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My 700m vs 600m Review - Ongoing

post #1 of 22
9/20/04 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 
Well UPS just delivered the 600m to me couple of hours ago and already I've
had some comparison thoughts. I plan to do an indept review but won't do it
all in 1 Post.

The G.Pigs

Dell Inspiron 700m on A00
Pentium® M Processor 725 1.60
512MB PC2700 333Mhz
64MB Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics
12.1" WXGA
Intel ProWireless 2200 (802.11 b/g)

Dell Inspiron 600m on A13
Pentium® M Processor 715 1.50
512MB PC2700 333Mhz
64MB DDR ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000
14.1-inch TFT SXGA+ active-matrix
Intel ProWireless 2200 (802.11 b/g)

Keyboard
Well hands down the 700m wins. Even though the 700m's keyboard is
smaller in size than the 600m it just feels more solid. There is more rebound
and dosen't feel cheap as the 600m.

My 600m has the dreaded Keyboard Flex and when I type on the
600m I get that cheap keyboard feel. Also when I type there is an audible
small click sound to each key

On the 700m the ,./ keys along with the shift are small. But I can assure
you that after couple weeks of using the keyboard you will adjust to the
small keys, but you will get frustrated in the beginnning. Again the keys
have great rebound, feel solid.

Heating Issue
So far my 600m has been getting pretty hot where the memory is located underneath.

As i'm doing a bitorrent on my 700m right now over WiFi, the Mini-PCI slot is pretty hot, but the memory remains cool.

Touchpad
The 700m touchpad is by Synaptics, the touchpad itself when "touched" feels solid, there is no flex whatsoever. The touchpad is smooth to the touch. The two keys are another story. We have had story of others that sometimes one side is higher than the other. Yes they are noisy, but I've found that my left has grown quieter than my right which has led me to belive it' will grow a bit quieter. However there is alot of space between the key and when pressing.

600m touchpad is by Alps, the touchpad is very flexable. I am able to press at the top middle and able to bend the touchpad down. The keys are great. Quiet and feels very solid to the touch.

If it were me I'd have the 600m keys and the 700m pad put together.

Display
After pretty good usage of both units I would have to say that the 700m takes the trophy, it's so much sharper and clearer than the 600m.

Comparing the work space of the two the 600m has about around half an inch more in width and around 2 inches more of height. The colors seem more vivid and richer on the 600m. This might be due to the fact that it is a SXGA. The 700m screen is also pretty reflective, maybe a bit more than CRT monitors.

Design
I have to say that I have never been a fan of the blueness of Dell. It just made the notebook fugly IMHO.

When the 600m is closed I love how the silver looks. It is just so damn sleek! However when it's open the ugly blue takes it all away. If dell made it silver inside also I would have said the 600m wins.

The 700m new color design of black/silver/white is nice. The black gives the laptop the illusion that it is thin. The back part is also thicker than the front giving it a natural small incline.

Since looks is all personal preference I won't go into too much about the colors, but the design of the 700m looks better than the 600m due to No blue and Brighter Silver color (looks metalic)

Size/Weight
The 700m is thicker than the 600m but weighs around a pound less, this is with the standard battery.

I can basically carry around my 700m with one hand with ease due to it's small length.

The 600m size is smaller than that of the other model Dell carries and is quite light and easy to carry around.

Now much can be said about the two as they are really two different deisgns model. One is a 12 and the other is a 14.

