Torn between Inspiron 5150 and 8600

Hello everyone! I am new here and am in great need of help lol. I have read tons of posts and with that i've read the good and the bad of both models i have listed in the title, but, with reading that it leaves me confused, torn and totally lost as to which one to choose. In hopes of getting educated recommendations i am now asking all of you. With that said, i am looking for a notebook to do emailing, surfing the net and basic computing operations. I am not a gamer but i do want a notebook that is good and will last. I've read that the 5150's get hot to some yet it don't for others so that confuses me lol. It's a pretty good system at a good affordable price. The 8600 is a little more pricey but i did find a good coupon to bring the price down a little. I've also read that some of the 8600's get hot as well and has a flex problem? Not quite sure about that lol. Out of these 2 which would you all recommend? Like i said i won't be doing any gaming so that is not important and i'd like something that will last awhile and that does'nt get hot and overheat. Also, i've read about models such as i8600? 8600c? How does one know which is which and which of those are the most current? Thank you in advance.

Another thing, if i did go with the 5150 is HT a must? What exactly does it do? I've read that is speeds things up a little but with that does it make the system get hotter or stays a little cooler?

By george i think i made the wrong choice then. No one answered my post today so i called Dell to ask a question and the sales rep made the 5150 sound so good with what he called "giving me a good deal" that i took it. He did make it sound good though and i guess i got sucked in hook line and sinker! I did mention the over heating issues and he said that he has a 5100 and has never had any problems and that if i wanted to stay at the below $1500 mark that staying with the 5150 w/ 4 year extended warranty and 4 year complete care was the best. Please oh please tell me i did'nt make a mistake even though i know i did lol. If i ordered it today would it be possible to call tomorrow and change it to a 8600? Also, i've read that the 8600 has issues as well! One with screens not coming on others with heating up under your left palm. Im not a gamer and as i was told the 8600 is more for gamers and such.


The coupon code is - KXC1Q5PVPK?JC4 (just incase it's not in the sticky) and it gives you $225 off and it expires on 9/6. Sucks that you can only use coupon codes online though !!!

I did ask the sales rep about that 5160 and he said that it would probably be another month or so although at first he said he knew nothing about it lol.

You could very well be correct somms and i would not doubt it a bit. There is'nt much of a difference though between the 2 other than the color. I have another question for you guys regarding the 5150 again, if the 5150's have a design flaw causing it to over heat what makes it so different from the others? I mean they all have fans on the bottoms of the units so what's so different and causes this particular model to over heat? Pardon my ignorance or lack of knowledge but i am just trying to understand it all and so on. Thanks again!

Thank you so much for all of the responses. I had always been leaning towards the 8600 but im a sucker i guess lol. Is getting a 4 year extended warranty with a 4 year accidental add on necessary or could i go with 2 years each for both?

Lol i am not so sure about that i would be looking for something else in another 2 years lol. This would be my first laptop that's why i want something that's going to last and won't give me many if not no problems. What issues are known to be plagueing the 8600? Screen issues, heating left palm rests where the hd is and not starting when you get it? Is the keyboard flex fixed? I just want something thats going to work when i turn it on and not shut off when it is on for some time. lol. I do tend to leave my desk top on even when i am not using it so even more so the heating issue scares me.

I do take very good care of my things and i would definetly not abuse my laptop. I think i messed up in my previous post as to i meant that i would most likely not be looking for another laptop in 2 years lol. So which ever i get now has to be good and won't give me stress and headaches over that will be a keeper lol. I did a price configuration online just to see what the 8600 would come out to and it came to a total of 1558.62 and thats with 512 mb, 40 gb (plenty enough for me), the combo drive, nortons, 2yr. extended warranty with 2 yr. complete care and the rest i left as is.