NetRyder
Tech Junkie
- Joined
- 19 Apr 2002
- Messages
- 13,256
Just received the new 700m a couple of days ago. I'll have a mini-review up in the next few days (no time right now)
I think Dell did a marvellous job with the design on this one. Much better design than their previous line-up (I have a Inspiron 5100 too...the 700m is for my dad). The footprint is tiny: it's about 1.5" thick and weight a little more than 4 lbs; that's lighter than a 12" iBook G4. The wide-aspect 12.1" WXGA screen is drop-dead gorgeous (best I've seen yet). Other impressions coming up later this week.
Specs:
12.1" WXGA (1280x800) wide-aspect reflective TFT display
Intel Pentium-M "Dothan" 725 @ 1.60 GHz (2MB Cache, 400MHz FSB)
512MB (2x256) PC2700 DDR SDRAM
40.0 GB Hard Drive
8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+RW/+R) w/ double-layer write capability
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG MiniPCI IIIB Adapter (802.11b/g)
64MB Intel Extreme Graphics
Integrated 10/100 Network Adapter
Integrated v.92 56k Modem
2 x USB 2.0, 1 x IEEE 1394 (Firewire) ports
1 x S-Video out, 1 x VGA out ports
1 x Type I/II PCMCIA card slot
1 x Secure Digital (SD) memory card reader
8-cell 65WHr Li-Ion battery (~4.5-5 hours)
Windows XP Home SP1
Review:
Just delivered.
The small box on the right is the free Dell 720 Photo Printer that came with the system.
Design and Construction:
The 700m replaces Dell’s old 300m, and as a result, falls on the line between a thin-and-light and an ultra-portable machine. This is Dell’s second smallest notebook overall, following the Latitude X300, and the smallest all-in-one machine they offer. The machine is extremely portable, with a thickness of about 1.5” and a weight of a little more than 4 lbs.
The construction of the chassis is excellent, and definitely a step above Dell’s other blue-and-silver Inspiron portables. Compared to my 5100, the 700m’s outer case seems to have a better build quality overall, although it is not metal-alloy reinforced like the Latitude chasses.
The design is beautiful (as is evident from pictures) – the silver portions have a sort of matte finish to them, while the white parts have a glossy enamel-like look-and-feel.
Beautiful finish on the lid...
Small and light enough to carry with one hand.
Display:
The display wins hands down as my favorite part of the 700m (apart from its size, of course). This machine is the only one of all Dell’s systems that includes a reflective screen, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. For those who are unfamiliar with the term ‘reflective screen,’ think of those bright, vivid “XBRITE” displays that you may have seen on certain Sony notebooks. The advantage of this type of screen is that it is visible even in sunlight, unlike regular TFT displays that appear to fade in the sun. I was able to watch a movie just fine on a 6 hour road trip to the Bay Area a few weeks ago. The disadvantage, on the other hand, is that reflective screens tend to pick up dust and fingerprints much faster than regular screens. Just clean them regularly, though, and you should be fine. With that said, reflective screens are not for everyone – some people love them, some hate them. Go look at one in a store before you decide to buy a machine that includes one.
Another nice thing about the 700m’s display is the native resolution. The 12” WXGA display has a resolution of 1280x800 (yes, widescreen). I think this is the perfect resolution for a screen of this size. The widescreen is nice to watch DVDs, and work with apps like Excel and Photoshop (more screen estate), yet the readability of on-screen text is not compromised since the resolution is not too high.
A glimpse of the screen...the brightness and crispness just blew me away.
CPU/Memory:
The 700m can be configured with a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Pentium-M 725/745 “Dothan” CPU, which is arguably one of the best mobile CPUs in the market today. With 2MB of L2 cache, these things are excellent performers, while still being the most power-efficient CPUs available.
Of course, like any modern machine, the 700m supports DDR memory – more specifically up to 2GB of PC2700 (DDR333) RAM.
Connectivity:
The 700m is a legacy-free system, like most modern machines. That means, it does not include serial, parallel, or IrDA ports. However, it does ship with two USB 2.0 ports, one IEEE1394 (Firewire) port, headphone and microphone jacks, RJ-45 (10/100 NIC) and RJ-11 (56k modem) ports, VGA-Out (for an extra external display), S-Video Out, and one PCMCIA card slot.
Built-in Bluetooth would have been nice, but hey, those nifty little Bluetooth USB adapters work nicely and are really inexpensive these days.
Drives:
As I mentioned before, the 700m, despite being so portable, is still an all-in-one machine, which means it includes a built-in modular drive bay. We configured our system with a dual-layer DVD burner, which is currently pretty cutting-edge in the portable market. The modular bay also supports a hot-swappable floppy drive, CD-ROM drive, DVD-ROM drive, or a CD-RW/DVD combination drive, but not an additional battery pack.
Our machine shipped with a 40GB 4200rpm drive. However, you can upgrade to higher capacity drives as well.
