Dell US hints at bringing Penryn to M1530 -- what's the holdup?

Well, would you look at that? Oh wait, you can't -- because Dell just removed a teaser tagline from its USA webstore that totally gave away the impending release of a Penryn-based M1530. Earlier today, the "Select My Processor" page seen while building an M1530 showcased the following message: "Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, T7700, and T7800 require a selection of 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS as your video card. Intel Core 2 Duo T9300, T9500, and T8300 require a selection of 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT as your video card." Of course, said message has since vanished, but we'd wager that it's only a matter of days (hours?) before Dell finally gets with the program and gives its 15-incher the same treatment the M1330 and M1730 already received (not to mention the M1530 in other corners of the globe).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Johan S @ Mar 7th 2008 4:04PM]

What's so special about these Dell laptop? Why is it Dell doesn't ever innovate properly on their designs? There is a LOT of laptop innovation that can be tried out!

I want a laptop where instead of the touchpad it's a very wide pen and multi touch sensitive LCD display.

The reason I want it is so that I can have it open in seminars or classes where stylus written note taking on easily finger scrollable virtual paper can be quieter than tapping away on the keyboard. It's sort of a compromise between having a full touchscreen keyboard area in the laptop. When I am not taking notes, the display's LCD would be off (to save power) and it would just function as a normal multitouch touchpad (center area only).

Oh yeah it would be nice if there were an outfacing camera too.

Why not a full tablet PC? .. well - browser screen space .. I do like to web browse while appearing to pay attention to the boring stuff .. my eyes would have to move less to see the person who's talking.

[π @ Mar 7th 2008 4:06PM]

Hav'nt I heard this Dell rant before?
Please, just use a Mac instead.
Much, much more innovation.

[ijyt @ Mar 7th 2008 4:06PM]

They're just popular, I guess.

Pretty much all you're doing when choosing a laptop, is choosing the one you like the look of most.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 7th 2008 5:49PM]

Maybe they made this because some people like normal laptops. They already have their own tablet. XT anyone? This device you speak of would be amazingly expensive and pretty useless in some situations. Why don't you go try to go get a job consulting Dell. We'll help you get through your severe rejection.

[ark_v2 @ Mar 7th 2008 6:42PM]

You want a Dell latitude XT then?

[ethana2 @ Mar 7th 2008 9:27PM]

Don't give apple money 'till they let their OS out into the real world.. as well as their phone... and you know, all their other 'innovation'.

[π @ Mar 7th 2008 4:05PM]

Amazing....
Truly amazing....
.....
.....
.....
First Post!

[π @ Mar 7th 2008 4:06PM]

Er...
Darn.

[ijyt @ Mar 7th 2008 4:06PM]

Indeed.

[Chebwa @ Mar 7th 2008 4:27PM]

Like driving by a car accident.

[jk @ Mar 7th 2008 9:47PM]

Well, his time is first... just couldn't pull the trigger.

[AJ @ Mar 7th 2008 4:28PM]

Dell M1530 with Penryn's have been available in the Netherlands for some time, I ordered a T8300 M1530 last week.

[Goofy Footr @ Mar 7th 2008 4:40PM]

Just release it already! Ive been waiting for months!

Yea..Macs are SO innovative. Which is the reason they've looked the same for years, even after the recent update.

[Zak @ Mar 7th 2008 5:36PM]

You really know just absolutely nothing about Macs, do you?

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 7th 2008 5:44PM]

you know, he said one of the most truthful things ever. They came up with a pretty decent design for the MBP, yet they don't think about changing the design, ir giving us MB's. MBA's and MBP's in different colors atleast. I mean, I mysekf would love a macbook over a dell if I had enough money but the macbook's are a brand of laptop's with the least effort in good looks.

[Goofy Footr @ Mar 7th 2008 7:07PM]

What Zak? You meaning to tell me that new trackpad software and an upgrade to penryn is worthy of calling something innovative? Just because you ride on the propaganda train that is Steve Jobs doesn't mean the rest of us cant see through his overpriced, gimmicky products.

