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Inspiron/Latitude/Precision Quality differences???

post #1 of 23
9/28/05 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
Hi,

are there differences in quality concerning the Latitude/Inspiron/Precision models?
For example are the more expensive latitudes more sturdy, have higher quality components or are they all the same in all 3 different product lines?
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post #2 of 23
9/28/05 at 4:13pm
I would guess Latitude are built a little stronger because they are business laptops that are always on the go and probably get roughed up a bit. The one out our work has a texture on it probably not to show scratches and it's pretty heavy. But then again my 9300 hasnt come yet so I dont really know.
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post #3 of 23
9/28/05 at 4:22pm
I haven't seen enough Dell laptops to know for sure on the quality differences. In the desktop series, it usually has more to do with how the system is optimized. We had tons of troubles getting Dimensions to behave in a business network, but there's also no way an Optiplex could handle the games that a Dimension can. I've only ever worked on one Precision desktop, and it was so old by the time I got to it that I can't say a great deal about it. The Optiplex series is no less likely to fall over dead than a Dimension, so I don't see any real differences in the overall physical quality of the two separate lines. The Optiplex is definitely engineered more toward the "stability" end of the spectrum than the "performance" end.
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post #4 of 23
9/28/05 at 5:19pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for your replies. I am currently between the Inspiron 9300 and the Precision M70. Next to the XPS these are the best performers for 3D games (the XPS is overpriced IMO). And compared to the Inspiron the Precision has a pointer navigation as well, which means for me that for games I do not need a mouse (I am currently with an A31 IBM thinkpad and played games such as Unreal II and Half-Life 2 with a trackpoint). But the price difference is just too extreme.
I am wondering if in case the components such as the harddisk, cd/dvd, ram are actually the same, the casing quality comparable and the only difference left is the 3 year warranty I would dare to hope that I could get a better price for the M70 using these arguments.
Amazing I am basically willing to pay 200.- $ more and go with a smaller display just to be able to use a pointer instead of being bound to the touchpad or external mouse.....
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post #5 of 23
9/28/05 at 5:50pm
I bet M70 has much better build the 9300. I am typing on it right now - it is built like a tank. The lid is magnesium alloy and you cannot see a rainbow effect on the screen no matter how hard you try to knock on the lid. There are no creaks or squeaks. I had a Panasonic Toughbook 50 before so I know what I am talking about. It probably weighs more than 7 pounds too.
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post #6 of 23
9/28/05 at 5:50pm
I bet M70 has much better build than 9300. I am typing on it right now - it is built like a tank. The lid is magnesium alloy and you cannot see a rainbow effect on the screen no matter how hard you try to knock on the lid. There are no creaks or squeaks. I had a Panasonic Toughbook 50 before so I know what I am talking about. It probably weighs more than 7 pounds too.
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post #7 of 23
9/28/05 at 7:48pm
I had a lattitude up until a couple of months ago when I got in on one of the deals for a XPS2. The D800, D600 models are definitely inferior to the XPS2 in terms of build quality in my opinion. The D610 is much better then the D600 but overall, the XPS2 just feels a little bit more solid to me.
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post #8 of 23
9/28/05 at 10:11pm
Honestly, I really couldn't tell much of a difference between my M60 and i8600. I thought they were built about the same. Either way, I haven't had any issues with either of their build qualities.
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post #9 of 23
9/30/05 at 4:31pm
My m70 is drastically better than my friends 8600 in build quality. I don't know about the 9300, however, as I haven't seen one in person.

Tellerve
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post #10 of 23
9/30/05 at 6:35pm
my latitude D810 is superior to any inspiron i have ever seen
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post #11 of 23
9/30/05 at 7:51pm
The M70 is built to a far higher degree of durability and stability than the i9300. That's not to say that the i9300 is poorly built; it certainly isn't. However, the quality of the Precision line is far beyond what you will find in the Inspiron line. If your only concern is gaming, though, I would go with the i9300. It will get better performance, and it will cost far less than the M70. The Precisions are designed for workstation class CAD/3D work, so unless that type of usage is in your future, I think the M70 will be overkill. The only benefit to the M70 is that it has a smaller form factor (15.4" screen) and weighs a little less, while still offering a top of the line gpu. Hope this helps.
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post #12 of 23
9/30/05 at 9:08pm
I have an I9300, and the build of it seems pretty solid. There's no flex on the panel behind the LCD, whatsoever. You can even tap it pretty hard and there's no flex because the panel is pretty strong. Someone on another thread says it has alloy behind it. All in all, it's a pretty solid build.
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post #13 of 23
10/1/05 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
thanks again guys. Gaming is not my only concern, but the only concern that would require a good GPU ;-) To myself I made the deal to not got below the performance of an ATI x700. Otherwise I would be looking at the D810 as well. My biggest issue is than I am so much used to IBM thinkpads and to their trackpoint navigation. Just to perform a test I started up Unreal Tournament 2004 and disabled the trackpoint to play with an external mouse. It was really weird for me. Anyway as mentioned above I am willing to pay more just to have the little clit-nub.
First I was thinking about the new IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad Z Series, but in general the 70m series is the same as the D810.

