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700m or i8600 for college?

post #1 of 29
11/2/04 at 1:05am
Thread Starter 
Should I get the 700m or i8600 for college? I am finishing up my last year in high school but am going to buy a notebook for college now. I like to use the computer for a lot of things, but I don't know if I will use it in my classes or not. I would certainly like to, but can anyone tell me if in experience they take their computers with them all the time?

I don't want to lug around a big laptop all the time, but I do want it to be large enough where I can use it at a desk comfortably.

The concerns I have with the 700m are:
* keyboard - i have large hands (not humongous though) and I expect to be doing a lot of typing. Is the keyboard too large for long typing sessions? I have used the x300 keyboard a bit and it feels comfortable to me. How does it compare?
* Screen size - I have good eyesight (20/15 vision) but I don't want to be squinting on the screen all the time. Is the screen easy enough on the eyes, yet still be functional to multitask in?
* Thickness - Its 1.5 inches thick, which seems big to me (i know the 8600 is the same, but still). Does this bother anyone while they work?
* Video card - unfortunately it does not have a reputable video card. Do you know if this can run any Quake 3 generation games (Call of Duty, Wolfenstein for example)? Not necessarily at high detail but run and be playable? Not a big deal but It would be nice. I'm not a huge gamer though.

The concerns I have with the 8600 are:
* Build quality - I've heard of keyboard flex, creaking with the hinges, cheesy sounding mouse buttons. Will this come back to bite me in the future?
* Size - Is this too big to carry around everyday? This seems to be my biggest concern with this model.

I would go with the 700m if it would suit me to type on it for hours on end and not get eyestrain. Thoughts?
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post #2 of 29
11/2/04 at 1:20am
I would suggest getting the 8600. I have a D800 (same as an 8600) and the keyboard is nice and the screen is a great size (I have WUXGA). I just got a 700m but I wouldn't have gotten it if I didn't have the D800 for work and my desktop for gaming. The 8600 is an all around good machine, powerful and not huge (like the 9100, 9200, XPS).

I take my D800 to work everyday, just get a backpack and its not too heavy to carry. As far as build quality goes, the 8600 is not perfect, but not bad. The build quality of my 700m is better than my D800, but my D800 is very nice.

Overall I would suggest the 8600, get a decent speed and 256MB of RAM (upgrade to at least 512 from someone other than Dell). Get the 7200 rpm 60 GB hard drive and I would suggest WSXGA with the Radeon 9600. (The WUXGA is great for my since I do software development, but it can hurt my eyes after a little while.) The 8600 is a small step below a desktop replacement and is not too hard to carry. Overall a very good machine.
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post #3 of 29
11/2/04 at 1:51am
It looks like you're going to college in the fall of 2005? I would wait until whatever the replacement for the 8600 is to make your decision, or at least until possibilities emerge.

What will you be doing with the computer? Gaming? Typing? Running CAD programs?
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post #4 of 29
11/2/04 at 2:13am
Thread Starter 
Yes, I will be attending in Fall of 2005. I guess the only reason I want one now is because my current computer (Athlon 1.2ghz, 256mb ram) is showing its age. I guess the best incentive for me to wait would be if they had the 700m color scheme and style in a 15inch widescreen coming out. Maybe it would be wise to wait until Spring of next year?

I do play some games (Call of Duty, Vice City now and then) but I'm not a very hard-core gamer. I do like to do video editing and such, but other than that its your basic internet/word processing.
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post #5 of 29
11/2/04 at 2:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AvalancheCCM
Yes, I will be attending in Fall of 2005. I guess the only reason I want one now is because my current computer (Athlon 1.2ghz, 256mb ram) is showing its age. I guess the best incentive for me to wait would be if they had the 700m color scheme and style in a 15inch widescreen coming out. Maybe it would be wise to wait until Spring of next year?

I do play some games (Call of Duty, Vice City now and then) but I'm not a very hard-core gamer. I do like to do video editing and such, but other than that its your basic internet/word processing.