Its possible to build a much cheaper product from dell or hp that will have much better specs than a MBP. The only difference would be the OS, and Leopard isn't something to brag about IMO (and yes, i realize vista isn't either).

[Zak @ Mar 7th 2008 7:28PM]

Specs does NOT = innovation. As soon as you figure that out, the better off you'll be. Open up a Mac Pro if you want to see innovation. Look closely at it and show me ANY PC that looks like that or is configured like that. Look at how the cooling system works. Show me ANY PC that works the same way.

Doing something nobody else has done is innovation. And of course Leopard is innovative, it does hundreds of things that Windows or linux (or anything else) doesn't. And please, go with the "overpriced" argument some more. Never mind that you can't build a PC to match the Mac Pro's specs for less money, just call it overpriced because you think it is. Being ignorant always works, right?

[Goofy Footr @ Mar 7th 2008 7:54PM]

Never did i say better specs = innovation. Better specs = which product a consumer is going to buy. And please, what are these hundreds of things leopard does that ANY user is going to use on a regular basis? You know what they call features that people grow tired of quickly or never use? Gimmicks.

And i will keep delving into the overpriced argument, as to be honest, there's nothing 'innovative' about either product. So, what are you getting for all of your money besides a different OS and a 'cooling system'?

Heres some facts for you. A 2.5Ghz MBP costs 2500$ stock, and only comes with 2GB RAM. Guess what it costs to upgrade to 4GB? $400 more. WOW. already your at $2900. Want a 7200rpm drive? Add yourself another $50. And those prices don't go down very often either.

Once penryn is available for the 1530, you'll be able to get the same processor with 4 GB of RAM and a 7200rpm (200GB) drive for at LEAST $800 less. And thats IF they mark up the penryn on the 1530. Which they shouldn't, as they didn't do so on the 1330. So, you CAN build one cheaper. I could actually add a blu ray drive, and still spend less than i would on a MBP with 4GB of RAM. MUCH LESS.

Pretty safe to say that any consumer who hasn't been hypnotized by that white apple logo, or isn't just crazy about Leopard for whatever reason is going to pick up a PC instead. Regardless of what kind of 'cooling system' either has.

[Ruben @ Mar 7th 2008 8:28PM]

Innovative??? How?

Ill make two admissions. The case is extremely clean and the PC is quiet.

But only 4 internal hard drives, when my case can store 8 (with 6 sata on the board)?
2 External cd drives when i can store 5?
No way to feed PCI-x 6 or 8 pin connectors to use a GTX or HD3870?
No way to upgrade the power supply when necessary?
5 usb when i have 12?

Thats why a majority of PC manufacturers have gone with generic parts. Sure, i dont get shrouds covering the cpu, a riser board that apparently saves you 3 inches of reaching necessary to reach the memory (which, in my case, is clear of obstructions), a toolless hard drive bay which appears to be designed for morons to install HD's, and screwless expansion slots which PC cases have had for many many years now.

Sure it looks good, but thats where the innovation ends.

[Sam Winter @ Mar 7th 2008 8:37PM]

@Goofy Footr

I think both PCs and Macs have their place, and I currently own a Dell Inspiron.
But to say that everything Apple makes is "gimmicky" is just straight out BS.
I don't know who I hate more, the Apple zealot or the "I'm-different-only-Sheep-buy-Apple" idiots.

Apple has done a lot of interesting things with their Mac line, and the Mac Pro and Macbook Pro are both great machines. Their prices have come down significantly, but you can still find a cheaper PC laptop with similar specs. Now whether that is a "better deal" is subjective. The build quality, aluminum casing, internal hardware layout, external aesthetic design, and other factors give Apple a big leg up on most of the competition. It all comes down to what you need and what you value most.
I've gotten great use out of my Dell Inspiron e1705, and appreciate the solid reliability so far.
I plan on purchasing a Mac Pro in the future and I'm sure that machine will be great as well.