Actually to sum up what I use my notebook for is everything that can be replaced by a computer is done by the computer.
So I don't have a Stereo and I don't have a tv. I do all that with the PC (listening to music, watching tv and DVD). I work in IT and do a lot of scripting, sometimes programming, but in general a lot of writing and don't want any keyboard with flexing. In privat I record music and need a high resolution to be able to see all the tracks and faders. And then again since childhood I always played on the PC and also love to game.
I also travel a lot, but don't mind carrying the extra weight and don't need too much battery power, since most of the time I always find some kind of power source to use.

Today between i9300 and M70 in Germany I get these results online

i9300 -> 1699.- EUR | M70 -> 1750.- EUR

17" WUXGA screen ----- 15,4" WSXGA+ screen
6800 Go GPU ----- Quadro FX 1400 GPU
8x +/- DVD/RW ----- 24x CD/RW + 8x DVD-ROM combo
100gb 5400rpm HD ----- 40gb 7200rpm HD

The rest of the configuration is basically the same. Concerning the last two options (optical drive and HD) I already have an external 16x DVD Burner and in my current laptop a 60GB 7200rpm HD that I intend to use in the next laptop as well.

Everything on the left looks peachy ;-) but it's missing a trackpoint.
I guess I just have to find out what sacrifices I am willing to make to have a trackpoint navigation.....
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post #14 of 23
10/1/05 at 12:27pm
i say , get the M70
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post #15 of 23
10/1/05 at 10:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igorrr
Hi,

are there differences in quality concerning the Latitude/Inspiron/Precision models?
For example are the more expensive latitudes more sturdy, have higher quality components or are they all the same in all 3 different product lines?

The latitude and precisions are basically the same line, a professional/business line while the inspiron is a home consumer line. The latitudes are made of magnesium alloy while the new inspirons are also mag alloy in the lcd lid and the base which makes the new inspirons a better quality build than their previous inspiron cousins and far better than consumer models by HP, Compaq, Toshiba.

If you do decide to go with a latitude system or precision, please note that the D810 and M70 are built rather well, other models in both these lines like the m29, d610 and d410, the same cannot be said.
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post #16 of 23
10/10/05 at 4:03am
the current D810 & M70 cases are 99% the same

the 9300/XPS is 99% the same also
except the XPS has pretty little (battery wasting) LED's that make the back of the LCD (where the user cant see them, like the illuminated apple logo on the power books) as well as a different color scheme

neither the d810, m70, 9300, or xps have any chassis "flex" when picked up via the corner and carried w/ the screen open

this is an improvement over the 8600 & d800 models, where the 8600 has TONS of flex, and the d800 has a little bit, but more than would/should be expected. the d800 has the aid of a magnesium alloy lid/LCD back that gives it more strength when closed, but the rest of the body is plastic like the i8600, which does not have the magnesium alloy LCD back

so your choice is do you want a 6800 video card and whether you want 15.4" LCD (m70) or 17" LCD (9300)
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post #17 of 23
10/18/05 at 10:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igorrr
Thank you for your replies. I am currently between the Inspiron 9300 and the Precision M70. Next to the XPS these are the best performers for 3D games (the XPS is overpriced IMO). And compared to the Inspiron the Precision has a pointer navigation as well, which means for me that for games I do not need a mouse (I am currently with an A31 IBM thinkpad and played games such as Unreal II and Half-Life 2 with a trackpoint). But the price difference is just too extreme.
I am wondering if in case the components such as the harddisk, cd/dvd, ram are actually the same, the casing quality comparable and the only difference left is the 3 year warranty I would dare to hope that I could get a better price for the M70 using these arguments.
Amazing I am basically willing to pay 200.- $ more and go with a smaller display just to be able to use a pointer instead of being bound to the touchpad or external mouse.....
Unless you are using your laptop for 3d programs, I would highly recommend the xps or 9300. The new xps and inspiron 9300 are very well built and offer magnesium alloy in the lcd lid and chassis. The m70 is totally magnesium alloy so its a bit stiffer and a 7nice machine but the video card is not as good as the 6800go /ultra in the 9300 and the xps gen2 which can be had for less than an m70. The 9300 and xps2 are designed for the home user, the m70 is for business professionals so it has legacy ports like a parallele printer port and serial port and vga port. the 9300 and xps2 have more usb ports and a dvi port in addition to the vga port and are designed for the home user. Not to mention that the 9300 and xps2 have a 17 inch screen and are only slightly larger overall than the m70. For me it was a no brainer, I went with the 9300. You are not likely to get any deals on an M70 and certainly not any coupons, those pointers like the thinkpads have and the m70 are not very practical, you are much better off using a wireless mouse!! I never used the track point on my ibm thinkpad.
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post #18 of 23
11/9/05 at 4:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igorrr
Thank you for your replies. I am currently between the Inspiron 9300 and the Precision M70. Next to the XPS these are the best performers for 3D games (the XPS is overpriced IMO). And compared to the Inspiron the Precision has a pointer navigation as well, which means for me that for games I do not need a mouse (I am currently with an A31 IBM thinkpad and played games such as Unreal II and Half-Life 2 with a trackpoint). But the price difference is just too extreme.
I am wondering if in case the components such as the harddisk, cd/dvd, ram are actually the same, the casing quality comparable and the only difference left is the 3 year warranty I would dare to hope that I could get a better price for the M70 using these arguments.
Amazing I am basically willing to pay 200.- $ more and go with a smaller display just to be able to use a pointer instead of being bound to the touchpad or external mouse.....

