Looking to get new laptop.

[#1]

Hi
I'm in the process of getting a laptop, so that my wife can check her emails, browse internet, do some work from the office, watch DVDs, play music and play puzzle games. All of this while I'm hogging the desktop playing FEAR (what a great game).
My budget is £600 max and I've been looking at the Dell Inspiron 1525 and XPS 1530 that are currently on offer. The Inspiron specs, after customisation, are:
Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz, 800MHz FSB, 3MB L2 cache)
4Gb 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
250Gb SATA HD
15.4 widescreen
Intel GMA X3100 integrated
8x DVD+/-RW
(The above can be changed to a 2.4GHz and 3Gb ram instead for the same price)
Th XPS specs (customised again) are:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 2MB L2 cache
2Gb 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS (128Mb) graphics card
Rest of the hardware is the same as Inspiron. Both systems are being sold by Dell for £599.
My question is (yep, you've guessed it), which one do I go for?
I don't really need gaming on the laptop as the desktop at home is more than enough for everything so the Inspiron looks the best option. However, even though the Inspiron config above is a powerhouse, the XPS looks better. More importantly, would there really be much of a difference between the systems, when it came to doing stuff like emailing, browsing internet, etc. same as above.
Does anyone have a Dell laptop like the above or maybe recommend something else perhaps?
I'd really appreciate any help on this matter.
Cheers!

[#2]

I got one from Morgan that would meet the needs of your wife but not your spec  and it cost me £250, vat and postage included

[#3]

I`m running a Dell Inspiron 2200, (Laptop) with virtually the minimum spec 256 mb RAM (and its soldered in so I can`t increase it) ! ! !  80 gb hdd cdwrite/re-write dvd player(only)  Needed to get some software downloaded to run the DVD player.... but it is now about 3 years old....  (I said it was the min spec.... I think Dell and everyone else since make a DVD writer/re-writer as standard now ) have it on almost all day long, got about 50% used on the HDD. running xp home.... no problems surfing , running wireless broadband, no problems, email no problems  have MSpublisher 98 for my DTP and MS works for spreadsheets, also got openoffice as backup.... loads of other "office type stuff" and mostly use it for my photography and my website (see link below) cost me £400 when new.... quoted 10 days delivery, arrived 24 hours later....  Don`t use it for "gaming" but have a couple of "simple games" and use them occasionally.....
So........ Your planned £600 should be no problem at all if she does what you say on the tin ! !
I have not had any "operating problems" with this machine from Dell, so cannot comment on the "back up" services, as I have not had any need for them................ yet.. !

[#4]

The way prices have come down, I would think Shutters machine would cost a lot less now.
On my £250 model I run the Complete Open Office, database, spreadsheet, wordpro, presentation etc.
Thunderbird and Outlook Express,  Firefox browser, Autoroute, Paintshop Pro, Google Earth (in 3d), Finance package, Weather Station, DVD and Video play, and simple games.
More than good enough for your Wife

[#5]

I agree Pierre..... I feel pretty sick when I see these "all singing & dancing" with bells and whistles, machines for the same price I paid....
Still, my father used to tell me, when I was a boy, of eight or nine, in his woodworking shop, "always buy the best tools you can afford..... never buy because it is cheap. you will only be sorry"....
Well my laptop was the best I could afford at the time, and his words ring true today,  it is still working fine...

[#6]

Okay, I placed an order for the Inspiron instead. Got it with the 2.4GHz processor and 3Gb Ram instead. Good job I waited a bit longer as Dell dropped the price by a further £20, so added a couple of other things.
But as always, in a year or so the value of the laptop will fall and there'll be something better. Oh well...
Many thanks for your help.

[#7]

If your wife just uses it for what you say, she will get quite a few years usage out of that one! !
As I said, I use it mainly for my photographs, and there are at least 850 on my website (and another 400 or so new one`s to add sometime) on my hard drive, yet it is still less than half full....
Let us know how quickly the delivery is/was  and how she gets on with it !

[#8]

Okay, ordered the laptop on the 10th April and received it yesterday (15th)! Result!
This the first laptop my wife and I have ever had and its amazing. Everything worked straight away, including setting up wireless connection and bluetooth devices. Vista will take a little getting used to but it doesn't seem too bad.... for now.
Obviously it's early days yet and anything can go wrong. But hopefully it won't!!