Dude, I'm Getting a Dell (Notebook)
 

My mom owes me money, but she doesn't have enough to pay me back. She does, for some reason, have a Dell credit card. So, I am being payed back with Dell products. I decided it's time to get a laptop/notebook. The card has a $1500 credit limit, with no lingering balance. Dell says that an item purchase that uses this card cannot exceed the limit, even if the remainder is able to be paid with another form of payment. Software and accessories can be purchased by myself at a later time, so I only need to focus on the hardware.

So, I need to find a Dell Notebook under $1500. My current idea is a Inspiron 9400 with some improvements. Here are the details:
http://host.kg13.com/gff/misc/dell_inspiron_9400.htm

Do you think this is good? Any other suggestions?

EDIT: I've decided to go with this instead:
http://host.kg13.com/gff/misc/dell_inspiron_e1505.htm

Seems like it ought to do just fine for most anything a person would throw at it. The only thing I would consider changing would be the video card, unless you plan on gaming or loading it with Vista, see if perhaps the money saved could go to some other features like bumping up the processor a model or getting a larger/faster hard drive.

Also something to consider is the lost half-hour to an hour of battery life if you run Vista with all the features on. Get the larger capacity battery if you're considering running it.

Sol: I do plan to use this laptop for some gaming. I want to at least be able to run Half-Life 2 at decent quality and with a smooth framerate. I also might be putting Vista on here; I definitely want the option to be available.

Ulysses: The better battery is a good idea. However, I will buy one in a separate purchase. After additional fees, this current rig will be scraping the limit.

Double Post:
Wow, after reviewing this again, it looks like I'll have to make a small cut. The tax wasn't showing up in the total last time for some reason. I'm thinking about making the cut in one of two places:

Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps) [subtract $29]
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Internal Wireless [Included in Price]

Integrated Audio [subtract $25]
Integrated Sound Blaster® Audigy™ HD Software Edition [Included in Price]

I want good quality audio (especially for line-in recordings), but I also want a stable, well-ranged wireless network connection. Which one should I sacrifice?

Double Post:
Note that I don't mind having to use an external device or accessory for a wireless connection. As long as it provides a good connection, I'm satisfied.

As it stands, it should be able to play Half Life 2 at decent settings and still run smoothly. Vista will also be fine with what you have. As to choosing between sound and wireless cards, I'd make the sacrifice in your wireless. You can always get a better wireless card later on, and those are usually cheaper to buy than sound cards.

Uh the Dell Wireless card is internal, and works fairly well. Getting it instead of the more expensive intel is basically a no-brainer.

OK, I'll go with the Dell wireless. I'll probably be buying this notebook later today. Thanks for all of the help, guys. :)

Double Post:
After talking with someone at work who recently bought a Dell Notebook and showed me how I can save money, I've since revised my selection:
http://host.kg13.com/gff/misc/dell_inspiron_e1505.htm

It's pretty much better in every way than my last configuration, except the screen has a smaller resolution (though the actual machine is smaller), and it has less RAM. The latter was done intentionally, as he says it's simple to upgrade the RAM in an E1505, and can even have someone in my office assist me with the upgrade. I can save money by getting the RAM through newegg.com, for example.

This new setup even comes with a free printer!

Moving this to Hardware forum for more responses. I plan to make the purchase later today.

Get a Mac, n00b.

Seriously though, even though you downgraded the screen size it's totally worth it for the added processor speed and for the faster FSB speed. So you're only going with 1 GB of RAM... It happens I guess.

Good luck with this.

As I said in a previous post, I will be manually upgrading it to 2GB, so no sweat. Thanks for the encouraging words though. ;)

Double Post:
This is kind of a pain. The payment made to clear the previous balance on the credit card was supposed to go through today, but hasn't. I called Dell and they said in may take a few more days because I did it online. WTF? Online should be faster, you douches. Rediculous. Now I have to wait until that shit's done before I can make my purchase.

http://www.4computercoupons.com/dell-coupons.html

$300 off Select Inspiron™ purchases of $1499 or above in Dell Home.

For this offer, enter Dell Coupon Code: BQMTFNN81?GQ0D

EHH?

That sounds good, but it doesn't work for this setup. Also, I already have in effect a coupon for $349 off. :)

All thanks to FatWallet.com of course.

Double Post:
OK, the payment went through already, so I went ahead and placed the order. Everything seems fine. Thanks for the help, everyone!

I plan to buy this RAM for installation:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145157

Alternatively, I hear Mushkin is a good brand:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146125

Either of those sound good? Is there a better deal out there somewhere?

I'm not much of a hardware wizz, but I've heard good things about corsair RAM from my coworkers and fellow computer enthusiasts. Balancing reviews between them, it seems like either of them will do the job fine. Most of their complaints seem to be sticks that don't work right off the bat with their model of computer, not about problems later on.

OK, thanks. I may wait up to a week before I purchase my RAM. The Notebook isn't scheduled to arrive until Jan. 5~9. On the other hand, Newegg.com tends to ship rather quickly.