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"Avoid high-end options and this is can be a great system" on by babyphoenix
Pros: Components available that no other laptop of its size offer, great battery life
Cons: no gaming machine should use intel, could use a better video card
Summary: First of all, I'm very impressed with this machine. I'd been eyeing one of the Sony TX series vaio laptops for a while to replace my old Dell latitude one. Personally, I won't ever treat my laptop as my only machine when it's much more cost effective to put money into a desktop and have a solid, functional laptop instead.
I was dubious when i came across the M1210 initially, since I'd found the XPS line, on the whole, to be pricy and generally not worth the money, but with the right set of components, you can walk away with an M1210 for not much at all.
Now, I've heard some comparison between different models of Dell computers and the M1210. THe E1705 in particular has been brought up, and, while yes you can get a better video card in the larger machine, the E1705 comes with only a single-core intel 1.6GHz processor, which is a joke for a machine that size. The video card won't overcome the hobbling the poor processor places on it.
Realistically, if there should be any comparison between machines, it should be between the M1210 and the M1710, its big brother. Personally, if it was going to be my only machine, I'd probably go with the M1710, but i use a desktop that is much more powerful for most of my work and play, and the laptop only for on the go stuff. As such, I hate lugging around a big laptop. 17-inch screens are massive machines. THey don't fit well in backpacks, they're screaming hot on your lap, and, frankly, I like the smaller, more portable machines. Size is a concern for me. That's the bottom line.
Two final notes. If you're really serious about a gaming laptop, alienware is probably your best bet. Until Dell gets on the AMD wagon and starts using Athlon cards in its laptops, it'll always be behind the curve. That's the only reason I wasn't willing to give the M1210 a 10/10 score. I think it's great, but an AMD processor would have made it astounding. My unit has the Dual-Core 2.0GHb processor, 2gb of RAM, and the 256 video card. Cost me less than 2 grand and is fully three times the machine of any other laptop in its price range. -
"A very solid business machine with a few annoyances" on by gregorysreid
Pros: Well built, fast, nice looking, good screen, decent battery life.
Cons: A few minor areas that business people should be simply aware of.
Summary: The objective of my M1210 purchase was to replace a Sony S series notebook that had served me well on business travel around the world (multiple times) for the past two years.
I am not using the Dell M1210 as a gaming or entertainment machine but only as a business machine. I reviewed the Sony SZ models prior to my decision. However, found them both expensive and technically limted compared to other brands in the market, although the SZ models are quite nice looking and very sleek. For example, they have slower hard drives, bus speeds, etc. After reviewing the other brands such as HP, Lenovo (Thinkpad), etc for both price and performance, Dell notebooks were clearly at the top of the value curve. I did a weighted criteria analysis and Dell kept coming out on top based on my important considerations for a notebook PC. My decision then came to the M1210 or the Lattitude 620. It was a 51/49 split decision between the M1210 and the 620 and for more subjective reasons, I went for the M1210.
First, I would purchase it again.
I have no issue with buyer's remorse. The M1210 is very well built. Solid, well constructed, nice professional look, good screen (as good as the Sony, which is saying a quite a bit). Good keyboard for it's size. I don't beat on the keys, so the issue some people are finding with the lower right hand side of the keyboard being flexible isn't an issue with me. It is also fast. I am sure others will be more exact with specific speed metrics. However, for a PPT guy, it is certainly quite adequate. It is also nice and light.
The experience with Dell was, as usual, excellent. Delivered well before the estimate date, well qualified XPS sales CSR who knew what they were doing and helped me get the appropriate discounts, etc. (You can get $250 if you use some AMEX points and obtain a gift card prior to purchase) The packaging and other materials besides the PC itself were also fine. The 3G Verizon Mobile Broadband even worked well with a short call to the telcom company.
