Ok I gotta retire my toshiba. I am thinking between the Dell 8600 and the 300m. I like the 300m for the size. Laptop pros.. What should I get? Any other recomendations? I want to buy from the mfr around $2000 the 8600 is about 1900 and the 300m around $2000.

Thanks!

My recommendation would be to avoid Dell laptops at all costs. IBM has annoucned the new T41 will clock in just under $2,000 for the 1.6 Ghz model (2379dju) and will be available in mid-November, that's what I'd recommend you look at.

I am pretty happy with the Dells that my company supplies. I would recommend a 600M or a D600 if you want a built in optical disc or a D400 if you want a smaller machine for travel that does not have a built in CD or DVD player.

Definitely get a computer with a Pentium-M chip if you can afford it. Although they have slower clock speeds than the Pentium 4, they actually perform better.

One very good option if you are tough on equipment is complete care, where you are covered for your own accidents such as coffee spills and equipment drops.

If you want an older machine, Dell Financial Services sells 2 year old lease returns on ebay for $500-1000. I purchased one of these for home use and it looks like new. It even came with one year left on the complete care warranty.

If you're set on Dell, be sure and check the outlet as well @ http://outlet.dell.com I have purchased several machines from there over the years and have never been able to distinguish from new (though my wallet was happier).

We are not happy with my wife's Dell laptop. The screen is fuzzy. I am happily on my fifth Toshiba.

QL

Another vote for Toshiba. I have never had a Toshiba fail on me. Had one stolen but that is about it. They are workhorses. My 4 years in the computer field has told me to stick with what works and lasts.

I've had Toshibas that were great and now I like IBMs, I love their keyboards, and their support. They are very durable machines.

Good machines.

But their service is so bad that I'm seriously considering skipping Dell next time I need a new machine to get an IBM.

You just try calling Dell for any little thing, and you've got to call this number, that extension, provide this customer number, that order number, "sorry, this is corporate, not home, I'll transfer you..." Just to get a stupid price on a part.

It's a freaking joke.

I think most people know that I am a firm believer in the Thinkpad as well. I wouldn't consider anything else for a laptop.

I was a Toshiba guy, then went thru a few Thinkpads, and I'm now the proud owner of a two week old Dell Latitude D600.

It's a nice combination of size and performance, and I like the pentium M (I can't speak to the rest of the centrino goodies--mine does not have the miniPCI wireless card, since the Cisco card I have works just fine, thanks). It is very quiet.

The cons: It seems rather flimsy, particularly compared to the IBMs (I firmly believe that I could have beat somebody to death with my thinkpad, then subsequently booted up and checked email). The "nubbin" (or "nipple, for QL) is positioned in an odd fashion in comparison to either Toshiba or IBMs "nubbin" and it has a horrid tendency to "drift" (and it's only two weeks old). It gets very, very warm when on battery as the fan in throttled back. Dell should give you an option to eliminate the touchpad if you are planning on using the nubbin or another external pointing device. The S-video output requires a goofy dell adapter. Dell has still not shipped my friggen DVD/CD-RW drive although that has nothing to do with the notebook, per se.

It's nice, I guess, but for the money I would have preferred an IBM. Unfortunately, my @!%$$ & employer signed a sourcing contract with Dell, so I'm kind of stuck.

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Don't feed the trolls.

A two year old Latitude C610 here.

The Latitude and the Inspiron are almost like separate brands. I use - really use - my notebook, and the Latitude just keeps working. I would happily recommend one, but I'm not sold on the Inspiron...

My current laptop is a Toshiba, and I do like it. I ended up going with the Dell 600m. Looks like a winner. Not too heavy, yet not so lite that it lacks features. This sucker has 60gigs, 1.6ghz, a gig of ram DVD CDRW etc. So I think it will last me at least a year

Thanks for the replies

It's a Dell, so I doubt it ... should have listened to my advice.

I spent a huge chunk of the last year talking to, on hold, or being arbitrarily disconnected from to Dell tech support.

I sent the machine back to memphis on three separate ocassions. Once it came back without having been fixed and I had to send it back again the next day!

Finally they copped that they sold me a lemon and sent me a replacement. Only the replacement (5150 for a 4150) weighed in at 10 pounds including power converter. My original weighed in at 4.5 including power.

I will never ever ever buy another Dell. Not a machine for the traveller.

Never again on Dell. Bought an Inspiron 5100 in May, the touchpad went out after a week, the keyboard was flimsy and had a cheap feel, the tech support was simply horrid...over 8 hours wasted on hold on 5 separate occasions. Tech support is routed through India and the reps I ran across knew nothing about the product. I returned the unit when it was 25 days old.

Back to Toshibas, on my third (and soon to be a fourth, an M35 Centrino model), but I'd stay away from the lower end models. Am currently evaluating an A35 and it's kinda chintzy.