Dell Launches Linux-Loaded Precision 3540 Laptop Starting At ~$700 USD

[moriel5]

The CPU alone is worth $297.00, so $450 seems a bit low for the while laptop : https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us...-4-10-ghz.html

Sorry, I was referring to that model, if coupled with an i3.
With an i5, I'd value it at 600$ at most.

[moriel5]

Come on people !

It is the Precision line, the flagship workstation line of laptops from Dell.
These laptops are designed to be sturdy, modular, repairable and come with 3 year on-site warranty by default (in EU).
It is not your el cheapo Chromebook, netbook nor consumer hardware.
To lower the price you can order with with just a HDD and add a SSD yourself.
You can as well order it with the lowest RAM as possible and add RAM.

So stop comparing apples to oranges. If you really want to compare, compare them to Lenovo Thinpad P models and HP ZBook.

These are Latitudes, not Precisions.
And Vostros and Latitudes are pretty much as repairable as Precisions, even Inspirons are as repairable as Precisions.
As for modularity, the most you lose out would be an M.2 slot for storage. But modularity is (and I hate this) seems to be going away with Dell's (as well as other companies). XPSs arrive with soldered RAM, almost all Dell laptops are doing away with hot-swappable batteries, you require an insane amount of screws just to replace, anything (my Lenovo IdeaPad, as much as I may bash it for being more expensive, and lower quality, than comparable Dell Vostro and Inspiron 3000s, only requires 2 screws to access the RAM, HDD, and WiFi M.2 slot, and the last Vostro and Inspiron models to feature a hot-swappable battery were the last models before the 8th gen Intel Core CPUs (the Vostro 3578 is an exception).

[bobbie424242]

These are Latitudes, not Precisions.

Look at the title. The 3540 is a Precision, not a Latitude.

[moriel5]

Look at the title. The 3540 is a Precision, not a Latitude.

Oi, I just noticed.
Sorry about that, I must have confused one article for the other.

[nils_]

Interesting but with the RAM and HD specs it looks like they are taking marketing cues from Apple! That is post up a nice price for a machine no one would buy today and then charge and arm and a leg for “upgrades”. Maybe they aren’t as bad as Apple but I’m no more likely to deal with them due to sleazy marketing practices.

You can usually replace the RAM and HDD, so you only have to shoot for a decent display. It's often cheaper to buy RAM and a new SSD since the markup is pretty insane - and you can get a better SSD as well.

[nils_]

Good, they should start selling it with Linux for all their models. Cheaper than with Windows naturally.

What annoys me is that I can't just buy the whole line-up without any OS pre-installed. Any serious user will wipe the pre-installed OS anyways.

[shmerl]

What annoys me is that I can't just buy the whole line-up without any OS pre-installed. Any serious user will wipe the pre-installed OS anyways.

That's MS doing, as was discovered by the anti-trust case. It was never stopped.

[nils_]

That's MS doing, as was discovered by the anti-trust case. It was never stopped.

I don't know why this isn't illegal. After all to run the pre-installed Windows you have to agree to the EULA (you can get the license price refunded though). There was a similar issue in a completely different field where banks required people to also buy insurance which was ruled illegal (bundling two contracts).