<p>I am looking at buying a lap top, not sure exactly what or even what size yet, but I've been doing some research on Dells and like the Studio and the XPS. I don't want to spend over $1000. I need to decide for school in the fall. Mostly for typing, internet, web cam chats, and a bit of gaming here and there if possible, but not necessary.</p>
<p>What is the difference between the XPS M1330 and the Studio XPS 13 besides a price tag of $749 and $999? To me they look nearly the same. I guess the same could go with the difference between a XPS M1530 and a Studio XPS 16 besides a $100 difference? Are the MXPS or Studio XPS models that much better than the normal Studio 15s?</p>
<p>Any help would be great!</p>
<p>the default processor, hdd, video card, and battery are all a little bit better in the studio xps than in the plain xps. the only real difference you’ll see as an average consumer is the battery life, which is upgradeable when you order the xps.</p>
<p>Dell Studio 15–I configured this on their website last night to see what the price would be with their current promotion.</p>
<p>Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit (windows 7 upgrade eligible)<br>
1yr Ltd Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
HD DISPLAY 15.6” High Definition (720p) LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera<br>
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz<br>
250GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor<br>
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570<br>
8X Slot Load Super Multi (DL DVD+/-R Drive + RAM support)<br>
Intel® WiFi Link 5100 802.11agn Half Mini-Card
BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.1)<br>
56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled<br>
Back-lit Keyboard </p>
<p>$969</p>
<p>Son has one that is configured similarly. His has a 320 GB hard drive (7200rpm) with free fall sensor but they don’t seem to be offering that anymore. He’s very happy with it. It’s fast and seems to run very cool. I don’t recommend getting the extended 9 cell battery. It’s bulky and very uncomfortable–it raises the back of the laptop and it has relatively sharpish little feet on the bottom of it that dig into your lap. The 6 cell battery lasts long enough for his trips to the library. It also fits in the computer better (doesn’t rattle around). If he needs more time, he’ll bring the adapter and plug it in.</p>
<p>Does your college offer discounts for certain computers? Mine (Case Western) does- it has certain “bundles” that it recommends, and you get a big discount (like >$500). The “basic” option was about $1000; I upgraded it a bit, and for $1400, got a computer that without the discount would’ve been $2300.</p>
<p>My school carries Dells. On the website it says you can buy through them or customize from Dell and get like 7% off. There doesn’t seem to be a big difference between the XPS and the Studio from what I’m getting, besides price</p>