<p>i will admit my boyfriend has one of the new silver/white dell's and he likes his a lot.</p>
<p>700m? The small ones? I don't like how they look.</p>
<p>In fact, I think the reason I strayed from Dell, despite mine being rock solid, is the fact that they're foogly. I mean, ugly like Steve Buscemi on a bad day.</p>
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I mean, ugly like Steve Buscemi on a bad day.
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Haha, I agree.</p>
<p>I heard that, unlike most laptops, Dell cannot be upgraded once you buy it, that, for example, you can't add more RAM yourself like you can in other laptops. Does anyone know if this is true?</p>
<p>(I am probably deciding between HP and Dell myself, although other options are still on the table... Both my sons have Dells and like them, although my older son had to replace the hard drive after three years.)</p>
<p>I hate Dell! evil dell! But I'm very biased. Very bad experiences with dell computers, both the actual computer and the service, for several computers. I love the IBM thinkpads, but HP isn't bad either. I'd get HP. But in the end, you must do what works for you.</p>
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I think that would be their lower-priced models, such as the B120. Higher-end models, like the 6000 or 9400 are upgradeable. Yet know that ALL laptops, regardless of brand, have limited upgradeability. You can upgrade components like RAM, the hard drive, and wireless cards easily by yourself. But parts like the video card, CPU, etc. are very complicated to upgrade and should not be done unless you are (or can be) a computer technician.</p>
<p>Whichever brand you decide to buy, go over to techbargains <a href="http://www.techbargains.com/index.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.techbargains.com/index.cfm</a> and put in for e-mail alerts for the brand and or model. They will keep you apprised of special offers and coupons which come up all the time on major brands and/or stores. It will come out cheaper than buying it through your school's bookstore. You can pocket the extra money or use it to upgrade. I checked out the specs of what the bookstore was offering and put in an alert for the same model.</p>
<p>Some schools offer onsite warranty repair if you buy from their bookstore, which can be a good deal, but if you buy Dell, for $2-300 bucks more you can get the 3 year on site warranty. (you can easily save that much and more getting it through the coupon codes at techbargains). Anything happens, they will send someone out the next day to fix it. Believe me, no matter how careful you are with a laptop you cart around at school and travel home, you will likely need that at some point. Without it, a new LCD screen alone will be half the cost of the computer or more.</p>
<p>Funny but true story, our 80lb dog attacked my D's laptop when she stopped home over Spring break. Totally trashed the screen (bite marks like it was attacked by a raptor), all the keys off, totally trashed. Wouldn't even turn on. Called Dell, thinking it wouldn't be covered, but they sent a guy out the next day with new top & screen as well as keyboard. When he was done, there still was a problem, so they brought him back the day after that with a brand new motheboard.</p>
<p>Also, consider getting a rider to your parents homeowner policy. We got one for $25 for a year, and that covers it for theft and loss.</p>
<p>i'm getting a Dell XPS m170 for college. my friend has an m140, and man let me tell you it runs like a charm. the XPS series from Dell is top the line, and the Inspiration series is close behind.</p>