Spiike
03-02-2004, 04:58 AM
Initially purchasing a compaq x1000, then returning it to buy a hp zt3000 just to return that one to get an 8600, my 8600 has arrived. I was rather scared due to all the negative hype regarding this laptop, but after the 700 dollars of rebates/ebaying free stuff it was too good to refuse.
Quick overview:
First thing I noticed was the size. All three of the laptops I have owned were 15.4 widescreen but the dell's screen seems to be substantially larger. Possibly from the amount of plastic surrounding the lcd, which really isn't that much as the exaggerated posts claimed in cnet and other reviews. The hp and compaq both have similar amounts of plastic around the lcd but have a two tone color giving the appearance of less plastic around the lcd. The back of the lcd is aluminum, and I can verify this because I sanded down and drilled where the badge on the inside part of the cover because I'm preparing my laptop for the led mod. Also the general size in chasis is substantially larger in width and thickness compared to the other two laptops. Although people complain about weight, compared to the hp and compaq there is no real difference in the heaviness (compaq and hp are .8 lbs lighter). Of course a 300m might be better for frequent travel, the 8600 isn't heavy enough imo to complain about weight. It is still better for travel compared to my friend's almost 8lbs sager 4080.
Keyboard comparison:
Frankly, the keyboard is a disappointment. Reason being, the keyboard in the compaq and hp is very solid and hardly makes any noise while typing. However, this dell 8600 has the distinctive click click sound when typing. I was actually told by my professor to turn off my laptop here at u of illinois because the clicking sound was distracting (it's not that loud, but it is evident). The texture of the keys are rather smooth, which gives a "used" and worn feeling. Also the keys themselves have a lot of play, meaning the distance the keys travel when pushed is quite large. This could be a part of the reason for the click sound because the user has to press harder to make the keys register. There was some flex, and after opening up the keyboard I applied 3M double sided tape (~2.0 mm's width) in addition to the foam dell had added. This reduced almost all flex in the keyboard which gave the keyboard a more solid feel. I had low expectations due to the negative hype, but the keyboard really isn't that bad for the general user.
Touchpad and eraserhead:
Like in some other reviews the touchpad does have a quarter second delay, which might aggravate the perfectionist like myself. I have messed with sensitivity and attempted other drivers but none were successful. I also wish the touchpad was a tad bit larger and had a designated scroll like that in the compaq/hp lines. The eraserhead is awesome. I never knew eraserheads could also incorporate tapping, but I find it much more useful at times than the touchpad, especially to get from one side to the other in my 1680 resolution. The buttons for the eraserhead do have a huge amount of play, but I think this can be fixed with a little mod I have come up with, which I will post later. I do not find any problem with the buttons not registering, but you do have to press them down rather hard.
Chassis comparison:
The plastic in the chassis is substantially thinner than that found in the hp zt3000. I took apart the palm rest on both laptops to verify this. also the base uses the same plastic as that of the palm rest in the 8600 unlike that of my other laptops. In the hp and compaq the base is made of a very rigid plastic which has nearly no flex which is why they feel so much more solid. If dell or compal (actual manufacture of the laptop) could make the sides of the laptop flush when closed and not rounded, and make the body a little bit thicker in material, while retaining the same dimensions of course, the laptop will have a much better feel. After doing my conversion to the D800 body, which has been reported in these forums and dell forums to have a more solid feel and seemingly better build quality, I'll update if the 80 dollar conversion is worth it.
LCD:
Comparing the dell lcd with hp zt3000 lcd, dell wins hands down. I took apart the bezel to find out I have a Samsung lcd wsxga+ screen. the 8600's lcd is ever so slightly brighter than that of my hp, and letters seem to render clearer. I am definitely impressed. Using the calibrator found here, http://www.monitorsdirect.com/toolkit/index.shtml I learned I have no dead pixels which makes me more impressed =). I do wish though, that the lcd sat lower on the bezel so it is closer to the laptop. Of course in order to do so, the width of the laptop will have to be reduced, but after opening up the laptop, I see that there is ample room to include the components and make the laptop smaller/thinner.
