ravenq
02-13-2004, 09:42 AM
Hi all,
Okay, it may be a generic Dell forum, but ultimately we all seem to be getting 8600's *lol* In any case, this is my review of the 8600, hopefully you'll find it useful.
Firstly, the spec, 1.6ghz, 2x256 ram, 60GB 7200rpm, 128MB ATI, DVD+R/RW, TrueMobile 1400 and Bluetooth. I'd put it in a list, but that just about covers it, so why bother? Oh, and the WUXGA screen of course *lol* Also, I splurged and bought myself one of the QuikSnap color kits *lol* It looks very cool and gives a unique look to the laptop.
My first impression as I turn it on... 'FWHOOOOA!' The WUXGA screen is absolutely brilliant. As far as I can tell, I have no dead pixels, and none of the white light issues that seem to be cropping up. Score two points right there. Personally I prefer having a bigger screen available, hence the WUXGA, but it isn't for everyone, and a lot of people will find it a tad too small for everyday use. (Keep in mind that I've upgraded from a Sony Picturebook which has an 8.9" screen running at 1280x600, so I'm used to the smaller size anyway.) I've seen the equivalent of the WXGA running in store, and the resolution on that is fine for everyday use, 1280 is a fair width (same as the Sony), and the 800 height is a bonus too.
Next step was to reinstall XP. If you can do this, I heartily recommend it. The install process was quick and painless, and I didn't have any issues whatsoever. When installing drivers, most come on the driver CD from Dell (including the wireless drivers), and it will automatically detect which drivers are relevant for your system, a definate plus in my book. I had to download the ATI drivers from the web however, which was disappointing, but not a real problem as such. You may run into a hitch when reinstalling with the USB controller. Dell don't supply a driver, and XP cannot find it initially. The solution is to install SP1 then delete the device. USB2 support exists then, and it will install it no problems.
That's a few paragraphs I've typed, so on to the keyboard :) I haven't noticed any of the sagging issues people have commented about, so I don't know if I just got a good keyboard or I haven't noticed. The keys do click a little, however they have good depth and you can quite comfortably touch type on it with no real problems. The dual mouse setup is a good idea, and very useful personally, as my Sony had the stick style mouse, so I can interchange between them based on where my hands are. The stick buttons do require a bit more of a push than you would expect, however you adjust quickly and don't notice after a while.
The Dell TrueMobile wireless card is excellent. As soon as I turned the laptop on, it came up telling me it could connect to my home network. I haven't had any dropouts, and the signal/noise bars are very useful. The bluetooth is also good, the range is reasonable, and I can link my phone to the laptop from my bedroom to the lounge.
Performance wise, the notebook is great. For those interested, my 3DMark03 score ranged from 2600 to 2700. Note I haven't overclocked the card! I've run the Final Fantasy Online benchmarking tool and found the results to be good, as well as played Beyond Good and Evil (which is by the way a great game), however I dropped the resolution down to 1280x800 to play it smoothly.
The battery life is easily 4 hours from a single charge. As I write this I'm onto my 3rd recharge-discharge cycle, and I'm consistantly getting 4-5 hours of reasonable use (wireless, bluetooth and dvd+r drive use). Very happy with this.
My overall impression at this point is very favourable. I have no real concerns, have not had any of the usual problems such as horizontal rain occur, and can now display my widescreen backgrounds from Digital Blasphemy at their original resolution! :) About the only issue I have is the weight (coming from a sub 1kg laptop, it's understandable), however a new backpack from Targus solved this problem.
Final Verdict
Definately a class act, if you have the budget for it, this is a superb laptop. However, the WUXGA can be too large for some, and issues with the WSXGA+ may scare people from purchasing. If in doubt, WXGA is still fine for everyday use. TrueMobile wireless is a nice extra, however not worth it if you won't be using 802.11a/g networks now and in the near future. Consider what your needs are before you purchase, and you will end up with a machine you can love for years* to come.
