Latitude X300 Notebook Computer (Dell-X300SB)

Greetings:

Does anyone use one of these with Eclipse?  I'm seriously considering buying one.   Thanks for any feedback.

Blessings, Cathryn 

Cathryn,

Remember all the audio problems people talked about with Dells?  I don't know about that particular model, but if you do decide to get it, I'd certainly make sure it was with the understanding that you could return it within 30 days if it didn't work.

Good luck!

Greetings:

Janice, it never hurts to have that reminder!  

I have not had any of the audio troubles with Dells that have plagued others here; don't know why (good thoughts? purity of heart? <gggggggg>), but it's worth bearing in mind.  Certainly any computer I get will be put through its paces for a week to ten days before it goes out in the real world.  We have consistently gotten fabulous service from the Dell Gold Plan, including with the current computer drama.  They have a couple of very interesting three-pounders.  We'll see.  I have loaded up Ted's antique WinBook with the absolute necessities.  I hate the display and the touch, but it does run, which is more than I can say for my Latitude at the moment (sigh).  I am trying not to rush into anything.  All input will be considered, certainly.

Blessings,

Cathryn 

Be very wary of Dells.  Take it from someone who was burned on a modern Dell laptop.  (Although I must admit I do adore my Latitude D500 I got three years ago)

If you decide to go with a Dell, be sure to go with a model where you can upgrade the sound card (which, I believe, is only in the Inspiron line).  You'll regret it if you don't. 

Greetings:

I was burned on an early Inspiron.   I nicknamed it Infernal and replaced it after a mere year and a half.  I was part of a loud chorus of users demanding a recall.  We never got it, but they seemed to have fixed the problem. I upgraded to business class and have had no problems; what's up now is simply that the things aren't meant to do hard labor for five years.  A Dell tech is coming over tomorrow with a new memory chip and fans for my current Latitude which I got in 2002. 

The sound has always been fine.  I had no idea what I was doing when I first clicked Audiosync in a desperate depo situation, and it all worked beautifully.  I do use a small, portable set of speakers that Ted got at some travel store when I'm working at home and playing Audiosync.

Blessings, Cathryn 

But, Cathryn, the sound cards have changed in the last two years or so.  I remember many, many complaints on this and perhaps another forum.   I just wouldn't risk it.  Here's two threads dealing with recent model Dell audio:

http://forums.verbatimreporters.com/Thread.cfm?CFApp=3&&Message_ID=152013&_#Message151273  from February 2007, and

then http://forums.verbatimreporters.com/Thread.cfm? CFApp=3&&Message_ID=144860&_#Message144752 from October 2006.

Check out Fujitsu.  They have some great small models as well, and even though they sound foreign, their customer support is very much American, not something you can always say about Dell.

Good luck!

Cathryn,

If you have either not looked at or refused to believe the postings on this topic, I don't think any of us can help you.  Dells of a few years ago were fine.  I believe the first posts on this subject came about a year ago.  Most of the complaints I had seen had been with the D620, so that's why I decided to go with the D520. 

Well, I'm not going to rehash history, because I made an extensive post about this on the old forum...and even included three audio clips from a deposition.  Please see it here:  http://forums.verbatimreporters.com/Thread.cfm?CFApp=3&&Message_ID=147837&_#Message147837

If you use a USB mic, you won't have any issues.  But if you use the internal sound card........   I didn't find that it was worth my time or effort to spend more than one day on the phone with tech support (who told me they had **never** heard of this problem before).

This issue has NOT been resolved.  Dell has always been infamous among computer techies for having cheap parts.  Here's a recent article which further exemplifies that point.

Candis,

I just posted a message in a Dell thread.  I just wanted to add here that you are correct that a USB microphone takes care of whatever audio issues Dell has.  I put one on my D410 and have not had a single problem since.  And FWIW, I am absolutely LOVING the D410.  It is ideal for my needs and hasn't given me a minute of trouble.

Me, too, Cheri!  I love my D410.  3 pounds, bright screen, everything I need.  And I use the Sound Professionals USB microphone, which I also love.  I could use the built-in mic (it's adequate) but the Sound Professionals mic is really fantastic. 

Mitz 

 Thanks for posting that information here, Cheri.

