ProsThis is my 4th Dell laptop and i own/have owned Sony, gateway, compaq, and HP and this is by a long shot the best i have owned. i bought a Dell Inspiron about 3 months ago with almost the same specs i added to this one but this one still way out preforms it. I am a business owner and have relied on Dell since 2003 and have not had any regrets for using them. They save me money, preform great and deliver on time. I added the 4.0GB, DDR2-667MHz SDRAM, 2 DIMMS, 200GB Hard Drive, 9.5MM, 7200RPM (Free Fall Sensor), Intel®Core™2DuoT9300(2.50GHz)6ML2Cache,800MHzDualCore, NVIDIA Quadro FX 360M, 512MB Turbo Cache memory (256 dedicated), 15.4 inch Wide Screen WSXGA+ TrueLife LCD Panel, finger print reader and Bluetooth. This laptop preforms and looks great. i recommend the TrueLife LCD Panel. i leave this computer on pretty much 24/7 and have zero problems so far. I will use Precision models from now on.
Consi wish i would have purchased the larger battery. this model has so much power, it will drain the smaller one quickly.

Review:if you need a workhorse, this is your model. if you only need a laptop to aid you desktop and will not be using it often then this may be more than you need.

ProsQuick shipment and delivery from Dell, easy setup and use.

ProsI bought this unit with the 64Gb SSD because I want to see what the future hold in the biggest bottleneck of the system. Even though I know SSD's will get cheaper, faster, and bigger, this is an incredible addition to any computer. Programs pop right up and Windows boots fast. I can see that read/write is slower than a 7200 RPM but it rarely is noticeable and I really don't miss the sound of a mechanical drive.
The computer is light, sleek, quiet, very powerful, and feature rich. i think I've finally found the replacement to my aging M60 and M70! The battery life (9 cell) is over 4 hours! The keys and touchpad are nice and sound is very good.
The laptop came with Windows Vista which I've had terrible experience with (slow boot, crashes, annoying, memory hog, never worked right) but this laptop runs it great (I do have 4Gb ram though) and I would chose it over XP if I didn't have tons of programs that didn't work with Vista. Besides, if it runs Vista this fast, imagine how fast it can run XP!
ConsStill looking for cons... I am tempted to sell this latptop even though I love it and wait for DDR3, faster/cheaper/larger SSD/hybrid drives, as well as LED LCD displays. Two of the 3 are marginal improvements but I don't like buying when newer, better technology is on the horizon.

Review:I got the WUXGA screen which for CAD is essential. The screen is ok compared to my M60 but better than the M70. I would have liked to see the LED backlight make it to this series for power, contrast, and uniformity (It is still very bright at the bottom near the CCFT lamp).
I had an M90 in the past but even though I loved the screen, the laptop was too big and heavy to fit in almost all cases, the M4300 is perfect (smaller and lighter than my M60 and much smaller and lighter than my M70). The 15.4" screen is perfect for any Engineer/gamer. if you want a bigger screen, just get an external monitor with docking station.
It takes a lot for me to love a comany's products and Dell has delivered every time with great products and incredible service.

ProsPerformance package that should satisfy the most demanding users. Speed matches my dual proc Precision 490 desktop providing a true workstation class machine in a notebook. Screen provides excellent brightness and clarity.
ConsSliding button to turn off the WiFi is poorly placed. I've accidently turned it off when picking up the machine

Review:It would be nice to be able to lock the WiFi switch or to have it recessed a bit. I don't really see the value in having it. You typically want a connection and when you don't, you can always turn it off via the Function / Wireless combo. Also, it feels as if the swiutch is likely to be borken off.

ProsEverything i could ever imagine on a laptop, it surpasses the quality of a desktop. Not only was the price very convenient, but the product itself is WOW! If i had to give it a rating between 1-10 10 being the highest, i would give this machine a 20.
ConsI didnt get this laptop sooner, it was a mistake trying to look for another laptop. This one made my boat float.

ProsFast (with 2GB mem). Stays fairly cool on the bottom, you can actually put it on your lap. Solid construction... the hinges are metal, NOT plastic (we have lots of Dell notebooks, I service them in-house and they all have metal hinges). We've had our share of dropped notebooks, these hold up pretty well. Good screen brightness and clarity. No hardware/software problems on XP (i.e. no driver problems, crashing, blue screens, etc). Built-in broadband wireless gets good reception. Wifi and Bluetooth have good range. Good clear audio. Low noise level, except when the fans are running or the DVD drive is running, noise level for those is same as other notebooks.
All the standard Dell accessories fit this model. Docking stations, DBay accessories, etc. Dual PCI cards (standard and express54) a plus. The physical switch to enable/disable all wireless is great when you want to make sure you're secure in a Wifi congested area (like a tradeshow).
ConsNo HDMI / DVI connector, although the docking station has one. Ambient light sensor only works on battery, it would be nice if it worked on AC power. Keyboard has icon for what looks like a keyboard light, but it doesn't do anything, and there's no information about it.