The right side of the machine - a modular dual-layer DVD burner. That's right, 8.5GB on a single disk
Graphics card:
Ok, here’s the kicker – gamers will want to stay away from this machine. It includes a 64MB shared memory Intel Extreme Graphics GPU. Definitely not your hardcore LAN party rig. Didn’t matter to me – I’m not a gamer, and more importantly, as I said, this machine is for my dad, not for me. I just get to play with it every so often
Wireless:
Since the 700m is a Centrino machine, it includes an integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG module, which supports the 802.11b/g standards. The system can also be configured with a Dell TrueMobile module instead, with a Broadcom-manufactured chipset (you won’t get the shiny Centrino sticker though ).
The range of the Intel module is great (although not as long-range as some Atheros-chipset based cards), and the connections are reliable.
Keyboard/Touchpad:
The 700m’s keyboard is smaller than your regular notebook keyboards due to the size of the machine. It might take you about a week to get used to, but it’s comfortable, and the keys feel solid. Overall, the quality of the keyboard definitely feels better than the one on my 5100.
The touchpad is my beloved Synaptics one (as in the 5100), and I can’t praise it enough. This thing is tremendously configurable/customizable, and with features like virtual-scrolling, tap-zones, tap-and-drag and everything else, it’s much more than your average touchpad.
Battery:
This is possibly one of the only gripes I had about this machine, but the problem was easily solved. Read on…
Basically, to keep the size and weight low, Dell ships the system with a small, low-capacity battery that lasts for just about 2.5 hours. However, you can purchase the additional 65WHr battery (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!), which ends up giving the machine an impressive battery life.
I did a real-world test to see how long the 65WHr battery would last on that road-trip to San Fransisco. I watched two full-length, 2 hour long movies on the way, with the screen brightness turned all the way up, and the wireless radio still on (although not connected to an access point, obviously). At the end of the trip, the battery was still at about 15%! I’d predict that if you were doing something less-CPU intensive, turned down the screen brightness a little bit, and turned off the wireless radio, you’d easily be able to pull off 5.5 hours on this thing, perhaps even a little more. Very cool =)
UPDATE (Oct 11, 2004): It seems that Dell now offers you a choice to order just the 65WHr battery instead of ordering it as an extra.
Size-comparison with my 14.1" 5100. Of course, one is a mainstream machine, the other is almost an ultraportable.
Summary - Pros/Cons:
+ Small, light and very portable
+ Beautiful design
+ Latest Pentium-M "Dothan" CPU
+ Widescreen, reflective display
+ Modular Dual-layer DVD burner
+ Outer case and keyboard feel strong and solid
+ Great battery life with 65WHr battery
+ IEEE1394/Firewire port
- Keys might feel small at first
- Weak graphics chipset: not for gamers!
- No internal Bluetooth/IrDA option
I think Dell did a marvellous job with the design on this one. Much better design than their previous line-up (I have a Inspiron 5100 too...the 700m is for my dad). The footprint is tiny: it's about 1.5" thick and weight a little more than 4 lbs; that's lighter than a 12" iBook G4. The wide-aspect 12.1" WXGA screen is drop-dead gorgeous (best I've seen yet). Other impressions coming up later this week.
Specs:
12.1" WXGA (1280x800) wide-aspect reflective TFT display
Intel Pentium-M "Dothan" 725 @ 1.60 GHz (2MB Cache, 400MHz FSB)
512MB (2x256) PC2700 DDR SDRAM
40.0 GB Hard Drive
8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+RW/+R) w/ double-layer write capability
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG MiniPCI IIIB Adapter (802.11b/g)
64MB Intel Extreme Graphics
Integrated 10/100 Network Adapter
Integrated v.92 56k Modem
2 x USB 2.0, 1 x IEEE 1394 (Firewire) ports
1 x S-Video out, 1 x VGA out ports
1 x Type I/II PCMCIA card slot
1 x Secure Digital (SD) memory card reader
8-cell 65WHr Li-Ion battery (~4.5-5 hours)
Windows XP Home SP1
Review:
Just delivered.
Design and Construction:
The 700m replaces Dell’s old 300m, and as a result, falls on the line between a thin-and-light and an ultra-portable machine. This is Dell’s second smallest notebook overall, following the Latitude X300, and the smallest all-in-one machine they offer. The machine is extremely portable, with a thickness of about 1.5” and a weight of a little more than 4 lbs.
The construction of the chassis is excellent, and definitely a step above Dell’s other blue-and-silver Inspiron portables. Compared to my 5100, the 700m’s outer case seems to have a better build quality overall, although it is not metal-alloy reinforced like the Latitude chasses.
The design is beautiful (as is evident from pictures) – the silver portions have a sort of matte finish to them, while the white parts have a glossy enamel-like look-and-feel.
Beautiful finish on the lid...
Small and light enough to carry with one hand.
