I've been using an 8500 for the past two months or so as a try-before-you-buy type deal with a guy I know. The time to make the decision about whether to make the purchase (for $850 USD) is fast approaching. I was all set to go ahead and buy it, but something happened today that put me into a bit of a panic, and in the process of sorting it out I found this forum. Hopefully some people here will be able to advise me on whether this is a good idea.

The Specs

I don't know what comes optional on the 8500 so I'll just list everything. The machine has a 2.2 GHz processor with 1 gig of ram, onboard wireless lan, PCI modem (does anyone ever use these any more?), 30 gig HD, GeForce4 4200, DVD and CD R/W drive. Oh, and he's throwing in a docking station and two power cords.

Condition

The machine overall appears to be in very good condition. The screen is clear except for one very tiny spot that's always black. The battery in it is basically useless - it has about ten minutes of life before it shuts down. The little button that the monitor pushes down when you close the laptop gets stuck sometimes, but it's easy to pop back out.

So, for $850 USD, is this a good deal? Dell's web site doesn't have anything at all (that I've been able to find) about the 8500 so I don't know what the retail price is on a machine with these specs brand new. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Oh, one last thing, should I take it in to a laptop repair place and have them give it the once-over to make sure there are no hidden flaws in it, or am I being too paranoid? Keep in mind I've been using it for two months with no significant problems.