NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Forums › Dell Notebooks - General › Why so many problems w/ the 8600? Scares Me!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Why so many problems w/ the 8600? Scares Me!

post #1 of 16
2/1/04 at 7:35pm
Thread Starter 
Hey all,
I recently purchased the ABS Mayhem G1. I'm very happy w/ it. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the battery life. But that's to be expected w/ a 3.0ghzHT, 7200rpm, etc.... I've thought about going to the Centrino instead to get some more battery life and have thought about the 8600, But after reading and hearing all of the horror stories and dealing w/ Dell tech support on my fathers dsktp. OMG! I really doubt I'll buy the 8600.

Why or how do you guys justify buying the 8600 w/ all of the problems and complaints you've had w/ it?

This is by no means a knock! I've thought about buying one myself. But after hearing endless screen problems, keyboard, sudden deaths, etc.... It sounds like a very very risky proposition..
Just wondering..
Thanks..
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 16
2/1/04 at 8:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kindser
Hey all,
I recently purchased the ABS Mayhem G1. I'm very happy w/ it. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the battery life. But that's to be expected w/ a 3.0ghzHT, 7200rpm, etc.... I've thought about going to the Centrino instead to get some more battery life and have thought about the 8600, But after reading and hearing all of the horror stories and dealing w/ Dell tech support on my fathers dsktp. OMG! I really doubt I'll buy the 8600.

Why or how do you guys justify buying the 8600 w/ all of the problems and complaints you've had w/ it?

This is by no means a knock! I've thought about buying one myself. But after hearing endless screen problems, keyboard, sudden deaths, etc.... It sounds like a very very risky proposition..
Just wondering..
Thanks..
What are all these "endless screen problems, keyboard, sudden deaths, etc." you refer to? Have you ever actually used an 8600? Did you read any reviews from the people who are very happy with their 8600?
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 16
2/1/04 at 8:15pm
Thread Starter 
Umm.. Like I said.. THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT A FLAME! No need to get defensive.
I am actually thinking about getting this machine.....
If you haven't heard of the screen problems, keyboard flexing, creaking issues w/ the 8600 then maybe i'm just crazy, but i've seem to have come across a number of these in this very forum. Please, don't make me quote all of them..
I'm just looking for some objective opinions...
And yes i have read the positives, but the negatives seem to overshadow them?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 16
2/1/04 at 8:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kindser
Umm.. Like I said.. THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT A FLAME! No need to get defensive.
I am actually thinking about getting this machine.....
If you haven't heard of the screen problems, keyboard flexing, creaking issues w/ the 8600 then maybe i'm just crazy, but i've seem to have come across a number of these in this very forum. Please, don't make me quote all of them..
I'm just looking for some objective opinions...
And yes i have read the positives, but the negatives seem to overshadow them?
It's not defensiveness, it's a simple question. You referred to the horror stories about screen problems, keyboard flexing and creaking(?). I, myself, reported on some issues with the 8600. My LCD is beautiful, but has some white illumination along the bottom that I don't like. I called Dell and they're going to send a tech to my house with a new LCD as a replacement. Several others have done the same thing. Not a "horror story," just a problem that's being cleared up. My keyboard is fine and I've not noticed any "creaking" nor have I seen any complaints about that particular problem. Again, the positives that are posted in these forums (speed, graphics, battery life, screen resolution, application/game performance, etc.) far outweigh any negatives that I've seen. Plus, I'm guided by the absolute best review that anyone could consult... my own, hands-on experience with my 8600.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 16
2/1/04 at 8:49pm
I really like my 8600 and would recommend it to others .. I haven't noticed any flexing on my keyboard but them again I don't try killing my keys while I type ..

