Need opinions on 700m

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jukem

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Mar 27, 2005
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I have been looking for a laptop to take to class to type notes and work on homework in the library at my college. I have been contemplating buying the 700M but want to know you guys opinions on the small keyboard. My major is computer science so I will be doing alot of progamming and typing on it. I wanted to know if you guys think that the keyboard would be a hassle to type on.

Thanks in Advance
 
I personally would like a larger screen, and the tiny keys for me would be problematic. However portability and weight is also a plus for that machine.

You said your major is computer science, and if you plan on doing a LOT of programming, you need to take into account the strain on your eyes from such a small screen and the cramping you might get from the bunched keys. Just my opinion though.
 
You could probably get used to the keyboard, the screen, all of it....

however, it's a gamble...

if you have the option of checking out a dell kiosk at the mall, then head there and look at the 700m in person...otherwise, wait for the new 14" to be unveiled...unless you want to take advantage of the 45% off coupon right now....

in that case, I'd either go for a 6000 or 600m

that or go for a completely different company/brand....you just can't beat the price of a 45%coupon
 
i 2nd the dell kiosk visit...

i just did that this weekend while i was in raleigh, and this may be bad news for you, but i am having some second thoughts about the keyboard

but the screen will be easier to get used to, and it is beeeeeeeeautiful (the kiosk had a WMP hi-def video playing and it was amazing)
 
I think most people get use to it after awhile. I didn't think being 10% smaller was a big deal, unless you have really large hands.

The half sized comma and period keys are little bit more annoying. If it weren't for that you would hardly notice the difference.
 
yea, when referring to "keyboard" i was thinking in my head the "comma" and "period" keys, but maybe i would easily be able to get used to them too, hard to say
 
I'm part of tech ops at my college (Central Michigan) and i have had the chance to pretty much play around with Dells whole new line from customers coming in, and i personally own an Inspiron 6000

I spent a month trying to decide what i wanted to go with because i already had a powerful desktop, and i really wanted something small and portable, i ended up going with the 6000 and it turned out to be the best decision

I cant stand the keyboard on the 700M, i dont really have that big of hands, but its not only that, its the fact that the 15.4" screen on teh 6000 really isnt that much to carry around, especially if you have a nice laptop backpack

imo, get a 6000, but thats just my two cents
 
I used an Inspiron 700m for about 1 week that my friend let me take his laptop so I could clean out his laptop with the latest OS and software. Based on that 1-week usage period, here are my Pros and Cons:

=Pros=
(1) Very light and portable. Easily fits almost any school bag and the added weight is negligible unless you're a girly man. :D
(2) Long battery life. I got about 5 hrs 15 mins out of it. The laptop was brand new. He didn't even take it out of his box before letting me do my magic on it.
(3) Powerful enough for word processing, emulation gaming (mame32, etc), web browsing, and old PC games (his had the 855 Intel Extreme Graphics 2).

=Cons=
(1) The monitor is too small. Unless you have awesome vision, you really have to get kind of close to it to see the letterings.
(2) The keyboard is a total bitch to get used to. Hitting the comma and the period is especially a pain.
(3) The locations of the PageUp, PageDown, Home, and End key are cumbersome.
(4) Only 2 USB ports.

Conclusion:

After using his laptop for 1 week, I changed my mind and bought an Inspiron 6000 instead. It took advantage of that 40% off coupon and I got mine for only $100 more than my friend's 700m. I got a faster processor, newer chipset and integrated graphics, a dual-layer supported DVD+/-R/RW burner, 3-yr warranty, and a bigger screen and keyboard.

In other words, don't buy the 700m unless you have good vision and have small hands. My friend is kinda short (at 5' 6") with small hands but even he complains about the smallness of the keyboard. Also, I see him working on his work projects while his shoulder is hunched over close to the screen to do work on his Excel stuff. (poor guy, ;))

In case you're interested in the 6000, here is the link to a site with a 45% off coupon deal:

http://www.gottadeal.com/custom.php

The deal can be found in the Laptop Category.

-Optimummind
 
If you are interested in a 6000D, im selling one, pm me if you have any questions.

I carry it around campus all day in a targus backpack and its actually lighter than it may seem. its not a bad choice at all for school. Plus - it has an X300 option (i have it) that will play HL2 and BF2...in class lol.
 
Thanks for all the replies. :D You saved me from making a big purchase mistake. I will now turn my search into researching the i6000 and hopefully come up with a combination that will be just right for me.Another question I have is do any of you have any suggestions on the do's and don'ts on the customization?
 
You're not likely to find one of those crazy 45% off coupons for it, but I'd suggest looking at the Latitude X1. I've got one, and the keyboard is amazingly large for such a small computer. It's really comfortable to type on. The screen, while it could be a little brighter (I think that might just be my laptop, though), also lacks the mirror finish of the 700M. It's also lighter, and the battery supposedly lasts longer (my extended battery lasts a long freakin' time; longer than I'm capable of sitting in one place).
 