Don't buy anything until a few weeks before you're heading off to school....unless of course Dell shells out a real nice deal before putting the 8600 or even 700 to bed. Prices will fall, specs will rise...be patient if you can.
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post #6 of 29
11/2/04 at 2:37am
700m all the way. I currently have both and I don't even use my D800 anymore. The video card plays older games just fine. Quake 3, counterstrike, call of duty all run just fine. The 700m is sooooooo much more portable and the screen is nicer.

Im 6'8" and the keyboard is fine for me. The keys take a few days to get used to, but other then that there are no concerns.

I've now had the 8600, 9100, 600m, and 700m and I wouldn't take any of them for the 700m I have now. So portable and still quite powerful A+ machine.
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post #7 of 29
11/2/04 at 3:07am
the 8600 is too wide for my desks at school. the 700m fits just right and is the BAM for the buck!
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post #8 of 29
11/2/04 at 3:21am
700m is better.. im using the i8600 in class right now.. and im regretting it. Its too big for the desks and its a pain in the ass to carry around -_-
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post #9 of 29
11/2/04 at 3:24am
Do you really want to have your main computer with a 12" screen though? I personally couldn't imagine having to deal with that all the time. Even 14" screens seem small to me, having gotten used to a 15".
In my opinion, it matters how much you are going to be carting it around with you. I never brough my laptop anywhere in college, it just really wasnt needed often. And when it was, the size didnt really matter for that short time. If you were going to take it around every day, i'd say go for the 700, but even if it's once a week i'd say the 8600. It's still light enough to stick in your backpack and be able to walk around just fine. I think people are underestimating the difference between the screen size. It's what youre goign to be looking at every day. And to me, that makes a big difference.
However, I also agree you should until the last possible moment (unless a huge huge deal comes). Computer technology drops in price so quickly, the best right now will be nothing when you leave for school.
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post #10 of 29
11/2/04 at 3:57am
I have both the 8600 and 700. I hardly use my 8600 anymore. The 700m is not thick, not sure why the spec says it's 1.5inch. The display for the 700 is awesome. I actually like it better than the wuxga on my 8600 and that says alot. If you get the 700, remember to get the 8 cell battery.
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post #11 of 29
11/2/04 at 3:57am
I brought my 700m to class @ college today and it fit even on the small fold out tables in the lecture hall. Other people with the "Bigger" laptops seem to have trouble. I am so glad i got this and i would definitely recommend it.!!
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post #12 of 29
11/2/04 at 4:22am
I don't have a laptop yet, and I just started college. If I wanted to get a thin and light, I still wouldn't take it to class because I prefer pen and paper for notes, and a computer sitting in front of me is very distracting if I'm trying to concentrate on the lecture. It's bad enough when other people bring their computers, I don't think I'd pay any attention if I had one. Oh- and some professors simply don't allow notebooks at all period, because they distract people (like me). Anyways, just stuff to think about.
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post #13 of 29
11/2/04 at 4:32am
really depends on what college you go to. I know there are colleges that require you to have a laptop. certain lecture halls have ethernet ports for every students, and professors expect students to have laptops hooked up.
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post #14 of 29
11/2/04 at 5:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EyeSixer
I brought my 700m to class @ college today and it fit even on the small fold out tables in the lecture hall. Other people with the "Bigger" laptops seem to have trouble. I am so glad i got this and i would definitely recommend it.!!

I bought a 9100 this summer, basically becasue I landed a great summer job and made enough money to justify upgrading from my 3 yr old HP desktop. However after going to a lecture with my buddy the other day I'm kinda regreting it, theres no way my 9100 is gunna fit on those foldout lecture tables...and even though I have a spare battery, it might be a challenge to get through the day......Im a big game player and going away to school in Sept 2005, so it's really not a waste, as this will be my main comp in my dorm, and is still compact and easy to take home for breaks / weekends.

