Dell Laptop Reviews
Dell Inspiron 1420
The Dell Inspiron 1420
is a new-to-market 14” Intel Santa Rosa platform-based
laptop. It is the successor to the previous Dell Inspiron
e1405 laptop, and is the smallest in a new line-up of laptops
from Dell. It is available with a wide array of processor
options, from the Core 2 Duo T5350 to the Core 2 Duo T7500,
removable drive options up to and including a Blu-Ray drive,
wireless-N internet, integrated or discrete graphics chipsets,
and more.
Ordering
Ordering a computer from Dell can be a daunting
experience. The Dell.com
website offers up a seemingly endless array of computers
and accessories to suit the needs of all different types of
users, from the elementary school student through to the mobile
professional. The Inspiron 1420 is focused at the typical
home user, but due to its size it will likely be popular with
those individuals seeking a more powerful mobile platform
than the Dell Latitude D430, or a more gaming capable platform
than the Latitude D630.
Once I had decided upon an Inspiron 1420,
I had to select first what class of 1420 I was interested
in customizing. Dell presents typical “Good”,
“Better”, and “Best” configurations
on its website. As I consider myself a power user, I thought
it best to start from the “Good” configuration
as it offers the greatest number of choices to arrive at an
optimal price/performance ratio. Through the customization
process, you select from a series of options, consisting of
lid color, processor, operating system, amount of system memory,
graphics card, removable drive, hard disk drive capacity,
wireless networking, cellular networking, support options,
and pre-installed software. I chose the below configuration
as it best suited my needs of a powerful portable computer
to be used around the home and on travel for web browsing,
e-mail, multimedia, and occasional gaming.
* Lid Color: Jet Black
* Processor: Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0 GHz, 800 MHz, 4MB Cache)
* RAM: 2 GB DDR2-667
* Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 8400M GS, 128 MB GDDR3
* Hard Disk Drive: 160 GB, 5400 RPM, 8 MB Cache (Western Digital
Corp.)
* Removable Drive: DVD+-RW/DL (Optiarc, a joint venture of
Sony Corp. and NEC Inc.)
* Screen:14.1” Antiglare LCD with 1280x800 pixel resolution
(Chi Mei Optronics)
* Wireless Interface: Intel Next Generation Wireless-N 4965
802.11A/B/G, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR adapter by Dell
* Battery: 9-cell 85 WHr battery
* Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
* Additional Software: None
In addition to the above options, I also
selected an additional 90W Dell power supply as a spare, a
1-year Accidental Damage / Theft protection plan, and a Belkin
14” notebook sleeve in jet black and cabernet (red).
Through the use of a promotion granting free 3-5 day shipping,
another granting 2 GB of DDR2-667 RAM and a 160 GB 5400 RPM
hard disk drive for free, and a coupon granting $350 off the
purchase of select Inspiron systems $1399 and up (before tax
and shipping), I was able to purchase all the above for $1170
including tax.
I ordered my system at 4pm on Friday, July
6th 2007. I received my system at 11:33am on Thursday, July
12th 2007. The Belkin sleeve case and LoJack theft protection
software shipped separately but they arrived on the same DHL
truck with the laptop itself.
On handling the laptop for the first time,
I found it to be a bit heavier than I had expected, but not
too unwieldy. It is definitely an attractive piece of gear.
The base and the lid are, in my configuration, a matching
black. The screen bezel, keyboard, and base are all a silver
/ aluminum color. The Dell logo at the base of the screen
bezel is done in a mirrored silver color. This laptop means
business.
After removing the laptop from its packing
materials, I set out to take a series of pictures of the laptop
for the consumption of the online community.
