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post #1 of 31
9/20/04 at 10:32pm
Thread Starter 
Okay,I've narrowed my choices down to the Dell m700 and the Alienware Sentia. There is like a 350-400 dollar price difference with alienware being the most expensive. I just want to know why the senita is better and is it worth the extra money? Im basically traveling alot, doing some music recording apps, word processing, mp3z, web browsing and some decent gaming. Also, I dunno, I think that dell looks better but i need your guys opinion asap. I am looking to order either of these by tomorrow. Any help or advice is appreciated. Thanx
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post #2 of 31
9/20/04 at 10:42pm
You think the Dell looks better??? Wow, I have the Sentia and I would never agree on that. Probably not many people here will either. But I guess it is a matter of personal preference. I love my Sentia! I would NOT trade it for anything else! It's the best built, best quality, and best performing laptop I've ever had. My old laptop was a Dell....and I'll never buy Dell again. The Sentia to me is the perfect laptop for what I need. I think the thing that stands out the most to me is it's build quality and performance. I couldn't be happier with my decision to go with the Sentia! Well that's my two cents on the subject.....but if you want a great review and pics check out this review......http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=41892
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post #3 of 31
9/20/04 at 11:27pm
Normally the Dell 700m is about the same price as the Sentia, however Dell is having a 15% of sale so that is where the price difference is coming from.

- The Sentia offers a 7200rpm drive while the 700m uses a 4200rpm drive.

- The Sentia is about half a pound lighter.

- The Sentia has about an hour and a half longer battery life.

- The Sentia is about a half inch thinner.

- More USB ports on the Sentia.

- The Sentia's cool factor is at least double the 700m.

- You can get the Sentia with 2.0Ghz processor instead of Dell's 1.8Mhz

- If you don't live in Florida you won't be charged sales tax. Dell will charge sales tax.

- If you buy the Dell people will say "Nice laptop". If you buy the Sentia people will say, "Wow! What is that?"

Given all that no one would fault you for saving some money and going with the dell.

-BoX
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post #4 of 31
9/20/04 at 11:39pm
also the 100gig drive if you dont mind the speed shame its 4200....
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post #5 of 31
9/21/04 at 12:02am
Thread Starter 
wow, thanx for the great responses. Im definitely gonna order a Sentia tomorrow, much appreciated!
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post #6 of 31
9/21/04 at 12:14am
Thread Starter 
Also, is it better to get a 3 year warrenty? In the future, like lets say 2 years down the line, is there an upgrade possibility that alienware offers? thanx, any info is appreciated
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post #7 of 31
9/21/04 at 1:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dj mg
Also, is it better to get a 3 year warrenty? In the future, like lets say 2 years down the line, is there an upgrade possibility that alienware offers? thanx, any info is appreciated
If by upgrade possibility you mean being able to add or extend a warranty then the answer is "No." The one you purchase with your a laptop is the one you will live with.

If you mean upgrading the laptop as in a trade-in I think the answer is also no.

I think warranties are more important for laptops. Laptops tend to take more abuse and their parts are more delicate than a desktops. Plus its harder to fix a laptop yourself than a desktop. If you can afford it I would get the 3 year. However, if you think there is a good chance that you may not keep the laptop longer than a couple years you wouldn't need that long of a warranty.

- BoX
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post #8 of 31
9/21/04 at 1:36am
Normally the Dell 700m is about the same price as the Sentia, however Dell is having a 15% of sale so that is where the price difference is coming from.
There should be another 20% off coupon very soon.

- The Sentia offers a 7200rpm drive while the 700m uses a 4200rpm drive.
True, but you can buy a Hitachi 7200RPM 9.5mm 7K60 from Newegg for $172.00 shipped

- The Sentia is about half a pound lighter.
The Sentia weight of 3.8 lbs. is without a battery if I recall.

- The Sentia has about an hour and a half longer battery life.
Not if you upgrade the 700m battery to the 8cell for ~$70.00, then you'll have roughly 5 hrs. of battery time.

- The Sentia is about a half inch thinner.
I think that depends on "where" you measure.

