That’s what I [decided](http://www.momathome.com/viewfromhome/the_biplatform_life/decisions_decisions.php) to get. I just placed my order this morning, and it should be here the first week in April. I looked at so many different laptop/notebook review sites and forums that my head is spinning. The [Dell Inspiron 9300](http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/inspn_9300?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd) was well reviewed and strikes a nice balance between power and portability.
I called Dell this morning and my new best friend Matthew and I talked for about 30 minutes. In addition to the current $350 off promotion with free shipping, he took another 5% off thanks to my [NAPP](http://www.photoshopuser.com) membership.
For $2600 $2260* after taxes and rebates I’m getting:
* Pentium M 740 (1.73 GHz)
* 17“ UXGA screen
* 1 GB RAM
* 80 GB hard drive
* PCMCIA slot, SD slot, 4-pin Firewire (1394), six USB 2 ports (why is Apple so stingy on ports?!?)
* 128 MB ATI Radeon X300 video
* Windows XP Pro
* 8X DVD +/-RW optical drive
* 802.11b/g internal WiFi
* MS Office Small Business (my mom is getting my old desktop so I’m going to give her Office, Quicken & Norton that’s already on it)
* Norton Internet Security 2005 (see above)
* 3 year complete warranty, including accidental coverage and tech support. No more ”I really don’t know how that water got on the keyboard or how that screen shattered. Honest!“ Plus, Matthew pointed out to me that if in 2 years I need a replacement and this model is discontinued, I’ll get the comparable current model. Nice.
Excluding the inevitable ”but it’s Mac OS vs. Windows XP!“ argument (aka ”viruses! spyware! evil empires! oh my!“) a similarly configured PowerBook is $3,098 without any of the software and accident coverage. Don’t get me wrong, Apple makes fantastic laptops but right now it doesn’t make sense for me.
I’ve heard from semi-reliable sources that the next version of [Studio MX](http://www.macromedia.com/software/studio/) will be out in September. So I’ve decided to just get an extra license of Dreamweaver MX 2004 for the PC ($399) and then get the next full version as an upgrade on the PC if the features warrant. Macromedia doesn’t sell separate software for Mac/PC, and they allow you to install the software on both a desktop and a laptop but both computers *must* be on the same platform. Ridiculous! It would be so much easier if I could just deactivate the software from my iBook and install on the Dell and be done with it. More and more web developers are cross-platform these days so I hope this is a policy that Macromedia will reconsider. [JD,](http://www.markme.com/jd/) you listening?
Looking at [eBay](http://www.ebay.com) I should be able to get around $600 for my iBook so I think I’m going to put it up. Specs are identical to [this listing](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80050&item=5762078403) including an inCase bag. Mine still has 6 months left on AppleCare to boot. Anyone interested before I offer it to the masses? Comment or [email](mailto:website@momathome.com) me.
*Update:* Shortly after posting this entry, I was surfing sites that had Dell coupons and I found one that offered $800 off select Inspiron computers. I went back in through Dell Home & Home Office (instead of Small Business) and configured the exact same system and with the coupon applied saved almost $400 off the original order. I emailed Matthew who agreed that I was getting a better deal through the Home division so he graciously cancelled the order and I reordered to get the better savings.
bk_keywords:Dell Inspiron
Sounds GREAT!! I have a Dell too, but the cheapo end of the notebooks. The only problem that comes with the Dell notebooks that I have heard a LOT about is they start overheating which becomes a big pain. Other than that I am very happy with mine
Really? I haven’t heard that at all. If anything, the model I got has been praised for running cool and quiet thanks to the Pentium M processor. Maybe you’re thinking of older models that had full Pentiums in them.
Agreed. Dell laptops are horrible in terms of quality. Their Desktops aren’t nearly as bad, but I wouldn’t touch a Dell laptop with a 20′ pole. The best I have found is the Fujitsu Lifebooks. Of course, YMMV
The reviews of the Inspiron 9300 have been very, very good. [Here](http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_Inspiron_9300/4505-3121_7-31303861.html) . [Here](http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2256&review=Inspiron+9300). No mention of quality issues that I can tell. Some griping about the screens on notebookforums.com, but Dell seems to be addressing those issues. I’ll have 21 days to return it if I don’t like it, which is comforting.