The Latitude X1 doesn't have an optical drive built in. While that may not be a big deal to some people, I can say it was a deal breaker for me.
 
I have heard that the keyboard is annoying, but that is the price you pay for such a cool portable notebook. I am actually thinking about getting one myself just for bringing around and lounging around the house. My i9300 is sweet but it is quite a beast and i don't always like to lug it around since its so heavy.
 
I have had a 700m for almost a month now. I bought it to replace my 600m.

With that in mind...here was what I had to get used to.

When it is late at night and I am tired...I'm typically on my laptop. At first, I thought I was going to have a problem with my vision. I had to squint sometimes and my eyes were irritated because of that. About a week or so afterwards, the problem went away. My eyes adjusted to what I was looking at and I no longer have a problem with the screen size and resolution. Besides that, it's a beautiful screen. Orgasmic compared to my 2 year old 600m.

The next obvious annoyance I first had with my 700m was...dun dun dunnnnn!!! The keyboard. Yeah, like everyone, the keyboard was something to get used to. The keys are smaller and some keys are placed in different areas...so and and so forth. The "." "," and "/" keys were smushed together...very hard to get used to at first. Now, if you have seen the size of my hand compared to the 700m in the laptop picture thread, you would know that I don't have small hands. For a laptop this size...they are HUGE compared. Now, with all of this in mind, the only problem I have with this keyboard to this day, is the "/" key. My pinky finger is going to blow up if it hits the shift key one more time instead of the key intended. The comma and period keys are all fully functional and I no longer have a problem getting to those keys. It's all about the /? key. Fucking bastard. I know I'll get used to it...and overall...It's not even that annoying. So the problem, while apparant, is quite negligent.

Now, for the next problem I have found with this laptop....oh wait...there are none.

Yeah, that's about it. After popping in a gig of ram from newegg.com @ $120 I am up and rolling in about 20 seconds when I turn that bad boy on.

It's truly a laptop you have to see to believe. When I first purchased the laptop...I really had not thought about the size too much. I just knew that I wanted something still smaller than a 14" laptop and something more powerful. The powerful I knew I was getting, the size, however, was very hard to get used to. Not in functionality (besides the 2 problems listed above...and those weren't even initial (upon opening the box), but just the size of the laptop astounded me. I couldn't believe they sent out a box that big to place a laptop that small in it. Sure you have accessories and the like, but fuck...I put everything I need in a zeroshock 12" sleeve and my power cord in my backpack and I'm off...what were they trying to cover up when they gave me that big honkin' box? Did they think they needed to cover up the size of this laptop's penis, fuck no...the e-penis on this bitch is FUCKING HUGE MAYNE....

Anyway, back on topic. If you can't stand small text....and feel as though you'll have a problem with the keyboard, then see if you can get to a kiosk and check it out for yourself. Otherwise, like I said, wait for the new 14" (the 600m has a horrible build quality IMHO), get a 6000D or buy a whole different brand all together.

We can sit here and judge the laptop all we want...you'll see folks sitting on the fence, some sitting on the left, and some sitting on the right when talking about this laptop. The resounding reply will always be that the 700m is a laptop many will love and some will hate...but all will look in awe. However, the only true way of knowing what you want is if you try that bitch out for yourself. Think..."warm apple pie," sir and the truth shall set you free!!
 
Now that I have gotten my Inspiron 6000 and I have completed my program installation and customizaton (and also safely making an image of the system partition), I'm ready to give a review of the 6000.

==Pros==
(1) Big screen, native resolution of 1680x1050
(2) Good keyboard size. All the buttons like PgUp, PgDN, Arrow Keys, Home, End, etc are where they should be. The period and comma keys are normal-sized (compared to the shrunken down ones on the Inspiron 700m)
(3) Good battery life. I got 4 hrs. 50 mins. from a 80Whr 9-cell battery.
*Note: After using the Centrino Hardware Control app to reduce the voltage level at different multiplier levels, my battery life increased by almost an hour!!)

==Cons==
(1) Kinda big, since I was used to the 700m that I was using for a week. As for the weight, it's about 7 lbs. But, for the bigger screen, comfortable keyboard, and a DVD burner, I can live with it.
(2) This complaint is not hardware related but software-related. The Inspiron 6000 shipped with so much bloatware I reformatted the HDD and installed my own applications.

Since this is my first laptop that I've bought, I know my review won't be very comprehensive. However, I like my decision and if there was one thing I might've added if I could've afforded more is a better graphics solution. Trying to play 3D games on the Intel GMA900 128mb after being used to playing on the GF6800Ultra was a total downgrading experience.
 
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