Bottom line I'm deeply considering purchasing an Apple Ibook or Dell 700m before I leave for school, so if you've only got the funds for one system and aren't a big enought gamer to justify the video boost the 8600 gives / vs the increase in size, decrease in Battery life....700m all he way.
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post #15 of 29
11/2/04 at 6:54am
i love my 8600... it's my only PC. i moved the desktop home, and personally i dont know how i'd be able to handle a 700m. i dont mind lugging it around either, they fit fine in most of my classes. i would very much recommend a 700m if it's your spare computer, as in you have a desktop in your dorm/apt already. but if you plan on having one comp, i say go with the 8600. 7lbs isn't that much to lug around imo.
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post #16 of 29
11/2/04 at 7:24am
Personally, I adore my 600m for work. I have a desktop for games, but with some choice upgrades (1gig of ram and 7200rpm HDD), the 600m is a lightening fast desktop machine. I can even do some gaming with, if I really felt compelled to do so. But, for school, don't kid yourself, it's best to stick to a basic laptop, and leave the desktops for gaming. If you're going to be karting the thing around to class everyday, you're not going to want to hump over 5 pounds. Battery life is also an issue, and my 600m can easily best 4 hours when using the web or word processing. The chance of your laptop getting lost or stolen is always there, and better to lose or break $1500 dollar 600m than a $4500 XPS.

However, I'd wait until right until you leave for school to get your laptop, as the sweet laptop you get today will be looking pretty dated by the time school rolls around. Hard-core gaming on a laptop is pretty stupid anyway, as your upgrade options are limited, and you can get a powerful, light notebook and a killer, upgradable gaming desktop for the price of a quickly obselete "gaming" laptop.
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post #17 of 29
11/2/04 at 7:31am
the 600m can get 3 1/2 hours with regular word process/browsing... 8600 can get a bit more. personally i can notice a big difference between the 8600 and the 600m in weight, but i still prefer the 8600. you get a widescreen and have the opportunity to add a real videocard and there isn't a significant price difference.
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post #18 of 29
11/2/04 at 11:09am
I wouldn't recommend the 700m as an only machine. It's a nice, portable laptop, but there are many tradeoffs made to get it to the size it is. The screen is nice, but small. The keyboard is small and would be a chore to do lots and lots of typing on. Battery life with the standard battery is mediocre, and adding the 8 cell battery increases the size and weight noticably. I don't do any gaming, but I wouldn't buy a machine with integrated graphics if I were interested in gaming at all. The new offerings from Intel are better than the old stuff, but they still pale in comparision to even a super cheap dedicated video card. I like my 700m, but there's no way I'd have it if I didn't have a nice desktop and a nice work laptop.


For more all-around laptop but still portable solution, consider the 600m. It's got a full sized keyboard and bigger monitor, good battery life on the standard battery and the option to add another battery to the modular bay. It's light enough to carry around all the time. It has a dedicated video card, so it'll do much better on gaming than the 700m. Or, do as others have said and wait. It looks likely that Dell is revamping their Inspiron line with the '700m-like' machines. The new 9200 looks like a 700m on steriods. I'd be surprised if a replacement for the 600m - a 14" wide screen - wasn't in the works for release sometime in the next year.
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post #19 of 29
11/2/04 at 11:51am
yeah.. if this is going to be your *only* pc, then don't get the 700m.

either the 600m or 8600 are good... i've got a 600m that my mom doesn't want anymore, i might be able to sell it to you for $1,000. 3 weeks old and hardly used.

has the following:

1.6ghz pentium-m
40gb 5400 rpm hard drive
radeon 9000 video card 32mb
dvd/cd-rw modular
dell 1350 wireless
512mb ddr ram
sxga+ 14.1 screen
6 cell battery
***extra*** modular floppy disk drive.
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post #20 of 29
11/2/04 at 2:18pm
you might think the 12 inch screen is small, but try using the 12 in widescreen for a bit and you'll be amazed about how much space you really have.
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