A few questions from a first time Dell customer... - Page 2

Maybe an option worth checking?: http://www.notebookforums.com/post24...ml#post2493064http://www.notebookforums.com/post2493241-2.html

1) Short answer is NO. Don't buy what you cannot afford. Work harder and wait until you have enough money. Paying interest on a credit card is even more stupid. It will cost you almost double on the long run. It's a lot easier to work extra hours on a second job.

2) No, they do not come with multiple partitions; unless you buy one with 2 harddrives. You can format the drive and create another partition, but you'll need the CDs from Dell to reinstall everything. I think you are better off leaving the system AS-IS.

Will xyz run xyz game?

The Mobile Graphics Card Info Page

http://forum.notebookreview.com/show....php?p=1246649


Upgrading a Graphics Card?
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=41454

Notebook Video Graphics Card Guide 2006
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=65548

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Mobile Graphics Cards - Benchmark
Listhttp://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-...ist.844.0.html

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Santa Rosa info:

http://www.notebookforums.com/post2496587-9.html


It's the next generation machines designed for Vista with improvements.... 800, vs 667 bus, Hybrid hard drives, better gpu's DX-10... but other stuff..

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...+Intel&spell=1


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01...trino_roadmap/

http://www.techspot.com/news/20130-i...r-in-2007.html

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/...419053800.html


Intel’s Santa Rosa Mobile Platform to Adopt EFI.

The transition to extensible firmware interface (EFI) from the widely adopted basic input/output system (BIOS) has begun with the release of Intel-based Macintosh computers, however, in the general personal computers EFI is still not used any broadly. However, this is going to change with the release of Intel Corp.’s next-generation mobile platform code-named Santa Rosa, which will use EFI instead of BIOS.
American Megatrends Inc. (AMI), a leading supplier of BIOS, announced at Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Beijing, China, that Santa Rosa, Intel’s next generation Centrino mobile technology, will be the first of many future customer reference boards (CRBs) from Intel mobile platform group to offer Aptio, an EFI 1.1/UEFI-based firmware.
AMI Aptio is compatible with EFI 1.10, Unified EFI (UEFI) standards, and the Intel platform innovation framework for EFI which is Intel’s “product-strength implementation of EFI and UEFI”. Aptio offers a wide set of mobile features, such as enhanced embedded controller interface, digital thermal sensors, hot key support and quick boot. Aptio also supports the latest advanced mobile features of Intel’s next generation mobile chipsets, including innovative power saving technologies, advanced display options and dual-core processors.
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a specification detailing an interface that helps hand off control of the system for the pre-boot environment (i.e.: after the system is powered on, but before the operating system starts) to an operating system, such as Windows or Linux. UEFI provides a “clean” interface between operating systems and platform firmware at boot time, and also supports an architecture-independent mechanism for initializing add-in cards. EFI and UEFI are set to replace BIOS in future computers.
Intel’s code-named Santa Rosa mobile platform will feature code-named Merom processor with 800MHz processor system bus, new core-logic code-named Crestline which incarnations sport DirectX 9.0 shader model 3.0-compatible built-in graphics core, Intel NAND technology that boosts performance of hard disk drives, code-named Kedron wireless network controller compliant with an 802.11n standard, which will increase bandwidth to up to 600Mb/s, and some other innovations.

Ok. I was like you (original poster).
Here's what I did...

I got my mom an HP dv8000 with a dual-core intel platform and a gig of memory. IT has space for a 2nd hard drive in it, like those trick Toshiba multi-media rigs that dominated the top slot for almost a year. You can find these DV8000 series on Ebay for really good prices.

I got a "previously ordered" (unpaid for?) XPS m1710, with the entry level gear. I skimped on memory AND on the HD. I've been traveling the WORLD with it for the last 6 months- it's abit heavy, but I love it for me work. The high-res screen is worth it's weight (I do CAd, mapping and architecture mostly, rendering and CS2 stuff- once in a blue-moon an intense GPU-cpu FPS)...

Here's what I noticed, when sitting NEXT to the 9400's and the HP dv8000's

1) I'd give alot to have a Dv8000 with that extra HD slot capability. It's not quite as beefy with hardware, but that HD slot would be sooo nice for Photoshop and CAD stuff- TWO hard drives? the DV8000 WEIGHTS THE SAME when you hold one or the other- really if they have different weights, it's unnoticeable. ALL 19" notebooks are kinda big when traveling, but a few ounces differernce, even if the only traveling you do is bus-dorm-bus-classes-coffeeshops... or airport-jeep-rugged-roads in 3rd world country jeep-airports... You really don't notice the differences one bit.

