If you're anything like us, the idea of a
$99 Inspiron Mini 9 was enough to make you seriously consider picking up a new full-featured Dell laptop, but since the math is a little confusing given Dell's
shady history and the number of promotions on its site, we thought we'd break it down for you. Essentially, Dell's charging close to full price for the large machine in order to absorb the cost of the Mini -- so while a $1,259 Studio 15 with a 1.86GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, a 250GB drive, and a 3 year warranty goes for $699 on Dell's fall deals page, it's $1098 with a Mini. Hey, the difference is just about the Mini 9's $349 list price, isn't it? Same story with the other Studio 15 and XPS M1330 / M1530 configurations that apply for the $99 Mini deal -- you can find cheaper deals, but they're all about $300 - $400 less than the CTO price, so adding in a Mini 9 essentially washes out. So much for that hot two laptop $700 impulse buy -- we'd say it only makes sense to pull the trigger on this if you're actually in the market for a new full-featured machine. Let us know if you manage to work the numbers any differently -- our credit card hasn't gone too far.
[Thanks, Matt]
Read - Dell $99 Mini 9 promo page
Read - Dell fall deals page
posted September 5th 2008 1:28PM
Oh sorry to answer you question yes they were separate in my cart. And I used this link to get the best price i could find on that configured Studio 15.
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dndoum1&cs=19&dgvcode=ss&c=US&l=EN&vw=list&dgc=CJ&cid=24471&lid=566643
For those expecting to be able to get an employer discount along with the bundle. Seems it won't work.
3:17:55 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - Welcome to Dell's Inspiron Sales Chat! I hope you are doing well and thank you for waiting. My name is Raquel. I will be your personal sales agent, please provide your phone number where I can contact you in case we get disconnected. How may I help you with your purchase today?
3:18:00 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - Hi Dane.
3:18:25 PM Dane - Hi. I had a question about the studio 15 + Inspiron Mini 9 $99 deal.
3:18:57 PM Dane - What's the cheapest spec'ed Studio 15 where I'd still be able to recieve that offer.
3:19:50 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - Hello Dane, let me verify the details for you.
3:19:54 PM Dane - ok
3:22:10 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - we do have the promotion for the Studio 15 laptop packages that comes with the Inspiron mini laptop for $99 actually you can choose from 2 different packages its either the $949 or the $999 packages.
3:22:35 PM Dane - the $949 being for the Ubuntu package?
3:24:05 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - both the Inspiron mini for $99 comes in UBUNTU Dane , there is an option for windows XP however we can only have that if we will customize the basic package of the Inspiron mini.
3:24:28 PM Dane - Oh ok. I'm also a member of the Premier Dell Purchase Program. My ID # is: GS13337007. Can you tell me what my discount would be on the package?
3:26:55 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - I see, that's great Dane,however since the Dell Premier Program is available on a different department we do not have the option to check the available discounts for you.
3:27:20 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - you need to log in to our Dell Premier web site in order to check and verify the details.
3:27:36 PM Dane - I did. however. I can't seem to find the bundle deal on the website.
3:29:00 PM BE_Rep_Raquel oh its because we have a different promotions, since we have a separate departments Dane.
3:29:59 PM Dane - so by being a in the premier dell purchase program, I'm only offered some of the promotions?
3:32:55 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - yes you have the exclusive option to avail of the promotions on the dell première web site, however you can purchase the packages that offered here at home and home office department , e also have some great promotional offers. and it is the same with the common customers here at home and home office because if they do not have the program ID they also cannot avail of the promotions on the dell première web site.
3:35:33 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - I can see that you are typing Dane I will wait for you.
3:35:50 PM Dane - That sounds like a paragraph typed out of a dell policy manual. I mean, do normal people use avail that many times in an average conversation? Heck, I think I should get a discount just for knowing the definition of avail. As, I'm sure 90% of the people you talk with during the course of the day have no idea what that word would mean.
3:36:20 PM Dane - I'm off topic. Sorry. Point being:
3:36:45 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - No problem Dane I understand.
3:37:05 PM Dane - You're saying, I can either choose to use your discounts or use my prefered discounts, but there's no way to get this bundle along with my prefered discount?
3:39:51 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - it's because we cannot combine the discounts from another department here at home and home office section, and we also have our preferred account that the customers can use for the purchase and we call it the dell preferred account under home and home office department../
3:40:37 PM Dane - would it be possible for someone from the preferred account department to combine the discounts?
