DELL 700M opinions??
 

Starting grad school in Sept, need something very portable. I am not a gamer, but will watch DVD's, use business programs (excel, access, word) I will do minor photo editing.

I am comparing this to the HP DV1000 series and the sony laptops that are 13.3"

Now, sony seems to be the best, but the prices are too steep. The HP is alright, but I used one, and was not really impressed.

I have heard good and bad about the DELL 700, just curious what you people think.

An employee had one briefly. He didn't like the keyboard or the battery life. (believe he had the standard battery) To me it seemed like a nice small package for the price. Bright screen.

a common complaint with the dell you are considering is that the keyboard is too small, if you can deal with that, the dell is 2 lbs lighter than the HP. You did state you wanted something very portable, I would say that any extrememly portable laptop is going to be small, thus the keyboard is gonna be small.

Another thing that I've seen with thin Dell laptops (specifically the 600M, so it may have been fixed in this version) is that the screen won't stay upright. Once you open it, it will lay flat against whatever surface you have the machine on, rather than at the angle you put it at. This obviously makes doing anything on the computer a joke.

You might want to look into that before you buy it.

Well,

for what I can aford, the 700M seems like the best choice. If the keyboard turns out to be way too small, I have 21 days to return..no harm done...

I own the 700m and I love it. I used to have a beast of a laptop (Sager 5680 for those playing at home) and I just couldnt stand the weight of the thing anymore. I got the 700m for a really good price and its the perfect laptop for my needs. Its small, lightweight , has wireless, very bright screen, the default battery life for me was I think around 3-4 hours, which was enough for my classes everyday. I got the 6-7 hour batter on ebay for pretty cheap and I use that now. It doesnt have the screen probelm MooseMan was talking about the screen stays stiff. The only complaints I have are the default battery life, and sometimes the screen is a little glarey (sp?) if you are using it outside. If you have any more questions let me know.

ps. I have two computers my desktop and my laptop for classes... im not sure if I could use my laptop for my everyday school work, I generally just use it for taking notes in class / browsing the net on wireless when i should be paying attention.

I have used Dell Laptops in the past, not specifically the 700m. I liked them, I thought they worked well and were a good bargain for what you got in them.

well, i just got rid of my 4150, and it was great, justtoo big.


I have played with all types, and i dont like HP/compaq, sony is overpriced, and IBM is ugly..lol.

Anyone know what the shipping cost to DELL is if youreturn the laptop, and are they anal with returns, or as long as its within 21 days they cannot say a word ?

My current laptop is an Inspiron 5150... fricken heavy beast. The transformer is just about as heavy as the laptop itself.

My new employers just bought me a new Dell 700m. I pick it from their office tomorrow. I will be sure to let you know what I think once I have it.

Kewl,

I know the 5150 is similar to 4150, let me know if the 700 is hard to get used to.
Specifically, the keyboard and small screen.

I didnt find it that hard to get used to, I definatley notice the screen size most of the time. But the keyboard I got over a long time ago.

A few of my buddies seem to think that DELL will add Sonoma to the 700M which sounds pretty cool.

I just wish DELL had somewhere to go and play with their products. I know they have some booths set up, so hopefully the next time I am in Chicago, I will track one down, and play with the little fella'.

That's my only real issue with Dell. I wish there was somewhere I could go to get the weight and feel of their laptops before I buy one. I would never have bought the 5150 if I'd had a change to manhandle it prior to buying it...

Seriously, the thing is a brick. Great computer otherwise. And great service. I zapped my I/O controller (excessvie static in my office) in less than 48 hours I had a new motherboard. Shipped it to the depot on a Monday and had it back in my posession by Wednesday morning.

If you want to get a feeling for it go to any college campus's student center with wireless internet I almost positive you can find someone using a 700m that will let you look at it. If you live in Atlanta go to Georgia Tech I have seen 5 or 6 people with this laptop including myself...

Charlatan: why didnt you just return it if you were upset with the seize when you received it ?

My office bought it for me. I have to live with their decisions.

I am actually typing this from my brand new 700m... So far so good. It is really small. The power cord is light. I happy about that...

The one thing that will take some getting used to is the small keyboard. I have a wireless keyboard at the office but the laptop keyboard at home and on the road.

I'll let you know more when I've had time to play with it...

HP has the better sound system of the 3 you mention.

UPDATE: The small screen seems fine. I just watched a DVD of a documentary I am looking to acquire for work... The sound was fine. The small screen size was fine... It is shorter but wider (I am pretty sure it is a 16:9 ratio which makes watching films a good thing).


The keyboard is a little trickier but after a few day of sporadic use I am not making nearly as many mistakes. I figure after a week of heavy use I will have eased right into it.

I like that it is this small and light and yet still has an integrated CD/DVD drive...
It also has an integrated SD slot which works well with my Treo...
There is also an S-video out, on PCMICA slot, two USB ports, a monitor out, ethernet and modem. No firewire though, which might be a problem for some. If I really need it I can get a PCMIA card (I think I have one in the basement somewhere).

Just noticed that there is no headphone jack.

My view is that if you are looking for a small, light laptop at a good price point (this was $1500 Canadian) you can do much worse than the Dell 700m.

My error... There is firewire, headphone and microphone ports... They are located on the front and I didn't think to look for them there...

It uses the mini firewire port.

Sounds really good, do u have large hands, small hands, etc.

I have average hands. I am about 5'11" in height if that helps (i.e. someone taller would have bigger hands).

I also plan on using a wireless ergonomic keyboard (the ones that are split in the middle and the keys are at an angle) once I get this sucker in my new office.

Dell = Hell

pattycakes: I must disagree with you, as I have always been very satisfied with all of my DELL products.

No matter how good any company is, they will always have some unhappy customers, care to elaborate on you disapproval for DELL ?

Same here... the best thing about Dell has been the service.

Damn I wish school started now..Crazy deal on the 700M, $750 off!!

I hope these deals surface again in August.

I played with an Averatec today, model number does not matter (can't remember) but it was their 12.1" XGA screen. Now this was not a widescreen, but it seemed a lot bigger then its actual dimensions.

Anyone know if the keyboard is normal on it, or reduced. The space-bar looked smaller, but the rest of the keys looked normal. I used it for 30 mins, and loved it. I would never buy it, because I love widescreen..just trying to get a better feeling for my eventual 700M