Dell Studio 15 1558 Thread

david_ag · 03-22-2010, 07:31 PM

I posted a lot of info in the fan problem thread for this 1558. I LOVED this laptop, its so beautiful. My recommendation to everyone is to get the full 1920X1080 HD screen, not only its a higher resolution but its also brighter and with a higher contrast. I returned it because of two things: 1) Random shutdown problem, (this definitely was fixed with the A04 BIOS update so no worries for anyone here). 2) The initial reason to buy this computer was to replace a dead M1210 that was 1 month out of 3 year Complete Care warranty, and after a lot of back and forth with Dell, I got them to honor the warranty so I didn't "really" need the laptop anymore.

But really, the laptop was flawless, I researched other computers after returning the 1558 to Dell, and I don't think there's another laptop in the market right now that offers all the 1558 has going for it right now. The only downside is the lack of blu-ray but hopefully Dell will start offering it in less than a year. Those specs definitely deserve a blu-ray player.

dimodi · 03-22-2010, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_ag

I posted a lot of info in the fan problem thread for this 1558. I LOVED this laptop, its so beautiful. My recommendation to everyone is to get the full 1920X1080 HD screen, not only its a higher resolution but its also brighter and with a higher contrast. I returned it because of two things: 1) Random shutdown problem, (this definitely was fixed with the A04 BIOS update so no worries for anyone here). 2) The initial reason to buy this computer was to replace a dead M1210 that was 1 month out of 3 year Complete Care warranty, and after a lot of back and forth with Dell, I got them to honor the warranty so I didn't "really" need the laptop anymore.

But really, the laptop was flawless, I researched other computers after returning the 1558 to Dell, and I don't think there's another laptop in the market right now that offers all the 1558 has going for it right now. The only downside is the lack of blu-ray but hopefully Dell will start offering it in less than a year. Those specs definitely deserve a blu-ray player.

Bluray was added to the specsheet in the last week. I saw it on there while checking what they had. Nice to see a positive review about the laptop for once too

Simkins · 03-22-2010, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_ag

I posted a lot of info in the fan problem thread for this 1558. I LOVED this laptop, its so beautiful. My recommendation to everyone is to get the full 1920X1080 HD screen, not only its a higher resolution but its also brighter and with a higher contrast. I returned it because of two things: 1) Random shutdown problem, (this definitely was fixed with the A04 BIOS update so no worries for anyone here). 2) The initial reason to buy this computer was to replace a dead M1210 that was 1 month out of 3 year Complete Care warranty, and after a lot of back and forth with Dell, I got them to honor the warranty so I didn't "really" need the laptop anymore.

But really, the laptop was flawless, I researched other computers after returning the 1558 to Dell, and I don't think there's another laptop in the market right now that offers all the 1558 has going for it right now. The only downside is the lack of blu-ray but hopefully Dell will start offering it in less than a year. Those specs definitely deserve a blu-ray player.

What did you think of the 1080p LCD with the Intel HD card? I'd like to stay integrated for battery reasons although I'm somewhat concerned to it being underpowered. I'll be using it for photo / video editing.

WildmanCAL · 03-22-2010, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_ag

2) The initial reason to buy this computer was to replace a dead M1210 that was 1 month out of 3 year Complete Care warranty, and after a lot of back and forth with Dell, I got them to honor the warranty so I didn't "really" need the laptop anymore.

I'm glad to hear they honored the warranty and took care of you. These forums are so full of people being pissed at various vendors it's nice to see someone post something positive about them.

david_ag · 03-22-2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simkins

What did you think of the 1080p LCD with the Intel HD card? I'd like to stay integrated for battery reasons although I'm somewhat concerned to it being underpowered. I'll be using it for photo / video editing.

The new Intel GMA HD being used in this new icore series processor, is a completely different kind of animal when compared to the X4500 HD that was being offered before. I can genuinely tell you that as long as you are not a big gamer, you will have NO PROBLEM at all with this video card. There are a couple of benchmark sites try googling them ( I can't remember the ones I saw but I did quite a lot of research before buying) and you will see that this new integrated video cards are fully capable for video playback and even decent for light gaming. As long as you are not a big time gamer, definitely go for the integrated card, the lower temps are completely worth it and the only thing you are losing is gaming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildmanCAL

I'm glad to hear they honored the warranty and took care of you. These forums are so full of people being pissed at various vendors it's nice to see someone post something positive about them.

Yeah man, I've owned Dell since the 90's and of course they have some bad things as every other company, but in my experience they have stand for their warranty and for customer service almost all the time. I can't complain at all and I will still buy a Dell when my M1210 finally dies.

zedpos · 03-23-2010, 02:39 AM

Dimodi, yes similar spec to yours except for a 500Gb and I went for the larger capacity battery. My option had a free lid cover so I went with the purple and its very nice. The cover does not attract any finger prints.

Everything about the laptop is great even down to the charger cable which has a blue light on when it's plugged in to a power source. Nice touch that.

I also went for 3years warranty for an extra £30 (as part of the offer). Yes, I don't trust dell - lol. But, so far, I'm really impressed.

In the manual it mentions the hard disk has a free fall detector so if it's dropped, it's parks the read/write heads safely. Another neat touch that too. Nevertheless, think I'll get a Dragons Dens impact wrap tech21 d30 sleeve for it. Paying this much for the laptop, it'll break my heart if it's dropped! They're available for £30 if you collect & reserve from PC World/Currys.

URPradhan · 03-23-2010, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_ag

But really, the laptop was flawless, I researched other computers after returning the 1558 to Dell, and I don't think there's another laptop in the market right now that offers all the 1558 has going for it right now. The only downside is the lack of blu-ray but hopefully Dell will start offering it in less than a year. Those specs definitely deserve a blu-ray player.

Agree, But do not you think, for a new laptop of today should have USB 3.0 and switchable graphics (if it has dedicated GPU and dual core i3/i5/i7 processor) ?

One thing I liked most of Studio 1558 is the option to upgrade the screen to full HD, 1080p. BTW, what did you pay for your signature configuration and when ?

farenheit · 03-23-2010, 04:56 AM

On the UK Dell site they dont offer the intergrated graphics anymore

boomhower · 03-23-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farenheit

On the UK Dell site they dont offer the intergrated graphics anymore

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I would love to hear the reasoning behind that.

david_ag · 03-23-2010, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by URPradhan

Agree, But do not you think, for a new laptop of today should have USB 3.0 and switchable graphics (if it has dedicated GPU and dual core i3/i5/i7 processor) ?

One thing I liked most of Studio 1558 is the option to upgrade the screen to full HD, 1080p. BTW, what did you pay for your signature configuration and when ?

I had not thought about the USB 3.0 and think you are right, but also understand that its still not widely available. About the graphic cards you are right again but personally I couldn't care less for it really, the performance of the Intel GMA HD is amazing for an integrated card, and since it will be enough for everything BUT gaming, it fits my bill. Also, it all depends on how much are we willing to pay.

I paid $1074 after tax and shipping on February 2nd.