MY NEW INSPIRON 9300 Initial Review WXGA+

My new Inspiron 9300 arrived this past monday much earlier than expected. Kudos to Dell. How long your lappy takes I think depends on demand, parts and where you live. In my case I live in Indiana and my laptop was built in Malaysia then shipped to Nashville Tennessee where I think Dell has a warehouse or something. Anyhow, It arrived three to four days earlier than dell estimated it would. It was in boxing for several days but once it left that stage things moved quickly. These comments are for those of you who are fretting and checking your order status all of the time wondering whats going on. My laptop arrived soo much earlier than I anticipated that it's here and the memory I ordered from Tiger Direct has yet to arrive so I am running it on only 256 megs of ram.
Considering I only have 256 megs of ram, its running flawlessy and rather snappy, im really impressed.

My configuration: Inspiron 9300 with Intel 1.86ghz dothan processor, 80gig toshiba hard drive 5400 rpm (quiet and efficiently fast),intel 2915 abg wireless card, 1400x900 wxga+ lcd screen (the 9300 is the only inspiron with ultrasharp at wxga resolution. Deluxe Nylon carrying case and cdrw/dvd rom drive. Nvidia 6800 go 256 meg video card. ( all for 1500 dollars with a 750 coupon)

BUILD QUALITY:

I am most impressed with the build quality of my machine. Once I brought it home from work (where I had it delivered) I went over the machine with careful scrutiny and I am pleased to report that none of the problems some have posted have been found on my 9300. The build is quite solid, the base is magnesium alloy and the lcd lid appears to have maybe some alloy in it too, it's quite sturdy and there is no flex on the lcd lid or anywhere for that matter on the whole machine. Some users have reported a gap in the seam just under the "dell" on the lcd lid, no such gaps for me, all the seams are tight and flush. The hinges on the lid are quite tight, and doesnt have the "give" that other laptops do which to me speaks loudly of the quality and durability of the hinges. I have pressed, poked and prodded every square inch of the laptop and find it to be exceptionally strong, I have an ibm thinkpad R40 sitting right next to it and I would say the build quality is on par with the ibm, in fact there is no"creaking" in the inspiron 9300 while the ibm does creak a bit. In my opinion, IBM laptops are the standard by which all other laptops are to be compared too in terms of build quality and durability. Hats off to Dell for the improvements in their inspiron line!!

The Finish of the Laptop is also quite nice. Ive never been a big fan of the white edges like most of you out there bitch about but I have to say its growing on me. A nice thing about the painted white trim is its quality, the white trim has a quality paint job that reminds me of an automobiles paint job and looks quite durable, not cheap as others have reported it to be.

I would also like to point out that when pressing against the back of the lcd panel that I could not get any flex or see ripples in the lcd screen where I was pressing. Almost every laptop I did this too at best buy flexed and rippled on the lcd screen, the toshibas, the hp's and the famous sony vgn a 690. In fairness, One Toshiba Sattelite model didnt flex and ripple on the lcd panel either, but only one and this is out of sixteen laptops that I looked at on display at best buy. Most of them costing 500 to a thousand or more dollars than my inspiron 9300 which I paid 1500 dollars for with a 750 coupon.

One final thing I would like to mention about the build quality that is often overlooked by reviewers is that there is a nice gap between the lcd cover and the laptop base when closed. I can look through this gap between the cover and the base and clearly see that the LCD SCREEN DOES NOT TOUCH THE KEYBOARD WHEN IT IS CLOSED. Another mark of quality, thanks DELL!!

KEYBOARD:

The keyboard is full sized and has a nice tactile feel to it, nearly as good as the IBM r40. I have to say that IBM has the best laptop keyboard around by far, here again, the standard to which other laptops are compared too. Having said this, the Dell keyboard is very responsive and has no flex and almost as good as the Ibm keyboard. If the keys were a bit firmer they would be just as good as the ibm. Very Satisfied! Especially for a desktop user who is used to typing with the amazing microsoft naturlal keyboard elite.
I also like the extra space on the 9300 for your wrists to rest on. Some say there is a difference in quality between a Thai Keyboard and A chinese keyboard, All I can say is mine is great, not sure where it came from and since one cannot order a keyboard and specify this, its a moot point at best.