3:43:31 PM BE_Rep_Raquel - I'm sorry but we cannot do that Dane. if you want you can apply for the dell preferred account here at home and home office department so you can avail of the promotions that you are considering and by the way even if you do not have the dell preferred account you can still make the purchase using your credit or debit card and you can still avail of the promotional offer.
3:44:24 PM Dane - well I thank you for your help. You've answered my questions.
Why does anyone buy *anything* from this company? It seems like the same kind of thrill that gamblers get - win or lose...
I was seriously considering taking advantage of this deal, spending about a grand in the process, but this stunt gives me such a bad impression of Dell that I'm going to get an HP laptop and an Aspire One instead. They blatantly misled us by promoting this deal, knowing full well that it wasn't a deal at all.
Placed an order. Not saying for what yet, but if it gets confirmed I saved about 300 or the price of the mini.
I sure hope no one is forgetting to include: JD2BSBJQDWF?4L
30% off $1699 M1330 (expires sept 5 at midnight)
Just save me $479 plus i got a $120.00mini
Thank you, Kris! I ordered a decked out m1330 and Mini and saved $573:
Save 30% on all XPS M1330 & M1530 laptops over $1599 (before taxes, fees, shipping & handling) - $573.30
My total for both (with tons of added options): $1,581.70
I think a netbook bundle would more naturally go with a desktop PC. But maybe their profit margins are lower on the desktops.
I configured the XPS M1530 with just one upgrade - 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT. That + the mini is costing me $1398 + taxes (free shipping). Is this a good deal?
For some reason it wont let me upgrade the mini to 1 GB RAM even though it let me do it when i paired it with XPS M1330.
Thanks!
Actually, the $699 is for the 1-year warranty. So, basically, it's only sort of a deal if you were going to buy the 3-year warranty anyway.
I'm confirming you can get the $99 mini through the Employee Purchase Program, and it's an upgraded one with 8GB storage, Windows XP (I realize not everyone thinks that's an upgrade) and a webcam (.3 MP though). I got my Studio 15 configured the way I wanted for exactly the same price as an identically configured system with the best discounts I could find, except I had to give up a free built-in WWAN card. Since I already have an ExpressCard WWAN adapter I currently use that was no biggy. I concur though, the deals through the normal retail channel are a bait and switch, if not a rip off.
bahalana, how much did you pay for each without tax and can you provide a link to the deal at Dell EPP please? Thanks
Looks like the Dell EPP Program (mixup) of the fall deal studio 15 + 99 XP mini was just that, a mixup. I was able to see / order that combination last night, and not today. (I wasn't able to order till today for real anyways)
Looks like it's too bad I couldn't hit it yesterday, hopefully dell will honor those orders that have already been placed on this.
Dell is working some seriously shady deals here. Without a doubt in my mind, when the $99 deal was first announced, it was absolutely possible to order a $699 Studio 15 and add on a basic $99 Mini 9. I saw it. I went in and configured it to show to a client of mine. But now using every method I can find, Engadget's story is confirmed. It isn't possible anymore.
I think what pisses me off is that when the deal was first announced, the $699 wasn't advertised as this "fall special" crap. In fact, it still isn't. It's ONLY the bundle that costs exactly the difference. Do they really expect enough people to fall for that crap that they feel the profit outweighs the bad image they get from it? It's clear that its a big enough issue to make it to Engadget.
Damn, I was going to do this, too... Dell you just lost a sale...
Uh, so this will be interesting. I placed an order for the $699 studio 15 and the mini using the link from "L". I maxed the mini and it added $100, making it $199.
Received an email saying my order was placed and then nothing. I checked it the next day and it had been canceled. I called sales and they said there is nothing they could do, sorry it was canceled, etc.
I ordered the Studio 15 anyways since I was planning on getting it to begin with.
Received an email today saying my order was in process. Checked it, it's not for the 15, it's for the mini! Apparently the order that was canceled earlier, only canceled the order for the original $699 studio. The mini is still being processed!
I'm hoping the end result will be a $699 studio 15 and a $200 mini with 1GB ram and 16GB ssd!!!
Anyone else have this happen to them?
I don't know it this helps anyone, but Circuit City (oh how I loath thee) has a $500 compaq that pretty much matches the Inspiron 15-- except you can't upgrade it. Add on your favorite netbook and save money over Dell. A LOT of money.