August 06, 2006

Laptop for Sale: Dell XPS M1210

 

Dell XPS M1210

 

A friend of mine is selling a newly acquired Dell XPS M1210 laptop for a bargain price considering the amount it would cost if you buy it from Jarir Bookstore or through the Dell distributor in Qatar. He ordered this online from Dell US and got it shipped it through Aramex by Shop&Ship. All new, unused, no scratches, no thing, less than a week old. The lappie has a 12.1 Truelife WXGA display and weighs a merely 3.6 lbs. thus making it very portable and ultralight. But that’s not all, you get a Core Duo processor, 1 Gb Ram, dual layer DVDRW drive, 80 GB SATA HDD, WIFI, USB and firewire ports! It even has Soundblaster Audigy audio system and has Windows XP Media Center pre-installed! What else could you ask for? All this for a measly QR5500! If you configure the specs of the XPS M1210 on the Dell website to match the one he’s selling, you’d be surprised to know that it would cost you about US$1831 or QR 6683. And that’s without shipment cost. He got a discount coupon when he ordered it so he got it cheaper. Why don’t you check out the prices of laptops, especially the ultraportable/ultralightweight one in Carrefour and Jarir and compare the specs. I just saw some in Carrefour the other night and they’re not even Core Duo machine!

For a full rundown of the specs…
·        Dell XPS M1210 Core Duo Notebook
·        Brand new with original packaging
·        Ultralight, weighs only 3.6 lbs
·        T2300E processor 1.66 GHz * 2 (two processors!) not HT!, 2 MB Cache
·        1 Gb Dual Channel DDR2 RAM (512*2 sticks)
·        80 Gb SATA HDD
·        Intel GMA9500 video chip
·        12.1 inch Truelife WXGA display
·        Dual layer DVDRW drive
·        53 WHr 6 Cell Battery
·        Universal power adapter
·        Intel Pro 1345 Wireless (b/g) 54 Mbps
·        10/100 Mbps NIC, 56K modem
·        4 USB, Firewire, S-video out
·        Integrated SB Audigy sound
·        Windows Vista Capable
·        Fully transferable Dell warranty
·        Windows XP Media Center Edition

The catch? Nothing. He’s ordered it not knowing that he’d be able to go to the U.S. at the end of the month and would rather hold-off with the purchasing of the laptop.

Try calling Govind at 581- 0429 and see if it’s still available. This is a Qatar number and is only available in Qatar.

Posted by xtian001 at 08:09 AM on August 06, 2006 | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

August 01, 2006

Malls in Qatar

We’ve been to the following Malls in Qatar:

1. City Center Doha (CCD) – This is said to be the biggest Mall in the Middle East for now (a bigger mall is being built in Dubai and to be completed next year). Having 4 floors, it has the Carrefour Supermarket, Home Center (furniture), Qtel office, Shoe Mart, Benetton, Splash, Debenhams, Jumbo Electronics, Adams, Mothercare and other high-end shops. They have an ice skating rink, a Water Park for Kids, an amusement center and more than 10 cinemas. In comparison to Seef Mall in Bahrain and Rashid Mall in Khobar, it is indeed quite large. Although SM Mega Mall in the Philippines is twice bigger. You can get around CCD and see everything in less than 30 minutes. They say groceries are cheaper here than the 3 below but probably by a riyal or less. If you’re looking for home furniture and furnishings, you can go to Home Center. It is a bit cheaper here than IDdesign (The Mall) and The One (The Landmark). You have Jumbo Electronics which carries the LG brand, from aircons, televisions and sound systems (they have Yamaha and my sought-after Harman Kardon receivers). Carrefour also sells cameras, phones, PCs and other electronic items. Among the 4, you can see a lot more here.

2. The Mall – The smallest among the 4. It has 2 floors, although the 2nd floor is less than half occupied. You basically have 3 small shops on the second floor and IDdesign. They have Mango, Gulf Greetings, Mothercare, CK, Oasis, Milano, Fuji Image Service and other shops which aren’t that big nor well-known. They have Qmart supermarket, which is the smallest but has a lot of imported goods from the West. They also have cinemas here and would soon have a Chilis restaurant. The Mall is close to the Lulu Hypermarket.

3. Lulu Hypermarket – Having 2 floors, the ground floor has the big Lulu Supermarket and the second floor has the Lulu department store. The department store has unbranded clothes for men and women, infants and children, toys, school supplies, baby items, and electronics and appliances section. They have a perfume section though I can’t comment on the prices as we haven’t tried asking the shops in the other malls. They also showcase a lot of television brands on their floors. I noticed that the Panasonic prices are 1000 to 1500 riyals cheaper than in Bahrain and Saudi. I saw a 29”Digital Progressive TV for 1999 Riyals. But Mavis is interested with the 34” Samsung Digital TV. They also have a Qpost Station for your snail mail needs along with a Qtel office for your telephone (landline and wireless) needs.

4. The Landmark – The Landmark has Bang and Olufsen (Electornics), Jennyfer, Music Master (Cds and DVDs), Mango, Esprit, Massimo Dutti, Godiva Chocolates, Mothercare, Milano, Mexx, Nine West, Osh Kosh B’gosh, Sisley, The BodyShop, The One, Benetton, Zara and other well-known shops. They have a Qtel Station where you can pay your bills. They have Mega Mart as their supermarket. They have a food court and a big amusement park. In all, City Center almost has everything that you could need but it depends on specific shop or service that you are looking for. I don’t know if they have a Qpost in CCD. Also, CCD is quite far from the other malls as the other mall are just like 5- 10 minutes away from each other. There are probably 2-3 other small malls that we have not gone to yet. Also, we’re looking forward to going to the local shopping centers (souks) once we get our car next week.

Posted by xtian001 at 12:04 PM on August 01, 2006 | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)