Dell Inspiron 700m vs. Dell Latitude D610 ???????

[ukhan]

I have a choice between two laptops:

Dell Inspiron 700m vs. Dell Latitude D610

Dell Latitude D610
5 lbs approximately, 6 lbs with extra battery
Centrino 1.86Ghz
14" XGA
40GB harddrive
Extra optical bay battery (gives total run time of 6 hours)
CDRW/DVDrom
915G chipset
512 MB ram

vs.

Dell Inspiron 700m
4.1lbs
1.5 inches thin
Extended 8-cell battery (approx 5hrs)
Intel Centrino 1.8ghz
12.1" Widescreen TFT
512MB RAM
40GB HD
Intel Wireless 802.11 a/b/g
DVD/CD Burner


Which do you guys think I should get? I am mainly buying it for school purposes (i.e. programming in Windows and Linux) and I travel alot between Waterloo and Toronto and around campus at UW. Any advice is appreciated...

[Menace]

D610 is a business class machine. If DVD burner isn't that important to you, I would go for it. 700M's keyboard is dingy and you have to get used to it.

[chadder]

If you're gonna be programming, I'd go with the 14" screen. I think you'd find 12.1" screen a little small for that.

[lazybum131]

Think about upgrading the D610 screen to SXGA+ (1400x1050). Or else the smaller 12" screen on the 700m will actually have more desktop real estate for work and side-by-side applications.

[ukhan]

Thanks for the help. Also, would your opinions change if I told you the price on each will be equal ($1000 each) and that the D610 comes with a Complete Care warranty with 2.5 years left, while the 700m deal comes with basic warranty until June 2006?

[jerryhung]

D610

[flirt]

D610 is a business class machine. If DVD burner isn't that important to you, I would go for it. 700M's keyboard is dingy and you have to get used to it.

what do you mean by a business class machine? what features distinguish it as so?

[Menace]

Latitude is Dell's business class which is well built and light weight. Windows XP Pro and 3 years complete care is standard I believe. Some of the Inspiron models are well built too. If I were him, I would definitely go for the Latitude D610.

what do you mean by a business class machine? what features distinguish it as so?

[ukhan]

Well actually after clearing it up with the seller, I find out that the D610 is 5lb with the CD/DVD drive, and 6 lb with the modular battery. Also the screen only goes to a max of 1024x768 (XGA).

So since the screen on the 700m gives a max of 1280x800 (TFT Active Matrix XGA) and that its widescreen, while the D610 will only give 1024x768 (XGA), do you guys still think I should go with the D610 keeping in mind the price for each is $1000?

[Menace]

There is a Dell booth at Scarborough Town Centre or if you can find one close to where you live, go take a look at 700m. Make sure you feel comfortible with its keyboard. I still think D610 is the better machine. By the way, the widescreen is 12" on 700m.

So since the screen on the 700m gives a max of 1280x800 (TFT Active Matrix XGA) and that its widescreen, while the D610 will only give 1024x768 (XGA), do you guys still think I should go with the D610 keeping in mind the price for each is $1000?

[divx]

isn't smaller = better?
more portability, longer battery life

[toalan]

Let me chime in on this.

I have the D600, the D610 is the updated model of the D600, Here are the issues with the D600.

Battery Died 3 months after purchase, my sister has a 600m and her battery died an unexpected death too.
AC adapter died less than 1 year after purchase
Plug for AC adapter becomes loose
They way the cooling is designed is reatarded, the thing runs so hot it is not acceptable, you need to prop the unit up so that the air exhuast port which is underneath the unit can blow air out so that you can play games and not have it overheat. Most of the stickers and lables underneath the laptop have faded away because of the heat.

Things I like about the D600:
Very crisp and bright screen much much better than my T40 screen
Fast and stable

From my other experiences with DELL their poor design is apparent in all their products, DELL has huge problems around power. I am sure the 700m will have its share of issues too. I would advise you to get an IBM T series, the fit and the finish really sets it apart from any DELL that I have ever seen. Again the only redeeming thing about DELL is their screen.

I have sworn off DELL for life, I do not care how good their 10 days of deals are, I will never ever support them again.

[itsmypostoffice]

the D610 is a better machine but you pay a premium for that business quality chassis. on the other hand, the 700M offers everything you need for the next 2yrs if you're not gaming. both are light & slim but the 700M is a treat with an 8 Cell battery. if it's just a matter of money (since dell doesn't offer promos on them), then you deciding factor is comfort. find a dell kiosk and test out each keyboard. almost all manufacturers have figured out how to build a good light-weight machine...it boils down to comfort and ease of use.

[unbiased opinion from a 700MUsers.com moderator]

[Menace]

I have the D600 at work and never had issue with since I got it last November.

I had the old IBM T43 before the Dell, again I had not any issue. However, the look of IBM notebooks is so ********, they haven't changed the design since the 90s. By the way, there is no IBM notebook anymore, it is the Leveno

Let me chime in on this.

I have the D600, the D610 is the updated model of the D600, Here are the issues with the D600.

[synaptech]

I have the D600 at work and never had issue with since I got it last November.

I had the old IBM T43 before the Dell, again I had not any issue. However, the look of IBM notebooks is so ********, they haven't changed the design since the 90s. By the way, there is no IBM notebook anymore, it is the Leveno

I have just started having battery issues after 2 years on my D600. However, I would take the "90's" look IBM long before the Dell (assuming work was paying for it ).