* Computers years, 1 year = 2-6 months
Okay, it may be a generic Dell forum, but ultimately we all seem to be getting 8600's *lol* In any case, this is my review of the 8600, hopefully you'll find it useful.
Firstly, the spec, 1.6ghz, 2x256 ram, 60GB 7200rpm, 128MB ATI, DVD+R/RW, TrueMobile 1400 and Bluetooth. I'd put it in a list, but that just about covers it, so why bother? Oh, and the WUXGA screen of course *lol* Also, I splurged and bought myself one of the QuikSnap color kits *lol* It looks very cool and gives a unique look to the laptop.
My first impression as I turn it on... 'FWHOOOOA!' The WUXGA screen is absolutely brilliant. As far as I can tell, I have no dead pixels, and none of the white light issues that seem to be cropping up. Score two points right there. Personally I prefer having a bigger screen available, hence the WUXGA, but it isn't for everyone, and a lot of people will find it a tad too small for everyday use. (Keep in mind that I've upgraded from a Sony Picturebook which has an 8.9" screen running at 1280x600, so I'm used to the smaller size anyway.) I've seen the equivalent of the WXGA running in store, and the resolution on that is fine for everyday use, 1280 is a fair width (same as the Sony), and the 800 height is a bonus too.
Next step was to reinstall XP. If you can do this, I heartily recommend it. The install process was quick and painless, and I didn't have any issues whatsoever. When installing drivers, most come on the driver CD from Dell (including the wireless drivers), and it will automatically detect which drivers are relevant for your system, a definate plus in my book. I had to download the ATI drivers from the web however, which was disappointing, but not a real problem as such. You may run into a hitch when reinstalling with the USB controller. Dell don't supply a driver, and XP cannot find it initially. The solution is to install SP1 then delete the device. USB2 support exists then, and it will install it no problems.
That's a few paragraphs I've typed, so on to the keyboard :) I haven't noticed any of the sagging issues people have commented about, so I don't know if I just got a good keyboard or I haven't noticed. The keys do click a little, however they have good depth and you can quite comfortably touch type on it with no real problems. The dual mouse setup is a good idea, and very useful personally, as my Sony had the stick style mouse, so I can interchange between them based on where my hands are. The stick buttons do require a bit more of a push than you would expect, however you adjust quickly and don't notice after a while.
The Dell TrueMobile wireless card is excellent. As soon as I turned the laptop on, it came up telling me it could connect to my home network. I haven't had any dropouts, and the signal/noise bars are very useful. The bluetooth is also good, the range is reasonable, and I can link my phone to the laptop from my bedroom to the lounge.
Performance wise, the notebook is great. For those interested, my 3DMark03 score ranged from 2600 to 2700. Note I haven't overclocked the card! I've run the Final Fantasy Online benchmarking tool and found the results to be good, as well as played Beyond Good and Evil (which is by the way a great game), however I dropped the resolution down to 1280x800 to play it smoothly.
The battery life is easily 4 hours from a single charge. As I write this I'm onto my 3rd recharge-discharge cycle, and I'm consistantly getting 4-5 hours of reasonable use (wireless, bluetooth and dvd+r drive use). Very happy with this.
My overall impression at this point is very favourable. I have no real concerns, have not had any of the usual problems such as horizontal rain occur, and can now display my widescreen backgrounds from Digital Blasphemy at their original resolution! :) About the only issue I have is the weight (coming from a sub 1kg laptop, it's understandable), however a new backpack from Targus solved this problem.
Final Verdict
Definately a class act, if you have the budget for it, this is a superb laptop. However, the WUXGA can be too large for some, and issues with the WSXGA+ may scare people from purchasing. If in doubt, WXGA is still fine for everyday use. TrueMobile wireless is a nice extra, however not worth it if you won't be using 802.11a/g networks now and in the near future. Consider what your needs are before you purchase, and you will end up with a machine you can love for years* to come.
* Computers years, 1 year = 2-6 months