DVD burner:
No dvd or cd coasters made. It is a rather decent burner if it works. Mine does not read cdr's, and will just give me a cyclic redundancy error. Dell has agreed to replace the burner, so i can not complain. One thing i did notice was when the burner spun the cd's at max speed it would have a rattle as it vibrated in the chassis. I'm not sure if this is normal, but hopefully my new burner will not have this problem. The free burner upgrade was one of the factors that clinched my choice on this laptop. I was able to record on dvd+r's without a problem. Included software seems ok, but to "make backup of dvd's" dvd copy express is required. The software had no issues with this burner. Compared to hp’s dvd burner which created 50% coasters, Dell wins in this category.
Truemobile 1300 and 300 comparison with Intel(R) Pro Wireless 2200 802.11b/g & Bluetooth:
The range on the 1300 is quite impressive. Where I would only receive a “low” with my hp and compaq’s wireless, the 8600 gets a “good” connection. I have not had any problems due to connection dropping as reported in the hp’s on this 8600 either. Bluetooth works like a charm with my bt printer adapter. I’m hoping that the truemobile 300 is compatible with bt headphones/sony earbuds because there are known issues with the bt card in the hp laptops and headphones.
Laptop noise:
The fans are rather loud when using I8KfanGUI software to keep the fans at full, but during normal use, they are dead quiet. The hdd, before I swapped my Toshiba 7200 rpm in, was also quiet. There were no clicking sounds and no vibrating sounds from the hdd like that found in my other laptops. Unless you have a cd in the cd drive, the laptop makes absolutely no sound while normal use.
Sound:
Speakers sound ok. It would be nice to have them on the top of the laptop by the keyboard for better sound projection. When using the laptop on my lap, my jacket or shirt tends to muffle the sound because they cover up the speakers. More bass would be nice since the current speakers sound very good for treble but lacking in bass.
Battery life:
Excellent battery life. I got 5 hrs on my first full charge compared to a mediocre 3.5 hrs with my hp and compaq. This was on 75% brightness and running IE and word.
Conclusion:
All my dx8 games run like a dream on this laptop. Friends on my floor have even considered purchasing an 8600 and dumping their desktop. Especially after seeing counterstrike in widescreen at 1680 x 1050 resolution and maxed opengl options. For a pure gaming laptop, many might claim that sager, alienware, and voodoo are a must, but I believe the 8600 is a close contender performance wise. Of course dell doesn’t offer some frills such as painted case, subwoofer, built in 6-1 cardreader or removeable mp3 player, but I see the 8600 has enough features to keep the average computer user, enthusiests, even hardcore gamers, more than happy. Compared to the x1000 and zt3000 the dell may not be as aesthetically pleasing but it is not as ugly for what people claim it to be. Performance wise the ati 9600 blows away the hp/compaq’s ati 9000 (yes 9000 not 9200 scandal which has stirred up debate and a potential lawsuit). The hp/Compaq definitely has a better keyboard and better speakers. However, my vote goes to the 8600 due to the dx9 video card, excellent lcd and awesome battery life. At 1.5 inches thick, the laptop may not be the smallest, but is portable enough to carry around on a daily basis, which I do. Although there are some minor issues such as loud keyboard and thin/flimsy plastic body, the dell 8600 is a marvelous machine.
In a nutshell
pros:
Excellent LCD
very nice video card if you don't get the horizontal rain like i did.
rather inexpensive with selected features compared to other brands
handy multimedia buttons, no need to fn-button
fading of the powerbutton and use of led on ac adapter
use of poweradapter on back of laptop and not on the side like that of hp/compaq
range of truemobile 1300
two locations to lock the laptop, so the locking harness does not cause interference
battery life 5+ hrs
cons and things to improve:
noisy keyboard with excess button play
plastic body needs to be more rigid
only 2 usb ports, which means port replicator is a must to add more peripherals
problems out of the box:
video card has horizontal rain problem
dvd+r needs to be replaced because it does not read cdr's
Keyboard needed to be reinforced to reduce flex
features to include in the updated 8600
Built in tv tuner
Built in webcam
More usb ports.
