With specs and prices easily reaching into the stratosphere, we weren't quite sure where Dell's new
15-inch Precision M4500 workstation would land -- the
17-inch M6500 has a starting price of $1,799, but that's only after $310 of "instant savings." Well, it looks like we're getting off (relatively) easy with the M4500, with a Core i5-520M 2.5GHz model running for $1,549 and still managing to pack in those NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M Graphics. Of course, we imagine you'll quickly be running up that bill -- 2GB of slow RAM, a 1366 x 768 LCD, and no WiFi just aren't going to cut it -- but with tempting options like a secondary 64GB SSD minicard drive and the ever-frivolous Precision ON, it's not like we were sticking near that base price anyway. Expect to spec out something truly delicious in the $2,500+ range. Our biggest disappointment? Backlit keyboard is optional, something that's standard
even on the Vostro line these days.
posted March 30th 2010 9:58AM
Dell Thinkpad?
@Wesscoast
Yea, whats up with that? And optional wifi? wtf
Oh well I guess it can be worse. You can get an Apple.
@canarsieville
No, Apple's Macbooks are not as bad. Their laptops have the highest build quality, rivaled only by Sony and HP's niche offerings.
@TareG
Way to drink the Kool-Aid.
@TareG
Uh-oh, someone said something positive about Apple, quickly, everyone downrank them and claim that they must be a fanboy!
Honestly, the MacBook Pro's are fantastic computers, why must some people immediately hate them because Apple makes them?
@TareG
They do have good build quality but it is because they made it easy... No removable battery, no swappable CD drive, no user serviceable parts. Having a balance between good build quality and functionality is far more important. That is why the business laptops from Dell, HP, and Lenovo surpass the MPB on my list. Apple's don't even have lid hatches.
@pauldovi
Unless you count the RAM and HDD. I'm also pretty sure you could replace the disk drive as well, it seems pretty easy to get to. The only things you can't really replace are the GPU and CPU, which is something of a rarity on a laptop anyway Also why is not having a lid latch an issue? It's not like they just fall open, they have strong magnets closing them.
You are right though, there are more expandable notebooks on the market, but you can replace some things on the MBP's.
@martynmcfarquhar
I think it's because he said that Vaio and HP have good build quality. Wouldn't have put those two on the top of the list with all the problems I've seen with them.
@pauldovi When it comes down to heavy lifting in 3D modeling and CAD, a quadro based card is a must. Also considering a quality Quadro card can easily double the cost of the machine, the starting price doesn't appear to be half bad. Opinions* http://bit.ly/dell-laptop-core-i5-i7-series
@pauldovi
They used to have lid latches, like the MBP I'm writing this post from, but to tell you the truth, I envy the latch-less lid MBP. The lid latch is annoying. Being able to quickly flip it open would be nice.
wat a RAM!! huh 2 gb
del can't afford more than that??
@jayantraj7
Most people order with the lowest amount of ram you can get from Dell, then order the better stuff from crucial. Saves some cash.
@admlshake
but it sounds really bad on papers....:P
@jayantraj7
It's about what you can afford =) Customize and get your own amt of Ram
@jayantraj7 You can't get it with more than 4GB of RAM. You can't get it with 64-bit Windows 7. It comes with a 1GB GPU. There's going to be well under 3GB of available RAM from what I can see. No USB 3.0. No powered when off USB ports. No HDMI. Not impressed.
Wait... Wait... No WiFi? What in the hell...
@The Albatross
i like dell very much but this time it can't afford much[as dell lost 1million dollars]
wat a RAM!! huh 2 gb
del can't afford more than that??
Looks like they just ported the Latitude body over to this line. I'm already not a fan of that line, hope we see some design changes before I'm ready to buy my next laptop.
Who releases a laptop without WiFi?????? I mean WHO DOES THAT? How much did they save on that FAIL executive decision?
Either way, I -as well as my friend- have had way too many bad experiences with Dell. If you're looking for a decent laptop pc, shop for an HP or a Sony Vaio.
@TareG
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
This computer is so 1998
Gah, no USB 3.0. That was one of the coolest features of the M6500 that I was hoping would make its way into the M4500. Not that I have any USB 3 peripherals yet, but I'm sure I'll have some before I'd be ready to dump this laptop and I don't want to deal with an ExpressCard adapter.
DELL computers are awful. I own an almost "maxed" out Inspiron 1525 that cost me $1,700 a couple of years ago. Worst computer I've ever owned, the build quality is horrible - at one point the HD sounded like a jet engine (a patch last year fixed this), the Disc Drive randomly opened, the screen quality is terrible, the keys feel flimsy. Terrible. I also owned a $4,000 SLI Alienware laptop that was manufactured by Dell (before they bought Alienware) - the dual HDs failed. At this point, there's on way Dell could ever win me back - even if they have improved in the last year.