Bottom line: Fanboys of either stripe are morons. Leave the flame war crap to the fanboy websites. More rational, objective, well-reasoned discussion is welcome.

[Mikee @ Mar 7th 2008 8:40PM]

Why should apple change the look of the MacBook Pro? If the design works, then what's the problem? Changes for the sake of change isn't always good.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 7th 2008 4:42PM]

Am I the only one who sees nothing very amazing in Penryn? I mean, I bought a penryn laptop and it's nothing sepcial to previous intel chips

[Ruben @ Mar 7th 2008 6:17PM]

Well, its suposed to give you the equal amount of battery life compared to the previous generation while having more power, as well as (potentially) more cache, a better cache structure (with the L3 shared cache and large L2), and SSE4 (which no one is using yet).

Just look up wiki. There are quite a few improvements that you will probably not notice at all. Remember, this is more of a baby step to the Nehalem cores. This is all about the 45nm shrink, and less about raw improvements that are substantial and noticable.
And, considering its 45nm, there is a greater chance quad cores will come to laptops in a form factor that is easier to swallow.

[Sam Winter @ Mar 7th 2008 8:45PM]

That's an ill-informed statement. Although Penryn is not a new architecture, it will indeed have significant improvements over the past generation.

1) SSE4.1 will improve performance of most multimedia, AV editing, 3d modeling, scientific processing, gaming, etc applications that benefit from SIMD/data-level parallelism. Performance increases of up to 45% are expected. Thats quite a big improvement.

2) 45nm will allow new applications like quad core laptops, powerful and long battery life subnotebooks, and quit/small form factor desktop workstations.

3) on the flip side of power efficiency, Penryn should significantly boost the allowable clock speeds of high-end parts. I think we haven't seen much of this yet because Intel is holding out the high-end for when AMD gets their shit together. Hopefully they are able to scale up Opteron and Phenom and force Intel to start releasing the >3.0ghz parts...

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 8th 2008 8:28AM]

thanks, makes sense

[Andy Brudtkuhl @ Mar 7th 2008 4:45PM]

Was waiting weeks for this. Finally gave up yesterday and bought the Macbook with the Penryn. Sorry Dell!

[illDemon777 @ Mar 7th 2008 6:02PM]

It's funny, I've also been waiting on these to get Penryn for some time now, and I ended up just getting a Macbook Pro yesterday.

For those wondering why penryn is a big deal, most reports have put it at 10 - 15 percent better battery life, which is a pretty big deal since I usually use my notebooks away from an outlet.

[Mark @ Mar 7th 2008 6:44PM]

Thats pretty weird, I did the exact same thing.

I was really hoping for a 16" intro like their concept but I was just so sick of waiting.

[Evan @ Mar 7th 2008 5:02PM]

Dell seems to change the configuration options hourly! I was looking at the Inspiron 1525 a little while back, and the options changed three times in one day! (Seriously... between the morning and afternoon they removed one of the harddisk options, and between the afternoon and evening they removed the anti-glare screen option and replaced it with a higher-resolution glossy screen option.)

[retro77 @ Mar 7th 2008 5:07PM]

Does the Penryn have less heat? Hope so because my 1530 gets hot!

[Rollins @ Mar 7th 2008 5:09PM]

If the comparison of the Penryn MacBook Pro to the Merom ones is any indication, then yes, the Penryn model should have less heat.

[Todd @ Mar 7th 2008 5:19PM]

ive been waiting since the release on penryn for these. I saw 2 weeks ago the AUS site had them available and submitted it to engadget thinking the US site would have it available within a day. two weeks and a day later and it seems the US site finally is getting it.