Multi-card reader
Powered firewire port
Larger touchpad and more aesthetically pleasing buttons
Rid of the open/wasted space inside the laptop (observed when laptop was disassembled)
From the "Experience with your dell website" thread
SPECS
MODEL - 8600
CPU - 1.4Ghz Pentium-M
RAM - 512MB PC2700 centon + 256 stock = 768 ddr
HDD - 50GB 7200RPM Toshiba
DVD - 4x dvd + rw
VID - ATi 9600 128 meg
WIFI - Dell Truemobile 1300 WLAN 802.11b/g & truemobile 300 bt
SCREEN - 15.4 WSXGA+ Samsung
WARRENTY - 2 Year at home service
DATE - Ordered 24 Feb 2004
TYPE - NEW
PRICE - $1225 after rebate/coupon/ebay free junk
next pic is to compare the zt3000 and the 8600's lcd bezel. People complain that there is too much plastic, but this seems so because everything is one color tone. As seen here, the zt3000 actually has more plastic around the lcd on the sides and top, but it doesn't seem like it due to the two color scheme. fyi, the 8600 is in 1680x1050 resolution, but the icons displayed as if it was an xga resolution 1024x800. it doesn't do this anymore after my fresh install.
click picture to enlarge
http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/thumb1.jpg (http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/hp1.jpg)
Next pic is to show the difference in overall look of the two laptops. They both have an aluminum cover, however the hp zt3000 has a blueish silver color. The zt 3000 also has flat edges, like powerbooks, which give it a more solid feel. the 8600 has a rounded lcd bezel and a rounded side so you can feel where the lcd and palmrest meet which adds to flimsy design.
click picture to enlarge
http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/thumb2.jpg (http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/hp2.jpg)
Quick overview:
First thing I noticed was the size. All three of the laptops I have owned were 15.4 widescreen but the dell's screen seems to be substantially larger. Possibly from the amount of plastic surrounding the lcd, which really isn't that much as the exaggerated posts claimed in cnet and other reviews. The hp and compaq both have similar amounts of plastic around the lcd but have a two tone color giving the appearance of less plastic around the lcd. The back of the lcd is aluminum, and I can verify this because I sanded down and drilled where the badge on the inside part of the cover because I'm preparing my laptop for the led mod. Also the general size in chasis is substantially larger in width and thickness compared to the other two laptops. Although people complain about weight, compared to the hp and compaq there is no real difference in the heaviness (compaq and hp are .8 lbs lighter). Of course a 300m might be better for frequent travel, the 8600 isn't heavy enough imo to complain about weight. It is still better for travel compared to my friend's almost 8lbs sager 4080.
Keyboard comparison:
Frankly, the keyboard is a disappointment. Reason being, the keyboard in the compaq and hp is very solid and hardly makes any noise while typing. However, this dell 8600 has the distinctive click click sound when typing. I was actually told by my professor to turn off my laptop here at u of illinois because the clicking sound was distracting (it's not that loud, but it is evident). The texture of the keys are rather smooth, which gives a "used" and worn feeling. Also the keys themselves have a lot of play, meaning the distance the keys travel when pushed is quite large. This could be a part of the reason for the click sound because the user has to press harder to make the keys register. There was some flex, and after opening up the keyboard I applied 3M double sided tape (~2.0 mm's width) in addition to the foam dell had added. This reduced almost all flex in the keyboard which gave the keyboard a more solid feel. I had low expectations due to the negative hype, but the keyboard really isn't that bad for the general user.