The M70 is muc costlier than the 9300, it does have a better case quality as it is totally magnesium alloy but its not designed for the home user, that being said the M70 isnt a bad machine but its price is prohibiitve in the USA and it has legacy ports such as serial and parralell ports that most home users dont even use these days but still find use in the business world for which this computer was designed. The 9300/XPS are mag alloy in the chassis and lcd lid and are very solid, far sturdier than the previous line of inspirons dell has offered and they also have more usb ports, dvi and vga ports along with pci express and more powerful graphics solutions although the m70's quadro card is almost as good as the nvidia 6800go card.

One thing to keep in mind with latitudes and precisions is that they are desinged for the corporate world where updates arent needed as frequently, hence the parallel and serial ports. For the latest and greatest ports, the inspiron line is your choice especially since they are cheaper than the business lines. You would be hard pressed for example, to find a home user who would have use for a parallel printer port on their lappy.

The latitude and precisions do offer the ability to have two hard drives which is nice but these days you can easily use a small form factor external drive packaged about the same size as an Ipod so this is no longer such a disadvantage on the inspiron line.
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post #19 of 23
11/11/05 at 1:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cutters
The latitude and precisions do offer the ability to have two hard drives which is nice but these days you can easily use a small form factor external drive packaged about the same size as an Ipod so this is no longer such a disadvantage on the inspiron line.
Or you can throw in a modular battery, which means a full day's work unplugged or 3/3.5/4 hours of NHL '06 for me on flights. After owning a 9300 and now the D810, despite the small difference in weight the D810 takes up much less space on my desk. I only have a 48 inch desk so its real noticeable for me. Other than that, I can say that both the 9300 and D810 are extremely well-built, I'd give the nod to the D810 though, it is a tank. The D810 runs cooler than my 9300 did, when the fans do go on they are very quiet. I also think Ati's Powerplay feature is better than Nvidia's feature for battery performance (the beast of a GPU in the 9300 also has something to do w/ it), but that might be a non-issue for the thread starter.

I do miss the 9300 though (stupid dead pixel ) and am still thinking of re-ordering one as my 21 days on this D810 expires in a week! The screen on the 9300 is gorgeous. Bottom line, both the 9300 and D810 rock you can't go wrong with either of them.

EDIT- Oh yeah, if you are thinking Latitude, look at Dell Outlet as there are some STEALS, same for the 9300 and the 6000. I got the laptop in my sig for $1180 including shipping and tax, plus $150 for my hard drive upgrade.
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post #20 of 23
11/11/05 at 2:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonnyp79
Or you can throw in a modular battery, which means a full day's work unplugged or 3/3.5/4 hours of NHL '06 for me on flights. After owning a 9300 and now the D810, despite the small difference in weight the D810 takes up much less space on my desk. I only have a 48 inch desk so its real noticeable for me. Other than that, I can say that both the 9300 and D810 are extremely well-built, I'd give the nod to the D810 though, it is a tank. The D810 runs cooler than my 9300 did, when the fans do go on they are very quiet. I also think Ati's Powerplay feature is better than Nvidia's feature for battery performance (the beast of a GPU in the 9300 also has something to do w/ it), but that might be a non-issue for the thread starter.

I do miss the 9300 though (stupid dead pixel ) and am still thinking of re-ordering one as my 21 days on this D810 expires in a week! The screen on the 9300 is gorgeous. Bottom line, both the 9300 and D810 rock you can't go wrong with either of them.

EDIT- Oh yeah, if you are thinking Latitude, look at Dell Outlet as there are some STEALS, same for the 9300 and the 6000. I got the laptop in my sig for $1180 including shipping and tax, plus $150 for my hard drive upgrade.
The D810 is not much smaller than the 9300, anyone can see these specs at dell, as for using the modular bay for extra battery, its not that much extra battery though it would be nice I suppose if you spen alot of time on airplanes. I had no problem wiht my 9300 on an airplane though I do not live on them for business travel.
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