Facing the laptop, you first notice the large chrome piece
that allows you to get a good grip on the lid/screen. In the
center of the bezel rest the dual 3.5mm headphone jacks, so
that you and a friend can listen to your tunes or, alternatively,
you can get multi-channel sound out, and the single 3.5mm
microphone jack. To the left of these jacks you will find
the 8-in-1 card reader (Secure Digital (SD), SDIO, MultiMediaCard
(MMC), Memory Stick, MemoryStick PRO, xD-Picture Card, Hi
Speed-SD and Hi Density-SD) and the wireless radio switch
/ Wi-Fi catcher. For those curious, a full-size SanDisk MemoryStick
Pro inserted in the card reader sticks out 7/16” from
the bezel. Above the radio switch and card reader are indicator
lights showing power state, hard drive activity, battery charging
status, Wi-Fi radio status, and Bluetooth radio status (if
installed). All the indicator lights glow a bright blue.
On the left edge of the laptop are, from
the rear working forward, a laptop lock slot, the power supply
connector, the processor fan exhaust port, an IEEE-1394 (Firewire
400 mbps) mini-port, two USB 2.0 ports, and above those the
single 54 mm ExpressCard slot.
(Read more at http://www.notebookreview.com)
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Dell Inspiron 1501
The Dell Inspiron 1501 is a
15.4" widescreen notebook now available with the AMD
Sempron, Turion or Turion X2 processor. The Inspiron 1501
has a subset of the Intel based Inspiron e1505 features and
carries the same basic design and build as that popular laptop.
Unfortunately, Dell cut features on the Inspiron 1501 but
didn't cut its price a whole lot relative to the e1505. Unless
you really want an AMD processor, it's hard to recommend this
machine over the only slightly more expensive and better e1505.
The Inspiron 1501 reviewed here is configured
as follows:
* AMD Sempron 3500+ (1.8GHz/512Kb)
* 15.4" Ultrasharp WXGA display
* 512GB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz (1 DIMM)
* ATI Xpress 1150 256MB HyperMemory (Integrated graphics)
* 60GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* 24x CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
* 6-cell 53 WHr lithium-ion battery
* Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition
* Dell 1390 802.11g Mini Wireless Card
Build and Design
The Inspiron 1501 matches much of the Dell
Computers lineup clad in painted silver with white trim
on top and a black underside. The color scheme is simple and
there's nothing to rave or rant about honestly, I'm not a
huge fan of the white trim "bumpers" though. Also,
as time goes by the current Inspiron design is becoming stale,
Dell needs to update their consumer laptop look, and soon.
The Inspiron 1501 is in fact precisely the same look and build
as the Inspiron e1505 -- except several media buttons are
missing from the 1501, more on that later.
The notebook is sturdy enough to feel comfortable
lifting it by one corner. It's not rugged or as well built
as many business laptops, such as a ThinkPad or Dell's own
Latitude line -- the screen latch is plastic as opposed to
metal on a Latitude for instance. But the Inspiron 1501 is
not flimsy by any means, the only real flex I could find on
the casing was at the top just above the keyboard.
The back of the screen is plastic, but very
sturdy and a hard push won't make ripples appear. The hinges
are sturdy and well damped. As mentioned before, the screen
latch is plastic, but I'd rather have a plastic latch than
the magnetic opening mechanism that some manufacturers are
using -- they're so invariably hard to open.
One knock against the build is that Dell
uses a plastic dummy to fill in the slot for the ExpressCard
opening when it's not in use. It looks cheap, feels cheap
and awkward not to mention the plastic piece is begging to
be lost if you remove it. Unfortunately, many manufacturers
use this approach instead of integrated flaps to protect the
notebook from dust when the slot isn't in use.
Screen
The screen on this Inspiron 1501 is the
WXGA (1280x800) matte screen. Overall the screen is fairly
sharp with nice saturated colors and high contrast. Brightness
is good, next to my everyday ThinkPad T43 it certainly stands
out as being much better. The lamp for backlighting is at
the bottom of the screen, you can feel the bottom of the screen
being slightly warm as an indicator of this, but light leakage
is minimal so by looking you couldn't really tell where the
light is coming from -- in other words the screen is evenly
lit.
