USB BSOD, bluetooth offline errors resolved by mainboard replacement (which incidently caused modem to be undetected now)
Poor battery life. 1,5 hours with just a text editing tool open and bluetooth switched off is a joke for a true centrino spec (with Intel wireless). My old Inspiron 3800 750 does better than that.
Sluggish response, even with bare WinXP with all system software. (it is a 1,6 GHz with 1024 RAM)
Haven't experienced any of the problems mentioneded above. I get 2.5 hours of batt. life and can get almost 5.0 hours when running with the modular battery. I get these times surfing the internet with the wireless on.I use speedswitchXP so I'm able to get longer battery life. Turning the brightness of the screen down will increase battery life as well. The speed of the system is pretty good although I may purchase one of those Hitachi 60gb 7200 rpm drives to speed things up even more. It's unfortunate that so many people are having problems with their D600's. I'm glad i got a good one.
No real problems with heat, keyboard, screen, etc. Overall I think it's an excellent computer.
I'm kind of curious - those of you who (apparently) dislike it so much...how come you didn't send it back during the first 30 days and get your money back? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me - or are you talking about a computer you "used to have"?
I returned 2...And I kept the last one, cause I was in the middle of a project and couldn't afford to be down...However, I did give up on the D600 and bought a ThinkPad T40p 2 months ago. Best descition ever...
I handed down my D600 to my GF and she doesn't seem to mind the heat that much...Of course, she doesn't type for 8 hours a day...
Either you are lucky with your batch or they fixed all the problems in later batches...I was on the early adopters curve and bought the machine right when they came out. I guess (If Dell fixed the problem) we got the kinks out of the hardware for you new users :)
Actually, not. I bought mine in March 2003, so I think I'm pretty much one of the first. I admit I don't type 8 hours a day on it (actually I do, but I use an external keyboard/mouse/monitor at the office, and only use it as a true portable at home in the evening) - I can't imagine typing all day on any laptop personally.
But anyways, for my use, it has been an awesome computer. Sorry it wasn't for you - but the IBM's are pretty incredible machines as well, albeit a little pricey...but very nice.
I've had my D600 for 6 days and it works like a champ. Batterylife is about 3 hours. The SXGA+ 14" LCD is fantastic. Wireless LAN works flawlessly. Not sure why so many complain about the palm heat. It's warm that's all - at lest with mine. Plan to add an Echo Indigo sound card since the audio is of a pretty standard quality. The keyboard feels great as well.
It sounds like yours is pretty much like mine - warm, but not uncomfortable (matter of fact, it's kinda nice on those cool evenings :^) ). I'm sure there is some variation among hard drives, etc., but some of the comments about the heat burning your palm, discoloring the case etc., I just find a little hard to believe (sorry). I have had laptops that really were uncomfortably warm(a Dell Inspiron, by coincidence - the heat on the bottom of that thing was so bad it really did burn my leg while wearing shorts!) The heat coming off the D600 is nowhere near that level - not even remotely close.
Mostly the complaints seem to be that the warmth becomes uncomfortable if you type on it all day. While I can understand that complaint, I personally think typing on any laptop keyboard all day would be uncomfortable anyways - you should buy an external keyboard and mouse if you are using it all day on a regular basis.
Enjoy your D600 - after one year of ownership, I still think it is the best all around laptop I've owned (and I've owned quite a few).
I think d600s are good if you want a high performance lightweight notebook. I really really lke the d800s. Although the chassis is metal instead of plastic like the d600, so if you're looking for lightweight the d600 would be the way to go.
> but some of the comments about the heat burning your palm, discoloring the case etc., I just find a little hard to believe (sorry).
Well...It isn't hard to believe: 1. http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=latit_general&message.id=34743 - I say this discoloration is pretty ugly and unless this guy is oozing acid from his left hand, I'd assume logically that heat and sweat did cause that. 2. http://www.josesandoval.com/hotdells/ - These people all have D600s, they can't all be making this stuff up...Or are they??? 3. My left hand used to get really irritated. Red and a burning sensation...The bottom will get warm, I never cared about the bottom...
> you should buy an external keyboard and mouse if you are using it all day on a regular basis All day use (typing, etc) is sometimes necessary for developers. The point of a powerful laptop is to carry ONLY the laptop to client sites. Lugging around a keyboard and mouse everywhere you go is out of the question for a $3,500.00 (CAD) computer.
Aside from the heat, the computer is great. BUT, I don't recomend it to anyone. Well, most of the people I know are also developers and typing for a long time on a computer is the norm. For ligth users: checking emails, surfing (You don't use the keyboard for that), typing the next best seller every other hour or so, this machine may do the job...
