mblock66 wrote:Well this isn't such a good deal. I JUST ordered an i-5 450 Studio Dell Laptop (Thats the new 450 chip not the 430 and the studio series not the insipron) from dell with 6gb ram 500gb HD and a Radon 1GB 5470 Video card with HD screen for $655

So for the $55 more I get an upgraded machine with more ram and its new.

Should be at the house tomorrow! No deal here

How did you get it that cheap? ive been pricing exactly that and its been about 900$...

PolishPauL11 wrote:Whats the resolution???

1366 x 768

N3rdh3rd3r wrote:1366 x 768

Wrong! its 1600x900. Anonymity breeds ignorance.

Do external or add-on Firewire cards for laptops work as well as those that come right on the mobo?

I wish more laptop makers would start including a Firewire port as a standard feature. So many cameras and audio recording interfaces are Firewire that I think it would be a useful feature to a lot of people. Right now only Sony Vaios and Macs come with it standard, as far as I know.

Manufacturer's Website?

pkokkinis wrote:Don't be fooled by the picture, this laptop is HUGE and heavy. At first glance, it almost looked like a netbook. Expect shoulder and back pains if you travel with it. And at 6 hundred, how is this a good deal? AND it's a refurb no less.

The average laptop with dual-core processor will still cost you $550. You're looking at $800+ for an i5. So yeah its kind of a deal or something.

anyboatyourow wrote:Do external or add-on Firewire cards for laptops work as well as those that come right on the mobo?

I wish more laptop makers would start including a Firewire port as a standard feature. So many cameras and audio recording interfaces are Firewire that I think it would be a useful feature to a lot of people. Right now only Sony Vaios and Macs come with it standard, as far as I know.

Firewire is being phased out. Even Apple won't support it soon and they practically created it.

pest789 wrote:A three year warranty has always seemed like overkill for something that's obsolete after a year.

I guess it depends on what you buy. Mine is a Core2 Duo 7200 with 2 gigs of RAM. I've upgraded the HD to a 300 gig. Sure, it isn't the same specs as a machine today, but it still runs everything fine, including Photoshop CS4. I'm a photographer and deal with 14 MB Raw files from my Nikon D300.

I don't game, so maybe if you are a gamer, systems get outdated faster, but I'm going on 4 years and it still works fast enough for me.

I am looking for a BIG laptop with huge screen. Lenovo has some great deals on i7 processors, and new, but I want a bigger screen.

As others have said, if this had Blu-Ray it might have been enough to make me overcome the 90-day warranty

mortiki wrote:nice post...agreed

Re: the screen resolution

Agreed as well. This is NOT the 17R - this is the previous version and it sure doesn't look like it has the 1600x900 display (which means it has the lesser one) Look on Dells website - they are both called WLED HD+ but the 1600x900 tells you it's higher (and also is notes as TrueLife to differentiate).
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/deals/large-screen-laptops?c=us&l=en&cs=19

I'd buy it except for that and the lack of ESATA (which they fixed in the 17R by adding it to one of the USB ports). No way I'd buy a laptop now without it (especially w/ USB 3.0 right around the corner and no firewire on this thing either). I love my dell laptop and this would make a great buy for some people but I'll pass this time.

fast100 wrote:RTFF It says it can in the Product Specifications, under the picture : ) IMHO

Vicarz wrote:How do you miss this in the description:
# System Memory:4GB DDR3 SDRAM memory (expandable up to 8GB)

I mean I'm hardly one to criticize being lazy...but it will take you more time to ask something that is in the description, then wait for a reply, than to just read what is in front of you.

Good luck overcoming your disability sufficiently to become a productive member of the paid workforce!

djcary wrote:If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see the "full" specs including 4 gigs of ram (that can be expanded to 8 gigs).

ksmith2590 wrote:The information you want is right there on the woot product page - if you will take the time to read it.The answere is very clear....

I think the reason so many people have asked this question is that:

1) There has been some confusion about the product page, since the first one posted was wrong, and

2) On what seems to be the correct product specs page, it does not say the RAM is upgradable (click Tech Specs just under the photo, and it says "Up to 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM."

On the other hand Crucial does offer an 8GB upgrade.

edit: Okay - I found many websites that refer to 8GB RAM on this model, and Guybrush01's post below seals it - the Woot page is right, and the Dell page is wrong (i.e. it takes 8GB).

cheatum wrote:Will this thing get fatter?

Not if you don't feed it too much data.

dalealewis wrote:Is a dell extended warranty 2 or 3 yrs avaiaable ??

Get the SquareTrade warranty (see the link on item page).

misterjohnny wrote:My dad is looking for a laptop. Basic email and tracking his stocks in retirement. Is this too much power for him?

