dell adamo 13 for 600 should i buy

[Sunburn74]

The title says it all. I can pick up a refurbished adamo with a Samsung ssd and 4gb of ram for 600. Should I do it? I use my laptop for casual work, nothing demanding and no gaming.

 

[TheStu]

I always liked the look of the Adamo...

What size SSD is it?

Remember that it has, at best, a first generation SSD, newer ultralights although more expensive will have better processors and faster SSDs.

Is this to be a primary, secondary or tertiary system?

 

[Zap]

Don't get it. It would be a CULV Core 2, which isn't very fast. Also, battery life sucked. What kind of warranty? Is it from Dell Outlet? If not, definitely pass.

The Dell Vostro V131 is very similar in form factor, with the exception of weighing 1/2 pound more and with a battery that sticks out the bottom back side a touch. It should be better all around, using Sandy Bridge CPUs and having MORE THAN TWICE the battery life along with the faster CPU and better graphics. Oh yeah, starts at $499 for a brand new one, though that is only with 2GB RAM and HDD not SSD. You can upgrade it yourself for $100 (shop hot deals) and thus end up with something better.

 

[Sunburn74]

128gb samsung ssd

just a secondary system. my desktop screams.

zap makes a point about the vostro. adamo has a backlit keyboard though and nicer screen...

 

[gmaster456]

The dell Adamo is pretty old at this point. I'd pass.

 

[Zap]

zap makes a point about the vostro. adamo has a backlit keyboard though and nicer screen...

Don't know about the screen. Vostro is anti-glare, not glossy. The Vostro also has a backlit keyboard. Oh yeah, it is also much easier to upgrade by removing just a panel on the bottom, instead of having to remove the whole bottom, remove the sound card, remove the battery...

 

[vbuggy]

Well, it depends on if you're actually going to carry it about all day. The runtime and the weight (vs utility) made it a non-starter for me.

It is a very nice thing to have though, which is one of the reasons why I let it sit on my desk for ages for the very occasional portable airing when they came out. It was different, it wasn't an Air and not being female or a queen I felt it was better suited to my personal image. However its solidity and style came at a significant weight penalty with no redeeming functional features.

 

[Sunburn74]

Yeah the only reason I'd even consider it is the form factor. However with ultras coming out and faster SSDs being dirt cheap (1st gen intel x-25ms are going for $1 a gig these days. Ridiculously cheap) I think i'll pass. I think its shameful that no one has yet to produce a laptop <$800 which rivals the macs in the sexiness of the form factor.

 

[Zap]

I think its shameful that no one has yet to produce a laptop <$800 which rivals the macs in the sexiness of the form factor.

??? If you like the Adamo, then you should like the Vostro V131. Except for the battery jutting out the bottom rear (almost like a stand) it very strongly resembles the Adamo. However, it has around THREE TIMES the battery life, with four times the graphics performance and who knows how many times the CPU performance, plus is easier to work on/upgrade.

 

[vbuggy]

??? If you like the Adamo, then you should like the Vostro V131. Except for the battery jutting out the bottom rear (almost like a stand) it very strongly resembles the Adamo. However, it has around THREE TIMES the battery life, with four times the graphics performance and who knows how many times the CPU performance, plus is easier to work on/upgrade.

The Adamo has style. The Vostro does not. It is merely a low-profile notebook. Still, everything else applies. As for 'strongly resembling', well - you might as well say Susan Boyle 'very strongly resembles' Monica Belucci.

 

[Zap]

Besides color differences and that shiney band across the lid, how are they visibly different?

EDIT: Okay, I looked at some pics and the Adamo is indeed prettier. It has a brushed lid, the vents are stylized and the wrist rest is brushed. Still, the overall feel of it is very similar. I have a Latitude 13 which has a similar feel but which is also not prettied up like the Adamo, but has the same stuff underneath it all. Right now, I'd take the Vostro V131 with Sandy Bridge over any of the old ones. I think I would prefer the performance and battery life over the pretty surfaces. The thickness and dimensions are about the same (minus the battery).

 

[vbuggy]

Besides color differences and that shiney band across the lid, how are they visibly different?

EDIT: Okay, I looked at some pics and the Adamo is indeed prettier. It has a brushed lid, the vents are stylized and the wrist rest is brushed. Still, the overall feel of it is very similar. I have a Latitude 13 which has a similar feel but which is also not prettied up like the Adamo, but has the same stuff underneath it all. Right now, I'd take the Vostro V131 with Sandy Bridge over any of the old ones. I think I would prefer the performance and battery life over the pretty surfaces. The thickness and dimensions are about the same (minus the battery).

If you've actually seen both in the flesh instead of assuming. I think you might appreciate the differences more.

I'm not disputing that the Vostro is a much better machine than the Adamo, even if just due to the intervening period (it isn't in this case - the Adamo is flawed in other ways as I mentioned). It's just that the reason why you don't understand why the Adamo is a better thing to have is e.g. why a lot of Apple haters simply hate on the price - they just don't understand what actually goes into a premium product (and I'm not saying Apple products are good for any particular thing - But they are definitely entry-level / midrange premium).

You really can't flash with a Vostro. You still can with an Adamo because it is still a rather gorgeous machine, and if you're using it purely as an adjunct machine and not an everyday portable, it's still perfectly a usable machine, if not as useful as a Vostro. It's just that it's not something I'd recommend as an everyday primary portable, due to the runtime and weight issues I mentioned earlier.

 

[htwingnut]

$600 is a good deal actually, as long as battery still has a good charge. ULV Core 2 Duo's are pretty good, only the graphics suck. I have an SU4100 Netbook and it's great, handles everything with ease, except for modern games of course.

 

[lobbyone]

$600 is a good deal actually, as long as battery still has a good charge. ULV Core 2 Duo's are pretty good, only the graphics suck. I have an SU4100 Netbook and it's great, handles everything with ease, except for modern games of course.

Why the hell would you want to game on a NETBOOK????

 

[Zap]

Here's a good deal for a Vostro V131 for $599 with Core i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, B/G/N WiFi + BlueTooth 3.0, USB 3.0, 9.5 hour battery.

 

[Sunburn74]

I didn't know the vostro has a 9.5 hour battery

EDIT: seems like its a revision dell has quietly done. Very nice.

 

[Zap]

The original Vostro V13 with ULV Core 2 Duo had crappy battery life from a 32WHr battery lasting 2-3 hours and weighs 3.5 pounds.

The more recent Vostro V130 with first gen Core series (Arrandale) had crappy battery life from a 30WHr battery good for 3-4 hours and weighs 3.5 pounds.

This is the Vostro V131 with second gen Core series (Sandy Bridge) and a 65WHr battery may give around 9 hours and weighs 4 pounds.

I wonder where the extra weight came from?

 

[86waterpumper]

the v131 with 99 dollar netbook is a awesome deal! I am tempted to pull the trigger on that. however, for some reason it is showing 50 bucks shipping for it? I guess you have to call them to get the right shipping quote? 10 percent tn tax stinks too but oh well still a good deal!

 

[Zap]

It is $25 shipping per notebook. There should be a -$25 discount on shipping (for the V131) when you go through checkout, but that promotion may have ended. It was a separate promotion from the $200 coupon code.