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Dell lap tops question
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Brain Hacked
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Apr 9, 2008 18:01:08
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Im about to purchase a lap top, after searching i found Dell inspiron 1720 has xp drivers on the website so it can be downgraded to xp, but how good or bad are dell lap tops? i dont plan to use it for production just live use i would be using it with live,m-audio 410 and only audio no midi nor soft synths.
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
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147
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1441
Posted : Apr 9, 2008 23:49
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Based on my experience they are great. I've been using them from P4 all the way up to Core 2 Duo's until i finally moved to producing on a desktop.
So i would definitely recommend them.
 http://www.soundcloud.com/getafixmusic |
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Tomos
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Apr 10, 2008 00:09
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Based on my experience (have my own company fixing computers) Dell are the cheapest build laptops you can get. I've fixed more Dells and have more leftover spare parts for Dells than any other make of computer. I would say near 60% of all the computers I fix are Dells. That's not because they're popular - just by taking them apart and seeing their build quality I can tell they aren't well made.
Avoid at all costs.
Sorry Get-a-fix, just my opinion working in the sector. |
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Spindrift
Spindrift
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Posted : Apr 10, 2008 02:06
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Dell have some of the cheapest laptops on the market as well as some of the most exclusive.
To say that top of the range Inspirons or XPS is cheap build quality is just plain wrong.
I had an Inspiriron 8000 since 1999, lugging it around half of India on bike, trains and buses as well as playing countless moist and dusty parties.
I retired it to use as a media player in the kitchen last year and got a bit newer Inspiron 8500 for my Live/DJ setup now.
As for the 1720 though I'm not sure how well it would work with your audio interface.
The later models doesn't use TI chipset but instead Ricoh which as far as I know might spell trouble with your M-Audio.
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Brain Hacked
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Apr 10, 2008 05:27
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Thanks for ur replies..i was thinking about getting inspiron 1720...the chipset thing would be an issue for for 1300 dollars (here in mex) i would get a better configuration than the cheapest macbook and the fact that i can downgrade it to xp is great, ive seen other brands but they dont have xp drivers only vista.
I will have to think a bit more |
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Tomos
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Apr 10, 2008 13:02
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I have no preference with computers. Generally the make of computer is irrelevant because they're built from the same parts as every other company's offerings.
A few of the most striking features that put me off are (desktop and laptop);
- The Dell case not opening like a normal case.
They often break (very plastic, no screws) then they don't close properly - this is on all desktop models, including the higher end,
- Fans fail on laptop and I've seen vents covered with plastic/foil where they haven't been cut properly at the factory!
- The mobo diagnostic system is ridiculous, 5 green/amber LEDs that tell you why your system has failed.
- Dell power supplies fail CONSTANTLY, sometimes frying the mobo.
- New mobos sometimes don't fit in their case.
- Their custom BIOS is crap and and won't open sometimes. Lower spec do not include any O/C options or anything remotely useful.
- The big plastic vent over the CPU is a pain in the ass and entirely useless. The ventilation is poorly designed and the insides accumulate dust faster than any other case I've encountered.
- Mainly due to the custom BIOS, installing a new hard drive can be frustrating and tedious, often not working until you've gone through every setting available to get it to boot from the new disk. Sometimes it never works.
I will say that their consumer customer support has always been quite good. But when I worked for a company who gave their entire sales division laptops, the business support was a joke.
Sorry.. but you did ask. I might as well tell you what I think. I'm merely citing an opinion based on my experience and interactions with Dell products. They cut corners to offer cheaper machines and use their own parts to
save money. |
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elesdifrend
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Apr 11, 2008 06:14
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So what other laptop could be good? |
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Fragletrollet
Fragletrollet
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111
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1748
Posted : Apr 11, 2008 06:40
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I have an Dell Inspiron 9400
Good price, but Im dissatisfied with the following:
-Powersupply failed.
-Crappy Firewire controller (cant use my Focusrite Saffire properly)
-Poor colours/contrasts in screen
-Noisy as hell at times
-Cheap plastic feeling
-Heavy as hell (its a 17" tough)
And it was supposed to be their top of the line Inspiron when I bought it around a year ago.
But cheap!
If id buy pc's now, Id definetively go for a smaller and lighter laptop to travel with, and a more powerful desktop.
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anigbrowl
Started Topics :
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26
Posted : Apr 11, 2008 07:41
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Quote:
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On 2008-04-11 06:14, elesdifrend wrote:
So what other laptop could be good?
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IMB/lenovo. More expensive but very good. My brother-in-law bought a Compaq last Christmas with wide screen, pretty nice.
But fragletrollet is right, for any serious work you need a desktop system. I mean with a laptop you are using headphones at best, and that's not good for your ears or your mixing. Personally I think you would be better with a low-medium ower laptop for less money...just run reaper or live plus 1 nice softsynth. |
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Mike A
Subra
Started Topics :
185
Posts :
3954
Posted : Apr 11, 2008 11:18
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Quote:
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On 2008-04-11 07:41, anigbrowl wrote:
I mean with a laptop you are using headphones at best, and that's not good for your ears or your mixing.
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Why not connect your monitors to the laptop? Assuming you have a FW/USB i/o?
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DJ Chet
Inactive User
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18
Posted : Apr 19, 2008 03:53
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Always have and always will use Toshiba. Built to take a beating and has never crashed on me for music, graphic design and video game programming. And I have used vista for 4 months now and don't see what the fuss is about. |
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psilonaut
IsraTrance Junior Member
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35
Posted : Apr 19, 2008 06:09
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I have a dell inspirion 1520. I bought it last xmas from the dell website and I could choose whether I wanted xp or vista which was good as most laptops seem to come pre loaded with vista now.
I'm pretty happy with it, it runs well only negative things are that its quite heavy and really hot, I can't sit it on my lap (well in Australia anyway, maybe somewhere colder it might be nice). But I use it on my desktop and only take it out of my room when i'm playing gigs so the weight of it doesn't really bother me.
Oh, and its fairly nosiy at times when one of the internal fans runs.
My tracks:
www.myspace.com/psilonautmusic
www.myspace.com/listentobleep |
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Nybras
IsraTrance Junior Member
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29
Posted : Apr 21, 2008 12:56
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I'm using an Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop and it works a fooking dream! Had no problems with it and i've had it for quite some time now! |
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Brain Hacked
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
442
Posted : Apr 22, 2008 23:57
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So far i think isnpiron 1720 would not be a choice..other brands i can get and downgrade to XP would be HP and Vaio.Now the question is how reliable are they and wich one would u recommend?, Vaio im refering to the NR series or the pavilion HP series. |
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Dharma Lab
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342
Posted : Apr 23, 2008 01:17
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I've had mixed results with Dell. Their support tends to be much better than the rest in various regards, and that is a serious consideration too.
I still feel toshiba's are one of the better laptops you can buy.
I recommend staying away from Sony & HP.
IBM's used to be over-priced cheap machines with their brand name on them. Now that Lenovo (a chinese company) bought that division, I wouldn't expect much more quality out of them, but in all fairness I have never used one.
Keep The Faith,
Christian K. |
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