I first got the urge to replace my old Dimension 4300 with something more modern and stylish and preferably much smaller in the summer when I realised that it would no longer be able to play the latest games and the Hard Drive was getting full up. Internet speeds were ridiculously slow, there was more spy ware in there than at the CIA and probably more viruses than the local hospital. So I cleaned it up some, but it still didn't work as I wanted it to. It was a shame as I'd only had it a few months shy of 3 years and the anticipation and excitement I had felt as I had set it up and used it for the first time was still quite fresh. It seems a crime to need to replace something that had cost me £1100 (UKP) so soon, but needs must.
I liked Dell because my Dimension has worked like a dream since I first switched it on, and never ever have I had to even call tech support once despite taking out a 3 year warranty on it back in Feb 2002.
I had an exhaustive look around, I knew exactly what I wanted, at least a 1.6 PM processor or P4 3.0 with at least 512 of RAM, at least 60GB of HDD and at least a 128 seperate graphics card. I wasn't sure about monitor size, either the 15.4 or the 17 inch would do me, so I looked at the whole range. I discounted HP or Acer (not high enough spec for the price) and Toshiba (too expensive and didnt like the look of it) so it was between Dell and Sony VAIO. Now I had fallen in love with the SONY and the black x brite screens and their silvery chic lines but they were realistically way out of my price range and the one that was didn't have enough graphics or RAM. So I was left with Dell. Ok the computer won't look as good as the Sony but I will get more bang for my buck, more spec and more features for the price. So I opted for the 8600 had it all priced and ready to go, still albeit reluctuant because of the outdated graphics (Radeon 9600) and the plasticy look and cheap feel to it. But then Dell released the 9200.
Did it seem actually true then, that Dell had made a notebook that looked as good (well almost) as the best Sony or Powerbooks but crammed to the brim with exciting and high spec features all to be had for a thousand pounds and the cost of an average Saturday night out? (£1090+VAT)?? It was true yes but I had to wait till the end of Jan before they reintroduced the free Double Memory offer, so I ordered the following spec:
Dell 9200
Pentium M 1.7 G (2MB cache)
17" WUXGA Screen
80GB Hard Drive (5400 rpm)
1068MB of RAM
ATI Radeon 9700 128MB Graphics Card
Intel Wireless Card
8x DVD re writer and;
various software Dell include like media centre and mcaffee etc etc.
I also got an optical mouse thrown in. I didn't get the 3yr NBD warranty although I am thinking about getting that next month for peace of mind. But I did get their complete care accidental damage cover.
Customer service was excellent, the Indian lady was very knowledgeable and helpful. I was pleased with her cos I asked her directly about the teething problem with the WUXGA screen and she assured me the problem was sorted and the display would be 'perfect' she also told me straight the Inspiron 6000 wouldn't be very good cos i wanted to play high level games on it, so she did know her stuff. She always called back when she said she would and was very accommodating about delivery requests and stuff like that.
I ordered the 9200 on Thursday the 3rd feb and 1 week later a smallish cardboard box saying 'Dell' on the side was waiting for me at home, so I set about it with the kitchen knife and within a few minutes I had unveiled my new baby.
I was blown away by the stylish looks of this machine, it's aluminium silver and white finish make it look modern, clean and refreshing. The 9200, like the Powerbook, is the sort of machine one can imagine cool arty designer types working on in airy Manhattan loft apartments. The silver finish doesn't look at all plasticy, and when you press gently on the lid there is no give, it feels solid. The front looks cool too, the small media buttons light up with an electric blue backlight when pressed. The release latch for the lid is clean and easy to use. The lock releases effortlessly and the lid can then be raised to reveal the screen. It felt really stiff to lift the LCD into position which probably reflects the build quality cos the hinges arent going to wear out soon. The 17" LCD is actually larger in area than my 17" CRT monitor, it has about an inch either side of it to make widescreen and is just as tall! Magnificent.
The keyboard is, in my view, a little small and the problem of missing keys or annoyingly hitting caps lock by mistake is always there, I guess it will take some getting used to.