 BTW, it's really great to see you here.  I'm sorry you had to leave early from Dallas (and that I couldn't spend more time at lunch on Saturday).  I really enjoyed  getting to know you in Dallas.
 

Greetings:

Candis, that's really a bit much.  I'm asking for input, not for someone else to make the decision for me, and it's all being filed away for distillation.

That said, we are admittedly Dell-mad in this household, and if I really want to find the right computer, it will be worthwhile for me to expand my horizons.  I certainly will look into Fujitsu, and I would appreciate hearing more about its wonders as part of the process.  Doesn't matter to me if support is American, just so I can understand them and they can solve my problem posthaste; I realize you have to pay extra for that privilege these days (sigh).  I understand Advantage Software is recommending Fujitsu, and I certainly plan to find out why.

NASA, Ted's current employer, buys Dell Latitudes by the truckload for their staff.  Ted and his cohorts are so pleased with theirs that for about 20 minutes, I seriously considered just getting myself the same one he has. 

Blessings,

Cathryn 

Cathryn Bauer:

Doesn't matter to me if support is American, just so I can understand them and they can solve my problem posthaste; I realize you have to pay extra for that privilege these days (sigh).  I understand Advantage Software is recommending Fujitsu, and I certainly plan to find out why.

 Cathyrn,

I only mentioned the American-based support because of a discussion we had on the old forum about the frustration we all have with outsourcing tech support.
I am very happy with my Fujitsu and will probably invest in one of the smaller models for my next computer.  I hope Advantage can give you some insight as to why they are recommended.  My guess is they have less troubleshooting issues with them.  Of course, it may be that they got a good deal on a truckload of Fujitsus!

Anyway, good luck with whatever you choose.

Greetings:

I am really grateful for all input on this, and all of the answers I've gotten so far have been from those I know from experience to listen to!

Fortunately, I have Ted's old WinBook rigged so I can get work out of it, so I have to keep reminding myself I'm not under pressure to make a decision.  I'm determined to be ecstatic with my next computer!  That won't happen without some seriously open-minded exploration on my part.  Thanks for all the help.

Blessings, Cathryn
 

Cathryn Bauer:

Candis, that's really a bit much.  I'm asking for input, not for someone else to make the decision for me, and it's all being filed away for distillation.

Cathryn,

Where did you get that I was trying to make your decision for you??????  Why is it lately that people are really reading too much into my posts??!?!?!?  Maybe I just need to disappear and not waste my time trying to offer advice. 

That's what I was offering, Cathryn: advice and advice only.  I didn't want to believe the issues with Dell, so I decided to go ahead and get one.  I don't want to have to rely on a USB device to make my audio work, and when I called tech support and found out that they had "never heard of the issue," I really didn't want to waste my time trying to spend endless hours with tech support to get the issues with the internal sound card ironed out, so I returned the Dell and bought a Sony.  LOVE the Sony, love the tech support, and I've always had any issue resolved in quite an instant.  (However, to give you some history, I have owned THREE Dell laptops and two Dell desktops.  So my support of Dell goes wwwaayyy back.)

I seriously doubt that NASA is using their internal sound cards in the manner in which we court reporters do.  I don't believe that anyone has complained of anything about Dell laptops other than the recording (which is kind of important in our line of work, esp. if you use AudioSync). 

Again, this is all just advice, just in case anyone had a question about my motives.  To quote Greg Seely, "Please don't impugn my motives."

Greetings:

I asked my chief technical officer to review the article you referenced.  (He's been in the computing instrument as programmer, project manager, systems architect, and plenty of other things I've no doubt forgotten since 1979; his ideas, opinions, and personal processing about his work have been invaluable to me.)  He said I can post his response.  I'm doing so because I think it will help round out the discussion.

"The referenced article has only one sentence regarding parts, "Dell Inc., the world's second-largest personal-computer maker, said Thursday its profit rose a higher-than-expected 46 percent as it benefited from lower costs for computer components."

"All computer vendors, and us, their customers, benefit from continued lower part costs. Since the article does not compare/contrast Dell with other vendors regarding costs and says nothing at all about quality, it is hard to  see how  one can conclude that Dell is any different, better or worse than their competitors. By contrast, Consumer Reports has consistently rated Dell better than average in repair history. Of course any particular machine or aspect thereof, sound for example, may exhibit unusual problems of which it is good to be aware of."

Blessings,

Cathryn