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Probably the RAM cover. The just slide & click into place. I never had any trouble with it.

The batteries and CDRom/MediaDrive have a release switch that can be locked.

The Hard Drive is attached with screws, so can't be removed.

If your appartment-mate still has their 7500, here's a link to upgrading the CPU.

DELL

I again, will restate that if you are going to spend that much money on her (a cheap engagement ring is about the same price, after all), then you should have her buy the laptop in Japan.

It looks like the power supplies are about the same, so you shouldn't have a huge problem there. My one word of advice: make sure you buy from a company who will let you transfer the warrenty between the US and Japan. Dell does not do that very easily. I've seen several posters on The dell msg board who moved to the US from somewhere else and now Dell wants them to ship the laptop back to where it was bought to have it fixed. (i.e. sweden).

What you're getting at is this. You can't get it anymore, but on 03/06/03 I bought an 18" LCD monitor from Dell (I think it's a Dell-branded Sony monitor) for $384. DVI and VGA, does 1280x1024 at 75hz. Very little ghosting. You want it. Check out that site and maybe it'll come back--this isn't the first time Dell has had a sale like this.

Even this is somewhat high; Dell has 17"ers for $450 and 18"ers for $600 (plus shipping & tax, maybe $50 for both.)

I am not a Dell shill.

I just bought an 1800fp from them, and overall it's very good (good enough that I feel the need to talk about it at length :-). My only complaints: Plan on getting a DVI video card; I was unable to find a way to run it on a VGA cable that didn't leave wierd zones of slight fuzziness on the screen (tolerable but annoying.) If you want to turn it vertically (which I highly recommend), check out how this works with your card beforehand -- the X driver for the first card I tried (i810) was simply unable to do this, and the second (nv) runs completely unacclerated when sideways, which leaves me with 1980's-X-style click/wait/response interaction at times. Windows users may have better luck; I'm not sure.

Actually, my karma (no, not my /. one) was on my side. I just bought a Dell 1800FP UltraSharp last month, and the price has actually creeped up $100 in the last month. You can take a look at it here. It's a beautiful picture, blows most LCD's out of the water, and it should hold me until OLED's go mainstream.

Well, I don't know about desktop LCD monitors, but I'm running 1600x1200 on my 15" Dell laptop. I don't know of many similar-sized CRT's that can hit that res, especially with the clarity my LCD has.

They have a new model with a 1920x1200 15.4" WUXGA display.

• Western Disposal recently canceled their computer recycling pick up day because of environmental justice issues including the low to slave labor rates some third world nations pay people to dismantle 1st world discarded computers
• I wish there was some type of charity that built Beowolf clusters out of older computers.
• Interesting to note that, in part, the computers are coming down in price due to their use of leaded plastic and less precious metals in their components (micro coating technology) both are disincentives to recycling
• China burns them in a huge fire and then harvests the metals they can recover after the burning

It's too bad that old computers don't smell.

Articles:

• 17 cents an hour
• Computer Dumping Polluting Asia

It's not really necessary. If you look at this Dell monitor, for example, it only has a .5" frame around it. We have a few around the office and they're very nice. The frame is so thin that Dell can hardly fit their logo in it!

wait about 2-3 weeks. Dell is coming out with a PE1750. 1U dual xeon. should be a little less than the PE2650.

and, i just spec'd a stripped 2650, dual 2.8 xeons ... for $2700. probably won't work, but, here you go

The AnandTech review made numerous comparisons between the Dell Latitude D800 and the Dell "Latitude 8200." There is no such product. I suspect the comparisons were to the Inspiron 8200, which is not being replaced by the Latitude D800. Ultimately, the Latitude D800 will replace the Latitude C8xx series, but the two products will coexist for a while, because a lot of companies (mine included) own a lot of Latitude Cxxx hardware for which all the docking stations, batteries and CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM drives are interchangeable.

In the meantime, the Dell Centrino-based product most comparable to the Inspiron 8200 is the Inspiron 600m.

With PCI-X 1066 8.6GB/s bus tranfers are possible so that should be too much of a problem. Also, the InfiniBand aims to solve that problem. One can see that 6GB bus' were planned even in this older dell whitepaper suggests.

First, let's try a SONY 23"

Then, we have a Samsung 24"

Of course we can't forget the Apple 23"

All rated at 1920x1200. Now, if you want cheap, Dell makes a FP2000 at 1600x1200 (20") that can usually be gotten for under 1000. Too bad they sell out faster than hot cakes.

I'm mildly surprised that no one picked up on the link to Dell's new LCD technology: UltraSharp. The WUXGA screen is less impressive to me than the fact that the viewing angle and image quality have increased dramatically.

This is why Dell makes other laptops. For instance, the Latitude X200.

Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Intel® Pentium® III processor-M 933MHz

12.1" XGA active matrix (TFT) display

Starting at 2.9 lbs.3 and 0.8" thin

Up to 640MB PC133 SDRAM memory

30GB internal hard drive

Granted, it's kewl, sexy, and has a wide screen, but so does JLo.

Compare these two photos:
Inspiron 8500
PowerBook G4

I know, I know... it's just the bottom of the machine, but you gotta love style.

I know from carrying around my laptop that weight matters alot. This laptop seems somewhat heavy for its size

Inspirotion 15.4-inch Wide-Aspect SXGA+ and 15.4-inch Wide-Aspect UXGA display
Height: 1.52-inch (38.6 mm)
Width: 14.22-inch (361.2 mm)
Depth: 10.87-inch (276.1 mm)
Weight: 6.9 lbs. (2.96 kg) with travel module, battery and Harddrive. (Specs)

Compared to the PowerBook G4 (17" model)
Height: 1.0 inch (2.6 cm)
Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
Depth: 10.2 inches (25.9 cm)
Weight: 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed.

It seems that if Apple can make a laptop with a 17" screen that is 6.8lbs, Dell should be at least be able to get one that is lighter. (Specs)

From dell.com:

Weight: 6.9 lbs. (2.96 kg) with travel module, battery and Harddrive.

Heavier that the 17" wide Apple G4 powerbook (see apple.com).

guess what? serial console doesnt do diddly for BIOS setting either

Dell has a 1U monitor/keyboard solution (that folds out) for $1400: http://www.dell.com/us/en/bsd/products/model_svrac _2_svrac_monitor.htm Dan

Same for you, you should recycle what you buy. Someone else doesn't pay for you to recycle your bottles, plastics and paper. You consume, you pay.

However, before you have to do that, though, give it away. You might even get tax credits! And you'll be helping out too...
If you want to recycle, try the Dell Exchange program, they'll give you a 10% rebate on Software or peripherals. They can even handlee donations for you. Need anymore hand holding? ;-)

The Burlington Coat Factory perhaps?

First off this guy is a Unix evangelist. No bias here. Second in the article the author makes a point that each new school desktop cost $2100 plus $213 with the software for office at bulk discount rates.

Does this seem a bit pricey for a school considering for $499 you can buy a
2.2 ghz dell?Schools are on a budget and its cheaper in the long run to just buy the cheapest now and upgrade every 2 1/2 years then buy the latest and greatest and upgrade every 4 years.

Also Linux lacks major software for students like games and MS Word and Excel. Yes openoffice can open some of the file formats but MS Word can check not only spelling but sentence structure, readability and Flecsh grade level, and ole ability to drop in an excel chart into a word document for example. Word 2003 even has Encarta integrated into it so you can highlight a word and research a topic. It's pretty nice when you're writing a paper.

Excel can do polynomial math while OpenOffice cannot which blows if you're doing anything accounting or scientific oriented.

Each operating has its strengths and weaknesses and is not better or worse then the other. As a basic operating system Windows blows goatballs. It's insecure, unreliable and not as programmable as Unix or Linux.

But for average joe users Windows is still king until openoffice catches up, Linux has a reliable package manager that's as easy to use as a Windows setup.exe program, and when we have more software ported. Also alot of gnu apps have been ported to Windows. I use Windows2k with perl, gvim, mozilla, apache, mysql, gcc with devc++ and openoffice. Windows users can gradually get use to the idea of free software and switch when Linux is ready or when palladium comes out.

Last but not least Dennis Ritchie himself uses WindowsNT as his main desktop operating sytem. He just logs into plan9 and inferno servers from a client on his desktop. I agree on the idea of terminals and vnc clients on Windows boxes. I think unless the school is really cash stripped that Windows with vnc software for the occasional unix app is more appropriate and would lower support costs since students prefer Windows. Go to any college NT/Linux lab and NT is always loaded.

Blades? Lots of them out now:

Sun
RLX
Silicon Mechanics
HP
Dell
IBM

Now, The Comparison with Dell as it appears is an outright lie. The base PE6650 costs around 7k. Add almost all the periperals and still could be under 15 k.Try it yourselves here
Can the original contributor explain?

... was this statement:

Unlike competitors Hewlett-Packard Co. or even Dell Computer Corp., Apple relies primarily on personal computer sales, often to graphics and business professionals.

OK, I buy this for HP because they make a ton of crap from test equipment to computers. But Dell doesn't rely primarily on personal computer sales? Let's see about that...
According to Dell's 10-k for fiscal year 2002 (page 54 in the PDF version, page 53 here we see the following (total net revenue broken down by product group):

Desktop computer systems: $ 16,516
Notebook computers: $8,829
Enterprise systems: $5,823

Wow, you're right Robert. Dell doesn't rely on PC sales. And 2+2=5.

ask the operator why the 'strating price' cannot be reached.

