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600m vs. 8600 - Help me decide

post #1 of 8
3/14/04 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 
I will be going to law school in the fall and will need something that I can take on the train every day and carry between classes. My innitial idea was to go for the 600m, but I am entertaining the idea of the 8600 due to the wide screen (which I like) and its supposed ease of upgradabilty (modular graphics, RAM, WiFi). I did a lot of research on comparable systems (zt3000, X1000, etc.) and decided that they are not in the same ballpark as Dell. I played with the zt3000 at Best Buy for a while and was not impressed with the mousepad (I kept moving onto the scroll area), the power cord placement, or the slow graphics. I have 2 friends who own 600m's (1.4, SXGA+, 512 RAM) and have been able to "test drive" those as well. Unfortunately, I can't get my hands on an 8600 to compare, so I throw myself at the supreme knowledge of the forum to help me decide...

I am a bit apprehensive of the 8600 due to the problems I have been hearing about (keyboard, dead pixels, and cheap construction) and not sure if it has enough to offer to put it above the 600m. Can anyone weigh on on this? My main concern here is that the 8600 will be too hard to lug around (will the extra 2 pounds and a few extra inches be a noticable problem?) and that it will crack or break due to a cheap body. If anyone has had the chance to try out both of tese systems, please let me know what your impressions/thoughts were and which you would/did go with and why. Thanks in advance for the help.
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post #2 of 8
3/14/04 at 8:31pm
Well IMHO I think you should go with the 8600 its not that big to tote around. I bought a briefcase bag and its not that bad. I'm a pilot and I'm going to use it for mapping programs and sit it in small aircraft seats beside me and it seems to be a good size for this. As for classrooms I don't know how much space you are going to have but the 8600 is not much bigger than the 600m but a whole lot better if you ask me.
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post #3 of 8
3/14/04 at 9:08pm
Why not look at the M60...Better then the 600m...and the 8600, if you ask me.


Thanks
DeathtoToasters
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post #4 of 8
3/14/04 at 10:45pm
my fix in the modding section will fix the keyboard "problem" people complain about. So don't let it sway your decision. I also have a thread on a comparison of the x1000 and 8600 if you wanna read it in teh review section. If you're into gaming and entertainment after your studies I would go with teh 8600. If not try the M60 or D800, they do look more professional. I carry my 8600 around with me everyday on campus w/o a problem.
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post #5 of 8
3/14/04 at 11:11pm
Go with the 8600,one fantastic laptop...I for one have owned mine since Mid November and have not had a single problem.WSXGA screen is beautiful,Zero Dead pixels,no problems at all with my keyboard,fantastic battery life,great wireless reception,runs all my apps great,have burned over 50 DVDs without a single error. Very quiet,Mobility wise I find it very light and easy to carry..My coworkers Drool with envy...I rate it an A+.......

Specs 8600 1.7
128Nvidia 5650FxGo
768Mb 333DDR
60Gig Hd
15.4 WSXGA+(Samsung)
1300b/g Wireless
4XDVDR+RW
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post #6 of 8
3/15/04 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the input. I'm 90% on the 8600 bandwagon... I'll probably go with a highend refurb as to save some cash. I guess I can always return it if I don't like it right?
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post #7 of 8
3/15/04 at 4:07pm
Before you buy a refurb call the 800 number and see what kind of deal you can get on a new one. I was going to get a refurb and called about splitting the payment with cash and credit card and they said that I could not do that but what kind of system are you looking at. I told him what the refurb had and the price. He specked out a new one that was cheaper with the same hardware. It was the weekend of Feb 22nd when they were running a special buy computer receive a digital camera also. I got the 8600 for 1418.00 with the fuji 2.0 mega pixel.
49.00 shipping. So give them a call and keep checking prices every few days for they run specials all the time.
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post #8 of 8
3/16/04 at 12:10am
Refurb 8600, D800, M60 are great saves and deal especially if your a gamer on a budget.
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