700m - how are they running now? (long-term updates)

I've had my i700m for almost 7 months now. Overall it's been great. The screen is amazingly crystal clear. I carry it to the coffee shop every once in a while, but otherwise it stays at home most of the time. When I received the laptop, it had a bad keyboard and had to go thru some real hoops to get that fixed with Dell Home--but they compensated me nicely for my time (free memory upgrade and TWO extended batteries). End story, my keyboard works fine now and I got a bunch of free stuff out of the ordeal.


Inhierent Design Flaws:
Wish it had integrated bluetooth...but there are other solutions out there.
The smaller keyboard took a little getting use to, but I'm pretty familiar with it now (though if you have relatively large unagile hands I'd recommend against getting the i700m). Some folks don't like the reflectiveness of the screen...It doesn't bother me, but you should check out some of the example photos in this forum to get a better idea of what it looks like.

Physical Weaknesses:
Sometimes I wish the plastic hinge covers on the screen weren't plastic--they're kind of fragile (you have to take these off if you want to access the second SODIMM slot on the laptop). The caseing is still plastic (isn't everything now), but it feels sturdy enough that it wouldn't crack if the unit was accidentally dropped.

Other than that...no real large complaints.

Hope this helps.

Well, only two months but I carry it daily so it's getting plenty of wear and tear. I dropped it twice this week with no ill effects. The case has no wear marks at all at this point even though it gets put in and removed from it's bag 4-5 times a day. I

Functionally it's been flawless so far, so much so I've got another one coming tomorrow and this 1.6 will be relegated to back up duties to make room for that 2.0 bad boy. The lack of bluetooth isn't as important today as it will be in a year or so when prices come down on peripherals but you can always use a dongle if necessary.

The 700m fits my computer requirements perfectly, size, weight, mobility, power, it's really an amazing system. The screen has spoiled me to the point I won't ever get a computer that isn't the equal or better, it's that good.

I'm completely pleased with it and can't wait for it's successor!

I've had mine since August of 2004, and its been great to me. No problems yet, (knock on wood) the build quality is excellent. The design is great and the compact keyboard took a little getting used to, but I adjusted. Only gripe I have is the cheap/plastic feel of the touch pad mouse buttons. So, that's why I got a IntelliMouse Explorer. After an extended use of time, the "Centrino Mobile Technology" & "Designed for - Microsoft Windows XP" stickers peel off, from your hand rubbing against them. Other then that, I love my 700m!

have had mine since january....running as great as ever and couldn't be happier. I move it from my home to my laptop backpack to school almost everyday and i see no signs of wear/tear....just great in my opinion..

I guess my 700m is the most senior here
Used since October last year. No real complaints, still love it, but two things to keep in mind-
1) Battery dies VERY quickly... My 5 hour battery is now only a 3 hour battery... Not bad, but not like it was
2) Case colors wear out quite a bit... You know how the case is kinda shiny in a weird diffuse way? Well it's no longer such on the palmrests of my 700m... big old grey spots where my palms rests

Other than these two things, my 700m has been holding up well. Screen hasn't faded in brightness (verified with a brand new 700m my friend got), survived falls very well, also been through a hard drive upgrade. At least for the older ones, I can definitely say the quality is superb

i use my external microsoft wireless mouse 99% of the time, so hopefully the silver casing color doesnt rub off, even though my palms touch it when i type....