New Vostro Lineup (3350, 3450..)

[Cocozebra]

Sorry if I missed a thread about this.
Hands on with Dell's Inspiron R and Vostro laptops, with new Intel CPUs | Crave - CNET

I'm personally quite disappointed with the chiclet keyboard, though I realize some folks like that style. The Vostro has a nice keyboard, and not being a chiclet-clone was one of the things that drew me to it. Looks like some nice improvements otherwise, though. Unfortunately, the chiclet/island style kills the series for me, or at least removes the reason I would go with Dell over one of the other dozen chiclet clones.

[charlie0904]

value laptops. hopefully i can get one for my birthday next month.

love the vostro series.


ps: i like chiclet keyboard.

[Tsunade_Hime]

Ugh horrible...who thought chicklet keyboards were a good idea?

[Cocozebra]

I think chicklet boards are more about fashion, given their minimalist flair. Not to be dismissive of the fact that some people genuinely prefer them, but it just doesn't seem to fit a business class notebook, whether it's an entry level one or not. The 3300/3400 etc keyboard is rather unique; not on par with higher end business models like the Latitude, but it was done well and stood above other products in that range. It's a very smooth typing experience, and like many business range laptop buyers, I'm extremely keyboard-centric.

For those who like chicklet (or don't care either way), the mild improvements like USB 3.0, HDMI for the 13", and low intro prices make the Vostro look like an excellent value for a Sandybridge notebook. The battery life (if close to their claim) is a nice improvement as well, especially for the 3350 over the 3300.

Looks like it may be the 5420 for me. Too bad, because I kinda preferred a 13.3", but the 4320 (or 6320 or whatever they're calling it) is more than double the price.

[Tsunade_Hime]

There is a chicklet debate. Try using one for productive work. Wait you can't? Big surprise there.

The new Latitude keyboard has kinda of a squishy feel for it, it's okay for productive work, but certainly nowhere near the keyboard feel of my D620/ThinkPad Z61t. Get an old school Latitude/ThinkPad if you want a real man's keyboard.

[atticus182]

If the new line has better build quality, screen and battery life than the last vostro 3300, I think I am interested. Much less $$$ than the E6320, lenovo X220 or HP 8460p. Also, if I want to do vidock graphic card, it has 2.0 expresscard, it is nice!

[Cocozebra]

Originally Posted by Tsunade_Hime

There is a chicklet debate. Try using one for productive work. Wait you can't? Big surprise there.

The new Latitude keyboard has kinda of a squishy feel for it, it's okay for productive work, but certainly nowhere near the keyboard feel of my D620/ThinkPad Z61t. Get an old school Latitude/ThinkPad if you want a real man's keyboard.

Indeed. The TP's keyboard quality goes without saying, and I'm a fan of the D620 as well. I'm probably gonna stick to newer tech, so looks like I'll risk the squishiness of the new Latitude. Better than chicklet, in the least. Sadly, new Thinkpads aren't in my budget (and their Outlet models only have 90 day warranties last I checked), and the cust. service/return policy of Dell is a bit more appealing. The notion of a "real man's" keyboard is amusing.

[Tsunade_Hime]

Originally Posted by Cocozebra

Indeed. The TP's keyboard quality goes without saying, and I'm a fan of the D620 as well. I'm probably gonna stick to newer tech, so looks like I'll risk the squishiness of the new Latitude. Better than chicklet, in the least. Sadly, new Thinkpads aren't in my budget (and their Outlet models only have 90 day warranties last I checked), and the cust. service/return policy of Dell is a bit more appealing. The notion of a "real man's" keyboard is amusing.

I mean the squishiness you can easily get used to. Outlet ThinkPads have the full 1 year warranty however warranty extension are more costly. You don't have to buy a brand new ThinkPad, I got my Z61t from my workplace for 150 dollars.

[kriegherr]

The new Vostros are up on the Canadian store, but I don't see a 3350.

Anyone know if the 3350 will be offered in North America?

[PaulyRags]

Exactly what I was thinking; I haven't seen the 3350 either. I chatted online with a rep from Dell very briefly, but all he said was that they were not launched yet. I like the 3450 as well, but I am more interested to see the 3350!