So I need a laptop for dental school next year and I'm debating between these two. Reviews can be found at www.notebookreview.com

I like things about both, but I'll give a run down of what I'm looking for and what I like about each.

I already have a pretty decent desktop, even though it is 3-4 years old, it's still a solid desktop. So this laptop is more for use in class to take notes, surf, view slides, some word processessing, pretty much basic windows stuff + act as storage. Maybe the occassional movie. I will be carrying it AROUND often, and I think these two are about the right sizes I'd GO for without it being too expensive.

Dell Vostro 1400
Core™ 2 Duo T5470, Vista Home Basic, 1 gig RAM, 160gig HDD, 8x DVD+R dual layer Burner, Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card, 9 cell battery
- the advertised alloy shell, spill proof keyboard, and shock resistant hdd are all very tempting, but are they for real?
- the price of this one ($781 after tax) is very attractive compared to the HP (~ $970)

HP dv2000t
dual core processor T2130, Vista Home Basic, 1gig RAM, Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 950, Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection, 120gig HDD, Litescribe and 8X DVD+/-RW Burner, high capacity 6 cell battery
- much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than the HP
- i know a lot more people who own HP's out there, so i'm guessing it's a good choice?
- better looking display, or so i've heard from people

Overall, they're somewhat similar in build, but I guess I'm just not sure which company is better at the moment. Do the Dell bonuses make up for the supposed SHORTCOMINGS I've heard about the Vostro? (ie: the display not being the best, dell's tech support isn't the best, minor light leakage?) Is the, almost $200 extra worth it for HP, the prettier and better looking model?The Dell is also more powerful, has a newer graphics card, and has a bigger HDD and larger battery.
I'd say get the Dell, unless you're really bothered about the looks of the HP.I've got a Dell laptop, not the Vostro but an Inspiron and I think Dell makes some very nice stuff. I've NEVER had an HP laptop so I couldn't compare them, but Dell's customer service is great. I've never had a problem with it. I'd have to go with CALUM on this one. The Dell sounds better in my opinion. does anyone actually own either of these two laptops?No, not personally, but the reviews at NBR will tell you a lot, you said you read them?
I find their reviews are very accurate and give good info.
Besides, looking at the specs and what you've said, the Dell is very much the better option.Hey that hurts my feelings =) My customer service is great!! Anyway, personally azmidude, I also suggest the Vostro, and not just because I work for them. From messing with those systems they seem pretty darn durable and reliable. Plus a lot of the bad customer service stuff that I've heard unfortunately comes from the "consumer" side that ends up being transferred to India or the Phillipines. It's unfortunate because those guys know what they're doing, just people complain too much about not talking to an "American" But if you sometimes feel the same way, just purchase the system under a small business account and you'll have support in the US.