Cheap alienware laptops: Dell Studio XPS 1640 15.6-Inch Obsidian Black Laptop - Up to 3 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Dell Studio XPS 1640 15.6-Inch Obsidian Black Laptop - Up to 3 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Review

Purchased this computer a few weeks ago for my son who is heading to college and we have been very happy with it. Sleek, responsive, and able to handle gaming and media applications with the well-above-average video card, memory, display and processor combination. All for under 00.00? Impressive. A fingerprint magnet, which bothers some, but is not a big deal to me. Battery life is average compared to the other laptops I have owned, but acceptable, and I am confident, but admittedly have not looked, that an aftermarket upgrade at battery is available. I have seen complaints that it runs hot, but have not experienced that, at least not hotter than any other laptop with a dedicated video card running during intensive applications and certainly not uncomfortably so. The fan is partially blocked by the monitor, but does its job, and for long sessions of gaming I would recommend a secondary cooling device for any laptop. I have also seen at least one review indicate that the video card was not good for gaming, but other independent reviews of the specific card and pc configuration, and my own experiences, refute that, this pc was built with demanding gaming in mind, while not sacrificing portability or versatility.

I have only one beef with the purchase. Amazon no longer price guarantees its products. This machine dropped in price .00 shortly after I purchased it (within a week). I still had it, unopened, and contacted Amazon about a price credit, and was basically told to pound sand. The most frustrating thing about that was I could have simply returned it for a full refund under the 30 day return policy for unopened computers, and bought another one at the new price, discounting my price savings by the 15 dollars or so in return shipping costs (I do not think the return policy covers that), and when I pointed that out to Amazon, I was invited to go ahead and do that. To me, it appeared Amazon was effectively banking on the fact that I would not go through such hassle for such a "small" savings. And they were correct, but only because I did not want to be empty handed for my son's 18th birthday. So they won my business with a good price on a great machine, but lost my respect as a company for such poor customer service. I make many internet purchases, and absent a serious reason to do so, will not be shopping at Amazon in the future.

EDIT REVIEW - after I wrote this it got me worked up all over again so I contacted Amazon a second time and low and behold I was given a 35 dollar credit! While they deserved the smack on the nose with a rolled up paper they got for how I was treated the first time, they likewise deserve a treat and an attaboy for eventually doing the right thing. Amazon you have won back my business.

Dell Studio XPS 1640 15.6-Inch Obsidian Black Laptop - Up to 3 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Feature

2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 Processor
4GB Memory
320GB Hard Drive, DVD±R/RW Optical Drive
15.6" Display, ATI Mobility Radeon M96XT Graphics
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), *Up to 3 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life

Dell Studio XPS 1640 15.6-Inch Obsidian Black Laptop - Up to 3 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Overview

Blending power with elegance, the Studio XPS 16 delivers the ultimate multimedia laptop experience, providing superb performance and design. Full 1080p HD support and premium ATI graphics. *Based on Dell Lab testing. Battery life varies by configuration, operating conditions and other factors. Maximum battery capacity decreases with time and use.

Dell Studio XPS 1640 15.6-Inch Obsidian Black Laptop - Up to 3 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Specifications

Blending power with elegance, the Dell Studio XPS 16 delivers superb multimedia performance and mobile design. The smooth contours of the high-gloss, Obsidian Black finish gives you the sense that you’re using something truly special. The 15.6-inch full 1080p Hi-def widescreen display has a fast 8ms response time for a crisp, clear resolution during fast-action video and gaming. Its backlit keyboard and touch pad buttons are easy to use, day or night. Keep an eye on your battery power by simply checking the color of the indicator on the hinge. Plus, capacitive multimedia buttons glow white when activated.

Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below.

The Dell Studio XPS 1640 in black.

Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. (Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below.)

It's powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor--with Centrino 2 technology--which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. The 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 includes a quick 1066 MHz front-side bus and 3 MB of L2 cache, providing an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multimedia and multitasking performance. It also includes a Draft-N wireless LAN, which will connect to 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11b/g networks as well.