Sorry to reply twice, but the way you get the starting price is to click the "Recommended systems" link instead of the "Customize it" button. That'll bring you to this $656 system ($150 rebate).

You could save an extra couple hundred and get a ghz+ w/ a cdrw/dvd combo and other extras from Dell who has some pretty good deals.

If u're shopping for a new laptop right now keep an eye on here the deals change.

(No I don't work for Dell either.)

Follow the grandparent's link, click the blue "Recommended Systems". Right under the phone of the laptop there is a link that says "Inspiron 2650C starting at $699". Click it. That takes you to a page that has the laptop for $849 - $150 rebate = $699. You can customize it from there.

This link takes you straight to that page. Here is the same laptop that is $806-$150 rebate (not shown on that page but on another that leads to that page). The extra $$$ off is due from their Employee Purchase Program that anyone can get thru.

Follow the grandparent's link, click the blue "Recommended Systems". Right under the phone of the laptop there is a link that says "Inspiron 2650C starting at $699". Click it. That takes you to a page that has the laptop for $849 - $150 rebate = $699. You can customize it from there.

This link takes you straight to that page. Here is the same laptop that is $806-$150 rebate (not shown on that page but on another that leads to that page). The extra $$$ off is due from their Employee Purchase Program that anyone can get thru.

Apparently the "microsoft tax" isn't as taxing as everybody here would like you to think. Here is a Dell Inspiron 2650 configuration with better hardware (it has a 1.6GHz Celeron and includes a DVD drive), and even with the "microsoft tax", it's only $20 more (after rebate).

Yet for $699 you can get this Dell Inspiron with a Celeron 1.6, GeForce2Go 16mb video, and more.... add 128MB to bring it up to the same price and you can load on your own Linux Install. Why are we doing Lindows marketing for something that isn't really that great of a deal if you shop around?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this laptop...I have been considering it for a while. It's beautiful, light, and sturdy. I've had a chance to ogle it in the store a few times, and I think it is the most compact laptop you can find without going the way of the half or quarter sized screens (a la libretto or the new sony palmtop that runs XP)

It is lighter, and thinner than equivalent Sony's, and much cheaper. Dell's recommended retail is $1599, but you can get the price down a little, and even buy refurbished for much less. I don't think you can get this much for so little anywhere else.

Yes, it does come with Microsoft tax, but I think if you wanted to, you could get it pre-installed with Linux. I seem to remember a hidden page on Dell's website that talks about getting a corporate account, and requesting custom installs of OS's, including Linux on laptops. (even though they don't offer this as an option on the regular consumer/home office links)

But, I bet you end up paying more for this in the end anyways. (especially if you just order one)

I have also been very tempted to go Apple, but they really are beasts. They're laptops, not notebooks. (although dvd-ram on the go is pretty sweet)

The Dell X200 is about the size of 2 wired magazines, and weighs almost as little (2.8 lbs).

Also, it has a 'Mini-PCI' slot, which can accomodate a wireless LAN card. (Is Mini-PCI standard now?)

Dell's Outlet is also probably a good place to look for higher end refurb machines. they have a few notebooks on there you might be interested in. you might end up paying the "microsoft tax", but at least you know you can install whatever the hell you want on your system and if something fails, you can return it and have them fix it for free.

If you just want a good laptop, buy a Dell. They are relatively rugged, and there are lots of interchangable parts that work across models, etc.

If you receive a copy of Windows that you don't want, use it as a coaster or donate it to the Wine project or something. You'll be worse-off buying some no-name laptop just to avoid the included copy of Windows.

_ALL_ Sun servers are very stable, but slow. SPARC speed is poor, take a look at SPEC CPU2000 Results. The memory bandwidthis _very_ low. In Linpack-top500 you won't see SUN in the 100 first places.

The Fujitsu SPARC64 V is better chip and 100% compatible with SUN solaris/SPARC. And better servers with 128 CPUs !!!!

LiNUX is a better alternative below 8 CPUs: Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux and Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux, Part 2. LiNUX+x86/ia64 , and soon AMD x86-64, is cheaper and faster than Solaris/SPARC

DEC/Compaq/HP have the best chip (Alpha EV7) and the best UNIX servers (ES47,ES80,GS1280) in RISC arch. It's a pity that Alpha is going to die to put intel ia64 instead.

And if you need NUMA machine, SGI Altix is for you.

Why do you need to buy a SUN server?

_ALL_ Sun servers are very stable, but slow. SPARC speed is poor, take a look at SPEC CPU2000 Results. The memory bandwidthis _very_ low. In Linpack-top500 you won't see SUN in the 100 first places.