Touchpad and eraserhead:
Like in some other reviews the touchpad does have a quarter second delay, which might aggravate the perfectionist like myself. I have messed with sensitivity and attempted other drivers but none were successful. I also wish the touchpad was a tad bit larger and had a designated scroll like that in the compaq/hp lines. The eraserhead is awesome. I never knew eraserheads could also incorporate tapping, but I find it much more useful at times than the touchpad, especially to get from one side to the other in my 1680 resolution. The buttons for the eraserhead do have a huge amount of play, but I think this can be fixed with a little mod I have come up with, which I will post later. I do not find any problem with the buttons not registering, but you do have to press them down rather hard.
Chassis comparison:
The plastic in the chassis is substantially thinner than that found in the hp zt3000. I took apart the palm rest on both laptops to verify this. also the base uses the same plastic as that of the palm rest in the 8600 unlike that of my other laptops. In the hp and compaq the base is made of a very rigid plastic which has nearly no flex which is why they feel so much more solid. If dell or compal (actual manufacture of the laptop) could make the sides of the laptop flush when closed and not rounded, and make the body a little bit thicker in material, while retaining the same dimensions of course, the laptop will have a much better feel. After doing my conversion to the D800 body, which has been reported in these forums and dell forums to have a more solid feel and seemingly better build quality, I'll update if the 80 dollar conversion is worth it.
LCD:
Comparing the dell lcd with hp zt3000 lcd, dell wins hands down. I took apart the bezel to find out I have a Samsung lcd wsxga+ screen. the 8600's lcd is ever so slightly brighter than that of my hp, and letters seem to render clearer. I am definitely impressed. Using the calibrator found here, http://www.monitorsdirect.com/toolkit/index.shtml I learned I have no dead pixels which makes me more impressed =). I do wish though, that the lcd sat lower on the bezel so it is closer to the laptop. Of course in order to do so, the width of the laptop will have to be reduced, but after opening up the laptop, I see that there is ample room to include the components and make the laptop smaller/thinner.
DVD burner:
No dvd or cd coasters made. It is a rather decent burner if it works. Mine does not read cdr's, and will just give me a cyclic redundancy error. Dell has agreed to replace the burner, so i can not complain. One thing i did notice was when the burner spun the cd's at max speed it would have a rattle as it vibrated in the chassis. I'm not sure if this is normal, but hopefully my new burner will not have this problem. The free burner upgrade was one of the factors that clinched my choice on this laptop. I was able to record on dvd+r's without a problem. Included software seems ok, but to "make backup of dvd's" dvd copy express is required. The software had no issues with this burner. Compared to hp’s dvd burner which created 50% coasters, Dell wins in this category.
Truemobile 1300 and 300 comparison with Intel(R) Pro Wireless 2200 802.11b/g & Bluetooth:
The range on the 1300 is quite impressive. Where I would only receive a “low” with my hp and compaq’s wireless, the 8600 gets a “good” connection. I have not had any problems due to connection dropping as reported in the hp’s on this 8600 either. Bluetooth works like a charm with my bt printer adapter. I’m hoping that the truemobile 300 is compatible with bt headphones/sony earbuds because there are known issues with the bt card in the hp laptops and headphones.
Laptop noise:
The fans are rather loud when using I8KfanGUI software to keep the fans at full, but during normal use, they are dead quiet. The hdd, before I swapped my Toshiba 7200 rpm in, was also quiet. There were no clicking sounds and no vibrating sounds from the hdd like that found in my other laptops. Unless you have a cd in the cd drive, the laptop makes absolutely no sound while normal use.
Sound:
Speakers sound ok. It would be nice to have them on the top of the laptop by the keyboard for better sound projection. When using the laptop on my lap, my jacket or shirt tends to muffle the sound because they cover up the speakers. More bass would be nice since the current speakers sound very good for treble but lacking in bass.