2) that extra HD in the dv8000 rocks. (did I mention this?)

3) the 9400's are almost identical, really. The black keys are nice if you do multimedia and the harder plate in the XPS series is.. where? I don't notice the difference.

4) theM90... hmmm.. it's not silver, but ironically, since most people get these sorts of machines, in 3rd world countries these represent MORE status and people are more likely to eye it. you can shut off the LED's in the XPS anyway. People here would have to sell their house to afford this machine, and they don't even notice it- but the other architectural designer get their M90's looked at INTENSELY. My XPS just gets a quick glance- unless the lights are on.

The difference in PRICE means...

get a dv8000 if you don't need the warranty for spilling coffee or gasoline or diesel all over it
get a 9400 if you don't really care about spending an extra $1k on led's or the "top" video card (you seriously won't notice squat difference except in benchmark printouts) -or a previously something certified XPS like I did (mine was $2k shipped, no sale or coupons)

IF you like Dell's warranty and are gonna possibly USE it, meaning NOT mod much about your rig, get the 9400 serious as loaded as you can afford. I have a 7900 gs and I don't notice ANYTHING between that and the guys who got the red XPS's with the top 2x gpu's in them- what... their SHADOWS in the game are bit more clearer than mine? I see everything full detail at full 1920x1600 res with antialiasing on no problem! a 7900 go 256mb ROCKS!

The one place to NOT skimp is that HD... it's Dell's clulb-foot and sweet baby at the same time. The hidden partitions hold tools and a image of everything you have them configure when you first get it. Usually that image is at the END of the HD and is under 5gb- a pittance for if something goes wrong and you get HOSED by a Macros or some other nightmare: hit ctrl+f11 in the boot and you'll be back up like it was the moment you first plugged it in!!! YAY!!! the other tiny partition is under 60mb and at the front and holds some tiny dell utility tools- leave it. There's some hidden partition in the middle that only shows up when you use the media direct button (like on planes, to play DVD's or look at pictures or show a slideshow to clients or whatnot :better battery life is the presumption, but we're talking prolly 10 minutes more for a 2 hour demo, at best, really)...

the reason that hidden image is dell's baby and club-foot is nothing can SEE it so nothing can INFECT it. You can run a process to expose it outside of the CTRL+f11 function to see the image files, but other than that it's for all intents and purposes the rest of the time not even part of the hardware- which means viruses can NOT mess it up- as long as your bios is good. The bad news is UPGRADING THE HARD DRIVE is a SERIOUS endeavor- and you'll need to do some research to keep your media direct functioning keys working should you like that function on your $1-4K dell laptop (like, duh- I PAID for it!)...

so.
If I had to do it OVER, I'd pick up a DV8000, put in a t7200, newegg 4gb of ram and a 2nd HD for backups @ 250gbx 4500/5400 and the main HD at say 160gb 5400rpm- with a 5 year HD warranty.

Yeah.
course then I'd not have this wicked looking beast that gets me a lot of geek attention from teenagers at international airports where I don't take it out usually anyway, or in 1st world nations over grande mocha breve's and that FAT 4 year dell full coverage.

I got DELL for that warranty by the way- so if you're gonna need the warranty, vs, VOID it (check my sig, I can only send back a few things now- lol!) then go with a Dell- and get a 9400 over the XPS or m90's -trust me, you won't notice anything, AND you can always, with some crafty work, swap off the LCD cover (same hinge) and even put a red XPS lid on it- LOL!...that's what those XPS's are with the black keys! *wink*

Or else get that dv8000 with the 2x HD's and upgrade the rig yourself and just treat the machine real nice. Those dv8000's are just as nice or nicer than the 9400's IMHO- really sharp looking, all silver with black interior and SHARP blue led's.

Hope that helps you and anyone else reading this.

p.s. in 3rd world countries they don't really notice the DIFFERENCE in your laptop, just that you HAVE one... so if they got guns you're screwed if they want it anyway. Does Dell cover this sort of thing? LowJack won't get it back if someone with a kalishnikov takes it and rides off over the sands... so you *know where it is* -who the HECK is gonna send in a special forces team to recover a LAPTOP??

