New laptop!

Ok, Dell was running a phenomenal deal on a notebook that I couldn't pass up, so now that I've ordered a new PC and a tuner card, I think I'm gonna need to return/resell them. The TV tuner card should be easy, I'll just reject the package. The Dell PC I'll probably have to resell on ebay unless anyone reading this wants a computer for $278 (see specs in previous post). :-)

I ended up buying a small Dell Inspiron 700m notebook computer. A few of the "higher ups" at work have them and they are quite cool. They are very small at 1.5" thin (only 12.1" screen) and very light ( 4.1 pounds). Here are the specs:

Intel Pentium M Processor 735 (1.70Ghz/400Mhz FSB)
1GB DDR SDRAM (2 Dimms)
80GB Hard Drive
Windows XP Home (I have PRO on my other laptop, so I'll just swap OSs)
8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer write capability
Internal 54Mbps 802.11b/g wireless
8-cell battery (as opposed to standard 4 cell)
4 year at home warranty (including nights & weekends)
4 year complete care
Spare AC adapter
Remote Control for Dell Media Experience
Free recycling kit (for an old junker I have sitting around)
Slim carrying case
Free color printer

Total before tax/shipping/discounts- $2,273
Total WITH tax/shipping after 40% off discount and mail in rebate - $1,305.28

Scratch that, the laptop just got discounted again, so I cancelled my first order and placed another one, bringing my total with tax/shipping after discount and rebate to - $1,252.90

That's right, Dell Home has a 40% off coupon right now GPL3SMPXB6JKSB (if you check SlickDeals religiously you already know that), so I got an $898.40 discount. I had another 2% discount because I let them put it on a Dell Preferred Account (aka Dell Credit Card). Buying it through Dell Small Business would have been around $1900.

I'm pumped. I'm gonna love having such a small laptop. I built similarly spec'd machines that weren't the small 700m, and they came out to be the same price if not slighly more than the little Inspiron. Granted, they'd have a 15" screen, but they'd also be several pounds heavier. Now to get some more HornIT business to pay for it! :-)

You can check out a 3D demo of the 700m here: http://www.dell.com/html/us/segments/inspiron/3dmodels/700m.html