Ordering next 36 hours, emergency questions inside! Plz Help!

1) No idea

2) Do a search. People have posted their benchmark numbers. Also, it won't be 27% off as you can't add them together. You have to multiply them. It will be 25.2% off.

3) It's a crap shoot. They have a 21 day return policy but you can call them to get them to send you a new screen.

4) They listed the battery life of the 9200, not the 9300.

Not sure about the discounts...

If you are a serious gamer and MUST have the top end speed at all costs then I'd say yea.. go with the Inspiron XPS Gen 2. Otherwise I think a similarly configured i9300 will suit you fine. I'm assuming that you will be using your computer mainly for schoolwork and games during your spare time. You may also want to consider that if/when you get a job and you take your laptop to work that the i9300 will look a little more respectable than the flashy XPS Gen 2. Another thing, no matter what laptop you get, GET A 3 TO 4 YEAR WARRANTY!!! Laptops are much more fragile than desktops and the parts and labor are expensive if you don't have a warranty.

3.) Yes there is a bit of an issue with the sparkly screens, from what I read in these forums ppl have said that the LG screen seems to be the sparkly one and the Samsung screen seems to be the better one. I've also read posts stating that if you get an LG screen and you are not happy with it you can request a replacement Samsung (W9892)screen to be installed in your laptop (depending on the type of warranty that you chose).

4.) I used to have an Inspiron 9200 with a 9-cell battery and it lasted about 2-2.5 hours with the screen at maximum brightness and moderate use. I'd imagine the i9300 would get similar times, perhaps +/- 15 to 20 minutes.

Finally, sorry to burst your bubble but I heard there was a 6-8 week delay for new orders of i9300, I can only imagine the same problem with the XPS Gen 2. Other alternatives would be to check eBAy to see if anyone has laptops in stock and can ship right away.

Good luck on your purchase!

-grecinos

If you are not a serious gamer, then I believe the XPS2 is a waste considering the sweet 35% off and lower starting price of the 9300. You can tell from the threads that even serious gamers are going with the 9300 because of the big price difference. Besides being able to get the 2.13GHz processor (vs. the 2.0 on the 9300), the only major advantage I have seen is the 6800 Ultra GPU (vs. the standard 6800 option in the 9300).

As far as your 12% off, you need to make sure you can stack that on top of the the specific Dell discount associated with the machine you are looking at. I doubt it could be used in conjunction with the 35% coupon code. Still, I would look into it and see.

Sparkle issue appears to be a crapshoot but someone posted earlier that after ordering they emailed customer care and requested that the Samsung LCD be on their system and Dell replied that it would be. I've emailed and do not have a response yet. I suggest going for the high resolution, email Dell that you want the Samsung (doesn't hurt to ask) and then wait to see what you get. Even if you get the LG you may be completely satisfied with it. If not, call and get a replacement (get at least 1 year in home service so if you have to swap it out you don't have to mail it in).

Battery life... keep the standard 6 cell and add on an additional 9 cell for $129. Then you have a backup. Just upgrading for $99 is a waste since you essentially get a 6 cell for $30 (actually less than $20 with the 35% off).

I believe the 35% off ends the 25th. Search can answer many of your questions, please try using it!

Even if you are a hardcore gamer, the 9300 with 6800 is more than sufficient. If you are a hardcore gamer with cash to burn or just "gotta have the coolest toy", then go ahead and buy XPS2. IOW, the difference in performance between 9300 and XPS2 is not worth the difference in price..IMHO