If you’re worried about laptop overheating issues, then you must buy the LapCool2 made by Vantec. I own the Inspiron 9300 and use it with confidence in knowing that my baby will stay cool! Check it out at http://www.newegg.com
Saying that a DELL laptop is “horrible in terms of quality” is not only completley untrue, but it’s nonsense. Do just a simple Google search on their latest Laptops (ie. Inspiron 9300) and you’ll see the most respectable critics in the laptop community singing praise. Don’t believe negative propaganda that you happened to come across on some shady web site, or from some disgruntled customer, or from older models.
I ordered an Inspiron 9300 after well over a month of research and planning and I can’t wait to get it! I’m also a web/graphic designer by profession and feel it will be excellent… can’t wait to get out of my apartment for a change!
I purchase the exact system that the author did about 2 weeks ago. When I got it the screen was a total loss, about every fourth column of pixels was screwed up. The problem was worse at a resolution of 1400×900, but even evident down to 1024×768 I called Dell and got a very plesent customer service person who took about 1.5 hours on the phone to determine that I needed to send the computer back in for repair. She then mentioned that her manager would like to talk with me… That is were the conversation went sour! I couldn’t believe what the guy said, he actually said that I had made a mistake ordering their standard screen, and if I wanted to operate at the higher resolutions I would have to upgrade the screen (like 1024×768 is hi-res!), he was kind enough to offer this to me (Not free of course!). I pointed out that my 4 year old HP notebook operated clearer that my new Dell at 1024×768, and I did not appreciate him blaming me for ordering their standard LCD just to get an “Up-Sale” out of the deal. The conversation quickly degraded from there. I am now waiting for my repaired Dell back, but I can say this, if the screen isn’t up to my expectation, I will be returning it, and I doubt I will ever order a Dell again.
Joel, it does sound like you had hardware defects in the original monitor.
I will say this, the Dell screen was very poorly calibrated when I first got it. It’s worth the time and effort to tweak calibration, and I’ve found the ATI built-in color controls (Control Panel -> Display -> Settings -> Advanced -> Color) to do a great job but you have to do it by eye unless you have a hardware calibration device.
The before/after difference in my screen is striking compared to when I first got it. I think what a lot of folks are saying are poor screens are in fact poor calibration. I’m still constantly tweaking the settings for best results.
[This site](http://www.jasc.com/support/kb/articles/monitor.asp) and [this site](http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/index.html) are very helpful for doing visual calibration.
I just ordered a Dell 9300. I went with the upgraded monitor because of the problems I have heard with the standard screen, I also upgraded the video card to the GeForce 6800 Go card so hopefully that will make the difference. Also I went with the 60 gig 7200 rpm to speed up boot times and performance. And I went with the 512mb dual channel ram. Hopefully by just doing those upgrades I will see a huge difference in performance and hopefully I won’t come across any heat issues. I did purchase the Vantec laptop cooler, just in case. I will post again when I get it in a few days.
I’m satisfied with the performance of my machine. I’m just not sure that I got enough RAM (1 GB) for the amount of applications I keep running. I did go through and eliminate as many non-essential services and processes as I could and now it’s running in more comfortable space. I use TuneUp Utilities and its memory manager was often optimizing because I had less than 5% RAM available. I found that Outlook Business Contact Manager in addition to being buggy as all get out also used a lot of that RAM. Taking BCM out of the picture made a huge difference. Now I have about 40% free. I wasn’t using it anyway.
Judi, Did you purchase the Dell mainly for web dev? Does Dreamweaver actually run better on a Dell laptop than a Dual G5?
I love the Mac platform but is the PC superior for web developing? What’s the best web developing tool for Mac users and is it comparable to Dreamweaver on PC? Thanks for your advice.