- More USB ports on the Sentia.
Yes, it has 3, but it says one is on the bottom. Why is there a USB port on the underside of a notebook? The 700m has 2 on the left side.

- The Sentia's cool factor is at least double the 700m.
I agree. The little alien head with blue eyes.....uber cool.

- You can get the Sentia with 2.0Ghz processor instead of Dell's 1.8Mhz
I think you meant to say 1.8GHz.

- If you don't live in Florida you won't be charged sales tax. Dell will charge sales tax.
Dell Home (Sales Tax only in FL, KY, NC, NV, OH, PA, TN, AND TX) Dell Small Business (Sales Tax in all states).

- If you buy the Dell people will say "Nice laptop". If you buy the Sentia people will say, "Wow! What is that?"
Dude........

Given all that no one would fault you for saving some money and going with the dell.
I agree, and the Dell also offers up to a 4yr NBD on-site warranty w/ a $100 rebate, and you have the option of complete care.

-BoX
-John
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post #9 of 31
9/21/04 at 1:44am
bah, the sentia has everything in one package without having to buy the hdd from newegg, etc.

and alienware can ship you upgrades for memory, optical drives, etc. through your sales rep..... theres some sorta upgrade policy, i'm not sure about the fine print though.
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post #10 of 31
9/21/04 at 2:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigbangtheorum
bah, the sentia has everything in one package without having to buy the hdd from newegg, etc.

and alienware can ship you upgrades for memory, optical drives, etc. through your sales rep..... theres some sorta upgrade policy, i'm not sure about the fine print though.
Sure, but the "package deal" comes at a premium. Alienware, like Dell and others, will also charge you a small fortune for memory upgrades. For example the 1GB upgrade on the Sentia is $307, and you can purchase a 1GB module from Outpost for $160 + ship, or $206 from newegg. AW charges $128 to upgrade from the 40GB 5400 RPM to the 60GB 7200RPM, and you can buy one from newegg for $172. Why pay more just to buy a package deal?
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post #11 of 31
9/21/04 at 2:28am
now now...lets not get into a flame war. I think both are equally nice laptops, with good and bad points. I just think that they are very similar, so paying $400 more for a little more "cool" factor didn't make sense for me. I also wanted a DVD+RW drive, which wasn't available on the Sentia at the time I ordered mine. I also WANT the most basic of all figurations when I order, since I want to upgrade myself, and save money.


with having said that, is the Sentia's battery completely flush with the laptop (i.e. doesn't stick out at all?)? That would have been nice on the 700m.
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post #12 of 31
9/21/04 at 3:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by govtcheez


with having said that, is the Sentia's battery completely flush with the laptop (i.e. doesn't stick out at all?)? That would have been nice on the 700m.
Yes, the Sentia's battery is completely flush with the laptop.
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post #13 of 31
9/21/04 at 3:14am
Normally the Dell 700m is about the same price as the Sentia, however Dell is having a 15% of sale so that is where the price difference is coming from.
There should be another 20% off coupon very soon.
Who knows what the future may hold??

- The Sentia offers a 7200rpm drive while the 700m uses a 4200rpm drive.
True, but you can buy a Hitachi 7200RPM 9.5mm 7K60 from Newegg for $172.00 shipped
But why mess around with that when you can just get it with the Sentia? Why void the dell warranty to add a different drive?

- The Sentia is about half a pound lighter.
The Sentia weight of 3.8 lbs. is without a battery if I recall.
Not sure, but if you spend the money to get the second battery not only are you increasing the cost but adding weight.

- The Sentia has about an hour and a half longer battery life.
Not if you upgrade the 700m battery to the 8cell for ~$70.00, then you'll have roughly 5 hrs. of battery time.
See above.

- The Sentia is about a half inch thinner.
I think that depends on "where" you measure.
I was measuring from the top to the bottom.

- More USB ports on the Sentia.
Yes, it has 3, but it says one is on the bottom. Why is there a USB port on the underside of a notebook? The 700m has 2 on the left side.
Its a handy place to tuck the USB Bluetooth Adapter.