Forthcoming
Productivity/Gaming
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post #2 of 22
9/21/04 at 1:47am
Keep the opinions Coming. I just checked and should have mine tommorrow I'll post my impressions then....
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post #3 of 22
9/21/04 at 2:11am
I had the 600m for over a year (sold it to my gf's roommate) before buying the 700m. I would definitely say that the quality of the two laptops do not compare. They're pretty much like comparing laptops from two different companies.
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post #4 of 22
9/21/04 at 6:36am
Thread Starter 
Well this review is more for me as I'm trying to decide which of the two to keep. So mind as well share my results to the rest of you guys... Someone might find it usefull. Touchpad updated Is there something particular someone would like to request that I didn't add?
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post #5 of 22
9/21/04 at 9:16am
Is the touchpad something that could be replaced? We have Sony Vaio's at work and the one thing I like about it is that the Touchpad Keys are very solid. I find myself using the touchpad alot and would hate for the keys to break over time
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post #6 of 22
9/21/04 at 6:26pm
Seems to be pretty common to have the issues you discussed with your 600M. Mine had similiar trouble with the touchpad which eventually caused me to take the thing apart and put re-enforcements under the pad. I cut pieces of the free mousepad Dell gives you and added them under the bracket to support the pad.
Also, for the keyboard I went back in and added pieced of doublesided tape and felt pads around to the top of other components. I'm going to keep my eye open for a piece of heavy duty grated plastic to replace this. I think that by supporting the whole keyboard as opposed to only sections may prove to be more effective.

If you decide to keep it, making these simple modifications do make the system feel much more stable....

-BKuhl
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post #7 of 22
9/22/04 at 4:27am
I actually find the 600m keyboard to be pretty average. It could be a tad bit less spongy, but it's just typing in your office/home, not the world typing championships. Flexing does occur, but only when you hold down a button and give it a push. Unless you are a gamer, but who games on a laptop when you have a desktop? The keys do make a slight sound, but it's not annoying at all. The touchpad sucks on the 600m. Not only does it flex, but it sometimes doesn't register clicks. This is a major annoyance for me. The touchpad keys make the same sound as the keyboard keys, exept the touchpad keys are more crisp.

Just looks wise, you can't compare the 600m to the 700m. 700m is so small that Dell actually has to spend time on the quality and fit of the product.

IMO you should go with the better quality one. Whichever you think that is. Personally I could not type on that small little keyboard on the 700m, but the size of it is so appealing. The 600m is just another centrino... quality wise it might not be the best, but it has a good price tag.

If price was not a concern for you, ditch the Dells and go with a 13 inch widescreen Sony Vaio. The quality is excellent and the screens are beautiful.
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post #8 of 22
9/22/04 at 4:34am
I didn't even get a free mouse pad from those cheapos.

Oh yeah, the heat issue is not casued by the memory. It's caused by the hard drive placed right under your left palm. The heat does not burn, but it's annoying only because of Dell's reputation with their quality. Hard drives do get hot, so it's normal.

I'm satisfied with the 600m, but you don't really get the feeling of getting what you paid for.
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post #9 of 22
9/22/04 at 6:15am
Thread Starter 
yes the hard drive does get hot for me after usage for awhile, but the memory cover gets hot first and stays hot. I think the memory cover is hotter than the hard drive.
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post #10 of 22
9/22/04 at 12:18pm
Well, as for the heat issue I don't think it is a big deal. I have a Apple Powerbook 12" first generation (866mhz). No matter what you might say, this is one beautiful machine. Nice quality and design. It gets MUCH hotter then my Dell 600M has ever gotten.
If I keep the PB on running normal dekstop applications it will approach 120 degrees quickly. My 600M under the same load hovers around 105 degrees. When I max both processors out, I can get the Apple to 155 degrees (I think since it has been a while since I tested) and the 600M maxes out at 145 degrees.
I think think the Dell \ Centrino combo does a better job of dissipating the heat. And if you consider that the Apple it aluminun you have to figure that under all conditions the case would be hotter. I have never felt either to be "too hot" to the touch.....

-BKuhl
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post #11 of 22
9/22/04 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BKuhl
Well, as for the heat issue I don't think it is a big deal. I have a Apple Powerbook 12" first generation (866mhz). No matter what you might say, this is one beautiful machine. Nice quality and design. It gets MUCH hotter then my Dell 600M has ever gotten.
If I keep the PB on running normal dekstop applications it will approach 120 degrees quickly. My 600M under the same load hovers around 105 degrees. When I max both processors out, I can get the Apple to 155 degrees (I think since it has been a while since I tested) and the 600M maxes out at 145 degrees.
I think think the Dell \ Centrino combo does a better job of dissipating the heat. And if you consider that the Apple it aluminun you have to figure that under all conditions the case would be hotter. I have never felt either to be "too hot" to the touch.....

