[Chris Gohlke]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/16/...-to-its-lineup/

"Dell's just added a 17.3-inch option to its Inspiron lineup. The Inspiron 17 -- which has a backlit 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,600 x 900 resolution LCD -- will boast options for Intel Pentium Dual Core as well as Core 2 Duo processors, up to 3GB of RAM, an up to 320GB SATA hard drive, and an up to 9-cell battery (the base model comes with a 4-cell)."

A laptop like this appeals to a lot of users.  With laptop prices a lot closer to desktop prices than in years past, many users are buying laptops simply to have a machine that does not take up a lot of space, is easy to move around, and easy to set up.  For those, a laptop with a big screen and a full keyboard at a low price (like this one, starting at $499) is an easy choice.  Even the base model will more than cover the needs of most users and the rather small standard battery is not much of an issue, since it probably won't spend much time far away from a power outlet anyway.

[Chris Gohlke]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/16/...-to-its-lineup/

"Dell's just added a 17.3-inch option to its Inspiron lineup. The Inspiron 17 -- which has a backlit 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,600 x 900 resolution LCD -- will boast options for Intel Pentium Dual Core as well as Core 2 Duo processors, up to 3GB of RAM, an up to 320GB SATA hard drive, and an up to 9-cell battery (the base model comes with a 4-cell)."

A laptop like this appeals to a lot of users.  With laptop prices a lot closer to desktop prices than in years past, many users are buying laptops simply to have a machine that does not take up a lot of space, is easy to move around, and easy to set up.  For those, a laptop with a big screen and a full keyboard at a low price (like this one, starting at $499) is an easy choice.  Even the base model will more than cover the needs of most users and the rather small standard battery is not much of an issue, since it probably won't spend much time far away from a power outlet anyway.

[bcre8v2]

About 2 years ago I replaced all of my desktops and servers in favor of laptops.

My main reasons were:
1. Power consumption - since I leave at least 3 systems powered on 24x7 with attached peripherals (USB drives, printers, cameras, etc). The reduction in power (and heat) was a determining factor.

2. Screen size vs. resolution - For me, it's not the screen size, but rather having at least 1600 x 1050 to be able to display the maximum amount of information. Although LCDs have plummeted in price, this is an additional power consuming device.

3. Portability - ease of moving, setting, up, etc. of the equipment.

4. My home media server is an "old" Pentium M T42 running Vista Ultimate with "Home Server" in a VM. Attached to the laptop are 2 x 750GB USB HDs and a 2TB RAID MyBook. Data backup is a breeze.

According to my Kill-a-watt, I am drawing less than 220 watts for all the devices! My monthly electric bill has been reduced drastically as well.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

US$499?! Man, everytime I see prices like that I get miffed with the local Dell...

[Macguy59]

The base model of this line will be the "do it all dream machine" of the next laptop hunter ad. Oh wait . . . it's not HP

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by bcre8v2

According to my Kill-a-watt, I am drawing less than 220 watts for all the devices! My monthly electric bill has been reduced drastically as well.

That, sir, is damned impressive! Wow. But you're saying you use no LCD monitors? All your laptops are opened and you use the built-in screens? That's something I couldn't live with unfortunately...I like my big LCD monitors.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Macguy59

The base model of this line will be the "do it all dream machine" of the next laptop hunter ad

If you've got $500 to spend on a computer, the 17" Dell laptop that you can get for $499 is infinitely more useful than the 17" Macbook that you can't get for $2499. Price matters - and no amount of eye-rolling is going to change that.

[Outlaw94]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

If you've got $500 to spend on a computer, the 17" Dell laptop that you can get for $499 is infinitely more useful than the 17" Macbook that you can't get for $2499. Price matters - and no amount of eye-rolling is going to change that.

Agreed. For most people out there a 17" Macbook is a bit overkill.