Battery life:
Excellent battery life. I got 5 hrs on my first full charge compared to a mediocre 3.5 hrs with my hp and compaq. This was on 75% brightness and running IE and word.
Conclusion:
All my dx8 games run like a dream on this laptop. Friends on my floor have even considered purchasing an 8600 and dumping their desktop. Especially after seeing counterstrike in widescreen at 1680 x 1050 resolution and maxed opengl options. For a pure gaming laptop, many might claim that sager, alienware, and voodoo are a must, but I believe the 8600 is a close contender performance wise. Of course dell doesn’t offer some frills such as painted case, subwoofer, built in 6-1 cardreader or removeable mp3 player, but I see the 8600 has enough features to keep the average computer user, enthusiests, even hardcore gamers, more than happy. Compared to the x1000 and zt3000 the dell may not be as aesthetically pleasing but it is not as ugly for what people claim it to be. Performance wise the ati 9600 blows away the hp/compaq’s ati 9000 (yes 9000 not 9200 scandal which has stirred up debate and a potential lawsuit). The hp/Compaq definitely has a better keyboard and better speakers. However, my vote goes to the 8600 due to the dx9 video card, excellent lcd and awesome battery life. At 1.5 inches thick, the laptop may not be the smallest, but is portable enough to carry around on a daily basis, which I do. Although there are some minor issues such as loud keyboard and thin/flimsy plastic body, the dell 8600 is a marvelous machine.
In a nutshell
pros:
Excellent LCD
very nice video card if you don't get the horizontal rain like i did.
rather inexpensive with selected features compared to other brands
handy multimedia buttons, no need to fn-button
fading of the powerbutton and use of led on ac adapter
use of poweradapter on back of laptop and not on the side like that of hp/compaq
range of truemobile 1300
two locations to lock the laptop, so the locking harness does not cause interference
battery life 5+ hrs
cons and things to improve:
noisy keyboard with excess button play
plastic body needs to be more rigid
only 2 usb ports, which means port replicator is a must to add more peripherals
problems out of the box:
video card has horizontal rain problem
dvd+r needs to be replaced because it does not read cdr's
Keyboard needed to be reinforced to reduce flex
features to include in the updated 8600
Built in tv tuner
Built in webcam
More usb ports.
Multi-card reader
Powered firewire port
Larger touchpad and more aesthetically pleasing buttons
Rid of the open/wasted space inside the laptop (observed when laptop was disassembled)
From the "Experience with your dell website" thread
SPECS
MODEL - 8600
CPU - 1.4Ghz Pentium-M
RAM - 512MB PC2700 centon + 256 stock = 768 ddr
HDD - 50GB 7200RPM Toshiba
DVD - 4x dvd + rw
VID - ATi 9600 128 meg
WIFI - Dell Truemobile 1300 WLAN 802.11b/g & truemobile 300 bt
SCREEN - 15.4 WSXGA+ Samsung
WARRENTY - 2 Year at home service
DATE - Ordered 24 Feb 2004
TYPE - NEW
PRICE - $1225 after rebate/coupon/ebay free junk
next pic is to compare the zt3000 and the 8600's lcd bezel. People complain that there is too much plastic, but this seems so because everything is one color tone. As seen here, the zt3000 actually has more plastic around the lcd on the sides and top, but it doesn't seem like it due to the two color scheme. fyi, the 8600 is in 1680x1050 resolution, but the icons displayed as if it was an xga resolution 1024x800. it doesn't do this anymore after my fresh install.
click picture to enlarge
http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/thumb1.jpg (http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/hp1.jpg)
Next pic is to show the difference in overall look of the two laptops. They both have an aluminum cover, however the hp zt3000 has a blueish silver color. The zt 3000 also has flat edges, like powerbooks, which give it a more solid feel. the 8600 has a rounded lcd bezel and a rounded side so you can feel where the lcd and palmrest meet which adds to flimsy design.
click picture to enlarge
http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/thumb2.jpg (http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/hp2.jpg)