I need a laptop!!

[FraserB]

Going to be in the market for a new laptop in the next few months and need some recommendations.

I need it to have a 17" screen and a CD writer. Can't be Apple. BluRay player would be a bonus but isn't a deal breaker. Specs should be good enough to last 3 years or so.

Looking to spent about $1000

[eblend]

I spend a ton of time looking and researching the best laptop to get as I was looking for pretty much the same thing as you, a nice 17" laptop that would last me for the next little while.

I ended up getting this:

http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-17-7737/pd?oc=ni177_bt_s2126e&model_id=inspiron-17-7737

i7
16gb ram
1tb hdd
touchscreen
1080p screen
gforce 750 2gb dedicated
cd burner
backlit keyboard

This was the only laptop that I could find that ticked all my boxes.

They make a 17" version that is about 200 cheaper that doesn't have the gforce or the 1080p screen, and half the ram but is otherwise the same laptop.

It looks very much like a apple laptop as its made of aluminum

Here is the cheaper dell I mentioned earlier

http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-17-7737/pd?oc=ni177_bt_s1507e&model_id=inspiron-17-7737

Really I find that Dell's are pretty reliable. I used to hate on Dell until I worked with them alot in a corporate environment....and until we switched to HPs....really they just work as far as I have experienced. There are some nice Asus laptops as well but they were just a bit too expensive and no touch screen, I figured if I am buying something to last me the next 3-5 years, might as well get all the new features.

Also, this laptop does not get hot at all. It is like warm at best, and super quiet.

[eblend]

Forgot to mention, the dell I got also has an ENGLISH keyboard only, none of those bilingual bs which makes all keys super small and uncomfortable to use. I tested every laptop on the market and this is the only one I was able to type on without making errors left and right. Most bilingual keyboards have an impossibly small left shift key and a tiny enter key.

[FraserB]

I was looking for that one since I'd seen your post in the other thread.

Did you buy it directly from Dell?

[eblend]

Originally posted by FraserB
I was looking for that one since I'd seen your post in the other thread.

Did you buy it directly from Dell?


I did, if you join redflagdeals.com, you can use their cashback program and get 2% back, also, if you join Dell advantage, a free program from dell, you will get 5% back as a prepaid visa card. Those two options is the reason I decided to go with them direct. Futureshop carries my model as well, as well as the cheaper model, but the higher end model didn't have an english only keyboard, whereas the cheaper model did. If you are in a hurry and are just looking at the $1000 one, I believe bestbuy carries them (or did during christmas at least) and they had English keyboards.

There is also a $50 coupon you can use from here


http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell-coupons-codes?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs&dgc=AF&cid=27563&lid=4885273&acd=QjOHiyZxtag-lPK5nHz6cateUXazfSat8w

[FraserB]

Thanks!

I have to call them tomorrow to see what our employee purchase plan is worth but I'll probably go with this one. On the Dell site it's already marked down from $1450 to $1300, so another 10-15% would be nice.

[eblend]

Originally posted by FraserB
Thanks!

I have to call them tomorrow to see what our employee purchase plan is worth but I'll probably go with this one. On the Dell site it's already marked down from $1450 to $1300, so another 10-15% would be nice.

You can do an online chat and they will give you a link, or you can just google it, it shows all the employers that are part of the gig and you can select and see the pricing.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Is DELL still charging people $26 for installing Firefox? Bunch of thieves haha.

[FraserB]

I dunno, all I know is that the one Dell is selling is only $25 cheaper than the same one that FS is selling. Only difference is the FS one is black and Dell supplied is silver.

Gonna take a look on Friday and see if the color is a huge issue for me. I'd rather pay the $25 and walk out with it than wait two weeks for shipping.

[eblend]

Originally posted by FraserB
I dunno, all I know is that the one Dell is selling is only $25 cheaper than the same one that FS is selling. Only difference is the FS one is black and Dell supplied is silver.

Gonna take a look on Friday and see if the color is a huge issue for me. I'd rather pay the $25 and walk out with it than wait two weeks for shipping.

Is that for the 1080P model?

Yah def pick up local, easier to return if you don't like it, and check out the keyboard, if you don't hate yourself, you would want to stick with an English version.

Never seen the black version, thought all 7000 series were silver. I think they must be confused as I looked into this before and by black they meant black bezel...which is standard on all of them.

Guessing it's this one?
http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/dell-dell-inspiron-17-3-laptop-black-intel-core-i7-4500u-1tb-hdd-16gb-ram-windows-8-17h-i7-16-1-t/10268762.aspx?path=7bced7d77dc2d0d7f3018de266db2e63en02

I think this may be a typo in the description, so many sure you verify:

•Vibrant and crisp 17.3 inch LED Backlit Touch Display with Truelife and HD+ resolution, 1600 x 900

It should be a 1080p screen for the $1300 version.

Though if you do decide to buy online and choose all the coupons + dell advantage + rfd cash back it would come out to $141 cheaper before taxes (2% RDF, 5% dell advantage + $50 coupon)

The one at futureshop I believe might be bilingual keyboard if its anything like the 1080p version at bestbuy was when I was looking around Christmas.

[FraserB]

So I wound up buying the 17" i7 Dell yesterday. Go tot put it next to the HP with similar specs and found that the look of the Dell was more to my liking that the slight increase in sound quality that the HP would have offered. Case is silver, so it is the bezel they are talking about when they say it is black.

Future Shop was able to cut me a pretty decent deal on it, over and above the sale price. Warranty is about the same price as Dell, but covers a few more things such as a loaner if it needs to be serviced, virus cleanup if needed and full replacement if it needs 3 repairs or more.

After walking out of FS in Deerfoot Meadows and finding no one to help at BB, I wound up at the FS in Shawnessey talking with Cameron. Excellent service, opened a few different models for a direct comparison, able to answer my questions really well and no hard sell on the warranty.