Probably. However, I doubt you can get anything with much less power at this point. This is a nice desktop replacement with a good-sized screen. I have a small (11-inch) laptop that I used to use for travel, but the screen is a little small for older eyes--and I took it so I could keep up with my work. (I work on my computer as a college prof for distance education.)

For an older person (speaking as one), I'd be more concerned about screen size than power. You will probably always have enough power for simple things such as e-mail, simple word processing and simple Internet functions. Some of us just love lots and lots of power even though we don't always use it.

I hope that's helpful.

ronguiness wrote:Can you upgrade the graphics card and the DVD drive to a blue ray?

The answer seems to be yes to both, but be aware that you may need to tweak the BIOS to enable the Blu-ray drive.

This review, and other sources (including the Dell page) point out that graphics cards and Blu-Ray are (were?) available from Dell.

bitethat wrote:I use SquareTrade for stuff like that. They are pretty nice.

I will second that. We have SquareTrade coverage on our iPhones and Kindles. Coverage seems to be more inclusive with the damage addition for screens--which is what I worry about.

I've read in several places (e.g. this review) that the processor can be accelerated to 2.53GHz with Turbo Boost.

ruf1o wrote:A word of advice to anyone buying a new PC: make sure it's got an i3, i5, or i7 processor.

What's your objection to, say, a Phenom II x4? Or Turion Neo x2 for a laptop?

Some vids on this laptop:

unboxing

review

here it just looks pretty

dell.com/outlet has this exact one for $629. You do get a 1yr on site warranty if purchased thru Dell outlet.

Just posting this to give a people an idea of deals out there. Recently purchased a Dell Studio 17" reburb for $700 including tax and shipping.

Specs:
-Intel Quad Core i7 720QM @ 1.6gHz with OC to 2.8gHz
-1600x900 17" HD screen
-ATI 4650 1GB GPU
-4GB DDR3 1666mHz ram
-500gb HD at 7200rpm
-1 year manufacturer's warranty

Duhhh wrote:Hmmm, not a great deal? It's a refurb, and you can find them on the Dell outlet website. I think I found the exact same system just now for $629. I think Dell offers free shipping, so the WoOt price is only $24 less than direct from Dell (c'mon, Amazonians - you can do better than this), plus there are often deals & discounts at the Dell outlet that could get you a better deal (especially if you are flexible with your specific requirements).

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/AccessoriesAndWarranties.aspx?familyId=1055&categoryId=SA&c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

You can also get Dell to sell you a warranty for 2,3,4 years.

NightGhost wrote:Get the SquareTrade warranty (see the link on item page).

joebounds wrote:http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/AccessoriesAndWarranties.aspx?familyId=1055&categoryId=SA&c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

Link fail.
Access denied to outlet.us.dell.com.

Beware anyone who wants to do gaming, this computer WILL NOT be a good gaming machine. The Intel HD graphics card is USELESS for games. Intel HD is basically a 3-4 year old graphics card, it will not run a new game over about 10fps even on low settings.

As a work computer or school computer, this thing will be fantastic, but not a gaming computer.

chopilot1 wrote:I do agree with Shunb, if your buying a Dell, buy the 4 or 5 year warranty. My first laptop died a few weeks after the 1 year warranty ran out. And my current one has been serviced 2 times in 3 years. Bad videocard and bad motherboard.

If a desktop part dies, its easy to replace; if your laptop dies your screwed without a warranty unless you very comfortable working on laptops and can get the part from dell.

All that said, my next laptop probably will be Dell or Alienware(dell), and I am typing this on an Inspiron E1705.

Don't waste your money on a 4 to 5 year warranty... if you get 3 years out of laptop you're lucky and even then... think of how outdated that dinosaur is!

anyboatyourow wrote:

I wish more laptop makers would start including a Firewire port as a standard feature. So many cameras and audio recording interfaces are Firewire that I think it would be a useful feature to a lot of people. .

AGREED ! Having purchased a quality HD video camera a couple years back, it would be just dandy if computer manufacturers took that into account for a while.

"Integrated Intel HD graphics"

Deal killer.

tmitra wrote:Can you tell me exactly how you got that deal. I just tried pricing it out at Dell website and was over $900.

I'd like to know exactly what Dell model you bought for that price. Did he get it online from dell.com, or the outlet, or fall off a truck? That price is too good for the spec's mentioned, must have caught some blowout on a discontinued model.

dukeofwulf wrote:Link fail.
Access denied to outlet.us.dell.com.

Works when I paste it back in, but try this:
Go to www.dell.com, click "for home", then "outlet", then "Laptops".
Scroll down, select the "Inspiron 17 - 1764"
Then click the "Check Availability & Prices" button.
The first one on the list has a 500gb hard drive, the other specs appear to be the same.

jkwon wrote:If you want to purchase a laptop simplest way is to go to bestbuy. Bestbuy offers 18month w/ 0 interest and you can find good laptops better than this crappy inspiron for a similar price.

you should be ashamed of yourself for shopping at bestbuy for a laptop...

adcommandproc wrote:Can the ram be increased to 8 gigs?