ThinkPad T40p 1.6 GHz 1.5 GB RAM / 60 GB @ 7200 RPM drive / 64 MB ATI Fire GL 900 graphics / CD-RW-DVD Win XP Pro SP1 AND No heat on the top NOR the bottom + 6-7 hours battery life
Yep...that's the picture I was thinking of. I'm not discounting the individual who posted that picture, because I don't know them one way or the other. But just because someone posts a picture, it's reality? Have you ever heard of Photoshop???
Secondly, the poster indicated that Dell refused to replace the case (although apparently agreed on the third attempt)...I don't think so. If I know anything about Dell, they would never, ever do that. We have a laptop that had the case, keyboard, and fan replaced due to minor complaints from one of my employees to Dell tech support. Personally, I thought the problems she called them about were pretty rediculous, but they replaced the parts anyways. We are a small company, so I don't think they were bending over to make us happy. Refusing to replace a case that looks like that - no way.
As for Mr. Sandoval's website, I believe he was collecting negative comments about the D600, so that he could pass a mountain of negative reactions on to Dell in the hope of getting them to "fix" all of the defective D600's out there. At last count, he had about 30 unhappy campers posting on his site (I'm not counting Martha Stewart...I'm thinking that she has bigger problems than her laptop, so maybe that one is a fake? whata ya think?). I have no idea how many thousands of D600's Dell has sold, but 30 unhappy owners doesn't represent a very significant percentage, don't you think?
So no, I don't believe EVERYTHING I read or see (especially on the internet).
I think you should believe EVERYTHING you see on the Internet...I do...
What is photoshop?
Ok, granted that you will hear more about disatisfied customers than the opposite. That is ALWAYS the case. Also, what would be the case to complain about something that doesn't have problems? The point of saying something is that perhaps as a group something will be done about the bad design. And the machine is badly designed: to use your left palm to dicipate heat...
The issue is not that we are making things up (Well, at least I'm not), the issue is that some computers have the heat problem and some don't. A perfect example: 3 computers I've had (All D600) had the heating issue, and yours doesn't. Why is this the case?
Sure, statistically speaking one or two machines out of batch will have some defect. BUT, why have so many come up? I'm sure there are more individuals who don't log their gripes about the computer in that site...I assure you, there are more than 30 - Including Martha ;)
Personally, I do like the machine: good feel to it, good screen, good size, good price...However, it is not good for my needs (Heavy keyboard user), hence I don't recomend it to anyone who asks about it. In my book, it's not a good machine for that one defect, therefore I bought a different machine with no palm heating issues: ThinkPad T40p...Sure, this one is not perfect either, but, the anoying things, don't anoy me as much as the heat...
PS - I do know what photshop is- and because the palm rest is actually painted, it does discolarates with heavey use - Mine is already doing the same, however, not as much as in the "aledge" picture...
I've had a D600 since they first came out and use my machine full-time every day.
Likes:
- Use two batteries in it at once. Great battery life (4-5 hrs still) with this config.
- 1400x1050 14" is a nice big screen.
- P-M is nice and fast. CPU speed has never really been a problem.
- Heat isn't nearly as bad as previous laptops.
- PERFECT trade off between weight and power IMO.
Dislikes:
- I have much worse palmrest fading than the picture linked above. The left side does run hot at times but it doesn't get nearly as bad as my old Insp 8200. I don't mind the fading - to me it's part of the normal wear and tear of daily use.
- Crashes. Crashes. Crashes. I think it is the ATI video. There are times where my machine freezes or blue screens 3-4 times in a morning. This is BY FAR the worst part of the machine.
Up until this week, my D600 has been satisfactory; I just wish it was more stable. I've noticed recently though that the screen will not stay shut and realized that the right screen hinge is breaking. I'm hoping that Dell will fix the case or replace my laptop under warranty to fix this problem.
I have even come to terms with the heat problem, which has been reduced after having the palmrest replaced. However, my D600 makes a very annoying high-pitch noise every time I visit a website containing flash, which is not acceptable on a long term. And the touchpad doesn't respond at startup. I only give it as high as 5, because the machine is otherwise awesome...
atlacatl
61 Posts
0
December 29th, 2003 01:00
4
Constant crashes, heat on left palm rest, poor battery life...
FelipeD600
4 Posts
0
December 29th, 2003 03:00
Palmrest heat not resolved
Keyboard flex/cheap feel
Alps touchpad slowness & problems coming out of standby
Poor battery life
heijx
6 Posts
0
February 25th, 2004 12:00
4/10
USB BSOD, bluetooth offline errors resolved by mainboard replacement (which incidently caused modem to be undetected now)
Poor battery life. 1,5 hours with just a text editing tool open and bluetooth switched off is a joke for a true centrino spec (with Intel wireless). My old Inspiron 3800 750 does better than that.