Touchpad:

Now touchpads are something that I find aggravating at best, I really dont like using them but the touch pad works just fine, its responsive and has a nice feel to it, its recessed which I think is nice for people who use these devices, here again the extra space on the 9300 keeps you from sliding the cursor around accidentally. The touchpad buttons are firm, clicky and responsive, nice tactile feel to them. Compared to the best buy laptops, the touchpad on the 9300 is very nice. There seems to be alot of opinions on this subject, for the most part I think people are just generally too bitchy on this topic. I havent used the scroll function on the touchpad and cannot comment on its usefulness. Very Satisfied overall.
My preference is to use a mouse and I purchased a microsoft wireless notebook mouse for 32 dollars. It's not a blue tooth mouse and it works by a dongle which plugs into a usb port. This mouse is very responsive and has a range that ive used of about ten feet just as microsoft reports, ive used it on my leg even and love to scroll with it. All you touchpad junkies out there should take a look at this mouse. Im very happy with it, SCREW BLUE TOOTH!! and besides,I can use a usb cable with my cel phone. To me, blue tooth is just unnecessary plain and simple. If your looking to cut the cost of your laptop, start with the blue tooth card and save fifty bucks.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

When I got my 9300 out of the box (shipped very securely and the box was in perfect shape by the way) my first impression was WOW, what a nice laptop, and wow, what a big laptop. It weighs a bit under eight pounds and I have carried it to work in the dell carrying case which works very well. (it's not easy to find a 17 inch laptop case and you wont find on cheaper than the one dell offers so buy it for goodness sake unless you need lots of space for files and junk that should be in your briefcase anyhow.). Im a man and yes this laptop is a bit bigger and heavier than others but I dont find it a problem to tote it to work and its not much bigger than the inspiron 6000 and only a pound heavier. For those of you who are worried about size and weight seem my other posts on this subject, It's not a problem and after two day of use and having it at work two days, Im very happy with the laptop and do not find its extra size to be a problem, I LOVE IT. Especially the 17 inch screen. It fits well in my lap while in a chair with arms and the weight of the laptop is evenly distributed through out its frame, another well built kudos for Dell. Unless your hands are as big as a football or you can easily handle a basketball in one hand, I dont recommend picking up the laptop by one hand. I walk about a football field from my car to my job and also carry a briefcase and dont find the laptops weight to be a hindrance. I think some people who gripe about this need more exercise and Im not buff by any stretch. People who are worried about size and weight should consider this: how much time do you spend carrying your laptop compared to actually using it??? Unless you are female, small and have dainty hands, I cannot recommend an ultra portable and 6000 users will not find the 9300 to be too big or too heavy.
It is much more likely that you will greatly appreciate the extra size for comfort in typing and the screen size ofcourse.

THE SCREEN..........DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....

I ordered mine with the WXGA+ ultrasharp, the 9300 is the ONLY MODEL that offers it at this resolution. The screen is very bright and I find it most comfortable two to three settings below the maximum setting. I am very pleased with my screen and am pleased to find few of the problems that other people are reporting on their inspirons. Now screen is a big topic of debate where you get alot of opinions and very little factual commentary.
I would like to start off by saying that I am in my thirties and I have better than twenty twenty vision. I find that the wxga resolution on the 9300 is the bes solution out there. Any resolution larger is just a waste of money. My screen is very bright and very sharp and looks as good as the wxsga on the 6000 model but with my 9300 I have gotten the best of both worlds. Good text size without having to increase dpi and great brightness/sharpness thanks to the ultrasharp. IF you like to squint and want to pay for the privilege of having to tweak your screen in order to read it then by all means get a higher resolution
Now my 9300 came with a Samsung screen, the x7466. I am very happy with this screen, the colors are great, there is not sparklies problem. Only a bit of sheen that tells me this is an LCD screen, it looks just as good as the ibm r40 lcd screen im comparing it too. I was all worried about the screen and Im happy to report no dead or stuck pixels either. The viewing angles are excellent with this samsung x7466 screen. I can see the screen nicely from nearly any distance and angle. These were big worries for me especially with all the misleading and incomplete comments by other users as to how good or bad thier screens are. Light leakage.........yes there is alot of light leakage but after heavy use in two days, i have noticed just as others have reported that the light leakage is dissapating. Overall I am extremely happy wih my LCD screen and I will not be exchanging it three or four times like other users who are in search of the ever better screen. I cannot comment on the LG screen since I dont have one but after weeks of fretting about my LCD screen and sparklies and what resolution to get and viewing angles I can safely say that I made the right decision now believe me I dont say this lightly as I spent countless hours of sleepless nights researching EACH and EVERY posting about this topic so if you have questions or concerns please send me some email and I will try to answer your questions as I have seen the LG and samsun screens on the inspirons and I have seen them in all three resolutions. I absolutely cannot recommend the wuxga resolution to anyone for any reason and I repeat,I have better than normal vision. While many 6000 owners and buyers think of wxsga as a good choice for sharpness and brightness, ( I was also in this camp at one time). I would tell these folks do what I did, get the happy medium which is the 9300. Both models can be had for the same price give or take a hundred dollars.
I think Ive said enough here about the screen, feel free to contact me for more information if you like.