It was with some anticipation that I switched the machine on. I wanted straight away to check the LCD to see if it sparkled. It didn't it is, as the sales rep said, perfect. Whites and light colours are bright and sharp, everything is sharp as a pencil point, colours loud and vibrant, every one of the millions of pixels seem to go into making even the slightest details come alive. The only slight imperfection about the display is about an inch of very slight light leakage at the bottom of the screen when the screen is dark, eg during movies, but, had I not read about this problem on forums I wouldn't have even noticed. I have watched a few DVDs on my 9200 already. The picture is just gorgeous. Everything comes into view, the WUXGA LCD is what DVD was made for. I am SO glad I didn't respond to the hysteria and change to a WXGA. Yes icons and fonts are small but I am more than willing to trade that for the brilliant clarity on photos and DVDs. The sound too is excellent, the front mounted speakers with sub woofer give rich detailed sound for music and DVDs.
I have played two games on my 9200. Rome: Total War and Flight Sim 2004. I shouted out with glee at the beauty of the Rome TW's cut scenes which simply would not play on my old dimension with its paltry 256 RAM and Nvidia 64MB video card. This game's cut and battle scenes are smooth, effortless, detailed characters glide across the screen. The ATI 9700 was definitely worth the wait!
Flight Sim too is a completely different experience on the 9200. It's like playing a completely new game! I have been able to set the graphics to almost maximum and the vibrancy and sheer luxury of the colours on things like sunsets or water detail are almost breathtaking. The aircraft again glide effortlessly across the screen not jerky like on my old desktop.
I think the frame rates are not the highest that you could get (eg with a 256MB graphic enabled desktop) but for a notebook they are superb, and just what I need. I have downloaded some photos to check how they look and again they are superb.
The 9200 is a beautiful machine, it is an almost perfect desktop replacement, I wish Dell had put in a slightly larger keyboard with a numberpad and maybe let you play media without booting up but these are small imperfections on a brilliant, value for money and gorgeous looking machine! Bah to the so called '9300'- prices on these beauties are coming down, if anyone is thinking of getting one get one of these now, you will surely not be disappointed.
* Battery life: Havent tested mine yet but it is meant to be about 4+ hours for light use and about 2+ for heavy use.
I liked Dell because my Dimension has worked like a dream since I first switched it on, and never ever have I had to even call tech support once despite taking out a 3 year warranty on it back in Feb 2002.
I had an exhaustive look around, I knew exactly what I wanted, at least a 1.6 PM processor or P4 3.0 with at least 512 of RAM, at least 60GB of HDD and at least a 128 seperate graphics card. I wasn't sure about monitor size, either the 15.4 or the 17 inch would do me, so I looked at the whole range. I discounted HP or Acer (not high enough spec for the price) and Toshiba (too expensive and didnt like the look of it) so it was between Dell and Sony VAIO. Now I had fallen in love with the SONY and the black x brite screens and their silvery chic lines but they were realistically way out of my price range and the one that was didn't have enough graphics or RAM. So I was left with Dell. Ok the computer won't look as good as the Sony but I will get more bang for my buck, more spec and more features for the price. So I opted for the 8600 had it all priced and ready to go, still albeit reluctuant because of the outdated graphics (Radeon 9600) and the plasticy look and cheap feel to it. But then Dell released the 9200.
Did it seem actually true then, that Dell had made a notebook that looked as good (well almost) as the best Sony or Powerbooks but crammed to the brim with exciting and high spec features all to be had for a thousand pounds and the cost of an average Saturday night out? (£1090+VAT)?? It was true yes but I had to wait till the end of Jan before they reintroduced the free Double Memory offer, so I ordered the following spec:
Dell 9200
Pentium M 1.7 G (2MB cache)
17" WUXGA Screen
80GB Hard Drive (5400 rpm)
1068MB of RAM
ATI Radeon 9700 128MB Graphics Card
Intel Wireless Card
8x DVD re writer and;
various software Dell include like media centre and mcaffee etc etc.