-BKuhl

I used to own that same "firebook".
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post #12 of 22
9/22/04 at 5:02pm
Thread Starter 
Well after using both units for couple of days now I'm beginning to lean toward the 700m. Why?

1. Better Keyboard
2. Better Touchpad
3. It fits in my GAP bag

However the 600m has it's pros
1. More display space
2. Awesome sleek look when it's closed
3. Batteries are hella cheap on ebay
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post #13 of 22
9/22/04 at 9:05pm
The 700m does look a bit thicker in proportion to it's overall sized because of the rubber feet, but it's sexy and you should keep it. The screen size shouldn't be a problem since it's a notebook after all and not a full sized desktop, although the 600m does have a good sized screen. The keyboard is a bit smaller, but it's not a problem for you so that's a plus. Go with the 700m since the quality is much better compared to the 600m. You should get some kind of protective sleave or bag before you throw it in your gap bag. I was a couple hundred dollars short for the 700m and I needed a notebook asap, so i went with the 600m.

I think compaq has a 14.1 inch widescreen out now... Perfect size and WXGA! Looks a lot sturdier than the 600m too.
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post #14 of 22
9/23/04 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xarthan
Well after using both units for couple of days now I'm beginning to lean toward the 700m. Why?

1. Better Keyboard
2. Better Touchpad
3. It fits in my GAP bag

However the 600m has it's pros
1. More display space
2. Awesome sleek look when it's closed
3. Batteries are hella cheap on ebay
I have never seen the 600 so I can't compare but I really like the 700m. What do you mean batteries are cheap on Ebay? I could use the larger battery.
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post #15 of 22
9/23/04 at 1:46pm
Thread Starter 
well since the 700 is fairly new I have only seen 1 person sell a battery on ebay and it was the standard battery. As the 600 is pretty old, there are already lots of em on ebay
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post #16 of 22
9/23/04 at 5:36pm
You don't want old batteries... they're probably dead already... the extended battery apparently only has a recharge cycle of 250 times, which is really bad, and you definitely want new ones, not old ones.
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post #17 of 22
9/24/04 at 12:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesshuang
You don't want old batteries... they're probably dead already... the extended battery apparently only has a recharge cycle of 250 times, which is really bad, and you definitely want new ones, not old ones.

250 cycles? That's ridiculous! That doesn't make any sense for a Li-Ion battery. Can you please post a link to the location you got this information? I'm guessing it's more like 2500.
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post #18 of 22
9/24/04 at 12:17pm
Well, from Dell's accessories site:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...=us&l=en&cs=19

List under the Tech Specs a 300 charge \ discharge cycle lifetime...
BTW, that is about normal for a Lithium Ion battery. I know my iPod is about the same and most laptop batteries have similar lifecycles.

-BKuhl
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post #19 of 22
9/24/04 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BKuhl
Well, from Dell's accessories site:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...=us&l=en&cs=19

List under the Tech Specs a 300 charge \ discharge cycle lifetime...
BTW, that is about normal for a Lithium Ion battery. I know my iPod is about the same and most laptop batteries have similar lifecycles.

-BKuhl
that's a modular bay battery. Although most Li-Ion batteries start losing some of it's capabilities after a few hundrend cycles, it really shouldn't completely die. I've had my Compaq for about 3 years now, and the original battery still holds about an hour (50%) of charge. It's probably been charged up about 600-700 times, maybe more.

some people still have the first generation iPod with the original batteries, that still hold about 3-4 hours of chage. I think it all depends on how you use your device, and what your charging/usage tendencies are.
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post #20 of 22
9/24/04 at 1:42pm
Your absolutely correct. Even with a 300 cycle battery it should continue to function after that number of cylces, but at a reduced capacity. I think their specs reflect a number for which they believe the battery will not degrade significantly. After that, while it will still function the capacity will be reduced.

Also, I was replying with information on the modular battery because someone else mentioned that the "extended battery had a 250 charge cycle." I assumed that by extended they meant modular....

-BKuhl
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