I do web dev on the Dell, but the main reason I purchased it is to use Outlook/Office, QuickBooks and Quicken. I have a PocketPC. I have a client that requires me to log in to a CMS that only works in IE 6. I wanted something that could sit on my desk 98% of the time but still be portable when necessary.
I prefer to use DW in Windows XP because the windows and palettes are neatly organized. The windows are available in tabs rather than all over the screen, which drives me nuts in the Mac version. I’m often copying information from Office applications or email and it’s easier to do that on the PC where that info already is than get it over to the Mac. The PC version feels more responsive, however a lot of the bugs that are in the Mac version are also in the PC version.
I think DW is still the best WYSIWYG web dev tool for the Mac. Otherwise, I would recommend BBEdit.
I am also considering ordering the 9300 and I came across your posting.I have done my research and can’t find a better machine for my graphic design needs, the only unattractive part to me is the cost.You said you found coupons online. Do you remember where? If I can get the price to come down a few hundred dollars I will be satisfied. Thanks!
My girlfriend recently purchased the Dell Inspirion 9300 for me as a gift and it is currently in transit. I was interested in some customer feedback from the web and found your site at the top of the list. This is my first laptop and I am quite excited. I wanted to post some details about it and would be very interested in any feedback about experiences with this specific model.
*Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
*17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display
*512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
*80GB Hard Drive
*8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer write capability
*256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800
Any comments would be appreciated and I’d like to thank you Judy for such a professional and well presented web site. I wish you the best and it’s actually your opinion I seek most.
It’s been about 2 months since I got this laptop and I’m very happy with it. The only thing I haven’t tested out is its battery life, since it has been sitting on my desk plugged in the entire time. I’ll get that chance next month.
The only thing I would say to a new owner is to spend some time in the display preferences. I didn’t like the way the display appeared at first at all. I spent some time tweaking the ClearType settings and playing with the brightness/contrast and gamma and now it’s nearly perfect. Still some blending in the darks, but I can live with that (if you look at an image that covers a wide spectrum of grays the last 2 or 3 steps towards black look black).
For close to $2K it’s a great little (well, not so little) machine. I have no regrets in buying it, other than I’m thinking about upping the RAM.
I have a Dell 9300 and a PowerBook 15.4 (1.33) and love them both. Somehow my wife has agreed that we can keep both (and her iBook).
One thing I’ve noticed on our WIFI network is that while both Apples will keep rock solid connections – the Dell is *constantly* dropping its Internet connection. My connection to the WIFI network remains strong – but the Internet connectivity on the other side of it just strangles away into nothing.
Has anyone else had WIFI problems with their Dell 9300?
It’s terrible, but today is the first day I’m trying wifi on my Dell. It’s been connected to my network via Ethernet since the day I got it. I always meant to check the wifi, but never got around to it. Later on this morning I’ll be taking down my router and will count on getting my connection through whatever signal I can find for a week (Starbucks, our hotel in NJ, etc.) so it was time to put it through its paces.
I disconnected the ethernet cable and it switched right over to wireless, so far so good.
I just got the 9300 for Xmas. I got the 2.0 processor and the Geforce 6800 graphics card. I LOVE this laptop. It is quiet and runs so cool. I havent had a single problem with my wifi access. I just turned the computer on and it connected right away. I dropped my wireless mouse on the keyboard and the L key flew off. I called Dell and had a replacement keyboard the very next day by noon. Aparently they couldnt just send me the L key. but they incuded the necessary instructions and tools for replacing the keyboard and i have had no problems whatsoever. In my opinion those of us who own this machine are lucky, this is a great machine.
I’m really wanting to purchase the dell inspiron 9300 and have been reading on it for at least a week. My only gripe is the customer service. I hear they are quite horrible. I also hear that if i decide to return the laptop, it’s a 15% restocking fee. I just don’t want a lemon and then dell doesn’t exchange it without ripping it open 1001 times. (A new laptop with a defect should automatically warrant you an exchange!!)
I even read Jeff Jarvis’ blog. I just don’t want to get screwed over.