Sluggish response, even with bare WinXP with all system software. (it is a 1,6 GHz with 1024 RAM)
matt37b
134 Posts
0
February 29th, 2004 03:00
8
Haven't experienced any of the problems mentioneded above. I get 2.5 hours of batt. life and can get almost 5.0 hours when running with the modular battery. I get these times surfing the internet with the wireless on.I use speedswitchXP so I'm able to get longer battery life. Turning the brightness of the screen down will increase battery life as well. The speed of the system is pretty good although I may purchase one of those Hitachi 60gb 7200 rpm drives to speed things up even more. It's unfortunate that so many people are having problems with their D600's. I'm glad i got a good one.
denniskb
18 Posts
0
March 3rd, 2004 22:00
I'd give it about an 8
No real problems with heat, keyboard, screen, etc. Overall I think it's an excellent computer.
I'm kind of curious - those of you who (apparently) dislike it so much...how come you didn't send it back during the first 30 days and get your money back? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me - or are you talking about a computer you "used to have"?
atlacatl
61 Posts
0
March 3rd, 2004 23:00
Good question...
I returned 2...And I kept the last one, cause I was in the middle of a project and couldn't afford to be down...However, I did give up on the D600 and bought a ThinkPad T40p 2 months ago. Best descition ever...
I handed down my D600 to my GF and she doesn't seem to mind the heat that much...Of course, she doesn't type for 8 hours a day...
Either you are lucky with your batch or they fixed all the problems in later batches...I was on the early adopters curve and bought the machine right when they came out. I guess (If Dell fixed the problem) we got the kinks out of the hardware for you new users :)
denniskb
18 Posts
0
March 4th, 2004 00:00
Actually, not. I bought mine in March 2003, so I think I'm pretty much one of the first. I admit I don't type 8 hours a day on it (actually I do, but I use an external keyboard/mouse/monitor at the office, and only use it as a true portable at home in the evening) - I can't imagine typing all day on any laptop personally.
But anyways, for my use, it has been an awesome computer. Sorry it wasn't for you - but the IBM's are pretty incredible machines as well, albeit a little pricey...but very nice.
craigduke
5 Posts
0
March 7th, 2004 21:00
9
I've had my D600 for 6 days and it works like a champ. Batterylife is about 3 hours. The SXGA+ 14" LCD is fantastic. Wireless LAN works flawlessly. Not sure why so many complain about the palm heat. It's warm that's all - at lest with mine. Plan to add an Echo Indigo sound card since the audio is of a pretty standard quality. The keyboard feels great as well.
denniskb
18 Posts
0
March 8th, 2004 23:00
It sounds like yours is pretty much like mine - warm, but not uncomfortable (matter of fact, it's kinda nice on those cool evenings :^) ). I'm sure there is some variation among hard drives, etc., but some of the comments about the heat burning your palm, discoloring the case etc., I just find a little hard to believe (sorry). I have had laptops that really were uncomfortably warm(a Dell Inspiron, by coincidence - the heat on the bottom of that thing was so bad it really did burn my leg while wearing shorts!) The heat coming off the D600 is nowhere near that level - not even remotely close.
Mostly the complaints seem to be that the warmth becomes uncomfortable if you type on it all day. While I can understand that complaint, I personally think typing on any laptop keyboard all day would be uncomfortable anyways - you should buy an external keyboard and mouse if you are using it all day on a regular basis.
Enjoy your D600 - after one year of ownership, I still think it is the best all around laptop I've owned (and I've owned quite a few).
jwark
267 Posts
0
March 9th, 2004 00:00
I think d600s are good if you want a high performance lightweight notebook. I really really lke the d800s. Although the chassis is metal instead of plastic like the d600, so if you're looking for lightweight the d600 would be the way to go.
atlacatl
61 Posts
0
March 9th, 2004 01:00
> but some of the comments about the heat burning your palm, discoloring the case etc., I just find a little hard to believe (sorry).
Well...It isn't hard to believe:
1. http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=latit_general&message.id=34743 - I say this discoloration is pretty ugly and unless this guy is oozing acid from his left hand, I'd assume logically that heat and sweat did cause that.
2. http://www.josesandoval.com/hotdells/ - These people all have D600s, they can't all be making this stuff up...Or are they???
3. My left hand used to get really irritated. Red and a burning sensation...The bottom will get warm, I never cared about the bottom...
> you should buy an external keyboard and mouse if you are using it all day on a regular basis
All day use (typing, etc) is sometimes necessary for developers. The point of a powerful laptop is to carry ONLY the laptop to client sites. Lugging around a keyboard and mouse everywhere you go is out of the question for a $3,500.00 (CAD) computer.