@malexandria1
Precision systems are totally different from the cheaper inspiron models.. These systems are beasts when it comes to performance and quality
@Stealthhawk007 Really? My M4400 begs to differ. It is both the shittiest and most expensive laptop I have every had. It is slow and there are numerous problems with drivers that Dell seems to be unable to fix. "Build quality" is pretty useless when some components, like the horrible speakers, are absolute rubish.
@malexandria1
That's because you got a budget laptop with poor build quality. the lesson here? don't waste money to spec up a cheap laptop and expect to get something good.
Wow, most of the people commenting have absolutely no clue of the great build quality of Precision machines. I feel bad for all of you.
@Playername its called a thinkpad build quality. On one of the last few lines they had a "nub", a second set of mouse buttons above the trackpad. So yes, they are good quality, but not exactly original
if precision ON is the same as latitude ON then it sucks. The GUI is worse than your average dumbphone and the functionality is also limited - it would be nice to be able to listen to music or skype but you can't do either in this mode. The set-up is also very cumbersome - you need to enter all the info for email accounts manually.
@Okapi
What the heck, are you talking about?
@DBx Precision ON is what I am talking about. It is mentioned in the original post. look it up.
@DBx
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/dells-latitude-on-instant-os-detailed-screenshooted/
Is that a keyboard clit I see? Yes, Dell still has it!
@jgp
HAHAHAHAHAHA.... only on business units.. That was hillarious though
I have a feeling that everyone dumping on Dell's laptops/computers have never purchased one from their business/CAD oriented Precision line. When it comes down to performance and optional specs, they're pretty much unrivaled. Extreme edition i7's, dual SSD's, quadro video cards, 1920 x 1080 15.6" screen, mobile broadband, etc.
When it comes down to heavy lifting in 3D modeling and CAD, a quadro based card is a must. Also considering a quality Quadro card can easily double the cost of the machine, the starting price doesn't appear to be half bad.
At an identical pricepoint, in terms of overall performance, it'd make the Apple Macbook Pro cry for mommy.
I'm using a Dell right now and love it, however seeing what other manufacturers are introducing, you would think they would fancy it up a bit. I like the laptops but booooooring! It looks like the laptop I bought from Toshiba back in 1998!
When will laptops get rid of the VGA port?
Oh and can i get a laptop with firewire 800 and USB 3.0
@redhotlama
When VGA projectors stop existing. So in another 10 years maybe.
@darkNiGHTS I would rather carry around an adapter and get some more useful port in its place.
No wifi? Only 2GBs of RAM? And they are asking $1500 for it?
What the heck... did someone at Dell jump into a Hottub Timemachine?
I actually like most Dell laptops, but this one is a joke.
Wait I don't understand.
Why is there no wifi?
Like. I just don't. understand.
=[
@NeoXY
Wifi = 15$ extra
Money grab
@NeoXY yeah I dont get it either, is this laptop made with special steel or something>?
DDR3-1066MHz is slow now?
Even after lots of research, I'm still not convinced that Quaddro cards are the best 3d/cad option for your money.
Comparing prices on NewEgg for desktops just to establish my point:
a Quaddro5800 (the best one) is $3,000 and shares the same core as the Geforce 200-series. The best of those are around $500 *and* nVidia just released a new 400-series that's significantly better, still only around $500.
It seems to me that nVidia deliberately debilitates the "gaming" geforce cards' performance in 3d just so they can justify charging 6x the price for a card that can handle Maya or CAD well.
@ignaro - it's more of the value of the certified drivers for the cards. The hardware may be near identical, however the level of driver certification for Autodesk products is much more involved. Unless it's a massive failure of the card/power supply, you won't blue screen a quadro card with a new driver update. The firmware of the quadro cards are designed for rendering quality and accuracy, over sheer speed. I've tried high-end consumer cards in Revit stations, and have found them to be lacking in stability on newer drivers and prone to wonky artifacts.
@GeekPI I see, that's actually the best explanation I've seen.
I suppose for a large studio that would be valuable but even as a professional 3d artist I just can't justify the difference for my personal work. Since the late-XP days, I haven't had a blue screen or hardware crash in any of the major apps I use. Driver support, on the other hand would be nice but not six-times-the-cost nice.
I would really appreciate a different pricing structure from nVidia. Maybe they could adapt or retune the Geforce line to be more reasonable, affordable effects-biased card without the presumably costly driver support and increased reliability. I get get all disgruntled knowing that my hardware potential far exceeds my performance unless I spend thousands.
Backlit keyboard is actually not standard on the Vostro line.