urgent advice before I buy

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Hi - need urgent advice please.

I have an old Dell d420 which is about to die so need new laptop asap.  Ideally I want a 13.3" screen, core i5 or i7, webcam, backlit keyboard and at least 6gb ram.  I also have a 128gb ssd (Crucial C300) which I will install.  Budget of £800 to £1200.

Qus:

1) I am considering the top of range Vostro 3300.  One Dell sales guy says it can't take an SSD as the Bios is locked to force people to buy the more expensive Latitude range.  Another sales guy says it will take the SSD.  Which is true?

1a) If the Bios is limited, can it be upgraded / replaced to allow an SSD?

2) One guy says the drive bay can take a 2.5 inch SATAiii whilst the other says it's SATAii as no dell laptops take SATAiii.  Which is correct?

3) One guy said the extra graphics card auto switches on and off when needed to preserve battery life and boost performance when needed.  Can it?

I looked at the Latitude range but the spec of the 13" one is poor and it's very expensive compared with the Vostro.  Whilst the E6410 14" model is a little too large and heavy for everyday commuting.  Also, for a similar spec to the Vostro it's circa £400 more expensive and then support is 100% more expense.  Seems like profiteering to me and not value for money.

What would you do?

I've always bought dell for >10 years but seriously considering the upcoming MacBook Pro which will be cheaper than the E6410, smaller, lighter, and offer much better battery life and will probably a fair bit quicker.

Help.