Its a shame dell worries more about pushing an old cpu out the door then giving its customers what they want. That being said once the T9300 is available im ordering it:)

[AlexP @ Mar 7th 2008 5:32PM]

Blue looks good.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 7th 2008 5:39PM]

you avatar looks creepy.....

(I already know you'll say something about mine)

[Evan @ Mar 7th 2008 5:49PM]

Blue looks even better when you consider that Dell charges extra for red. I know it's (PRODUCT) RED, but how does Dell get away with charging $100 extra when only $50 of it is donated to AIDS?

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 7th 2008 5:59PM]

this my friend is business. Lies and distrust. Thats why I like it.

[Deez @ Mar 7th 2008 5:38PM]

Whats the price difference between the Penryn and the older one? Lets take the price of the best older processor (T7500?) to the most basic of Penryn. Only want to know because I've been thinking of ordering one and the UK config hasnt been updated (or has it?)

And is there a great difference performance wise? Or is it more just about heating issues? Worth the money/wait?

[Deez @ Mar 7th 2008 6:12PM]

And another question - whats the reason for HDMI? Doesnt have BR or HDDVD drive, and HiDef downloads are not common, so what would be the main reason for it? Not that I'm complaining, but would be cool to find out what I could do when I connect it to me TV

[Thunderbuck @ Mar 8th 2008 1:21PM]

In theory, yes, the Penryns will be a little faster and cooler. Whether it's noticeable or not is another matter.

Since a Merom-based system is now discounted anywhere from $300-$500, I was prepared to go for the discount (but then, I've always believed in going for "just-behind-the-curve" tech anyway). My system just arrived a few days ago. With 3GB and an GeForce 8600M GT, it's got some nice "oomph" (it runs XP in Virtual PC better than my old laptop did NATIVELY).

As for the HDMI, there IS a Blu-Ray option available, though at $450CDN, I decided to pass and wait for a drive on eBay...

[Huy @ Mar 7th 2008 5:59PM]

Too bad Dell... your holdup caused me to get my Thinkpad T61p. And boy am I happy with it.

[RyanTV @ Mar 7th 2008 6:02PM]

Maybe it's just me, but i like the design and the technology included in this notebook.

Penryn, HDMI, and a 1680x1050 display... if dell can finally get the new processors added, I'm down for one.

[Morgan @ Mar 7th 2008 6:13PM]

I bought a Vostro 1500 with a 2.5Ghz Penryn on Monday. Only £630 :)

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 7th 2008 7:31PM]

I got pretty much the same thing for 650 DOLLARS. Imagine that.

[Jared @ Mar 8th 2008 11:54AM]

:'( I got a Dell vostro 1500 in December, should have waited a few months! Oh well, I'm perfectly happy with mine!

[Morgan @ Mar 8th 2008 1:52PM]

It is just a fact of life that we have to pay more in the UK than you do in the US. Unfair but that is how it is :(

For those interested my spec is - 2.5Ghz T9300, 4GB RAM, 200GB 7200RPM, 8600MB GT 256MB, 1440x900 TrueLife, Wireless N, Bluetooth. Can't wait to get it :)

[moschops @ Mar 8th 2008 12:57AM]

This explains why they mailed out a sales pitch for a new discount on the M1530 - trying to sell off all the non-Penryn inventory. I concluded there must be a Penryn option coming before I read this post hence didn't fall for it. When I can get a Penryn M1530 for under $1000 I'll go for it :-)

[Thunderbuck @ Mar 8th 2008 1:12PM]

Look, this is clearly going to happen. Dell's been heavily discounting the Merom-based 1530s for weeks.

I broke down and bit, and just took delivery of my T7500-equipped 1530 a couple of days ago.

[Damian Wieczorek @ Mar 9th 2008 3:17PM]

I have looked at the coupon listings circulating around the internet, and it seems that there are two coupons for the M1530 that will both expire on the 27th of March. I am guessing that Dell will release the M1530 with Penryn when these expire on the 27th.