why are Dells so cheap?

[Steve.jd]

whats the advantage of the Duo Core.. more battery life? Or is it just for games and 3D design?

It's more efficent yes...new technology is supposed to come out july-september...I can't remember the damn name, I just had it on the tip of my tongue... 

[as436]

i thought it was out?

[Steve.jd]

i thought it was out?

Not the dua core thing, there is something else set to come out late this summer, early next fall, that will blow dua core out of the water.  Basically Intel redesigned the entire P4 architecture, and made it MUCH more efficient.

[Steve.jd]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Next_Generation_Microarchitecture#Laptops

There we go its called Conroe, is supposed to be "revolutionary"

for laptops its called Merom

[correguachin]

Hahaha, what are you guys a bunch of engineers running CAD software?  You aren't going to need all that duo core muscle for word processing, emails, music, and chat.  Go cheap and buy a slower (if not the slowest) chip.. then upgrade the RAM to at least 1 GB, 2 GB if you're really worried.  You can buy it from another store and upgrade it yourself (two screws + a quick snap)..

If you're freaking out about hardware breaking down on you, find out what brand of board, ram, hard drive, display, cd-rom, wireless, etc the laptop is stocked with and make sure that its top of the line (or at least name brand).  Ask a computer geek friend to OK the hardware brands in the laptop and you should be fine.  If you are really worried about it, go searching for those parts on the internet and make sure each is one of the more expensive ones listed among the diff brands you can buy..  The big problem with buying from name brand makers is that they tell you the specs, but they don't tell you who manufactured that 800 GB hard drive that you think you're gonna need in law school..

I bought a used Dell LS 500 mhz/128 mb three years ago and it blazes like no other on linux.. I've never had hardware problems with it and have dropped it, kicked it, and formatted it dozens of times.. the battery broke pretty quickly, but you're lucky if you get more than five years out of any laptop battery..

Best bet.. lower processing speed, higher RAM, and anything else fancy you want (DVD-RW, wireless, bluetooth, firewire, etc).. check the brand of each hardware component and make sure its decent.. you'll have a better chance that it won't die on you down the road..

[Steve.jd]

Hahaha, what are you guys a bunch of engineers running CAD software?  You aren't going to need all that duo core muscle for word processing, emails, music, and chat.  Go cheap and buy a slower (if not the slowest) chip.. then upgrade the RAM to at least 1 GB, 2 GB if you're really worried.  You can buy it from another store and upgrade it yourself (two screws + a quick snap)..

1. I AM an engineer

2. If you upgrade yourself, many times you void the warranty

3.  It's not about running CAD software, first off, faster processers make using every program (Firefox, etc) much more enjoyable, and it's not so much about speed as it is efficiency, the new processors use less power = longer battery life, etc

If you're freaking out about hardware breaking down on you, find out what brand of board, ram, hard drive, display, cd-rom, wireless, etc the laptop is stocked with and make sure that its top of the line (or at least name brand).  Ask a computer geek friend to OK the hardware brands in the laptop and you should be fine.  If you are really worried about it, go searching for those parts on the internet and make sure each is one of the more expensive ones listed among the diff brands you can buy..  The big problem with buying from name brand makers is that they tell you the specs, but they don't tell you who manufactured that 800 GB hard drive that you think you're gonna need in law school..

I bought a used Dell LS 500 mhz/128 mb three years ago and it blazes like no other on linux.. I've never had hardware problems with it and have dropped it, kicked it, and formatted it dozens of times.. the battery broke pretty quickly, but you're lucky if you get more than five years out of any laptop battery..

1.  How much does your laptop WEIGH?

2.  Using Linux is very different from using Windows.  Linux is fast, efficient and has little overhead.  Windows is power and processor intensive.

Best bet.. lower processing speed, higher RAM, and anything else fancy you want (DVD-RW, wireless, bluetooth, firewire, etc).. check the brand of each hardware component and make sure its decent.. you'll have a better chance that it won't die on you down the road..

