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Dell's Gaming Monster

Carpoolio writes "TechTV has a good first look at the new Dell Inspiron XPS -- the company's first foray into portable gaming systems. The notebook -- a beast at 9 pounds -- puts the company squarely against the likes of Alienware. The price tag is steep, too, at $3,350. Are you buying?"

8 of 478 comments (clear)

  1. Would I buy it? by heironymouscoward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No. For entertainment, give me a cube PC and a projector. Just as portable, ten times the fun and cheaper.

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    Ceci n'est pas une signature
  2. Size _doesn't_ matter. by normal_guy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When pricing laptops, the executive types always pick the smallest size. You wouldn't believe the amount of thought that went into extra power vs. 8 extra OUNCES. The younger game-playing employees always price out the laptops with the most power, knowing that an extra few pounds means _nothing_ when you're rolling it down the concourse. To me, it's all about desktop replacement.

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    Linux: Free if your time is worthless.
  3. Mmm.... by foxtrot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    WUXGA+ screen, which is 1920x1200 pixels.

    What I want to know is, why is it you can buy a laptop with that flat panel installed, but you can't buy an LCD monitor for your desktop PC that can do that?

    -JDF

  4. I just bought an Alienware Area-51m by TerraFORM · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ..and I'm very happy with it. P4 3.2GHz desktop proc, 1 GB PC 3200 RAM, 128 MB ATI 9600 Pro, 60 GB 7200RPM HDD, 16.1" XUGA TFT, XP Professional. I bought it because I like to GAME. Sure, powerbooks are great and are beasts in their own right, but very few current OL games are supported and that is the ONLY reason I didn't go Mac. Alienware is certainly expensive, but you get what you pay for. They really know how to engineer their systems for optimal cooling. Dell realizes Alienware's success (witness AW is on Forbes' list of the fastest growing businesses this year) and is entering the foray. Methinks that they'll do well initially, but the quality that gaming systems require may or may not be met through Dell's uber-assembly line format.

  5. Price discrepancy? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Interesting how the base unit is $2799 *CAD*, and yet the reviewer emphasises the (obviously tricked-out notebook's $3350 USD) huge price tag.

    I remember reading a review for an IBM T41P the other day -- the reviewer's test machine retailed at something like $5500 CAD. Very few people can afford these monstrosities; most of us go for the $2500 "bare bones but still a Mercedes" IBM notebook instead.

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    Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
  6. Re:Heh, a beast at 9 pounds by Clover_Kicker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Here, take a walk down memory lane: http://www.firstibmclone.fsnet.co.uk/

  7. Re:Seriously... what's the point? by theLOUDroom · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd love one.

    I'm an electrical engineer, and need to do some pretty resource intensive simulatons. I also work with 11x17 sized drawings.

    Currently I have a laptop, but the performance is somewhat lacking. Even so, there's no way I'd give it up and switch to a desktop.
    At the end of the day, I hit a button, pull a lever and take all my work home. This morning, I spent the first four hours working at home via the company's VPN.

    With my laptop and a VPN connection, putting in a 60 hour week on a critical project no longer means that I have to spend 60 away from home.

    I couldn't give a rats ass about the weight or battery life of my laptop. I use it on my desk at home and my desk at work.

    If someone was willing to double the width and weight of my laptop in excange for twice the sceen area and processing power, I'd go for it in a heartbeat.

    And as for price, it's not that big of a deal when you consider the cost of my time waiting for a simulation to finish or the price of the software that I actually run on the laptop.

    When my laptop is obsolete, they can pass it on to someone in finance, shipping, or wherever.

    Right now, I'm looking at an HP ZD7000 series "notebook." Sure they're huge, but that mean they actually have a decent sized keyboard, and a nice big display. As long as I can carry it with one hand, it's portable enough for me.

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    Life is too short to proofread.
  8. Re:I have a AW by Str8Dog · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You can read the entire sordid tale here.

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    Str8Dog
    using System.Darkside; public