayer]

moks78,
Yeah 2 OD's, 2 OM's, CompUSA, CC, GG's, like 7 Radio Shacks but no Best Buy.
One OD is on Stockdale Hwy and California Ave.

 

[crzyc]

there is a alot off on refurbs too, i just bought a refurb latitude csx that would have been 3 grand but i paid 2 shipped

 

[levelzero]

i discovered that dell does not charge tax from its home section, but if you order from its small business, like the deal with the dimension desktops a while back, they add tax to your order because you're claiming you're a business

 

[SideshowBob]

levelzero, you kid me....ahcrap....i was psyched to order from the business section instead of the home 'cause i thought i saved $50 on the same machine...boy do i feel like a dumbass realizing i paid more in taxes...just grrreeeaaaattt...

 

[rdgr8]

That's good info...no taxes on Home comp/notebooks.

I'll try also to call their CS just to make sure before getting one...if ever I finally decide to buy one for my wife.

 

[darthtony]

Dell charges tax to home customers in 5 states (where they have permanent facilities). Texas, Tennesse, (+3 I don't know). They charge tax in all states (except those without sales tax) for the warranty and service. Businessess get scre.. ur taxed everywhere.

This is a pretty cool offer. Sure you can probably put together a system for less, but I just don't have that much time like I used to have.

 

[Relayer]

Trying to decide on the 3800 or the 4000. I guess the new 4000 is a bit lighter, but for the same price you get a bit more in the 3800. I configured one of each and with the 3800 I could get a p3 600 where with the 4000 I could only get a celeron 600 to match the price.

So which one to get?

The 5000 is nice for a desktop replacement, but I just don't need a 3 spindel notebook. (all in one) Plus it is a little heavier.

 

[RossMAN]

This is a very hot deal but after I loaded the Dell Inspiron 3800 with all the goodies it came out to $2,300 which is a far cry from my ideal price of $1,500.

Then again I don't really NEED a laptop so I'll just keep drooling.

 

[Relayer]

The thing to do is buy memory later and from someone else (Dell memory is expensive) and wait to buy a DVD drive later (if you can wait) Go with MS Works instead of Office to save a little more (unless you want to buy Office)

I have a decent machine priced at $1796

Dell Inspiron 4000 Notebook
Celeron Processor, 600 MHz, 14.1" XGA TFT Display
64MB, SDRAM, 1 DIMM
6GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
Internal 56K Capable V.90 Mini-PCI Fax Modem
8X Max Variable DVD-ROM Drive
Microsoft® Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Standard
53 WHr Lithium-Ion Battery with ExpressCharge?
Deluxe Nylon Case

 

[darthtony]

Relayer,

The only real difference I saw was the video chip. The 3800 has a 8MB ATI Mobility M1, the 4000 has 8MB ATI Mobility 128. The specs look similar. I honestly couldn't tell you if it's better to have the 600 Celery with "slower" video or 600 P3 with "faster" video. However since 4000 > 3800, it must be better right!?!

 

[pika]

You guys who want to buy 4000 series have to wait for about three weeks to get it since it is the newest machine.

I ordered one 4000, though.

 

[RossMAN]

What do you guys think about this configuration ?

I'm wondering which modem/NIC to get since I want both a 56k modem and a 10/100 to connect to my home's DSL network.

What kind of RAM do these laptops take?

Is there any reason why I shouldn't buy this besides I can't afford it?

 

[Relayer]

The 4000 is a bit slimmer and lighter too, but the video is also a contributing factor, also the wait for the 4000 appears to be longer...hmmmmmm????

4000 chassis size
Height: 1.47 inches (37 mm)
Width: 12.5 inches (318 mm)
Depth: 10.0 inches (254 mm)
Weight: 5.2 lbs. with 26.5 WHr battery, 6 GB Hard Drive and Travel Lite?module
Weight: 5.6 lbs. with 26.5 WHr battery, 6 GB Hard Drive and floppy disk drive
Weight: 5.9 lbs. with 26.5 WHr battery, 6 GB Hard Drive and CD-ROM drive

3800 chassis size
Height: 45 mm (1.77-inch)
Width: 319 mm (12.56-inch)
Depth: 252.5 mm (9.94-inch)
Weight: 6.4 lbs. with FDD (14-in LCD)
Weight: 6.2 lbs. with FDD (12-in LCD)

Rossman,
the Xircom® RealPort?Ethernet 10/100 + 56K modem combo PC Card
is nice, but a little expensive. You may want to opt for the internal 56k winmodem and buy a pcmcia ethernet card later or Internal 56K Capable V.90 + 10/100 Mini-PCI Combo
for $50. Also, the Inspirons should take regular PC100 SoDIMM's

 

[zhensel]

Don't forget to get to Dell via Greenpoints.com to get another 5% of your purchase back in fast food GC's.

 

[darthtony]

Rossman,

Looks like a pretty good setup. I really like the fact that one of the options is to get $150 off or not. Decisions, decisions...

The only thing I saw I would do differently is the upgraded battery (26.5 vs 53 WHr). Twice the battery life for an extra .3 lbs and $49 sounds like a good upgrade. I guess it depends on how much you really plan to travel with it though.

 

[RossMAN]

Here's the configuration I might go with:
$1,829.52 after $150 off with free shipping and 1%.