ON the positive side, the 9300 seems to be quite the laptop and has everything i want in it. Can you guys, who’ve owned one for over a couple months, at least tell me how the experience has been so far?
TIA.
Wow, hard to believe I’ve had this computer so many months already.
I love it. I did have a problem with the hard drive (it died) after 4 months but I have to say that Dell’s customer service was excellent. I had the replacement the next day after I called. Other than that, the machine has more than met my expectations and I would buy it again.
My only complaint is that it is quite heavy when I’m traveling around with it (which thankfully isn’t that often). But I knew that when I bought it.
I've been blogging here since January 2003, on whatever topics are in front of me at the moment.
Lately, I've been focused on nonprofit technology. I am Vice President of Operations of C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition, a nonprofit organization I helped start in 2005.
I live in Southern New Jersey. I've been married to Eric Sohn for 15 years, and I'm Mom to two great girls.
When I'm not online or chasing after kids or our new puppy, you can probably find me knitting.
Looking at [eBay](http://www.ebay.com) I should be able to get around $600 for my iBook so I think I’m going to put it up. Specs are identical to [this listing](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80050&item=5762078403) including an inCase bag. Mine still has 6 months left on AppleCare to boot. Anyone interested before I offer it to the masses? Comment or [email](mailto:website@momathome.com) me.
*Update:* Shortly after posting this entry, I was surfing sites that had Dell coupons and I found one that offered $800 off select Inspiron computers. I went back in through Dell Home & Home Office (instead of Small Business) and configured the exact same system and with the coupon applied saved almost $400 off the original order. I emailed Matthew who agreed that I was getting a better deal through the Home division so he graciously cancelled the order and I reordered to get the better savings.
bk_keywords:Dell Inspiron
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds GREAT!! I have a Dell too, but the cheapo end of the notebooks. The only problem that comes with the Dell notebooks that I have heard a LOT about is they start overheating which becomes a big pain. Other than that I am very happy with mine
Really? I haven’t heard that at all. If anything, the model I got has been praised for running cool and quiet thanks to the Pentium M processor. Maybe you’re thinking of older models that had full Pentiums in them.
Agreed. Dell laptops are horrible in terms of quality. Their Desktops aren’t nearly as bad, but I wouldn’t touch a Dell laptop with a 20′ pole. The best I have found is the Fujitsu Lifebooks. Of course, YMMV
The reviews of the Inspiron 9300 have been very, very good. [Here](http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_Inspiron_9300/4505-3121_7-31303861.html) . [Here](http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2256&review=Inspiron+9300). No mention of quality issues that I can tell. Some griping about the screens on notebookforums.com, but Dell seems to be addressing those issues. I’ll have 21 days to return it if I don’t like it, which is comforting.
Hmmm maybe so. Mine is less than a year old and I’ve had quite a bit of overheating, to the point of shutdown and other issues.
But you won’t
Kimberly
If you’re worried about laptop overheating issues, then you must buy the LapCool2 made by Vantec. I own the Inspiron 9300 and use it with confidence in knowing that my baby will stay cool! Check it out at http://www.newegg.com
This may seem like a silly question, but..
Is the 9300 capable of receiving, displaying and recording television signal (via cable)?
cj
No, it doesn’t come with a TV tuner. You have to go with a 3rd party device for that.
Saying that a DELL laptop is “horrible in terms of quality” is not only completley untrue, but it’s nonsense. Do just a simple Google search on their latest Laptops (ie. Inspiron 9300) and you’ll see the most respectable critics in the laptop community singing praise. Don’t believe negative propaganda that you happened to come across on some shady web site, or from some disgruntled customer, or from older models.
I ordered an Inspiron 9300 after well over a month of research and planning and I can’t wait to get it! I’m also a web/graphic designer by profession and feel it will be excellent… can’t wait to get out of my apartment for a change!
No heat issues. I’m playing Doom3, Act of War:DA and the exhaust ports feel cool.
Possibly the best price to performace ratio laptop here in Malaysia.