I'm typing on this exact laptop right now. I have upgraded it to 8GB, and it works fine.

AVHarris wrote:Does it have a built in mic?

Yes, right next to the webcam.

bitethat wrote:Do they even make 17.3' carry cases? I always find them too big or too small. Why can't they ever just have a case to fit perfect and have an extra component that actually HOLDS the cords properly? Huh? Why? Whhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!?

Targus makes a 17" laptop bag that works perfectly. It was around $69 online.

this is my last experience contacting dell for support on a 2 month laptop, i had amex do a full chargeback


calling dell tech support...


28 mins on hold

bob- hello this is bob how may i assist you today.... very heavy indian accent, could barely understand

bob-how may i help you.

me-yes my laptop batteries wont charge i replaced the battery and ac adapter already.

bob-it sounds like a defective motherboard.

me-can i get an rma for warranty and a call tag

bob- that is not covered under warranty i can quote a repair price

me-ive only had this laptop for 2 months

bob-im sorry sir we dont warranty motherboards with basic warranty

me- ok fine your refusing to fix or honor your warranty ill just call american express and iniate a chargeback for the full amount with your online warranty as evidence.

bob-ok sir

bob-is there anything else i can help with

me- yes can you direct me to the nearest apple store


be wary of dell, please not the 100 million dollars the feds just fined them about lying about 0 apr then holding customers hostage with with 25 percent apr's

toddsw wrote:You can also get Dell to sell you a warranty for 2,3,4 years.

OR you can buy this product cheaper from Dell (w/ coupon) and get a 1yr warranty standard.

resolution?

Just got an i5 last week. LOVE IT!

mblock66 wrote:Well this isn't such a good deal. I JUST ordered an i-5 450 Studio Dell Laptop (Thats the new 450 chip not the 430 and the studio series not the insipron) from dell with 6gb ram 500gb HD and a Radon 1GB 5470 Video card with HD screen for $655

So for the $55 more I get an upgraded machine with more ram and its new.

Should be at the house tomorrow! No deal here

Can you share the deal or the specs, as well as the discounts? Thanks

TheMammoth731 wrote:Beware anyone who wants to do gaming, this computer WILL NOT be a good gaming machine. The Intel HD graphics card is USELESS for games. Intel HD is basically a 3-4 year old graphics card, it will not run a new game over about 10fps even on low settings.

As a work computer or school computer, this thing will be fantastic, but not a gaming computer.

no suduko?

MichaelSF wrote:I don't like to talk smack about products too much because I figure it's just me that got a bad one, but since you said it first, here goes:

1. I used to buy Dell products almost exclusively (notebooks, PDAs, desktops, monitors and even an LCD TV).

In fact, in my house I have three Dell desktops that still run fine (one is from 2007, the other two from 2003!)

2. However, I will no longer buy Dell notebooks or LCD TVS, and depending what I read and hear, maybe no more desktops when it comes time to replace my XPS "gamers" machine.

Why?

3. In the past I have had two Dell Inspiron notebooks simply stop working. And both were just off warranty, so Dell told me to take a hike, even though the forums and blogs said my particular notebooks had defective motherboards and/or graphics chips.

4. And the 26" Dell LCD TV also just stopped turning on one day. Research revealed that the TV too had a defective chip that Dell fixed on the successor model.

And people whose TVs went out within the warranty period (there were a lot of those people, apparently) were given new TVs, the replacement model with new chip.

However, even though this was a confirmed defective design, those of us whose TV went out AFTER the warranty expired were told to take a hike.

Some people who pestered Dell enough got their TVs replaced, even after the warranty expired, but those people were few and far between.

Most of the accounts posted on the Net were people complaining that Dell said to take a hike.

So based on these three experiences and from other complaints I have heard about Dell, I will never buy another Dell product.

That's the only power I have, to make decisions with my wallet.

Sorry Dell, I simply don't trust you any longer. Besides, I have heard on the Net that when you wanted to achieve "biggest PC seller on the planet" status you apparently compromised quality and customer service. From my experiences that appears to be true.

Take a read here and you can decide for yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/DellComplaints

Yes, "back then" some PC brands were known for things like that. Gateway, Dell, Acer, for example. Nowadays, many of the parts are made in the same place and by the same people, just rebranded. Most, if not all, of the "popular" PC companies have caught up with each other and the main differences are customer service and generally not how reliable their hardware is. So, if you're worried about the warranty and stuff, go with the squaretrade warranty. But don't worry about the old Dell hardware problems or the 'this PC is most likely faulty' mentality.

woot2b2 wrote:Can you share the deal or the specs, as well as the discounts? Thanks

Agreed. I want info on this deal, it sounds like just what I'm looking for.