One very positive thing I find with this
screen is that there's no "sparkle" or graininess
sometimes complained about with other Dell screens. When you're
viewing a white screen it is indeed all white, you can't detect
any unwanted artifacts. This is the first matte screen from
Dell I've had in some time, usually I go for glossy, which
is better for things like DVD viewing but annoying for working
long hours with in office environments due to screen reflection.
As forementioned, brightness is good. When
on battery you could bump the brightness down (using Fn +
Arrow Down) to level three or four out of seven and still
have very comfortable viewing.
The vertical viewing angles are quite poor,
meaning that if you look at this screen at an angle other
than perpendicular (head on) then colors will look odd, usually
darker than intended and contrast will be whacky. So long
as you're viewing head on this isn't a problem.
Speakers
The speaker performance of the 1501 is fine.
In the world of notebooks, they are quite good even. Of course
there is no bass but they seem to play low enough to make
voices sound natural. They also play loud, for a notebook,
without distortion. They point forward, and project the sound
into a room so several people could easily watch a movie.
AMD Sempron Processor and Performance /
Benchmarks
I've been spoiled of late reviewing a bunch
of Intel Core 2 Duo laptops. Boy is the AMD Sempron ever a
reality check as I merge into the information technology equivalent
of the slow lane.
So why did I choose the Sempron knowing
it would be slow? Basically, I wanted to buy this AMD based
laptop for cheap, the price I got before taxes was $559. I
think the whole selling point for the Inspiron 1501 is that
it's kind of on par with the Inspiron e1505 but cheaper --
at least you would think. We'll investigate whether that holds
later.
Anyway, I digress.
From a perceived performance standpoint,
the Sempron 3500+ laptop with 512MB of RAM "feels"
slow. MS Word doesn't open immediately, it takes a couple
of seconds. Web page rendering feels sluggish at times. If
you get hyperactive moving the cursor around Start menu programs
then you'll notice icon graphics taking a while to render.
If you go to the Add or Remove Programs Control Panel feature
in Windows it takes a long time to populate the program list
(you look at "please wait while the list is populated"
for at least 15 seconds upon entering that for the first time).
And multi-tasking can be a bit of a slog, while ripping a
CD and opening thePCMark05 benchmark program I clicked on
the "show desktop" icon and nothing registered for
quite some time as the system tried to keep up with all the
tasks being demanded of it.
However, in all fairness, if you're more
a "one thing at a time" person and don't juggle
between programs or try and do 10 things at once, the Sempron
will get you through what you need. Of course any Office application
works fine and surfing the web is quite seamless, although
web page rendering can sometimes be noticeably slower on this
laptop.
Let's look at some benchmarks to get a feel
for how the 1501 configured with a Sempron stacks up.
PCMark05 gives a good rating for overall
system performance, as you can see below, the 1501 with a
Sempron is quite a bit slower than Core Duo and faster AMD
machines. (Read more at http://www.notebookreview.com)
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Dell Inspiron 1520
The Dell Inspiron 1520 is a
17" desktop replacement targeted towards younger consumers,
most of whom are in school. This notebook competes against
such notebooks as the HP dv9500t and Toshiba P200/P205. The
1720 offers a wide range of hardware configurations, as well
as 8 different color options to be customized exactly as you
want it. Processors range from the T5250 all the way up to
the T7700, RAM from 1GB to 4GB, HD from 120GB to 500GB (250GB
x 2), display resolutions starting at WXGA+ up to WUXGA, and
color ranging from jet black to sunshine yellow.
As with all of Dell's computers, the pricing and options for
the 1520 can vary greatly depending on your region. Here are
the specifications for the system as reviewed:
* Microsatin Finish in Spring Green
* Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, 4MB Cache)
* 2GB RAM at 667MHz
* 160GB 7200 RPM HD
* 256MB Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT
* 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
* Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card
* 15.4” WSXGA+ Display with TrueLife
* Integrated 2.0 MP Webcam
* 9 Cell Battery
* Windows Vista Home Premium
* “DellCare Plus” Warranty (three year warranty
with Complete Care and a few “extras” like 10
GB of online storage)
My final cost was $1,640.55. I chose not
to include internal Bluetooth or Bluray, but they are offered
as options in most markets. I placed the order over the phone
as I have found that is the best way to ensure a quick confirmation.