The Fujitsu SPARC64 V is better chip and 100% compatible with SUN solaris/SPARC. And better servers with 128 CPUs !!!!

LiNUX is a better alternative below 8 CPUs: Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux and Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux, Part 2. LiNUX+x86/ia64 , and soon AMD x86-64, is cheaper and faster than Solaris/SPARC

DEC/Compaq/HP have the best chip (Alpha EV7) and the best UNIX servers (ES47,ES80,GS1280) in RISC arch. It's a pity that Alpha is going to die to put intel ia64 instead.

And if you need NUMA machine, SGI Altix is for you.

Why do you need to buy a SUN server?

Not to mention the fact that a school and I'm assuming a library's criteria is if they are located in a poor rural area, they can only get e-rate funding if 80% or more of the school is on free or reduced lunch. Spokane County Public Libraries would not qualify for e-rate funding since it is located in the 2nd largest city in the state.

Where I work, we have to deal with the filtering BS since 1 of the elementary schools here qualify for e-rate and the teachers want their new shiny toys (and believe me, I hate the filtering box even though it does a half-assed job at it).

The libraries and schools are not hurting for internet access either thanks to a state that dearly loves technology.

About MS licensing, if the Gates Foundation does not give money for them, Washington State public schools can buy them dirt cheap .

_ALL_ Sun servers are very stable, but slow. SPARC speed is poor, take a look at SPEC CPU2000 Results. The memory bandwidth is _very_ low. In Linpack-top500 you won't see SUN in the 100 first places.

The Fujitsu SPARC64 V is better chip and 100% compatible with SUN solaris/SPARC. And better servers with 128 CPUs !!!!

LiNUX is a better alternative below 8 CPUs: Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux and Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux, Part 2. LiNUX+x86/ia64 , and soon AMD x86-64, is cheaper and faster than Solaris/SPARC

DEC/Compaq/HP have the best chip(Alpha EV7) and the best UNIX servers (ES47,ES80,GS1280) in RISC arch. It's a pity that Alpha is going to die to put intel ia64 instead.

And if you need NUMA machine, SGI Altix is for you.

Why do you need to buy a SUN server?
- because my programs _only_ run with solaris/sparc

_ALL_ Sun servers are very stable, but slow. SPARC speed is poor, take a look at SPEC CPU2000 Results. The memory bandwidth is _very_ low. In Linpack-top500 you won't see SUN in the 100 first places.

The Fujitsu SPARC64 V is better chip and 100% compatible with SUN solaris/SPARC. And better servers with 128 CPUs !!!!

LiNUX is a better alternative below 8 CPUs: Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux and Migrating Oracle9i - Based Sun Servers to Dell Servers Running Linux, Part 2. LiNUX+x86/ia64 , and soon AMD x86-64, is cheaper and faster than Solaris/SPARC

DEC/Compaq/HP have the best chip(Alpha EV7) and the best UNIX servers (ES47,ES80,GS1280) in RISC arch. It's a pity that Alpha is going to die to put intel ia64 instead.

And if you need NUMA machine, SGI Altix is for you.

Why do you need to buy a SUN server?
- because my programs _only_ run with solaris/sparc

Here's where they're going: 16MB Dell USB Memory Key

I just saw this when I was scoping out the Precision 350's.

Btw, it's $29.00.

>But what a pain when your box is under your desk

That's what's so nice about the dell box (at least the one sitting on my desktop at work).

There is a little door on the front that opens to reveal the usb and audio jacks.

This isn't the exact same layout I have, but you get the idea:

350 workstation view of front ports

Granted, I do have this on top of instead of under the desk. Still wouldn't be too bad since these are so easily accessed from the front. The model I have is a small enough footprint that I don't mind having it on the desk next to the monitor, though.

I just spec'd a Dell Insipiron laptop for a coworker today and found that the modular floppy is now optional. Just a month ago, it was included with the system.

Overall, I see this is a great move. The only downer that I could see off the top of my head would be the process of updating a BIOS in a system...

Anyone remember this?

Dell's Inspiron batteries are only rated for 400 cycles (ctrl-f for "battery life") of charge/discharge.

That's not long at all, especially if you consider the transit commuter, using his laptop on the ride to and from the office - that's only 200 working days.

I just wish I knew where the "1.5/3 hours" figure comes from though. Even brand new, I was lucky to get 45 minutes, and that's minimal hard drive activity... although I suppose Linux could just be sucking more power (more threads in the background or something) than Windows does.

He is one egocentric guy, naming almost all those companies after himself...

Yeah, that's pretty unprecedented.

but for $800 i'd rather get a dell axim x5

You can get a 19" normal-aspect display from Dell for $719. It uses a standard interface (DVI or VGA) and has a better contrast ratio (350:1 vs 450:1).