I also got an optical mouse thrown in. I didn't get the 3yr NBD warranty although I am thinking about getting that next month for peace of mind. But I did get their complete care accidental damage cover.
Customer service was excellent, the Indian lady was very knowledgeable and helpful. I was pleased with her cos I asked her directly about the teething problem with the WUXGA screen and she assured me the problem was sorted and the display would be 'perfect' she also told me straight the Inspiron 6000 wouldn't be very good cos i wanted to play high level games on it, so she did know her stuff. She always called back when she said she would and was very accommodating about delivery requests and stuff like that.
I ordered the 9200 on Thursday the 3rd feb and 1 week later a smallish cardboard box saying 'Dell' on the side was waiting for me at home, so I set about it with the kitchen knife and within a few minutes I had unveiled my new baby.
I was blown away by the stylish looks of this machine, it's aluminium silver and white finish make it look modern, clean and refreshing. The 9200, like the Powerbook, is the sort of machine one can imagine cool arty designer types working on in airy Manhattan loft apartments. The silver finish doesn't look at all plasticy, and when you press gently on the lid there is no give, it feels solid. The front looks cool too, the small media buttons light up with an electric blue backlight when pressed. The release latch for the lid is clean and easy to use. The lock releases effortlessly and the lid can then be raised to reveal the screen. It felt really stiff to lift the LCD into position which probably reflects the build quality cos the hinges arent going to wear out soon. The 17" LCD is actually larger in area than my 17" CRT monitor, it has about an inch either side of it to make widescreen and is just as tall! Magnificent.
The keyboard is, in my view, a little small and the problem of missing keys or annoyingly hitting caps lock by mistake is always there, I guess it will take some getting used to.
It was with some anticipation that I switched the machine on. I wanted straight away to check the LCD to see if it sparkled. It didn't it is, as the sales rep said, perfect. Whites and light colours are bright and sharp, everything is sharp as a pencil point, colours loud and vibrant, every one of the millions of pixels seem to go into making even the slightest details come alive. The only slight imperfection about the display is about an inch of very slight light leakage at the bottom of the screen when the screen is dark, eg during movies, but, had I not read about this problem on forums I wouldn't have even noticed. I have watched a few DVDs on my 9200 already. The picture is just gorgeous. Everything comes into view, the WUXGA LCD is what DVD was made for. I am SO glad I didn't respond to the hysteria and change to a WXGA. Yes icons and fonts are small but I am more than willing to trade that for the brilliant clarity on photos and DVDs. The sound too is excellent, the front mounted speakers with sub woofer give rich detailed sound for music and DVDs.
I have played two games on my 9200. Rome: Total War and Flight Sim 2004. I shouted out with glee at the beauty of the Rome TW's cut scenes which simply would not play on my old dimension with its paltry 256 RAM and Nvidia 64MB video card. This game's cut and battle scenes are smooth, effortless, detailed characters glide across the screen. The ATI 9700 was definitely worth the wait!
Flight Sim too is a completely different experience on the 9200. It's like playing a completely new game! I have been able to set the graphics to almost maximum and the vibrancy and sheer luxury of the colours on things like sunsets or water detail are almost breathtaking. The aircraft again glide effortlessly across the screen not jerky like on my old desktop.
I think the frame rates are not the highest that you could get (eg with a 256MB graphic enabled desktop) but for a notebook they are superb, and just what I need. I have downloaded some photos to check how they look and again they are superb.
The 9200 is a beautiful machine, it is an almost perfect desktop replacement, I wish Dell had put in a slightly larger keyboard with a numberpad and maybe let you play media without booting up but these are small imperfections on a brilliant, value for money and gorgeous looking machine! Bah to the so called '9300'- prices on these beauties are coming down, if anyone is thinking of getting one get one of these now, you will surely not be disappointed.
* Battery life: Havent tested mine yet but it is meant to be about 4+ hours for light use and about 2+ for heavy use.
