Dell 9300: How does this look?

[Lurker4]

Hi, am about to order a Dell 9300. Just wondering how this looks.

Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr Technical Support
Add CompleteCare Accidental Damage Svc to 1Yr Lim Warranty
17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™
256MB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 1 Dimm
60GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
128MB ATIs™ Mobility Radeon™ X300
9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (80 WHr)
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915 Internal Wireless (802.11 a/b/g, 54Mbps)

total price w/tax + shipping: $1,419.55

I will be using this mostly for poker + recording TV w/a Hauppauge USB PVR in my apartment, and for web browsing/etc in the library/in class. Of course, I'll be adding 1 GB+ RAM from Crucial. I went w/the 128MB ATI Radeon X300 video card instead of 64 MB, does that matter if I won't be doing any heavy gaming (only poker + recording TV)? Also, is the 9-cell 80 WHr battery worth it (extra $79)? And is there anything else worth adding/changing?

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I will be using this mostly for poker + recording TV w/a Hauppauge USB PVR in my apartment, and for web browsing/etc in the library/in class.

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Sounds good. You should check out X-Brite monitors...I'm in love with mine.

[Derek in NYC]

You are very light on RAM

[BusterStacks]

for 80$ more you can get mine with an additional battery, vid card that will dramatically increase resale value, a bluetooth mouse and a dell backpack. Also more ram. btw, the Accidental Care is a huge rip-off. Did you read the fine print?

[Lurker4]

I did look at the fine print...it said it doesn't cover fire, theft, and intentional damage...did I miss something?

[BusterStacks]

well perhaps not, but it's way to spendy for what it is. What exactly do you forsee as possibly happening?

[neotope]

You should have at least 512 MB of RAM in that machine if not 1 GB.

[topspin]

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You should have at least 512 MB of RAM in that machine if not 1 GB.

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Of course, I'll be adding 1 GB+ RAM from Crucial.

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[Quercus]

Will the laptop screen on this machine allow 4 tabling without overlap, or do you have to use an external monitor?

[coopersmydog]

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Will the laptop screen on this machine allow 4 tabling without overlap, or do you have to use an external monitor?

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Yes - You can 4 table on the laptop.

[KyleM]

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well perhaps not, but it's way to spendy for what it is. What exactly do you forsee as possibly happening?

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Spilling liquor on it always seems to do the trick. A drunk friend accidently breaking it could work. It looks like he goes to UIUC - a solid party school... have to imagine he's seen friends break their computers lol

[Lurker4]

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well perhaps not, but it's way to spendy for what it is. What exactly do you forsee as possibly happening?

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Pretty much for spills and drops. I sometimes have food/drink around the computer, and I will likely be using it when others have food/drink around it. I'll likely be moving it around a lot as well, and I'm not the clumsiest person in the world but I could see myself dropping it. I usually don't get warranties, but b/c I plan on having this laptop for awhile and saw the CompleteCare recommended in a few laptop threads on 2+2, I decided to get it.