I’ve been very pleased at how cool this laptop is. My iBook usually feels warmer.
I purchase the exact system that the author did about 2 weeks ago. When I got it the screen was a total loss, about every fourth column of pixels was screwed up. The problem was worse at a resolution of 1400×900, but even evident down to 1024×768 I called Dell and got a very plesent customer service person who took about 1.5 hours on the phone to determine that I needed to send the computer back in for repair. She then mentioned that her manager would like to talk with me… That is were the conversation went sour! I couldn’t believe what the guy said, he actually said that I had made a mistake ordering their standard screen, and if I wanted to operate at the higher resolutions I would have to upgrade the screen (like 1024×768 is hi-res!), he was kind enough to offer this to me (Not free of course!). I pointed out that my 4 year old HP notebook operated clearer that my new Dell at 1024×768, and I did not appreciate him blaming me for ordering their standard LCD just to get an “Up-Sale” out of the deal. The conversation quickly degraded from there. I am now waiting for my repaired Dell back, but I can say this, if the screen isn’t up to my expectation, I will be returning it, and I doubt I will ever order a Dell again.
Joel, it does sound like you had hardware defects in the original monitor.
I will say this, the Dell screen was very poorly calibrated when I first got it. It’s worth the time and effort to tweak calibration, and I’ve found the ATI built-in color controls (Control Panel -> Display -> Settings -> Advanced -> Color) to do a great job but you have to do it by eye unless you have a hardware calibration device.
The before/after difference in my screen is striking compared to when I first got it. I think what a lot of folks are saying are poor screens are in fact poor calibration. I’m still constantly tweaking the settings for best results.
[This site](http://www.jasc.com/support/kb/articles/monitor.asp) and [this site](http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/index.html) are very helpful for doing visual calibration.
HI, I am wating to get my new Inspiron 9300. are they a good labtop or what, for the money i spent it was good buy.
I just ordered a Dell 9300. I went with the upgraded monitor because of the problems I have heard with the standard screen, I also upgraded the video card to the GeForce 6800 Go card so hopefully that will make the difference. Also I went with the 60 gig 7200 rpm to speed up boot times and performance. And I went with the 512mb dual channel ram. Hopefully by just doing those upgrades I will see a huge difference in performance and hopefully I won’t come across any heat issues. I did purchase the Vantec laptop cooler, just in case. I will post again when I get it in a few days.
I’m satisfied with the performance of my machine. I’m just not sure that I got enough RAM (1 GB) for the amount of applications I keep running. I did go through and eliminate as many non-essential services and processes as I could and now it’s running in more comfortable space. I use TuneUp Utilities and its memory manager was often optimizing because I had less than 5% RAM available. I found that Outlook Business Contact Manager in addition to being buggy as all get out also used a lot of that RAM. Taking BCM out of the picture made a huge difference. Now I have about 40% free. I wasn’t using it anyway.
Judi, Did you purchase the Dell mainly for web dev? Does Dreamweaver actually run better on a Dell laptop than a Dual G5?
I love the Mac platform but is the PC superior for web developing? What’s the best web developing tool for Mac users and is it comparable to Dreamweaver on PC? Thanks for your advice.
I do web dev on the Dell, but the main reason I purchased it is to use Outlook/Office, QuickBooks and Quicken. I have a PocketPC. I have a client that requires me to log in to a CMS that only works in IE 6. I wanted something that could sit on my desk 98% of the time but still be portable when necessary.
I prefer to use DW in Windows XP because the windows and palettes are neatly organized. The windows are available in tabs rather than all over the screen, which drives me nuts in the Mac version. I’m often copying information from Office applications or email and it’s easier to do that on the PC where that info already is than get it over to the Mac. The PC version feels more responsive, however a lot of the bugs that are in the Mac version are also in the PC version.
I think DW is still the best WYSIWYG web dev tool for the Mac. Otherwise, I would recommend BBEdit.
