All,

Read this.

Wow, Chris, sorry, i was answering and you posted in the while...

Well, I have read that post linked by Todd, it seems fine. I am not completely sure of all what that post says, but i will evenctually post there my comments.

 I would like to enjoy this opportunity to have you here, to ask for your kind help. I would really be able to choose well: if there are reasons which make a M4300 a better or much better choice respect to a M1530 for a "medium" user like me (no games no CAD), I would like to know them all.

Any help is highly appreciated.

I guess, or I hope, that tomorow morning Escalation will call me, and I would like to know what to answer...

Said that, I could have a last question: the use of a SurgeArrest Notebook by APC, a little very nice object wich protects against peacks of AC, can solve the tingling even with a 2 prong adaptor? You can see it here http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=PNOTEPROC8

There is also a 3 prong version, but as I actually own a D830 with 2 prong adaptor, I already ordered the 2 prong APC. If with your help (and of ButtonMasher and of anybody wishing to solve my doubts) I will be able to decide for XPS, i would like to use it with 2 prong adaptor...

HOH (Hope On Help), Sergio

Message Edited by Sergioo on 01-18-2008 01:26 AM

That's pretty kind! Thanks ButtonMasher!

Well, I should be able to choose between a XPS M1530 or a Precision M4300. I think I may have discovered today that Precision has got a better motherboard with better chipset than XPS or Latitude, even if I was told that this gives more performances only in heavy tasks (CAD etc), and I will absolutely not notice the difference in other uses, and actually I will never perform heavy tasks. But i want the notebook to do all as fastes as possible, and i am not so impressed from my Latitude D830 (with 7200rpm HD, 2x1024 Ram, T7500 CPU, Quadro 140M GPU, Win XP pro 32 bit freshly installed and no programs yet installed to slow all down, and the newer bios, newer chipset and Gpu drivers). i would like a notebook "one shot one kill", or "one click one goal", where i click on a program and it starts as soon as possible and runs as fast as possible. XPS? Precision?

Many people tells me that not choosing Precision is silly. But NO ONE was able to tell me why.

After all what I have read, in defense of XPS I can say:

-Express card will soon be the standard, so I will not feel the missing Pc Card.

-Dial Up modem is very rarely used, I will not miss it.

-I will hardly need to use mini dvds or mini cds, so the sloat loading DVD should be fine.

-XPS chassis is robust enough even if not as Precision one.

-Latitude is pretty noisy and Precision has got more powerfull GPU so I guess it could be even more noisy, so I don't think that XPS should be more noisy than Precision.

-XPS keyboard seems not inferior (less resstent or less comfortable) than Precision one.

Am I right?

But I would like to understand something: in Dell UK site I find this: "The XPS M1530 boasts a Hi-def display with 800 lines of resolution (surpassing the 720-line Hi-def standard) for supreme viewing.". What does it means??? That the same model of screen looks better in XPS than in Precision? or this is only for an external monitor?

So, I had many expectations about my new notebook. When it arrived with a missing CD, a keyboard not typing the @, a speaker half broken, and a terrible SEC3350 display, I felt really bad. Finally, after LOT of writing and lamenting, Escalation contacted me. They were not particularly sorry nor kind. But they promised me another model of notebook. They are still searching the best solutions for me to assure me a good display, or at least I hope so, as they never called me back. I want to use well this opportunity, as I guess I will not have another one. I want to choose the best possible.

So, I really like XPS design. But, what will I loose if I choose XPS and not Precision? How much better is Precision motherboard? I do not play videogames and I do not use CAD, so, both videocards are good for me. But, about how fast a windows or a program will open when I click on it, how well I will perform multithreading and I will be able to run a few applications at same time (nothing heavy anyway), and about how fast will common programs run, what is the real difference between XPS 1530 and Precision M4300?

Ah, the technician in Italy told me that he never had reports of electrification on XPS with 2 wire adaptor (which is the standard in italy). I just bought a SurgeArrest by APC, the 2 wire version, and I would not be able to use it if XPS can function whitout electrification only with 3 wires adaptor. So, I would be more happy to choose XPS if I could have some people to explain me if and what I am loosing with XPS respect to Precision, and if this electrifying occurs always or it can be solved with a new 2 wire adaptor, as Italian technician seems to believe.

i wrote too much, sorry...

Message Edited by Sergioo on 01-18-2008 01:23 AM

---

Sergioo wrote:

Well, I should be able to choose between a XPS M1530 or a Precision M4300. I think I may have discovered today that Precision has got a better motherboard with better chipset than XPS or Latitude, even if I was told that this gives more performances only in heavy tasks (CAD etc)

---

 

 

---

But i want the notebook to do all as fastes as possible, and i am not so impressed from my Latitude D830 (with 7200rpm HD, 2x1024 Ram, T7500 CPU, Quadro 140M GPU, Win XP pro 32 bit freshly installed and no programs yet installed to slow all down, and the newer bios, newer chipset and Gpu drivers). i would like a notebook "one shot one kill", or "one click one goal", where i click on a program and it starts as soon as possible and runs as fast as possible. XPS? Precision?

---

 

---

Many people tells me that not choosing Precision is silly. But NO ONE was able to tell me why.