Of course, the order confirmation was the only quick and convenient
thing about dealing with Dell's customer support.
Reasons for Buying
The 1520 is a new direction for me in laptops.
My last two have been 12.1” ultraportables—the
Dell 700M and the XPS M1210. While I prefer the smaller size
in most cases, I'm traveling much less now and have really
been feeling the need for more powerful graphics and more
screen real estate when gaming. I seriously considered the
Asus G1S, but could not justify the cost. When Dell announced
their new Inspirons, I was sold immediately. I loved the ability
to customize the exterior and must admit that choosing the
color was the hardest decision I had to make. The price was
definitely right for me.
First Impressions
The 1520 arrives in a very boring brown
box in a very boring white Styrofoam shell. The following
items were included in the box:
* CDs including all preinstalled software
and drivers
* Product Information Guide
* Contacting Dell Guide
* Dell Inspiron 1520 Owner's Manual
* Creative Ear Buds
* A/C Adapter
The ExpressCard remote control mentioned
in other reviews is not included by default; you must request
it when you order your system and may be charged for it. When
I first unwrapped the laptop, I was shocked by how vibrant
the color actually is—it is brighter and richer than
it appears in pictures. I had been using an M1210 and an E1505
and the 1520 looked much larger even than the E1505 due to
the absence of white bumpers to break up the outline. The
design is truly sleek and beautiful—I spent several
minutes admiring the exterior before I even powered it up.
Build and Design
This is the first computer I just enjoy
touching. The finish on the lid has a pleasant, almost rubbery
tactile surface. Dell's term for it is “Microsatin,”
and I have to agree with that description. My first concern
was that the material would scratch, but after some vigorous
scratching with my thumbnail I was unable to produce a mark.
Top view of the Inspiron 1520 (left) compared
to the E1505 (right). (view large image)
Because of the lovely rounded edges, the
notebook does not appear overly thick, especially while open.
However, at 14.12” x 10.59” x 1.47”, it
is rather large for a 15.4” laptop. With the 9-cell
battery, it weighs slightly less than seven pounds. While
it is great for occasional traveling, at this size it is probably
a poor choice for people who are frequently on the move, such
as business travelers or students who want to carry their
laptops to class. At the same time, the 1520 does feel sturdy
enough to handle being bounced around daily.
In the 1520, the hard drive, battery, and
power indicator lights are located to the top right of the
keyboard. The lights extend to the side of the computer and
can be viewed while the laptop is closed. This is a pretty
nifty feature for some, but may be irritating to those who
keep their laptops in their bedrooms and like to sleep in
complete darkness as the power indicator light alone is pretty
bright.
Right side views of the Inspiron 1520 (bottom)
and the E1505 (top). (view large image)
One disappointment for me is that the 1520
retained a similar latching system to the E1505. It does not
feel especially strong, and the release is a little awkward.
There is a little play while the laptop is closed; the latch
does not hold it firmly shut. The media buttons along the
front are also not as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of
the laptop. While functional, they are hard to press and the
blue backlight shines through in such a way that imperfect
paint on the buttons is highlighted.
Style note: Dell is currently offering really
chic-looking Belkin bags in colors to match the new Inspirons.
I personally did not purchase one because they are not yet
offering the sling bag in the Dove/Tarragon color to match
my computer.
Screen and Camera
The screen on the 1520 is solid with very
little screen flex. I was unable to produce any rippling of
the LCD even with some decent twisting. The WSXGA+ resolution
is a great fit for me—I have plenty of room to work
with but text doesn't seem too small. This particular screen
does seem a little grainy, though. There is about 1/4”
of light leakage along the bottom of the screen, but I have
not found any dead or stuck pixels.
he 2.0 MP camera and the integrated microphone
are located above the screen, just under the latch release.