A few complaints. First, the Notebook Docking Station...isn't a docking station. It is a simple port replicator that requires that you plug in the PC power cord, the external monitor and a USB cord between the replicator and the PC. I was used to my Sony docking station that required only that you set the PC on top of the docking station. No cords to mess with, which was nice. I would not buy the port replicator again; for $80, one can find a much cheaper PC stand. Second, even in this high priced XPS model, Dell has not incorporated the Lattitude's capability to quickly charge a dead battery. It takes 4 hours to charge a 4 hour battery on the M1210. Third, the screen is small which was known before the purchase. However, when you look at the case, they could have made the screen larger without sacrificing any size of the PC's case. Not sure why they didn't do that and increase a bit of the screen real estate. Fourth, it runs hot. Not surprising as there are significant electronics in this box. However, the PC is relatively quite. My Sony sounded like a turbo-prop taking off due to its very loud and quite annoying cooling fan. Finally, Dell loads a LOT of crap onto these machines from software companies hoping you'll purchse their product for the long term. It took me hours to uninstall the test-ware packages prior to the reinstallation of what I really need to do the job. I'd pay Dell an extra $50 to NOT load these packages; that would be a nice option on their order entry web site!
Would I buy this model again? Yes. It is solid and will serve me well for the next few years inspite of its mild issues.
As Oprah notes about life: "You can have it all, just not at the same time", the same applies to the PC notebook market, I guess. My complaints are minor and I would recommend this machine to my co-workers.Updated
I noted in my opinion that the screen was as nice as my old Sony Vaio. Perhaps, not quite. If 1 = your run-of-the-mill $600 notebook and 10 = the Sony X-brite, I'd place the M1210 screen somewhere in the 7 to 8 range. Still very nice.Updated
I have been using the system for about 6 weeks or so. Overall, still a nice system, but a few things that buyers should be aware of...
1) Dell can't seem to get my DVD to burn DVD+R disks. It does DVD+RWs, but not DVD+R.
2) Like every Dell that I have ever had, the power management features simply don't work. It will wake itself up from 'Standby' (just did it this morning in my briefcase) and 'Hibernate' just doesn't work at all.
3) Even the largest battery last only a little over three hours, even with the wireless features off.
4) Masking Tape holds wires together under the battery...effective but tacky for a machine of this cost. (They could have at least used duct tape)
5) The 100 GB Hard drive is only 94 GB's. A bit of Marketing 'enhancement'. -
"The catalyst for all laptops." on by bjones1910
Pros: portable, long battery life, incredible performance, etc.
Cons: if you want a large screen, then it's only con is it's screen isn't large.
Summary: I purchased this machine about a month ago and for one minute lets forget about dell's abysmal service. This laptop is amazing and I can't see anyone regreting buying it.
First off it is extremly portable with a 12.1 inch screen and a 7 hour and 56 minute battery life. It may be a little chuncky at the bottom, but i assure you it's not that noticible and doesn't really effect it's portability. While known as an ultraportable laptop, it is still packed with significant power that can rival that of it's older brother, the m1710. Although it will cost extra to upgrade this machine to that standard, it still will cost under 2 grand, which is far less expensive than the m1710 and other laptops in that caliber for that matter. These upgrades should include the 1 gb of ram, 256mb nvidia geforce graphics card,2.13ghz and av communications package. Togaether these upgrades give you a laptop that is powerful and portable.
*Now if you desire a desk top replacement laptop, with a lot of power, then this is not the right laptop for you. For me personally, I see no reason in a laptop unless its portable enough that you can bring it around without it dying on you in an hour. If your like me and you want a pretty powerful computer that can still be brought virtually anywhere than i see no other computer best suited for you.
I completely disagree with cnet regarding the rating of the lenova think pad compared to the m1210. Usually i fullheartedly agree with their opinions, however this time i was shocked. The lenova think pad may be extremly portable, however so is the m1210. They bothe average about 8 hours of batter life, while the lenova is lighter. However the reason for this is it has no cd/dvd drive. Now this doesn't bother some, but it does bother me quite a bit. In addition, the m1210 is a much more powerful comp(less expensive) with a built in camera which I tell you is AWESOME!!