- The Sentia's cool factor is at least double the 700m.
I agree. The little alien head with blue eyes.....uber cool.
Yeah, and the chicks really dig it.

- You can get the Sentia with 2.0Ghz processor instead of Dell's 1.8Mhz
I think you meant to say 1.8GHz.
Actually I meant to say 1800Mhz.

- If you don't live in Florida you won't be charged sales tax. Dell will charge sales tax.
Dell Home (Sales Tax only in FL, KY, NC, NV, OH, PA, TN, AND TX) Dell Small Business (Sales Tax in all states).
True, but the current states for home sales tax are: Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Virginia, Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, and California.

- If you buy the Dell people will say "Nice laptop". If you buy the Sentia people will say, "Wow! What is that?"
Dude........
.........wheres my car?

Given all that no one would fault you for saving some money and going with the dell.
I agree, and the Dell also offers up to a 4yr NBD on-site warranty w/ a $100 rebate, and you have the option of complete care.
Well since its a home purchase its not NBD. After three years he's probably going to want another Alienware anyway.

-BoX
-John
-BoX
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post #14 of 31
9/21/04 at 9:22am
Normally the Dell 700m is about the same price as the Sentia, however Dell is having a 15% of sale so that is where the price difference is coming from.
There should be another 20% off coupon very soon.
Who knows what the future may hold??
Over the years Dell typically runs crazy deals to increase their quarterly earnings. I just received a 25% off Dell Small Business coupon.

25% off with exclusive e-mail coupon:
DimensionTM 3000, 4600, 4600C, 4700, 8400 and XPS desktops
OptiPlexTM GX280 and SX280 desktops
Dell PrecisionTM 370, 470, 670 and M60 workstations
Inspiron 600m, 700m and XPS notebooks
LatitudeTM D505, D600 and D800 notebooks

- The Sentia offers a 7200rpm drive while the 700m uses a 4200rpm drive.
True, but you can buy a Hitachi 7200RPM 9.5mm 7K60 from Newegg for $172.00 shipped
But why mess around with that when you can just get it with the Sentia? Why void the dell warranty to add a different drive?
You DO NOT void any warranty by replacing the hard drive or memory. However if those parts fail or cause a problem they are not warrantied by Dell (of course).

- The Sentia is about half a pound lighter.
The Sentia weight of 3.8 lbs. is without a battery if I recall.
Not sure, but if you spend the money to get the second battery not only are you increasing the cost but adding weight.
Adding a few extra ounces is a small price to pay for double the battery life.

- The Sentia has about an hour and a half longer battery life.
Not if you upgrade the 700m battery to the 8cell for ~$70.00, then you'll have roughly 5 hrs. of battery time.
See above.
See above.

- The Sentia is about a half inch thinner.
I think that depends on "where" you measure.
I was measuring from the top to the bottom.
There's no doubt that it's slightly thinner.

- More USB ports on the Sentia.
Yes, it has 3, but it says one is on the bottom. Why is there a USB port on the underside of a notebook? The 700m has 2 on the left side.
Its a handy place to tuck the USB Bluetooth Adapter.
Yes, I found a picture of a Sentia with a BT adapter. However the location is still the left side of the chassis, not the bottom.

- The Sentia's cool factor is at least double the 700m.
I agree. The little alien head with blue eyes.....uber cool.
Yeah, and the chicks really dig it.
Chicks dig Macs. End of story.

- You can get the Sentia with 2.0Ghz processor instead of Dell's 1.8Mhz
I think you meant to say 1.8GHz.
Actually I meant to say 1800Mhz.
It's MHz http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=megahertz&r=67

- If you don't live in Florida you won't be charged sales tax. Dell will charge sales tax.
Dell Home (Sales Tax only in FL, KY, NC, NV, OH, PA, TN, AND TX) Dell Small Business (Sales Tax in all states).
True, but the current states for home sales tax are: Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Virginia, Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, and California.
I ripped those states from a Techbargains.com thread, and even your list leaves out a few states. As of 9/1/04, Dell began collecting sales tax in New Jersey, Oklahoma and Washington State. Dell also charges sales tax on the value of the service contract in all 50 states.