WIRELESS:

I go the intel 2915 abg wireless card. I have a cable modem on my desktop and bought a linksys abg router to hook up to my linksys cable modem. The Intel 2915 card immediately found my linksys abg router and I had no problems whatsoever in creating my wireless network and using it on my inspiron 9300. Now alot of people have comments on this topic too. My two cents is that you should use Linksys products, they are simply the best, for god sakes dont go out and by a modem and router based on what it looks like and read the instructions. If you follow them you wont have any problems with wireless or with this wireless intel 2915 card.

Conclusion to my iniial review.............Just some final comments on my initial review, much more to come as I use the laptop but I do want to say that many of the problems I thought I would have with this laptop never even came up, all the worries about lcd and wireless and soo forth. I am very pleased with my laptop and thanks to all who put their opinions on these forums I was able to make the RIGHT CHOICE with the Inspiron 9300.
One final comment on the LCD screen, I have soo far made no tweaks to brightness,, gamma or digital vibrance which is a setting I have thanks to the Nvidia 6800 go card. I like the screen soo well, light leakage aside, that I dont feel a need to do anything to it.

REFORMAT:
I did a reformat after of the hard drive after burning an operating system CD for my windows XP, this went flawlessly. When I started it up I went to Dell Acessories and selected "create an operating system cd" burned one and off I went to reformat. YOU DO NOT NEED third party software to do a reformat, just delete each partition on the hard drive and then install xp again and you are all set, the nice thing about the cd I burned through the laptop since dell didnt include an operating system cd is that the one i burned was slipstreamed with all the necessary drivers for the hardware on the laptop without all the junk. I didnt have to do any updating of the drivers and everything works just fine after thorough testing and checking all he drivers status in device manager, any questions? contact me for help. I repeat, You do not need a third party software like partitioin magic to get rid of that dell restore partition that comes installed on your new system.

Thats all for now.

Just a note on all of my TYPOS. I am getting used to my laptop keyboard....SORRY

More REVIEW

Ive had my laptop....The Inpiron 9300 for over a week now and am ready to add some comments.
In response to previous questions, Yes I have seen the WUXGA on the 6000 and on the 9300, text is too small unless you raise dpi and then icons and pics are jagged and rather stretched, On the 6000model I would recommend no higher than wxsga since it is ultrasharp and wxga on that model is not..

For me, the WXGA+ resolution on the 17inch widescreen of the 9300 was the happy medium and best solution to my needs, the resolution is 1400x900.
You can also read the FAQ on this forum for details and pics of the various screen resolutions, it is a common myth that people think their wuxga will be oh soo much brighter than the wxga, in most cases this is only by five nits, not enough to justify squinting at small text and shelling out hundreds of dollars more.

At best buy and circuit city , you wont find a WUXGA screen anywhere and with good reason I would say, who can stand to read it or web browse? The resolution at wuxga is simply too high. the 17inch lappys at best buy and circuit city are all wxga resolution at 1400x900 which is more than adequate for any user.

