# $3200 at Dell.com! What the Hell was I thinking. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415 "2006-09-27T21:42:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/41 "2006-09-28T22:05:48Z")
Jeez, I have to post faster, or at least refresh before posting. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/42 "2006-09-28T23:05:29Z")
I recently was toying with the idea of getting a new dining table and chairs for my eat-in kitchen, to replace the rickety 50s style set I had inherited from a friend. I saw that there was a sale at a furniture store in town and stopped in just to look. I fell in love with and bought a set that is my biggest purchase ever in one act–$1200 (original price $1700+). It’s gorgeous and it’s real furniture (everything else I have was put together from KMart kits). Cherry, with cherry-colored top and black sturdy farmhouse legs, _bar-height_ so it feels like you’re in a pub. It goes from seating six to seating four via a fold-up-and-hide-inside leaf–very cool! It was worth it but I am still reeling that I spent that much at one time on something I was just supposed to look at. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/43 "2006-09-28T23:09:57Z")
If it makes you feel better, last April, my car broke down and I had to pay about $2,700 just to get it back to where I thought it was the day before it broke. So I spent all that money and it didn’t feel like I got squat. At least now you spend the money and get a sweet ass computer. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/44 "2006-09-28T23:17:10Z")
I’m a Mac person, so I would only spend that much on a computer if I got [this](http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/7.RSLID?mco=4F8E07C4&nclm=MacPro) and [this](http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/7.RSLID?mco=F7D71737&nplm=M9178LL%2FA). One day, I will have that. If my photojounalism major ends up being something. But I’d want the bigger monitor, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/45 "2006-09-29T00:05:33Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] Are you a gamer? [/QUOTE] [channeling Monty Python] " Your wife. Does she game? Excuse me?? Your wife. You know. Does she game? Is she a gamer? Does she like to game, know what I mean? How dare you !! Does she game? Quite a gamer, is she? Does she have…'obbies? Does she like Photography? Eh? Eh? Know what I mean then, eh? [/channeling Monty Python] 😃 I knew a woman once whose last name was Gamer. Rough life, it musta been… ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/46 "2006-09-29T01:13:38Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] and Microsoft Office (as opposed to the Word-less version of Works that usually comes standard). There’s also a lot of extra software in that package. These things boost the cost pretty quickly. [/QUOTE] Would this be a bad time to post a link for [Open Office](http://www.openoffice.org). You want a very quick way to knock $300+ off of a computer price thats one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/47 "2006-09-29T01:15:25Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] I’ll have to rebuild it again and send a link to the complete system. I can’t remember everything it had on it, but I hope it was all good. LOL. Wait, I just went to my email and here’s a list. Order Detail Qty Part # Description * * * 1 222-4759 XPS M1210, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16GHz/667MHz/4MB) 1 320-4787 12 inch Wide-screen WXGA Display with TrueLife, Camera,WW Ant, Ear Buds, for XPS M1210 1 311-5989 2GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm for XPS M1210 1 320-4790 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 TurboCache, for XPS M1210 yadda yadda yadda 1 412-0865 Basic digital Music,Photo and Game experience 1 310-8314 Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor 1 463-6083 DHS Order Manage Plus I got a car adaptor, and a 100 dollar GPS thing with atlas software. I plan to get the Verizon wireless modem service too. I hope it’s fast! I’m not really a gamer. But I did order Age of Empires III with it. \ [/QUOTE] I likes me some Age of Empires. Lemme know if you need a game. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/48 "2006-09-29T08:50:01Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] I’d like to know what a $3,200 computer can do that a $700 computer can’t. I mean, really, they run the same CPUs, same Windows. [/QUOTE] Actually, not the same CPU (not even close), and the B130 defaults to Windows XP Home, so not the same Windows either. 😛 The only real concern that I have with **Bear\_Nenno** ’s notebook (other than the fact that it’s not coming to me) is that I’d imagine a 12" notebook is gonna have a smaller than average keyboard (even by notebook standards). Am I wrong, or is this something you’ve already considered, Bear? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/49 "2006-09-29T09:22:54Z")
