I have been using a Dell XPS1330M for the last 20 months. This was then spec'd out to the limit (- invoice value of over 1lac).
The only thing saving my rear till now is their comprehensive warranty! Picked up the system with 3 year comprehensive warranty and next-day-on-site support.
I bought this with a 9 cell battery (as against the regular 6 cell) hoping I will get to enjoy the increased back up time... BUT like everyone said this battery packed up in less than a year. It gives me barely 30-40 mins of back up now - as against the 6.5hrs with full wi-fi earlier! Given the cost of replacement (6 cell = Rs7,500/-), I have chosen to run with this till it completely dies on me! (After which it is cheaper to invest in an UPS! - my 5 yr old APC 550ES still gives me 7 mins back up on the original batteries it came with! )
EVERYTHING in the laptop EXCEPT the above defective battery, the charger, HD and RAM has been replaced - most of them more than once!
I am currently on my
third optical drive,
third display,
third heat-sink assembly,eaten thru
two rounds of thermal pads,
second mother board,
second front external cover,
second keyboard, .....!!!
Like I said.. THAN1K HEAVENS for their comprehensive warranty - All the above would have costed me much more than the original cost of the laptop . They diagnose over phone, parts are dispatched, engineer calls and comes over the next day, installs them, and courier boy comes to collect old parts.
Getting thru to their call center is tough.. but XPS has a dedicated line which tens to be much faster. I have however had to wait on hold for more than an hour on more than one occasion in the past, before I got a person on the other end of the line!
I will NEVER buy anything without comprehensive warranty no matter how much more I have to pay for it! I am extending my warranty by another two years (for a cumulative of five!)
ALL THE BEST with your laptop purchase!