Which Dell laptop good for future Windows upgrade?

[sifan]

I am looking for a Dell laptop replacement for my aging C840 (max out at 1 GB RAM) and E1705 (max out at 2 GB RAM), which can not be upgraded to Win 7. Should I look for a Dell laptop with 4 dimms (max 16 GB RAM)instead of 2 dimms (max 8 GB RAM) of memory for future OS upgrade? Which model of Dell laptop that will handle the future Windows upgrade to last longer. My wife is going to a grad school and my daughter will be in college in three years. I would like to invest a laptop that will stand the test of time and be passed down from one family member to another.

 

[dparm]

With the falling prices of laptops, you're almost better off buying a cheaper one now and just buying another in a few years.

$600 goes a long way on a laptop.

 

[sifan]

How about the investment in software? Won't it be cheaper to upgrade like the OS and MS Office suite than buying whole new version of software?

 

[AandPDan]

Trying to plan three years into the future for your daughter may not be a good idea.

Many colleges/universities now require specific software or hardware and a 3 year old laptop probably won't cut it. The IT guys at the college probably won't support the laptop either. They'll probably have bulk licensing available as well.

There is no such thing as any computer that will "stand the test of time." They are out of date when they are sold.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: dparm
With the falling prices of laptops, you're almost better off buying a cheaper one now and just buying another in a few years.

Agreed.

 

[123Saab]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: dparm
With the falling prices of laptops, you're almost better off buying a cheaper one now and just buying another in a few years.

Agreed.


On the other hand, I never had a problem buying high end laptops and actually most of them have lasted well over 4 years.

I prefer Asus and Macbook pro's

 

[SuperDave456]

From last I read, in a large business environment a Desktop depreciates to Zero in 4 years. A Laptop in 2 years.

Laptops get the heck beaten out of them.

I agree with previous posters about getting a cheap laptop and going from there.

Right now I am using a free laptop, from a friend that thought it was trash, and running a free Operating System...Ubuntu 11.4

It is pretty easy to work with.

 

[HondaMan]

Any Dell Lattitude is a good buy.
All other Dell laptops are not worth the money, other brands would be better.

The Lattitude has a LONG business cycle, many Fortune 500s are standardized on this cycle.

Also aftermarket parts such as LCDs and keyboards are easy to find in addition to the TON of original parts you will find.

On the downside, many used prices are TOO HIGH... as people feel the name/brand is worth more.

 

[sifan]

I took the advice from you guys and just ordered an refurbished Inspiron 1569 laptop with i5-460QM, 4 GB RAM, 1 GB ATI graphic card, DVD+-RW, 320 MB 5400 RPM HD, and Intel 6230-N from Dell Outlet with my AmEx. The total cost including $41 tax is $740. I know it is a bit more than $600, but I just like the idea of a dedicated graphic card. I will upgrade with more memory later if needed. I am not sure if I can replace the HD with an SSD for this particular model.

I cann't find Dell Latitude on the Dell Outlet web site.

 

[dishdude]

Dell Studio is an excellent laptop too.

 

[sifan]

Yeah, I was really tempted in ordering a Studio, but the price will go up more than two hundred dollars.

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
From last I read, in a large business environment a Desktop depreciates to Zero in 4 years. A Laptop in 2 years.

Laptops get the heck beaten out of them.

I agree with previous posters about getting a cheap laptop and going from there.

Right now I am using a free laptop, from a friend that thought it was trash, and running a free Operating System...Ubuntu 11.4

It is pretty easy to work with.


interesting, I work for a very large health insurance company. my work laptop is going on 3 yrs old with windows xp. they aren't upgrading my laptop anytime soon.

 

[sifan]

I finally got the Dell laptop, which turns out to be a Studio model. Surprisingly it has a backlit keyboard (a very nice feature) and a slot-load DVD drive. It is light weight and very well constructed. The performance is good enough for me with i5-450M (dual core with 4 threads), 4 GB RAM, and 2.7 GB graphic memory (1 GB dedicated). The 15.6" LED screen looks really nice. It comes with a re-installation DVD. I hardly notice any scratches on the exterior. So far, I am happy with this purchase and hopes the laptop will last.

 

[dishdude]

Congrats on the purchase! I have 2 Dell Studios, and love them. I am sure you'll get excellent service out of them.