[QUOTE=Gozu Tashoya] The only real concern that I have with **Bear\_Nenno** ’s notebook (other than the fact that it’s not coming to me) is that I’d imagine a 12" notebook is gonna have a smaller than average keyboard (even by notebook standards). Am I wrong, or is this something you’ve already considered, Bear? [/QUOTE] I just bought a !2" widescreen notebook ([this one](http://morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=3542&CategoryID=203&SubCategoryID=182)) - sadly, not for myself, but for a colleague. It’s a fantastic little machine and the keyboard is not noticeably smaller than any other laptop; it’s quite flat so the key travel is short (but that’s par for the course with notebooks). Measuring the diagonal size of the main keyboard area of a standard desktop PC keyboard (from the top left of the \ key to the bottom right of the right-hand \ key, it’s about 12 inches - so not much compromise is necessary to fit a laptop keyboard into the same area. In fact, the keys are not quite so square as those on a desktop keyboard - they’re just as wide, but smaller in height (from front to back) - this is necessary to accomodate the small touchpad, but I didn’t find this affected my typing significantly. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/50 "2006-09-29T10:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=Gozu Tashoya] Actually, not the same CPU (not even close), and the B130 defaults to Windows XP Home, so not the same Windows either. 😛 The only real concern that I have with **Bear\_Nenno** ’s notebook (other than the fact that it’s not coming to me) is that I’d imagine a 12" notebook is gonna have a smaller than average keyboard (even by notebook standards). Am I wrong, or is this something you’ve already considered, Bear? [/QUOTE] I didn’t consider it before the purchase. But I lucked out. The notebook review site says > [@](#): > > The big concern when it comes to using a smaller sized computer is whether the keyboard is going to be too cramped. The good news is that the XPS M1210 keyboard is indeed full sized, so you won’t have to contort your fingers. Certain buttons such as the “Home”, “End” and “Delete” keys are half-sized and the Pg-Up and Pg-Down keys are somewhat oddly located, but other than that I found the typing experience good and finding keys easy and natural. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/51 "2006-09-29T12:31:49Z")
[QUOTE=drachillix] Would this be a bad time to post a link for [Open Office](http://www.openoffice.org). You want a very quick way to knock $300+ off of a computer price thats one of my favorites. [/QUOTE] Not at all, I use it at home. But I’m also a power Office user at work, and I miss the keyboard shortcuts and _some_ of the bloat features found in Office. It’s not always easy to switch from one to the other for advanced users. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/52 "2006-09-29T16:48:52Z")
On the other hand, my widescreen notebook doesn’t seem to have a larger than normal keyboard. A friend who has a wider-screened notebook than mine appears to have the same keyboard too. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/53 "2006-09-29T17:48:39Z")
Heh, very nice. I’m just gonna go back to being jealous then, if it’s all the same to you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/54 "2006-09-29T20:07:27Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] Still, $3200 seems way out of line for a laptop not made by Alienware these days. It’s only got a 15" screen and an 80GB 5400rpm HDD, not that impressive really. Really feels like he’s getting crewed unless I’m missing something significant. [/QUOTE] Okay… **Omni** ’s giving me a complex… How slow is my harddrive? Would I notice the difference if I got the faster 7200 (or was it 7400)rpm HDD??? I think it’s too late to call Dell back. But how much is that going to bog down my machine? ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/55 "2006-09-29T20:12:31Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] [channeling Monty Python] " Your wife. Does she game? Excuse me?? Your wife. You know. Does she game? Is she a gamer? Does she like to game, know what I mean? How dare you !! Does she game? Quite a gamer, is she? Does she have…'obbies? Does she like Photography? Eh? Eh? Know what I mean then, eh? [/channeling Monty Python] 😃 I knew a woman once whose last name was Gamer. Rough life, it musta been… [/QUOTE] 😃 Funny! I always ask because it’s my dream to have the ultimate gaming computer. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/56 "2006-09-29T20:18:34Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] Would I notice the difference if I got the faster 7200 (or was it 7400)rpm HDD??? I think it’s too late to call Dell back. But how much is that going to bog down my machine? [/QUOTE] No idea what your creative bent is, but I can tell you that [Final Cut Pro](http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/), at least going back to FCP III ( new releases are FCP V and FCP-HD ) cannot work with media stored on a 5400 rpm hard drive. The hard drive does not spin/sample fast enough for the edit system to make use of it. If you do not have 7200rpm, you cannot import/export/exit video media. While I have not used it, I suspect that this is also the case for those vidiots who are PC-based and make use of [Avid Xpress HD](http://www.avid.com/products/xpressdv/). Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/57 "2006-09-29T20:54:29Z")
So unless I am asked to make the next Star Wars or A Bug’s Life, I should be fine??? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/58 "2006-09-29T20:56:09Z")
Would storing a DVD movie on my hard drive be a problem?? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/59 "2006-09-29T21:49:19Z")
What about my external hard drive? If it’s over 7200rpm, then I wont have a problem as long as I am using that Hard Drive to do my video importing, exporting and editing. Right? … assuming of course I will ever need to do that in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415/60 "2006-09-29T21:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] Would storing a DVD movie on my hard drive be a problem?? [/QUOTE] Only with the MPAA and/or RIAA. 😉 For most purposes, excluding video editing and ub3r-l33t gaming, you should be fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3200-at-dell-com-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/374415.md?page=4)