---

I have no idea why anyone would claim that.  Some high end CAD programs apperently require the special drivers you can run on a so-called "Quadro", but otherwise they're just the equivalent of a Geforce GPU, and usually a low end Geforce GPU (it's just a way to charge more for the same thing, basically).  Other than that there's no reason to consider a Precision I don't think...well, aside from some of the Precisions and Latitudes have docking ports for proprietary docks, but personally I don't see that as useful since you can easily hook up an XPS/Inspiron to a regular monitor and whatever other devices you want without a dock.

---

After all what I have read, in defense of XPS I can say:

-Express card will soon be the standard, so I will not feel the missing Pc Card.

---

Yeah, most laptops dropped PC Card several years ago.  Most things seem to FINALLY be in Express Card format, which is suprior in every technical sense.

---

-Dial Up modem is very rarely used, I will not miss it.

---

During the configuration of Dell's laptops that don't have a built-in modem you can add a cheap USB modem, which I plan to do.  I've got broad band right now, but you never know when you might need a modem...

---

-Latitude is pretty noisy and Precision has got more powerfull GPU so I guess it could be even more noisy, so I don't think that XPS should be more noisy than Precision.

---

The XPS 1530 can come with a more power GPU than either of those other systems, but the power of the components dosen't have much to do with how much noise the system makes.  It's really the design (and can also vary depending on how much of a load a system had-for example the normally virtually dead silent Macbook Pro gets really loud if running it's GPU or CPUs at full blast).  I don't know how badthe XPS is, though I'd suspect they made an effort to keep it quiet.  I hope so at least.

---

But I would like to understand something: in Dell UK site I find this: "The XPS M1530 boasts a Hi-def display with 800 lines of resolution (surpassing the 720-line Hi-def standard) for supreme viewing.". What does it means??? That the same model of screen looks better in XPS than in Precision? or this is only for an external monitor?

---

That's just saying the default resolution is higher than on a regular HDTV, which is true of all computer monitors. 

The XPS 1530 is stuck with a so-called "glossy" display as it's only option, which some people like, but which is reflective (all it really is is a display that's missing the anti-reflective layer they normally have).  I wish there was an option nfor a regular display, but either should be fine.

---

So, I really like XPS design. But, what will I loose if I choose XPS and not Precision?

---

Nothing unless you do high-end CAD or for some reason want a dock.  Otherwise the XPS 1530 can be configured to be higher end.

---

How much better is Precision motherboard?

---

Not at all.

---

I do not play videogames and I do not use CAD, so, both videocards are good for me. But, about how fast a windows or a program will open when I click on it, how well I will perform multithreading and I will be able to run a few applications at same time (nothing heavy anyway), and about how fast will common programs run, what is the real difference between XPS 1530 and Precision M4300?

---

It won't make any difference which you have.  Neither will be better than the other if configured the same-and neither should be any different from the notebook you have now.  The only real differences you're going to see for general usage are in the hard drive (and youv'e already got probably close to as fast as a notebook drive gets) and in the CPU, but the slowest Core 2 is still plenty fast for any general usage.  Your current 2.2GHz Core 2 is already faster than the fastest Pentium 4 ever made, and you're not going to notice any real difference even if you got a notebook with a 2.8GHz chip for what you're doing with it.

---

Ah, the technician in Italy told me that he never had reports of electrification on XPS with 2 wire adaptor (which is the standard in italy). I just bought a SurgeArrest by APC, the 2 wire version, and I would not be able to use it if XPS can function whitout electrification only with 3 wires adaptor. So, I would be more happy to choose XPS if I could have some people to explain me if and what I am loosing with XPS respect to Precision, and if this electrifying occurs always or it can be solved with a new 2 wire adaptor, as Italian technician seems to believe.

---

It sounds like the issue is metal notebooks.  You get the same types of issues with the Macbook Pro.  If it's not grounded, you can feel electricity flowing over the case potentially.

Message Edited by tigerwolf7 on 01-18-2008 09:42 AM

Message Edited by tigerwolf7 on 01-18-2008 09:43 AM

[Buttonmasher showing two images of his laptop, a multimeter measuring appr. 100V, and a red probe] Hi. Nicely done. I'm currious of where you put the black probe for measuring? Edit: BTW, the reading is when the chassis is unloaded. What is the voltage reading on the chassis when you touch the chassis fealing the tingling (human body load attached)?

Message Edited by Pramalot on 01-19-2008 01:22 PM

are they doing anything about this or what?? and is so where do i sign up to get a 3 pin adapter tech support claims none exist for the 1530...

Message Edited by staubina on 01-24-2008 02:25 PM

---

@Pramalot wrote:
[Buttonmasher showing two images of his laptop, a multimeter measuring appr. 100V, and a red probe] Hi. Nicely done. I'm currious of where you put the black probe for measuring? Edit: BTW, the reading is when the chassis is unloaded. What is the voltage reading on the chassis when you touch the chassis fealing the tingling (human body load attached)?

Message Edited by Pramalot on 01-19-2008 01:22 PM

---

I put the black probe in a monitor power cable. The measurement is the same whether I touch the outside of the charger pin (the bit you plug into the laptop) or the laptop chasis so pretty much 100% of the leakage is transferred to the casing. While the red probe is touching the chasis I get no tingling because the unit is then earthed via the probe. Didn't try holding the probe in my hand while touching the laptop to measure the value but this would measure how much is escaping from me not how much charge I am getting from the laptop which should be the same as the probe got (100volts).

It's the same power pack used in the Lattitude D Series, PA-10 or PA-12 family. I have both a 65w 3-pin and a 90w 3-pin so I know they exist.