SCREEN CONTINUED: The Samsung X7466 lcd panel continues to impress me, yes I still have light leakage but everything is sharp and the only time I see this light leakage which has diminished some by the way, is on a totally black screen. I would also add that it is the brightest screen I have seen on any of the 9300's ive encountered, including the WUXGA models. I have friends who ordered the WUXGA models or have the XPS GEN2 which they were all stoked about great picture quality etc and all those common things that people associate whether factual or not with those screens. I can tell you that two out of three are not happy with their screen resolutions after a few days of use. My screen is soo bright and sharp (at the lowly WXGA+ ultrasharp resolution haha) that I generally use it two to three settings below the highest setting. Many people report the WXGA's as being too dark, I dont understand where they are coming from except that maybe they got LG screens?? All the more reason you reviewers out there need to give better details about your system.
For all of you out there looking at reviews, I would say you should totally disregard anything anyone has to say about their inspiron screens if they do not list what brand and model of panel and resolution they got, mine for example is a Samsung X7466 at WXGA+. Without this crucial tidbit of info, you cannot fully understand why someone may or may not like their screen which is why you read soo many confusing opinions on the inspiron LCD's.
Ive used my screen for many many hours now and I find it quite comfortable to read, I get no eyestrain or headaches like some of my WUXGA friends do and bear in mind I have better than normal vision.
I have not installed any games on my system yet but when I do I will give the skinny on how any light leakage may or may not affect them.

WIRELESS CARD:

I set up my wireless network with no problems whatsoever, some complain about the intel 2915 card which I selected, I had no problems whatsoever and the card works great!! What I DID DO WAS READ THE DIRECTIONS. This I suspect can make a world of difference when setting up a wireless network, also be sure to secure your network. As a desktop system builder I am well aware that 90 percent of hardware problems are the result of an ignorant user...in other words, one who does not follow directions or one who tinkers with the hardware/software settings and drivers without realizing it in much the same way a man traveling on the road will allow himself to get completely lost and off course then wait a few more miles, say fifty or a hundred more, before asking for directions. I use Linksys cable modems and routers and suggest others do the same, especially if you have comcast cable. Whatever you use, be sure that it is compatible with what your cable or dsl provider says can be used with their cable or dsl. I would bet the farm that most all of the people who have problems with this card have wildly upgraded drivers or not checked with their high speed internet providers for compatibility of the modems and routers they are using. For me, installation of the wirless network addition to my cable router couldnt have been easier, once I put my security code into the laptop whic prompted me for it, I was off and running, my router is ABG, I usually get the best connection with G at a steady rate of 54 megabytes per second, A sometimes fluctuates from 54 to 36 mbs. I would say a wireless G router is more than adequate for anyone out there.

FANS HEAT AND NOISE:

I only use my 9300 for work soo far and for web browsing, office applications and watching streaming video programs via realplayer so I really havent taxed the video card by any stretch, My inspiron 9300 is very very quiet, you can barely hear the fans though both are running, they are soo silent and apparently very efficient as the laptop only gets a weee bit warm on the bottom center where the memory is. CPU tems are averaging out at 38 and gpu is averaging at 45 both in celsius. These are very good temps in my opinion. I have not overclocked anything on the system and see no reason to. Unless I do some gaming that the card cannot handle at stock speeds, there is absolutely no reason to overclock it in my opinion. Why waste more power??? Having said this, the GPU can be overclocked easily as Dell undreclocks it for various reasons. Air coming from the fans and vents is fairly cool, Hats off To Dell for a nice cool running machine. If you block any of the vents, side back or bottom, this could change however, I recommend anytime you use the system in your lap to set it on some cardboard or a piece of wood or one of those laptop lap stands you can buy, to keep the systems ventilation from being covered by your legs and clothing. As mentioned, the fans are always running which is no doubt why the entire system is cool to the touch except some slight warmth at bottom center. By comparison, the 6000 and the 9300 are the coolest running laptops I have ever Felt the bottoms of!!! Users should not be tempted to shut these fans off to save battery, cooling is what fans are for, they cannot cool if they are off or set to run less often, the hotter your hardware gets, the sooner it will die plain and simple!! One other thing id like to mention is that Dell ventilates this system very well, two vents on the top at each side of the keyboard, two vents on the bottom of the system where the fans can be seen running, two vents on the sides of the system which also act as intakes and then two vents at the back of the system where the air is vented out and through heatsink fins. You wont find this kind of cooling on most other systems.

1.86ghz PROCESSOR PERFORMANCE:

They processor runs great, I got a super Pi reading of 1m41. The processor seems faster than my XP 3000 desktop which runs on par with a pentium 4 3.06hhz so I would say this 1.86ghz dothan pentium M runs on par with a 3.06 to 3.2 ghz processor, the Pentium 4's might beat the dothan in encoding, but nothing else for sure. The 1.86ghz is the sweet spot for the inpsiron as far as pricing and best processor is concerned, the 2.0 ghz isnt worth another two hundred dollars for a performance boost your senses wont be able to perceive anyhow. As with all systems, desktop or laptop, you will find the fastest processor is not the best value or the best choice as compared to whatever is available middle of the road or second fastest. Specific testing scores for these processors is available at web review sites such as Anandtech and Tom's HardwareGuide to name only Two of many.