[Tyrael]

For the love of God...
PLEASE PURCHASE A LAPTOP COOLER!
I had a Dell Laptop 2 years ago and my motherboard melted because the thing got so incredibly hot.  It costs about $30 for a decent laptop cooler and it should prevent your laptop from melting to death.  A laptop cooler is a fan that sits under your computer and blows cool air at it.  It is usually powered via a USB port.  Bringing a laptop cooler to class might not be the best idea but if you're using the laptop in your room, it would be wise to have it hooked up to a cooler. 

[tonic]

Ok, I realize this is turning into the "what laptop should I get" thread, but since I was looking at Dells, it's still relevant. Can anyone recommend a good lightweight model? Under 2 lbs, preferably. I don't care if the monitor is small, either. I was looking at the Dell Inspiron 710M.

[correguachin]

Hahaha, what are you guys a bunch of engineers running CAD software?  You aren't going to need all that duo core muscle for word processing, emails, music, and chat.  Go cheap and buy a slower (if not the slowest) chip.. then upgrade the RAM to at least 1 GB, 2 GB if you're really worried.  You can buy it from another store and upgrade it yourself (two screws + a quick snap)..

1. I AM an engineer

2. If you upgrade yourself, many times you void the warranty

3.  It's not about running CAD software, first off, faster processers make using every program (Firefox, etc) much more enjoyable, and it's not so much about speed as it is efficiency, the new processors use less power = longer battery life, etc

If you're freaking out about hardware breaking down on you, find out what brand of board, ram, hard drive, display, cd-rom, wireless, etc the laptop is stocked with and make sure that its top of the line (or at least name brand).  Ask a computer geek friend to OK the hardware brands in the laptop and you should be fine.  If you are really worried about it, go searching for those parts on the internet and make sure each is one of the more expensive ones listed among the diff brands you can buy..  The big problem with buying from name brand makers is that they tell you the specs, but they don't tell you who manufactured that 800 GB hard drive that you think you're gonna need in law school..

I bought a used Dell LS 500 mhz/128 mb three years ago and it blazes like no other on linux.. I've never had hardware problems with it and have dropped it, kicked it, and formatted it dozens of times.. the battery broke pretty quickly, but you're lucky if you get more than five years out of any laptop battery..

1.  How much does your laptop WEIGH?

2.  Using Linux is very different from using Windows.  Linux is fast, efficient and has little overhead.  Windows is power and processor intensive.

Best bet.. lower processing speed, higher RAM, and anything else fancy you want (DVD-RW, wireless, bluetooth, firewire, etc).. check the brand of each hardware component and make sure its decent.. you'll have a better chance that it won't die on you down the road..

Good point on the warranty (never thought about that one, hahaha) and the battery use..

My old Latitude LS? Its smaller and lighter than most on the market these days.. and was top of the line in its day (hahaha, that probably lasted two weeks).. I remember feeling proud when I read an article years later about how Bill Gates bought one the week it was released..
http://www.vntm.ru/nb/dell.jpg

I'm not so sure about the processor's help on loading up programs more quickly.. it can help, but not much.. Other factors are impt (if not more impt) too, like HDD access time, and, I think, most important, amount of RAM.. firefox loads hanging no matter how fast your comp is..if the second or two difference btw a 1.0ghz and a 2.0ghz is precious to you and you have unlimited funds to throw on a mean machine, then go for it.. many benchtests show laptops with slower processors outperform faster ones simply because of those two factors.. processor speed only becomes more crucial with much more intensive programs..

I just hate to see some law student who isn't gonna even touch the laptop's potential spend so much (wasted) $$$.. too many people think they need to spend 2Gs on a machine or else they are at risk of failing!! it really turns out to be great business for Dell and IBM.. their marketing dept should play more on these fears to increase sales..

if you get a midlevel laptop with basic configuration and make sure that the components weren't manufactured by a company in Timbuktu, you should be fine..

--linux does make for a mean machine, even on an old laptop.. haha, too bad most of us would hang ourselves before getting through that whole installation process..

[correguachin]

Ok, I realize this is turning into the "what laptop should I get" thread, but since I was looking at Dells, it's still relevant. Can anyone recommend a good lightweight model? Under 2 lbs, preferably. I don't care if the monitor is small, either. I was looking at the Dell Inspiron 710M.

an atty at work has an inspirion E1405.. i wish i could get my hands on it..
the latitude X1 starts at 2.5 lbs