Have anyone tried the Dell Inspiron 9400 yet? Yeah, it's that huge 17" behemoth of a notebook from Dell.... Can't say I have much faith in Dell quality BUT they do offer a great price and even more importantly, the latest hardware today. The price is, of course, insanely high since I've always opted for the high end stuff in my configuration. Hehe... Stuff like the new Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 and the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GS. The damage is severe, of course, at about RM 7,000 (USD 1900) so all I have done is salivate... Hahahah.. But no matter how enticing the specs are, I think it's darn important to take into account the size, and build quality of any notebook. What do you guys think about this notebook? Here's a link - http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/pro...2006-09-12_inspn_9400_N510906?c=my&l=en&s=dhs
I've checked out the model myself yesterday. It does come default witha 3 year complete cover warranty. therefore, any physical damage within the 3 years are covered. I've seen the older versions of the 9000 series before... man. huge and heavy. really heavy. i can even swear it was using 3.5" HDs... well, it sure had the size to accomodate it! My thoughts... I'd rather get a SFF instead of this based on the pricing. I think an SFF can offer much better value for money. even the GPU is cheaper, and the HD space... SFF config + 20" LCD + a good set of mouse and keyboard... SWEET and probably the same price too.
I have run through the specs but i am never in favour of heavy stuff, imagining carry it everywhere if they can pack those stuff into a 12.1" ... its gonna burn a hole in my pocket
Yeah, I would never get a high end notebook. Short lifespan due to not able to upgrade, expensive, and risk of losing it, and can never be as fast as a good desktop.
ATI X1400XL sux for gaming xD If you really want to game, get a desktop. I will never get a high end notebook for gaming. For me: 1) Those high end notebooks are too heavy. (Notebooks are meant to be carried around lol) 2) Gaming on the go with these notebook is er..... impractical. Their power consumption is too high and the battery won't last long. Maybe 2+ hours max? Spare batteries er..... see no.1 3) because of reason no.2, it means that most of the time u will be sitting at home or somewhere with a wall socket to game (which beats the whole purpose of this notebook). 4) like chai said, risk of it being stolen, unable to upgrade. 5) it is freaking expensive 6) it is very freaking expensive 7) it is very very freaking expensive The good thing about this notebook is that you can brag and make ppl
Actually, it comes with a 1-year CompleteCover warranty by default, although you can opt for 3-years CompleteCover. I can't go for SFF because I travel quite a bit. Unfortunately, I need a pretty powerful system to do my work. Thought of upgrading my current notebook from 1GB to 2GB, but DDR SDRAM is more expensive than DDR2. Although the processor's maxxing out everytime I do graphics editing. So, I might as well buy a new notebook. Now, if only I can find the dough...
12.1" is too small to do much work. Have to really squint to see anything. Hehe... But if you want a good 12.1" notebook, Dell has the XPS 1210. I used to own a Fujitsu mini-notebook. It's really compact and portable. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough to do much work on it.
Well, generally, my notebooks last me about 1.5 to 2 years before I find them too slow. I would love to get a desktop as well, but I don't think I can afford even a notebook, much less both a notebook and a desktop. Also, I do travel quite a bit. So, lugging a desktop is out of the question. Either that or not doing any work when I'm out of the house.
Well, I don't think you can seriously game for hours using just a battery. No matter what kind of notebook you use, you definitely need to bring a power brick or spare batteries. But gaming on a notebook is quite possible, I can assure you. Hehe.. But it depends on whether your notebook comes with a good GPU or not. Power consumption is continuously going down. The GeForce Go 7900 GS uses only about 20W. What may be a problem is the heat output. If the heat can be expelled from the notebook without affecting the contact areas, then it will be okay. Actually, the Dell Inspiron 9400 is relatively cheap for what it offers. Branded notebooks are even more expensive, with slower processors and GPUs. Ultra-portables are worse. Yeah, notebooks are easy to steal. Their biggest advantage is also their biggest problem. The weight of the 9400 will likely be a problem for me too... as well as any potential thieves. I used to lug the Toshiba Satellite M30 which weighed about 3kg. That was heavy! Sigh.. The 9400 probably weighs about 4kg.
Is there a need to game on notebooks? I find it much more comfortable gaming on big screen, proper mouse with proper keyboard.
You do not have to game on a notebook, but why not? At least you can do it wherever you are, instead of only at home.
I rather spend the additional money that you spend on expensive graphics card on desktop. Plus you don't have to replace everything when you upgrade your desktop.
Which is why I definitely won't game on notebooks I know, I was refering to X1400XL Go 7900GS is a very good GPU. Power consumption rating is one thing, but how long does the notebook could actually last during gaming is another issue and also the most important thing to consider and yeah, heat is another problem too. Hm.... true. However desktops are still much cheaper. Which is why I still prefer to spend money on a gaming desktop, a lot cheaper and you get better performance. Of course, for those who MUST game whenever they go, go ahead for these notebooks For me, it just doesn't worth it.... so much more cons compared to pros and I don't mind to wait until I reach home to game. Another reason why I won't buy these notebooks. Same here