Display:
The display wins hands down as my favorite part of the 700m (apart from its size, of course). This machine is the only one of all Dell’s systems that includes a reflective screen, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. For those who are unfamiliar with the term ‘reflective screen,’ think of those bright, vivid “XBRITE” displays that you may have seen on certain Sony notebooks. The advantage of this type of screen is that it is visible even in sunlight, unlike regular TFT displays that appear to fade in the sun. I was able to watch a movie just fine on a 6 hour road trip to the Bay Area a few weeks ago. The disadvantage, on the other hand, is that reflective screens tend to pick up dust and fingerprints much faster than regular screens. Just clean them regularly, though, and you should be fine. With that said, reflective screens are not for everyone – some people love them, some hate them. Go look at one in a store before you decide to buy a machine that includes one.
Another nice thing about the 700m’s display is the native resolution. The 12” WXGA display has a resolution of 1280x800 (yes, widescreen). I think this is the perfect resolution for a screen of this size. The widescreen is nice to watch DVDs, and work with apps like Excel and Photoshop (more screen estate), yet the readability of on-screen text is not compromised since the resolution is not too high.
A glimpse of the screen...the brightness and crispness just blew me away.
CPU/Memory:
The 700m can be configured with a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Pentium-M 725/745 “Dothan” CPU, which is arguably one of the best mobile CPUs in the market today. With 2MB of L2 cache, these things are excellent performers, while still being the most power-efficient CPUs available.
Of course, like any modern machine, the 700m supports DDR memory – more specifically up to 2GB of PC2700 (DDR333) RAM.
Connectivity:
The 700m is a legacy-free system, like most modern machines. That means, it does not include serial, parallel, or IrDA ports. However, it does ship with two USB 2.0 ports, one IEEE1394 (Firewire) port, headphone and microphone jacks, RJ-45 (10/100 NIC) and RJ-11 (56k modem) ports, VGA-Out (for an extra external display), S-Video Out, and one PCMCIA card slot.
Built-in Bluetooth would have been nice, but hey, those nifty little Bluetooth USB adapters work nicely and are really inexpensive these days.
Drives:
As I mentioned before, the 700m, despite being so portable, is still an all-in-one machine, which means it includes a built-in modular drive bay. We configured our system with a dual-layer DVD burner, which is currently pretty cutting-edge in the portable market. The modular bay also supports a hot-swappable floppy drive, CD-ROM drive, DVD-ROM drive, or a CD-RW/DVD combination drive, but not an additional battery pack.
Our machine shipped with a 40GB 4200rpm drive. However, you can upgrade to higher capacity drives as well.
The right side of the machine - a modular dual-layer DVD burner. That's right, 8.5GB on a single disk
Graphics card:
Ok, here’s the kicker – gamers will want to stay away from this machine. It includes a 64MB shared memory Intel Extreme Graphics GPU. Definitely not your hardcore LAN party rig. Didn’t matter to me – I’m not a gamer, and more importantly, as I said, this machine is for my dad, not for me. I just get to play with it every so often
Wireless:
Since the 700m is a Centrino machine, it includes an integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG module, which supports the 802.11b/g standards. The system can also be configured with a Dell TrueMobile module instead, with a Broadcom-manufactured chipset (you won’t get the shiny Centrino sticker though ).
The range of the Intel module is great (although not as long-range as some Atheros-chipset based cards), and the connections are reliable.
Keyboard/Touchpad:
The 700m’s keyboard is smaller than your regular notebook keyboards due to the size of the machine. It might take you about a week to get used to, but it’s comfortable, and the keys feel solid. Overall, the quality of the keyboard definitely feels better than the one on my 5100.
The touchpad is my beloved Synaptics one (as in the 5100), and I can’t praise it enough. This thing is tremendously configurable/customizable, and with features like virtual-scrolling, tap-zones, tap-and-drag and everything else, it’s much more than your average touchpad.
Battery:
This is possibly one of the only gripes I had about this machine, but the problem was easily solved. Read on…
Basically, to keep the size and weight low, Dell ships the system with a small, low-capacity battery that lasts for just about 2.5 hours. However, you can purchase the additional 65WHr battery (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!), which ends up giving the machine an impressive battery life.
I did a real-world test to see how long the 65WHr battery would last on that road-trip to San Fransisco. I watched two full-length, 2 hour long movies on the way, with the screen brightness turned all the way up, and the wireless radio still on (although not connected to an access point, obviously). At the end of the trip, the battery was still at about 15%! I’d predict that if you were doing something less-CPU intensive, turned down the screen brightness a little bit, and turned off the wireless radio, you’d easily be able to pull off 5.5 hours on this thing, perhaps even a little more. Very cool =)
UPDATE (Oct 11, 2004): It seems that Dell now offers you a choice to order just the 65WHr battery instead of ordering it as an extra.
Size-comparison with my 14.1" 5100. Of course, one is a mainstream machine, the other is almost an ultraportable.
Summary - Pros/Cons:
+ Small, light and very portable
+ Beautiful design
+ Latest Pentium-M "Dothan" CPU
+ Widescreen, reflective display
+ Modular Dual-layer DVD burner
+ Outer case and keyboard feel strong and solid
+ Great battery life with 65WHr battery
+ IEEE1394/Firewire port
- Keys might feel small at first
- Weak graphics chipset: not for gamers!
- No internal Bluetooth/IrDA option