Expert: Bobbert - 5/2/2008

Question
Hey,

I'm going to be buying a dell laptop.  I'm not sure what to get.  What do you think of the XPS 1330 or the D630.  I can't figure out what the difference is about the two of them.  If I buy the same speed processor, memomory...and all that jazz that is there still one that is better than the other or is it just a matter of looks.  I was told the xps was more on the comsumer line where the D630 was more for business...but I'm not sure what that means.  If I buy the same speed and size ...just fill me in.  Please!

Answer
The XPS is looking like more of an entry gamer laptop, while the D630 is looking like more of a road-warrior/corporate product. With the available graphics upgrades, the XPS can ship with GeForce graphics, which means some baseline DirectX gaming, while the D630 can only have Quadro NVS for multiple monitors (read: support for an independently driven projector) and some other business-type things (like enterprise warranty).

If you aren't big on gaming, the D630 is looking like a better deal, price/performance wise, especially given that with a 2GHZ Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, 120GB HD, and Vista Ultimate, its around $80 more than the default price of the XPS. The XPS would be a good choice if you want gaming, beyond that, they're essentially the same product (assuming identical configurations aside from the graphics card).

-bob