1) Intel Celeron 600MHz CPU
2) 14.1" XGA TFT Display
3) Tahoe Blue QuickSnap? Color Insert
4) 64MB, SDRAM, 1 DIMM
5) 10GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
6) 26.5 WHr Lithium-Ion Battery with ExpressCharge
7) No additional battery
8) 8X Max Variable DVD-ROM Drive
9) No zip drive
10) Internal 56K Capable V.90 + 10/100 Mini-PCI Combo
11) 1 Yr. Next Business Day On-Site Parts&Labor
12) No network adapter
13) Microsoft® Windows® 98 Second Edition
14) Norton Antivirus® 2000
15) Microsoft® Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Standard
16) No internet access service
17) No carrying case
18) No recommended product bundle
19) No external speakers/keyboard/mouse/monitor

Specific points of interest:
1) Considering this will not be my primary PC I don't need a superfast machine and I am not into gaming. Plus the Pentium III 600 uses more battery power, creates more heat and oh yeah costs more. So going with the Celeron 600 I think is a no brainer.

2) This is also a no brainer I have heard that the 14.1" XGA TFT Display is crisp, clear and beautiful. This is better than the 12.1 display on cheaper models, right? Let's just hope I don't experience the space bar rubbing against the display problem.

3) I'm confused there are two options. Do I have to pay an extra $19 for a color insert or is it free? I checked the second option making my color insert free I think. I read some posts that the blue is kinda purple-like so I would have preferred green which is not an option. How blue is the blue? Should I just keep the standard midnight grey? Style is not a major concern of mine but I don't want to ashamed of the color of my laptop's insert.

4) Will 128MB PC100 RAM work in this laptop? I picked some up from OfficeMax.com a few weeks ago for $64.99 after coupon/rebate with free shipping. If I don't add RAM for a while will I be able to run Windows 98: SE, IE 5.5, ICQ, AIM, and Outlook 2000 at the same time on 64MB RAM?

5) I chose 10GB because 6GB seems just way to small. I heard that a full install of Windows 98: SE with all of Dell's extra goodies takes up about 600MB? Who would need a 10GB and why would you get one? I'm not really into MP3s but I might download some web pages to my laptop for offline viewing but that's only a few hundred MB. If I were to get the 6GB hard drive instead of the 10GB how would you spend that $100 savings considering my configuration?

6) I fly about once every two years so battery life isn't terribly important to me. I would like to have at least 2.5-3 hours of battery life per full charge. How much time does the 26.5 WHr Lithium-Ion Battery give you? What about with DVD playback?

8) Is the DVD playback decent on the Inspiron 4000 considering my CPU, the graphics card and display? I'm looking foward to seeing DVD movies on this crisp beautiful display.

10) Is this the right option if I want both an internal 56k modem and 10/100 Ethernet card to hookup to my home's DSL local area network? There is a more expensive option but I was hoping this cheaper solution is just as good and doesn't have any compatibility conflicts with Windows 98: SE, 56k dial up, and DSL. Which combo should I get and why?

11) PCWorld loves everything Dell and so do I. Considering laptops are a lot more vulnerable and exposed to possible hazards, would it be wise to upgrade to a warranty? Or would it just be throwing away money? Which warranty should I get and why? I live in Portland, Oregon USA if that matters.

12) I shouldn't need a network adapter since I already have that covered (see #10).

13) Microsoft® Windows® 98 Second Edition is the operating system I have selected.

14) Norton Antivirus® 2000 - You can never be to paranoid.

15) Microsoft® Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Standard - it would be nice to have Office 2000 but it isn't worth the added cost since this isn't going to be my primary machine and I already have MS Office 2000 Pro on my home machine.

16) No thanks to AOL plus you need Windows ME, and no thanks to Dell Net. DSL beats them both hands down.

17) Remember those free Kensington carrying cases? I'll probably use that.

18) Is this worth it? Travel Bundle includes: Deluxe Nylon case, Kensington SonicLock Motion-Detecting Notebook Alarm and Kensington SmartSockets Portable Surge Protector. [$99]

19) Don't need any of these since they're all on my home machine. I just hope that the keyboard/touch pad are easy to use.

 

[darthtony]

Rossman,

Looks like a winner. My humble opinions follow

"4) Will 128MB PC100 RAM work in this laptop? I picked some up from OfficeMax.com a few weeks ago for $64.99 after coupon/rebate with free shipping. If I don't add RAM for a while will I be able to run Windows 98: SE, IE 5.5, ICQ, AIM, and Outlook 2000 at the same time on 64MB RAM?"
I believe any 100MHz SoDimm should work. Basically as long as it's laptop memory, it ought to work. Also, 64MB should be enough for what you're looking to do anyway.

"5) I chose 10GB because 6GB seems just way to small. If I were to get the 6GB hard drive instead of the 10GB how would you spend that $100 savings considering my configuration?"
Heck, if you don't plan to load down your system with a bunch of downloads, 6GB is probably fine. I'd use the $100 for the better battery and dinner for me and my wife

"6) I fly about once every two years so battery life isn't terribly important to me. I would like to have at least 2.5-3 hours of battery life per full charge. How much time does the 26.5 WHr Lithium-Ion Battery give you? What about with DVD playback?"
The specs I saw say about 2 hours for the 26 WHr and about 3.5 hours for the other. I would assume a software DVD would shorten those.

"11) Considering laptops are a lot more vulnerable and exposed to possible hazards, would it be wise to upgrade to a warranty? Or would it just be throwing away money? Which warranty should I get and why? I live in Portland, Oregon USA if that matters."
I read an article (I think at PCMag.com) about computer warranties being a rip-off. It said you can go to your insurance agent, and they can give you the equivalent of a warranty (covers break downs, etc) plus it has anti-theft, accidental damage, etc. I seem to recall this type of thing would be around $50 a year. Dell's charging $75 a year for the warranty or the "Complete Care" (assume this is the full, accidents, etc coverage) is $160 a year. I'd talk to your insurance guy.

T