With the HDMI A/V output, you can connect the Studio 1555 to a compatible HDTV to display your creations to a larger audience. Other features include a 320 GB hard drive, 4 GB of installed RAM, 2-megapixel webcam, ExpressCard 54 slot, and pre-loaded Microsoft Works.

Key Features

15.6-inch LED-backlit full HD widescreen display (1080p)
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium. (Learn more)
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor with Centrino 2 technology, 3 MB L2 cache and 1066 MHz front side bus (FSB) (Learn more)
320 GB hard drive
4 GB of installed RAM with 800 MHz speed (expandable to 8 GB)
ATI Mobility Radeon M96XT with 1 GB discrete graphics
2.0 megapixel webcam with facial recognition software automatically secures your computer when you're away. This software adapts to your changing looks so you can expect faster login times. Also, there's no need to remember numerous passwords for password-protected Web sites.
8x multi-format DVD drive supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM
Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n)
Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Built-in stereo speakers with integrated subwoofer
Dell Dock: Enjoy a cleaner desktop with this application organizer. Installed software applications on your PC are automatically sorted into user-friendly categories placing your most frequently used programs front and center.
Dell DataSafe Online backup service offers data protection by enabling customers to back up data to a safe, remote storage site using a broadband connection. Dell DataSafe Online is easy, flexible and secure. After setup, it will automatically back up data and help protect against software, hardware and catastrophic failure.
With Dell Remote Access you can easily access photos, music, movies and more on your home system using another Internet-connected computer.
Dell Support Center: This centrally located, easy-to-use application provides personalized support resources. Conveniently located on your PC's desktop with quick links to service, support and system resources. Helps keep your system up-to-date and running efficiently through automated fixes for common configuration issues.
Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works and McAfee SecurityCenter for anti-virus protection (with 30 days of updates)
6-cell battery
Dimensions: 15.15 x 10.02 x 1.34 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 6.4 pounds
Warranty: One-year with 24x7 technical support

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with an integrated Draft-N Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots). It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors:

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
- Includes 1 eSATA/USB combo port
1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
1 HDMI output (for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable)
Analog video output: 1 VGA
1 ExpressCard/34 slot
8-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and more
1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
RJ-45 port for Ethernet

What's in the Box
This package contains the Dell Studio XPS 1640 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions

Learn More

Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, rewind, and record TV. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Simplify everyday tasks	Work the way you want	Make new things possible

Simplify your PC with new navigation features like Aero Shake, Jump Lists, and Snap. Customize Windows to look and feel the way you like by changing themes and taskbar programs. Setting up a home network and connecting to printers and devices is easier than ever. Windows 7 Home Premium supports the latest hardware and software.	Designed to make your PC sleep and resume quicker. Takes full advantage of 64-bit PC hardware and memory. Connecting to wireless networks is fast and easy.	Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV with Windows Media Center. Watch your favorite DVD movies. Includes integrated video and Dolby audio codecs.

Jump Lists
New in Windows 7, Jump Lists take you right to the documents, pictures, songs, or websites you turn to each day. To open a Jump List, just right-click a program icon on the Windows 7 taskbar. (You'll also find them on the Start menu.) What you see in a Jump List depends entirely on the program. The Jump List for Internet Explorer 8 shows frequently-viewed websites. Windows Media Player 12 lists commonly-played tunes. Your Jump List missing a favorite? You can "pin" whatever files you like there. Jump Lists don't just show shortcuts to files. Sometimes they also provide quick access to commands for things like composing new e‑mail messages or playing music.

Improved Windows Taskbar
In Windows 7 you can "pin" favorite programs anywhere on the taskbar for easy access. Not crazy about the icon lineup? Now you can rearrange them any way you like by clicking and dragging. Finally, there are new ways to preview windows. Point to a taskbar icon to see a thumbnail preview of open files or programs. Then, move your mouse over a thumbnail to preview the window full-screen. You can even close windows from the thumbnail previews--a big time saver.

Snap
Ever need to cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly focus on a single window? Just click a pane and give your mouse a shake. Every open window except that one instantly disappears. Jiggle again--and your windows are back.