I have been hemming and hawing over the last couple months about buying a personal laptop. I would use it for both work and play, so I am looking at two choices.
Dell Latitude D610 $1600 
- 14.1″ SXGA+ 1400×1050 Display
- Intel Pentium M 1.86 GHz Processor
- 1 GB RAM
- 80GB Hard Drive
- Floppy Disk Drive
- 8x DVD +/-RW Drive
Alienware Area-51 m5500 $1648 
- 15.4″ WideSXGA+ 1680×1050 Display
- Intel Pentium M 1.73 GHz Processor
- 1 GB RAM
- 60 GB Hard Drive
- 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW Combo w/Software
I am debating which one I should go with. I am leaning towards the Alienware, but I have had and used the Dell model before and never had a problem with it.
Are there any differences between the mousepads or the general keyboard ergonomics? That’s make-or-break to me. Generally I borrow others’ laptops on visits and some of them are practically unusable.
What no MacBook Pro on the list?
Personally I would get the Alienware machine.
midwestie: When I bought my first laptop 10 years ago (eeek!), the biggest thing was the way the keyboard felt. I have big hands and fat fingers, so I want a keyboard that is as close to a regular keyboard. The newer laptops don’t have that problem, since they tend to have wide-aspect LCD panels. Now, I could never use the ultra-portable laptops, though. Those things are too damn small for me, and I don’t like their screen size. Sure, the laptop is tiny, but so is the display. The way I work, I like having some space.
Paul: C’mon, if I were to order a MacBook Pro, I would be looking at close to $1k more in price. Besides, I am not getting one until I know I can install Windows and Linux on it relatively easily.
I have to admit, though, that I am leaning heavily in the Alienware direction.
FYI I’ve never heard anything bad about Alienware machines (desktops sorry I don’t know anyone who’s bought a laptop from them). Dell on the other hand is not putting out the quality they used to. Plus you get a bigger screen on the Alienware machine. Yes, smaller HD but you can always put a bigger one in or carry around an external 2.5″ drive to supplement the internal one.
I’m personally holding out for revision 2 of a 12″ MacBook Pro. And even then I won’t replace my current 12″ PB unless I feel like it is outdate and no longer doing what I need it to do.
Man, I hate the Latitude D610. It feels flimsy compared to the ThinkPads we get for the students.
The Alienware looks cool, but is this for work? You can’t go wrong with a ThinkPad for work. Your clients will take you more seriously than if you walk around with a Dell.
Mike: I have to admit that I grew fond of my old D600, so the D610 is a known quantity to me. I have never thought of ThinkPads simply because those three magic letters always made them a bit more pricey.
You make a good point on the professional side of things, though. Since I would be using this for both, I think I would go in the direction of the Alienware.
Why do they put a floppy drive on the Dell? Does anyone use floppies anymore?
Most people don’t, but the Latitudes are known for their legacy support. I would only get one for those rare moments when I might need it. You never know…