I do have the slight illumination at the bottom of the screen but I really only notice it at bootup or when the screen is really black/dark ... Right now it doesn't bother me .. But I have a 3 year complete care so I can alwas get it replaced whenever
I want ..
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 16
2/1/04 at 8:57pm
Same here.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 16
2/1/04 at 9:24pm
I to am very happy with my 8600,,Have owned mine since mid November and have not had one single problem....
Can't beat this laptop for performance and quality.......simply amazing......
Specs 8600 1.7
128Nvidia 5650FxGo
768Mb 333DDR
60Gig HD
15.4 WSXGA+(Zero dead pixels)
1300 b/g Wireless
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 16
2/1/04 at 9:35pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you guys! Keep the feedback coming! I am very seriously considering this machine. And hearing about multiple screen problems and dell's poor tech support are the two things that are making this a tough decision.
I absolutely love my G1. It's a great machine, but it isn't a road warrior. 80 minutes of battery life is tough to deal w/ when there isn't a plug around.
That's what makes me wonder if I should switch to a Centrino. I just don't want to have to worry about which screen I get, by which manufacturer. Have they taken care of their screen problems? I'd most likely get the SXGA+. Is it a crapshoot as to which LCD you get? Toshiba, HItachi, etc? Or are they all now shipping w/ better LCD's? I've seen a lot of problems w/ the LCD's over the last few months..
Thanks Again!
P.S. Is there a big diff. between the 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7? I was thinking 1.6 SXGA+. Also, I'd like a gig of ram, but dell overcharges for the stuff. should I go w/ 1 stick of 256, Yank it, and put in 2 sticks of 512 from NewEgg or something? Also want a G card.. Stinks that it's extra, but is the 1300 a good card? What else do you recomend? thinking around 2k.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 16
2/1/04 at 10:38pm
even the 1.4ghz is awesome as long as you have a decent video card to compliment it and a hefty 1 gb of ram if gaming on the road is your motto think radeon 9600 and the 1.5ghz centrino package. hold out on the card though wait for intel to release there g card soon
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 16
2/1/04 at 11:11pm
No worries kindser.... I think the 8600 has probs just like every other lappy!!! One thing to remember is that Dell sells a much larger volume than most. And with that you get many more complaints, you just don't usually see the good comments coming to the forums!

I have used the 8600 for games and work. and liked it so much that I just ordered it for Work and Games I need it for the Mil and work, I wanted decent Bat life and perf. I think the 8600 will work for me.

1.7
9600 128
1 Gig
60 Gig 7200
CD/DVD burner
1400
BT
3 year


Reply
Reply
post #11 of 16
2/2/04 at 3:13pm
I am very pleased with my I8600, the keyboard has some flex in it but its not noticable, either is the white illumination at the bottom of the screen, I may get a replacement but its not a big deal. I havent had any experience with the customer service at Dell yet so I cant really comment on that.

As for battery life the 8600 rocks, I watched all of the matrix the other day in full screen mode and still had over an hour and a half left of battery life. I also played Star Wars Galaxies for a good 2 hours on the battery and still had an hour + left when I was finished.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 16
2/2/04 at 7:24pm
well, i hope i get mine before a 5 hour flight. Then i can test the battery.

so, maybe get some divx films or dvds and watch them onboard, only drawback is the free drinks that can occupy my attention
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 16
2/2/04 at 8:05pm
Well, one can't really compare his laptop if he did not see other laptops. But from what i have eheard, it is better to invest that large amount of money in other laptops that have better built and quality.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 16
2/3/04 at 5:02pm
The Dell 8600 has all the right features, it's just all of these complaints about it. (Point stick buttons hard to press, bad keyboard, loud cooling fans) I'm looking to buy a laptop soon as well.

I don't care about the last 10% of performance. I'd rather have 4x battery life. So I'm sold on the Pentium M laptops.

I have a VAIO now and HATE the 8MB video card. My Sony (and my wife's) have fantastic quality but have pathetic graphic cards. There is no way I'm going to fall in that trap again. My top priority is the best graphics card out there so there's a chance the laptop will last awhile. I'm still waiting to play Warcraft III thanks to my pathetic VAIO graphics.

Is there a new Intel graphics card coming out? And what is soon?
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 16
2/3/04 at 5:17pm
Say, is the Dell 8600 going to sport the new ATI 9700?
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 16
2/3/04 at 10:44pm
No one knows for sure but im positive it will only appear in the next iteration of the line IE Inspiron 9100 and Inspiron XPS
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Dell Notebooks - General
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Forums › Dell Notebooks - General › Why so many problems w/ the 8600? Scares Me!