I garuntee anyone who purchases this product you won't be disappointed. While i can't same for 17 inch monstrosities and laptops without optical drives. Trust me I had a 17 inch dell and after 3 months i longed for a more portable machine. -
"The best choice when size matters" on by Makutu
Pros: Small, lightweight, powerful, nice screen, sleek design
Cons: Keyboard takes some getting used to, Dell preinstalls a bunch of junk
Summary: I just got my custom XPS m1210 after ordering it June 1st. Dell totally blew away their estimated shipping time and I'm very impressed with only a week from order placed to on doorstep.
The out of the box experience on this notebook is stunning. This is by far the best looking dell I have ever seen with its sleek black and silver exterior and shiny blue media control buttons.
I would recommend this notebook to anybody like me in at least one of a few ways, so what does that mean? I will be brining the laptop daily to and from work and I travel semifrequently (once every month or so). I looked at ultraportables such as the Vaio TX but I was reluctant because they are not actually very fast. Since I'm not an executive, I do have some "real work" to do beyond "email and the occassional powerpoint" and I really didn't want a sluggish laptop. The Dell XPS M1210 packs a serious punch (I got the 2.16ghz dual core configuration) into a tiny (11.7" by 8.7" package). I see it as being the best of both worlds in terms of computing power and mobility.
As a Toshiba user through and through, the Dell keyboard is taking some getting used to. There's a windows key between function and alt which I keep pressing when I'm trying to alt-tab. I also don't like the arrow keys that are set below the rest of the keys to allow for (it seems) a second ctrl key. This is more of a personal issue and I'm sure I will get used to it.
Also, as some reviews have said the bottom right of the keyboard is indeed a little mushy that'd only be noticeable in normal use by a very firm typist. -
"Excellent Laptop for Everyday Use" on by tanjacob715
Pros: Powerful processor, good graphics, full-sized keyboard, ample ports, useful utility buttons, sleek and classy design, sturdy build
Cons: Weak speakers, mediocre videocam, no configurable DVD-RAM drive, sub-par software package, relatively heavy
Summary: I got this laptop a few weeks ago to replace my damaged Inspiron 700m, and I am very pleased with my purchase.
For a 12.1" laptop, it's combination of strengths is a winner. Configurable with a powerful Core Duo processor up to 2.16GHz and up to 4GB of 667MHz RAM (though most may settle with 1GB or 2GB), a DVD-RW drive with dual-layer support, it can handle a variety of taxing productivity tasks thrown at it. The dedicated GeForce Go 7400 graphics that supports up to 256MB of VRAM is also a rare find in a laptop of this size, and allows for fairly decent gaming, even though having lots of eye candy for the most demanding games such as Oblivion is out of the question.
Despite being only a 12.1" laptop, it has a full-sized keyboard, which is a very welcome improvement over the 700m. The dedicated buttons for WiFi, Media Experience, Webcam and multimedia are very useful, and help improve the overall computer experience. Although it is larger in size than other 12.1" laptops, it more than makes up for it by having many ports. For example, having 4 USB ports instead of 2 really helps a lot and saves me the trouble of using a hub.
Aesthetically, it may not be a loud and flashy laptop, but it is sleek and classy with its black cover and silver case. It neither looks like a toy (the XPS M1710) nor a cheap recycled model (the old Dells).
However, I have some quibbles still. The speakers are weak and tinny, though this is to be expected from a laptop of this size category. The integrated videocam takes pictures and videos at mediocre quality, though the in-ears offered are of good quality (I got the Creative EP-630). The DVD-RW drive is not a super-multi drive, so I cannot use DVD-RAM discs on it. The software package is sub-par, with only the basic drivers, DVD playback software, DVD/CD burning software and audio creation software. Finally, it is a fairly heavy package, coming close to 3kg after taking into account the 9-cell battery, a mouse and the adapter.
However, the strengths of the Dell XPS M1210 far outweigh the weaknesses, because the weaknesses are relatively minor. Despite configuring a high-end system for myself, upgrading all the components for maximum performance and taking the optional items, it is still significantly cheaper than offerings by other competitors for the same specifications. I highly recommend the Dell XPS M1210.
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