Best get a cheaper one and just back up your data. LOL!

LOL!

Oh I forgot, there are TWO other systems I have seen that I wonder about since getting my 1710...

The 19" titanium macs and the PC notebook made by Asus or Toshiba that USES THE SAME chasis and case as those macbook 19's... the CONS of them BOTh were, (outside of half my CAD-work software not running on bootcamp at the time)

they both get a bit *toasty* for warm climates. In itself this ain't so great, but at the around $4k to replicate the compenents in a 9400 or XPS-cert-ref'r'b, forget it! My bro got one of the 19" macs and it's a BEAUTIFUL machine, especially for TRAVELING. It's a hair lighter than my 1710, and about half as thick. It feels a lot sturdier and the USB/firewire plugs can't be BROKEN off- as they attack on the surface with magnets! HMFC!!! (Why doesn't DELL do this?)

We were both hessitating for about 6 months. I researched sometimes 4 hours a day, and then said- forget it- I'll get what I can afford, and I got something I can upgrade the VIDEO easy (finding the PARTS is another story, or affording them- so think about this!!!)...

I'd seriously consider trading someone for one of those titanium macs now, if it had a Gf79xx in it. I see NO difference between the ATI's in the m90's and my card, and mine does games... *plubbbth! -thumbs noses at other CAD rigs*

However, the hard drive in that HP dv8000 (the ONLY ones that have it, they cut it out of the newer ones!!! WTF, more idiot engineers!!!) really.. really...

Man that is sweet. And you can just as easily get TWO of those laptops for the price of a 9400 loaded or a cert-refurb XPS middle of the road rig, or 4 for the cost of the titanium chassis Mac's or the PC version

*anyone know which firm made those PC versions? Was it Asus, Toshiba, Abit.. huh??? I'll repost if I ever find out*


-by the way #2, you can UPDATE the image in the HPA on your partition- that's the easy part. Upgrading the HD itself is the nightmare... and ANYONE can put an image on a hidden partition using partition edit and ghost- to make it immune from viruses, even macros... so

get I'd get the HP dv8000 with a dual core T7200+ series and add in a bunch of ram and a 2nd HD. Heck, get two.

Or a dell with a full 9 yards, 4 year warranty.
I mean, go AHEAD.... spill coffee all over it. I dare ya. I'll be back in two days with a *new* one. And my USB drive intact.

I hope?



and all this stuff about new gear and better CPU's and such... it won't matter in the real world except maybe a tiny bit- meantime, you'll be using your new laptop and HAVING FUN and being unplugged and out there USING something you want. Find a sale, get a warranty, and pick up the upgrades in your budget and get to playing on your laptop!!! You'll be selling the desktop soon or downgrading it to some old used 866eb rig with 10 used ide drives on a lan as your file server... Because you'll have that WICKED COOL laptop you want and love to use.

don't wait, except to go check them out in person (coffee shops are good places, usually most people don't mind showing you for a minute or two, even let you pick it up gently if you tell them you're considering buying one just like it. You can even throw mine in the air to see how it feels- hey...
-IT'S A DELL.

LOL!

Just want to let you know techno, you just resurrected an ancient thread and the primary user is probably not even here anymore

Long live the DEAD!

my bad- I forgot to check the posting date. Well, there's always the archives, eh? Don't even let me IN there... I'm a menace to the server admins...LOL!
:P

You appear to have quite a bit of knowledge, I encourage you to stay amongst us I sure would love someone else to help out others!

Knowledge...

Hey thanks. I sure feel lost sometimes when I am editing partition tables and digging around with a wrench under the hard drive covers to reset the heads, but that's pretty geeky stuff for most... Maybe I can help out here and there.

I think the cut-off between knowledge-able and learning is NOT how it feels, but rather how easy it is to find information from other people, or on the internet.

I'm currently having one heck of a time finding information or people who know how to edit the HPA. Seems like information forensic people are struggling with this too... I'm busting out the ol' Red Hat install disks soon... And I can hardly remember what the heck a "root" is, except when I'm searching for rootkits after some torrent software download. Ugh!

By the way, those of you who don't know about the Dell HPA's, just forget eveything and do NOT ghost those drives- just skip it all and do your HD normal or better yet, send it to a tech.