which to get: used Dell 700m vs new macbook

[whistleclient]

about $700 for a used 700m vs about $1100 for a new macbook.

i'm not really a mac person, but since they have intel chips and run both OSes, I'd consider giving it a try. still the 700m is 1lb lighter than the macbook, and i like to travel light.

any thoughts?

it's odd that dell doesn't have any ultraportables in their lineup right now...

 

[Brainonska511]

If you're traveling, just go for the 700m. Every pound counts in travel situations, and you'll probably be fine with the 700m.

As for current ultraportables from Dell, look at the XPS M1210 (starts around 4.28 lbs), the Latitude D420 (starts at 3lbs), or the Latitude X1 (starts at 2.5lbs, but uses a Pentium M ULV), but all those may be out of your price range.

 

[imported_Lucifer]

My sister's husband has a 700m and it is a nice little machine.

I would probably get the macbook or something else that has the Core duo processor. But that is just me. The 1.6ghz Pentium M might be just fine for you.

 

[phantom309]

I've owned both, and the macbook is a better machine in almost every area. It's faster - a lot faster, the keyboard is far less cramped(the keyboard is beautiful), and the screen doesn't glare nearly as much as the 700m did. I run XP as a VM on the macbook and it feels about as fast as the 700m was natively. The macbook also feels more solid, though they're both built pretty well. The Dell sure ran a lot cooler than the mac does though, and it's smaller and lighter.

I don't want to sound like a mac fanboy - the 700m was a great computer for the money - but I also say from experience that buying a used Inspiron without a warranty is begging for trouble.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

I have to say... factor in the warranty and the support. It really is a big deal with laptops.

 

[Supahobnobba]

the macbook IS GORGEOUS! extremely fast, extremely.


Friend has one and I had to go out and buy OSx-x86 because it kicks that much butt.

 

[cheesehead]

On one hand, the Macbook is a shade less portable. It's heavier, and a good bit bigger.

On the other hand, a used Dell is likely to make you want to gouge out your own kidneys with a spork, assuming you'll end up talking to Tech Support.

And trust me, you will.