I am also considering ordering the 9300 and I came across your posting.I have done my research and can’t find a better machine for my graphic design needs, the only unattractive part to me is the cost.You said you found coupons online. Do you remember where? If I can get the price to come down a few hundred dollars I will be satisfied. Thanks!
[Here's a good link for Dell notebook coupons](http://notebookforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=3b47ddb2760688ff9cc7751fd654dda1&f=104).
My girlfriend recently purchased the Dell Inspirion 9300 for me as a gift and it is currently in transit. I was interested in some customer feedback from the web and found your site at the top of the list. This is my first laptop and I am quite excited. I wanted to post some details about it and would be very interested in any feedback about experiences with this specific model.
*Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
*17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display
*512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
*80GB Hard Drive
*8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer write capability
*256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800
Any comments would be appreciated and I’d like to thank you Judy for such a professional and well presented web site. I wish you the best and it’s actually your opinion I seek most.
It’s been about 2 months since I got this laptop and I’m very happy with it. The only thing I haven’t tested out is its battery life, since it has been sitting on my desk plugged in the entire time. I’ll get that chance next month.
The only thing I would say to a new owner is to spend some time in the display preferences. I didn’t like the way the display appeared at first at all. I spent some time tweaking the ClearType settings and playing with the brightness/contrast and gamma and now it’s nearly perfect. Still some blending in the darks, but I can live with that (if you look at an image that covers a wide spectrum of grays the last 2 or 3 steps towards black look black).
For close to $2K it’s a great little (well, not so little) machine. I have no regrets in buying it, other than I’m thinking about upping the RAM.
I have a Dell 9300 and a PowerBook 15.4 (1.33) and love them both. Somehow my wife has agreed that we can keep both (and her iBook).
One thing I’ve noticed on our WIFI network is that while both Apples will keep rock solid connections – the Dell is *constantly* dropping its Internet connection. My connection to the WIFI network remains strong – but the Internet connectivity on the other side of it just strangles away into nothing.
Has anyone else had WIFI problems with their Dell 9300?
It’s terrible, but today is the first day I’m trying wifi on my Dell. It’s been connected to my network via Ethernet since the day I got it. I always meant to check the wifi, but never got around to it. Later on this morning I’ll be taking down my router and will count on getting my connection through whatever signal I can find for a week (Starbucks, our hotel in NJ, etc.) so it was time to put it through its paces.
I disconnected the ethernet cable and it switched right over to wireless, so far so good.
I just got the 9300 for Xmas. I got the 2.0 processor and the Geforce 6800 graphics card. I LOVE this laptop. It is quiet and runs so cool. I havent had a single problem with my wifi access. I just turned the computer on and it connected right away. I dropped my wireless mouse on the keyboard and the L key flew off. I called Dell and had a replacement keyboard the very next day by noon. Aparently they couldnt just send me the L key. but they incuded the necessary instructions and tools for replacing the keyboard and i have had no problems whatsoever. In my opinion those of us who own this machine are lucky, this is a great machine.
Hi everyone,
I’m really wanting to purchase the dell inspiron 9300 and have been reading on it for at least a week. My only gripe is the customer service. I hear they are quite horrible. I also hear that if i decide to return the laptop, it’s a 15% restocking fee. I just don’t want a lemon and then dell doesn’t exchange it without ripping it open 1001 times. (A new laptop with a defect should automatically warrant you an exchange!!)
I even read Jeff Jarvis’ blog. I just don’t want to get screwed over.
ON the positive side, the 9300 seems to be quite the laptop and has everything i want in it. Can you guys, who’ve owned one for over a couple months, at least tell me how the experience has been so far?
TIA.
Wow, hard to believe I’ve had this computer so many months already.
I love it. I did have a problem with the hard drive (it died) after 4 months but I have to say that Dell’s customer service was excellent. I had the replacement the next day after I called. Other than that, the machine has more than met my expectations and I would buy it again.
My only complaint is that it is quite heavy when I’m traveling around with it (which thankfully isn’t that often). But I knew that when I bought it.
Hey every 1 how do you turn on wi fi on dell inspiron 9300 i can on ly turn on bluetooth