HARDRIVE

I got a toshiba 80 gigabyte 5400 rpm drive with my system, after study and review of the 7200 drives, I could see little performance gain for the price as compared to a 5400 rpm drive with more space. See Tom's hardware guide or Anandtech for the full story on this. My hard drive is very quiet and I usually cannot hear it at all. No clicky noises or problems that have been associated with some of the 7200 rpm drives. I couldnt be more happier with my decision.

OVERALL MY SYSTEM IS VERY RESPONSIVE AND FASTER THAN MY ATHLON XP 3000 Desktop.

Well thats all for now, If anything else noteworthy comes up I'll be sure to mention it, I am considering a replacement for the keyboard as I have a "Thai" keyboard and have heard the "chinese " keyboard is more clicky and more like an IBM keyboard , this is personal preference and there are no major issues with the keyboard I have, other than its not an IBM laptop keyboard and Im not used to it yet.

Size and Weight

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

Okay I have a few more comments on this issue. ITS NOT AN ISSUE!! After a few days of use I could not imagine going back to a smaller screen and I have a 14 inch ibm r40 sitting at the other end of my kitchen table that I repaired for someone. Based on feel, I dont find my inspiron 9300 to weigh anymore than the IBM 14inch R40.

Please be wary of those who call the 9300 GIGANTIC or HEAVY!!, most of them have never even seen one or picked one UP!! and if you carefully read dells specs on the 6000, d810 and M70 you will find the d81000 and m7o with 15.4 inch screens weight just as much and the 6000 only a pound less, further looking at their size you will find that the 9300 is half an inch deeper and an inch wider than the 6000 which is a 15.4 inch widescreen. I have listed details on this in previous posts.

I carry my 9300 to and from work, not much else as I dont see a need too show off my new toy at some wifi hotspot or coffee shop and to my table, couch and bed depending on my mood and what I need to do. After the first day of WOW THIS IS BIG, I have now come to the conclusion of WOW EVERYTHING ELSE IS TOO SMALL.

I greatly appreciate the extra size of the screen and full sized keyboard although a numeric keypad would have made it perfect!! I did buy a numeric keypad usb attachment at office depot for ten bucks!!a nice feature if you are using excel for number crunching.

When others see my system and with all of its powerful features as compared to their smaller and lighter lappies, many end up having buyers remorse.

I hope this helps those of you out there who may have been like I was, tossing and turning at night as to the size and weight of the 9300 over the inspiron 6000 or 600m for that matter. Now all I can say is DAM< I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE with the inspiron 9300

Two Plus Weeks Now....

I dont think I have a great deal more to add except in regards to my LCD panel, the Samsung x7466.

I noticed today when I booted up that there is a dramatic decrease in the light leakage!! Im very happy about this which confirms what others have been saying all along.
I couldnt be more pleased with the samsung x7466 and after a few weeks of evaluation, I am definitely keeping the LCD panel and not going through the endless exchanges that some people have reported doing.

I have however, requested another keyboard as I have the "thai" keyboard and sometimes while typing the cursor will jump wildly and I cannot determine what keystrokes or why this is happening. Anyhow, I think I would like the chinese keyboard alot better. Its on the way, not sure though If I will get the chinese keyboard that I have asked for , we will see and I'll let you know.

IM not sure why this happens when typing, I suspect its do to the flex in the keys, I have discovered that I have the "Thai" keyboard and a replacement is being shipped to me by Dell, I'll let you know how the replacement works out and am hoping it is the "chinese" keyboard.

JJFCPA, congratulations on your new purchase, Im sure you will be as pleased as I am with my 9300

SSJIFFY,

Congratulations on your new purchase and glad I could be of help, I spent countless nights browsing through the forums here debating on what I should do as far as screen resolution. I couldnt be happier with the WXGA+ ultrasharp. Plenty of room and comfortable text to read. dell ships the system at 120 or 125 dpi, I set mine back to the normal 96dpi and everything looks great.

Im sure you will be very happy with your purchase, welcome to the club!!