More than one Dell Vostro?

September 26, 2009 12:17 PM

I'm thinking about replacing my defunct desktop with a laptop. The compactness and portability of laptops are a big plus. Just to be able to get rid of that tangle of cables under my desk seems benefit enough to make the change. I recently bought a Dell Vostro 1520 that I like. It strikes me that buying another Vostro 1520 would have at least the advantage of using compatible a.c. adapters for use in various parts of the house. I would appreciate hearing what the advantages and disadvantage of going with another laptop of the same make and model of the one I already own. One added note: I’m using XP Pro on my Vostro now. The new one would probably have Windows 7.
posted by NinaLee to computers & internet (10 comments total)

Having like-power adapters is a nice concept -- but my girlfriend and I found ourselves hording the power cords -- I would steal hers from the bedroom, and she would come in and want to use it. To really leverage the convenience, buy a 2nd power supply (3 total). His, hers, and the spare.

The 1520 is a very decent laptop -- if it fits your needs and you like it -- stick with it!
posted by SirStan at 12:26 PM on September 26

I think you're just asking if it's smart or silly to buy the same laptop again. I say smart.

In addition to (1) power adapter convenience, you have (2) no worries about plugging in the wrong and possibly dangerous adapter and frying a computer. You also have (3) a single set of recovery disks/drivers to worry about, (4) infinite compatible accessories (one case, one spare battery, etc), (5) one set of warranty/repair resources, and in an emergency (6) one broken laptop you can cannibalize for spare parts to keep the other running.

It's all win.
posted by rokusan at 12:34 PM on September 26

I'm in the 'smart' camp. My husband and I went to the same university with a common required laptop per freshman class.

Now, years later, we both have desktops and his laptop is toast, so I have a complete set of spare parts for mine! We now use it as the communal travel/workshop/about-the-house laptop and it's great having two of everything in case Frankenputer loses another component.

So, if you like the laptop you have already, by all means get a second of it.
posted by bookdragoness at 12:48 PM on September 26

Windows 7 on a MacBook Pro is about the most awesome thing ever. Overpriced, but the hardware is just the best you're going to get. However, if money matters—and it most certainly does—your plan to get another of the same machine is a great plan.
posted by jeffamaphone at 1:08 PM on September 26

I have a Vostro 1500, not sure if it's the same computer, but afterwards I got a EEE 1000HE which is such a more useful computer. So I think it's great to have both of them. The Vostro is huge and I use it occasionally as a backup and for doing bittorrent stuff, but the EEE is amazingly convenient to carry around.

Power cords are really cheap, I wouldn't use that as your main buying consideration.
posted by sully75 at 2:18 PM on September 26

I don't understand why a second laptop would be useful. The economics generally favour a desktop over a laptop -- much more oomph and disk space for the same money, and much cheaper repairs if they are needed.

If you bought a cheap desktop with the same spec as the laptop, you would have plenty of money left over for a cable control system. I like the wire basket solution, but Lifehacker has several ideas.
posted by Idcoytco at 3:48 PM on September 26

I have to replace my power cords all the time. Still, if you like your laptop, why not get another just like it?
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:28 PM on September 26

A lot of Dells use compatible adapters, so you don't necessarily need to get another Vostro 1520. See here.

But, while I see the advantage of replacing an old or broken laptop with a model that can use the same charger, and I can see the advantage of a couple being able to share chargers, I don't see the utility in getting a second of the same model. At least I'd probably choose something like a cheap, small, and light netbook if I were to get a second laptop.
posted by 6550 at 5:46 PM on September 26

Why do you need two computers?

While I never thought I'd be this guy, I'm firmly in the notebook as main computer camp. The costs have gone down and the capabilities have gone up. The only downside is upgradability, but that's not nearly as important as it once was. What I tend to do is buy a computer with minimum memory and hard drive space, and upgrade those when they get a little cheaper or when I need more. I also get the three year warranty, and try to choose a processor architecture that is early in the cycle.

Even my old computer, which I think is about 5 years old, is still plenty capable. But I purposely got the Pentium M rather than the Pentium 4 M, knowing it was a newer (actually older), better processor. (The Pentium M is actually based off of the Pentium 3 architecture, which is where the Core and Core2 came from. They dumped the Pentium 4 arch completely.)

But I also look at my computers as tools, not as toys. I like tinkering and building PCs, but the benefit of mobility outweighed that.
posted by gjc at 9:24 PM on September 26

What do you intend to do with your second Vostro? The usual purpose of buying the same person a second computer is to complement some weakness in his first. You can only use one computer at a time, after all.
posted by d. z. wang at 11:49 PM on September 26