Aside from the heat, the computer is great. BUT, I don't recomend it to anyone. Well, most of the people I know are also developers and typing for a long time on a computer is the norm. For ligth users: checking emails, surfing (You don't use the keyboard for that), typing the next best seller every other hour or so, this machine may do the job...
ThinkPad T40p 1.6 GHz
1.5 GB RAM / 60 GB @ 7200 RPM drive / 64 MB ATI Fire GL 900 graphics / CD-RW-DVD
Win XP Pro SP1
AND No heat on the top NOR the bottom + 6-7 hours battery life
denniskb
18 Posts
0
March 9th, 2004 23:00
Yep...that's the picture I was thinking of. I'm not discounting the individual who posted that picture, because I don't know them one way or the other. But just because someone posts a picture, it's reality? Have you ever heard of Photoshop???
Secondly, the poster indicated that Dell refused to replace the case (although apparently agreed on the third attempt)...I don't think so. If I know anything about Dell, they would never, ever do that. We have a laptop that had the case, keyboard, and fan replaced due to minor complaints from one of my employees to Dell tech support. Personally, I thought the problems she called them about were pretty rediculous, but they replaced the parts anyways. We are a small company, so I don't think they were bending over to make us happy. Refusing to replace a case that looks like that - no way.
As for Mr. Sandoval's website, I believe he was collecting negative comments about the D600, so that he could pass a mountain of negative reactions on to Dell in the hope of getting them to "fix" all of the defective D600's out there. At last count, he had about 30 unhappy campers posting on his site (I'm not counting Martha Stewart...I'm thinking that she has bigger problems than her laptop, so maybe that one is a fake? whata ya think?). I have no idea how many thousands of D600's Dell has sold, but 30 unhappy owners doesn't represent a very significant percentage, don't you think?
So no, I don't believe EVERYTHING I read or see (especially on the internet).
atlacatl
61 Posts
0
March 10th, 2004 22:00
:)
I think you should believe EVERYTHING you see on the Internet...I do...
What is photoshop?
Ok, granted that you will hear more about disatisfied customers than the opposite. That is ALWAYS the case. Also, what would be the case to complain about something that doesn't have problems? The point of saying something is that perhaps as a group something will be done about the bad design. And the machine is badly designed: to use your left palm to dicipate heat...
The issue is not that we are making things up (Well, at least I'm not), the issue is that some computers have the heat problem and some don't. A perfect example: 3 computers I've had (All D600) had the heating issue, and yours doesn't. Why is this the case?
Sure, statistically speaking one or two machines out of batch will have some defect. BUT, why have so many come up? I'm sure there are more individuals who don't log their gripes about the computer in that site...I assure you, there are more than 30 - Including Martha ;)
Personally, I do like the machine: good feel to it, good screen, good size, good price...However, it is not good for my needs (Heavy keyboard user), hence I don't recomend it to anyone who asks about it. In my book, it's not a good machine for that one defect, therefore I bought a different machine with no palm heating issues: ThinkPad T40p...Sure, this one is not perfect either, but, the anoying things, don't anoy me as much as the heat...
PS - I do know what photshop is- and because the palm rest is actually painted, it does discolarates with heavey use - Mine is already doing the same, however, not as much as in the "aledge" picture...
mperham
10 Posts
0
March 11th, 2004 02:00
Likes:
- Use two batteries in it at once. Great battery life (4-5 hrs still) with this config.
- 1400x1050 14" is a nice big screen.
- P-M is nice and fast. CPU speed has never really been a problem.
- Heat isn't nearly as bad as previous laptops.
- PERFECT trade off between weight and power IMO.
Dislikes:
- I have much worse palmrest fading than the picture linked above. The left side does run hot at times but it doesn't get nearly as bad as my old Insp 8200. I don't mind the fading - to me it's part of the normal wear and tear of daily use.
- Crashes. Crashes. Crashes. I think it is the ATI video. There are times where my machine freezes or blue screens 3-4 times in a morning. This is BY FAR the worst part of the machine.
Up until this week, my D600 has been satisfactory; I just wish it was more stable. I've noticed recently though that the screen will not stay shut and realized that the right screen hinge is breaking. I'm hoping that Dell will fix the case or replace my laptop under warranty to fix this problem.
raabjerg
35 Posts
0
March 11th, 2004 12:00
I have even come to terms with the heat problem, which has been reduced after having the palmrest replaced. However, my D600 makes a very annoying high-pitch noise every time I visit a website containing flash, which is not acceptable on a long term. And the touchpad doesn't respond at startup. I only give it as high as 5, because the machine is otherwise awesome...
raabjerg