- If you buy the Dell people will say "Nice laptop". If you buy the Sentia people will say, "Wow! What is that?"
Dude........
.........wheres my car?
Where's your car dude?

Given all that no one would fault you for saving some money and going with the dell.
I agree, and the Dell also offers up to a 4yr NBD on-site warranty w/ a $100 rebate, and you have the option of complete care.
Well since its a home purchase its not NBD. After three years he's probably going to want another Alienware anyway.
Yes, Dell Home offers a 4yr. warranty that includes 24x7 phone support plus nights and weekends for on-site service which is often on the next business day. (M-F: 8am - 9pm, Sat-Sun: 8am - 5pm). You also qualify for international service. http://www1.us.dell.com/content/lear...=inspn&ref=CFG

-BoX
-John
-BoX
-John

I'm not knocking Alienware in any way. In fact the Sentia 12.1" is a nice alternative to the 700m. Although it may cost a few hundred bucks more, it does offer a few more bells and whistles. I prefer the keyboard, card reader, battery and shell design of the Sentia over the 700m.
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post #15 of 31
9/21/04 at 11:53am
let me chime in by saying that buying an "retail" HDD from the egg, or zzf, will probably end up being beneficial, since you get a longer warranty directly through the manufacturer. I've had many other laptops (Compaq, IBM, Apple, Acer, Dell, etc...) where if you have a problem with the laptop hdd, you had to deal with the laptop manufacturer, since the hdd manufacturer doesn't warrant OEM's. If you don't believe me, try looking at your serial number, and typing it into the warranty information page. Most laptop warranties (other than the IBM) end in 1 year or sometimes less. Most laptop HDD warranties last 3-5 years. Just food for thought.
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post #16 of 31
9/21/04 at 12:09pm
I just configured a 700m and a Sentia.

1.8Ghz
1GB PC-2700
60GB HDD(Dell is a 4200rpm vs. Sentia 7200rpm)
XP Pro SP2
8x DL-DVD burner
extra battery

Dell final price BEFORE discount $2773
Sentia final price $2649

Just wanted to toss my 2cents into the mix...
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post #17 of 31
9/21/04 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by device manager
AW charges $128 to upgrade from the 40GB 5400 RPM to the 60GB 7200RPM, and you can buy one from newegg for $172.

If I'm doing my math correct, its cheeper to do the upgrade than buy the dirve aftermarket...
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post #18 of 31
9/21/04 at 12:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertJester
I just configured a 700m and a Sentia.

1.8Ghz
1GB PC-2700
60GB HDD(Dell is a 4200rpm vs. Sentia 7200rpm)
XP Pro SP2
8x DL-DVD burner
extra battery

Dell final price BEFORE discount $2773
Sentia final price $2649

Just wanted to toss my 2cents into the mix...
why in the world would anyone get 1GB of memory from there?
That's crazy talk. I doubt many AW owners bought 1GB of memory from them either. Get the standard 256mb, and upgrade yourself for half the price. And what was the price after discount? I'm guessing in the $2000 range.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertJester
If I'm doing my math correct, its cheeper to do the upgrade than buy the dirve aftermarket...

I sold my 30gb 4200rpm HDD for $60 after I upgraded, so technically, it's cheaper to buy your upgrade...and you get a better warranty.
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post #19 of 31
9/21/04 at 2:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertJester
I just configured a 700m and a Sentia.

1.8Ghz
1GB PC-2700
60GB HDD(Dell is a 4200rpm vs. Sentia 7200rpm)
XP Pro SP2
8x DL-DVD burner
extra battery

Dell final price BEFORE discount $2773
Sentia final price $2649

Just wanted to toss my 2cents into the mix...
Be sure to factor in 20% ($554.60) off the 700m if you go thru the Small Business division.
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post #20 of 31
9/21/04 at 2:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by device manager
Be sure to factor in 20% ($554.60) off the 700m if you go thru the Small Business division.
And then don't forget to add your state's sales tax to that figure.

-BoX
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