Am interested in buying a notebook...

Stargazer · Dec 1, 2002

I'm writing this on a Dell Inspiron 8200 that I bought about 4 months ago and I'm pretty happy with it so far. (I'm not entirely happy with Windows XP, but that's another thread.) I have the CDRW/DVD feature but to be honest, I've haven't used it much yet. I basically bought this not so much to tote it around with me, because it's definitely not the smallest or lightest laptop on the market-- but as a convenient, portable space-efficient substitute for a desktop computer, which I simply don't have room for. So I went for most of the bells and whistles.

If you like Dell products but really wanted a laptop to carry back and forth to work, I'd go for the Latitude model--they're lighter and a bit more streamlined, designed more for business.

Another thing--Dell offers 10 - 15% discounts to many different organizations. My brother the cop, my brother the commercial airline pilot, and my friend the 2nd-grade teacher all get discounts through their employers. I bought mine through the pilot brother. So it's worth asking family and friends. Makes it a bit more affordable. Plus they're always offering free upgrade deals.

(I swear I don't work for Dell. I just researched this a lot before I finally bought it, and asked a lot of people whose opinions I trusted.)

jacolaur · Dec 1, 2002

I have a Dell Inspiron as well...however, I'm on the other end of the spectrum with a 2500....I ordered it last Feb. on line and am very pleased with it's performance and delivery time(10 days) as well as I was able to pick and choose what I wanted included with it. It has the CD and windows xp, etc...I did not own a computer before this so I can't attest to anything other than I am very happy with it!!

BadBird, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2002

I have a Dell Latitude, I bought mine from e-bay for $450.00 and have been really happy with it. My hubby has a compact presario which we also bought from e-bay for under $500.00, I like my mouse pad better I guess I am just used to it. I am far from a computer wizard but I would suggest you go to a computer store, talk to someone and find out what you want then go home and look on e-bay or yahoo auctions for a better deal. Good luck.

Rena RN 2003, RN · Dec 1, 2002

dell inspiron 4000 here and i LOVE my computer. don't have the dvd or cdrw but this computer and technical support have been awesome. i have recommended to all my friends to buy dell. they may cost a little more than some brands but to me the technical support in itself has been well worth the cost. :)

emily_mom · Dec 1, 2002

Dude, get a Dell...:)

Kristy

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Dec 1, 2002

Thanks for the advice :)!!!

Trauma Columnist · Dec 1, 2002

I have an HP Pavilion ze1210 which I bought a month ago for school. I'm doing online ADN/BSN/MSN and the desktop at home is too slow. So far, so good.

MK2002 · Dec 1, 2002

I own a Dell Latitude. It has been excellent for the 4 years that I have had it. If I were going to buy another laptop, then I would definitely purchase a Dell.

A recommendation I would like to make is that, if you plan to carry the computer between locations, then you should buy an extended warranty and/or service contract. The AC adaptor and the mouse port get a lot of wear. The same is true of the drive ports if you swap frequently.

By the way, do any of you know if Dell still includes a compressed image on the hard drive? I assume they continue to include this feature. You will love it in the event you ever have to re-image the computer. Just a few minutes after you start the procedure the computer is back to the same state as when you first took it out of the box.