They are very unobtrusive—there's just a tiny square
for the camera lens and three small holes for the microphone
and indicator lights. The picture quality is markedly improved
over the last generation of Dell integrated webcams. The performance
is adequate even in lower light situations.
Speakers
In the 1520, the speakers have been moved
from in front of the palm rests in the E1505 to under the
front edge of the computer. I would have preferred for them
to be above the keyboard somewhere, but at least where they
are now you are less likely to block them with your hands
than you were on the E1505. The speakers get surprisingly
loud without too much distortion, and sound quality is quite
good. I will add a caveat here that I am used to M1210 speakers,
so my definition of good sound is probably going to be less
demanding than some others.
If you opt for the webcam and integrated
mic option, you will also receive a pair of Creative ear buds.
These provide really nice sound reproduction and even include
three different sizes of rubber earpieces for comfortable
in-ear use.
(Read more at http://www.notebookreview.com)
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Dell Inspiron 1720
The Dell Inspiron 1720 is a
17" desktop replacement targeted towards younger consumers,
most of whom are in school. This notebook competes against
such notebooks as the HP dv9500t and Toshiba P200/P205. The
1720 offers a wide range of hardware configurations, as well
as 8 different color options to be customized exactly as you
want it. Processors range from the T5250 all the way up to
the T7700, RAM from 1GB to 4GB, HD from 120GB to 500GB (250GB
x 2), display resolutions starting at WXGA+ up to WUXGA, and
color ranging from jet black to sunshine yellow.
Our review model came with the following options, bringing
the price up to $2,438 as configured from a base of $899.
* Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
* Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.20GHz, 4MB L2, 800MHz
FSB)
* Mobile Intel P965 Express Chipset
* Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
* 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (maximum capacity 4GB)
* 320GB Total Space (160GB x 2, option no longer offered at
the time of this writing)
* 8x DVD (+/-R double layer) drive
* 17.0" diagonal widescreen TrueLife TFT LCD display
at 1920x1200 (WUXGA, Glossy)
* 256MB nVidia GeForce Go 8600M GT
* 2.0 megapixel webcam
* Bluetooth version 2.0 plus Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
* ExpressCard slot (ExpressCard/34 and Express Card/54)
* 5-in-1 media card reader
* VGA out
* Mic/Headphone connectors
* IEEE-1394 (FireWire)
* Five USB 2.0 ports
* Dimensions (WxDxH Front/H Rear): 15.5" x 11.5"
x 1.7"
* Weight: 7.62 Advertised, 8lbs 13.2oz actual w/ 9-cell battery
* 90W (19V x 4.62A) 100-240V AC adapter (1lb 1.4oz)
* 9-cell (85Wh) Lithium Ion battery (1lb 1oz)
* 1-Year Standard Limited Warranty
Build and Design
Gone are the white bumpers of old, replaced
with a solid shimmering silver paint, giving the body of the
Dell 1720 a much cleaner and refined look. The body still
allows some user configuration with its custom top cover paint
options, including jet black, alpine white, espresso brown,
ruby red, midnight blue, spring green, flamingo pink, and
sunshine yellow. The high level of personalization can even
go as far as a color matched Logitech mouse as an added $29
option during checkout.
The cleaner look and feel is matched with
an even stronger and more durable chassis. During testing
no plastic creaks or squeaks could be heard, with flex only
apparent in the plastic painted screen cover. The entire bottom
shell is a metal alloy which gives the laptop a strong footprint
on your desk, and is gives enough strength to resist bending
if you hold the laptop by the edge of the palm rest walking
around the room. The only downside to the chassis was the
metal HD bay cover had some movement, and would make clacking
sound if tapped with your finger, or placed on an uneven desk.
Overlooking that fact, the underbody is strong enough to hurt
your knuckles if you try to punch it without giving up as
much as a millimeter of flex in the process.
One concern worth mentioning with the custom
paint process is long term durability. The review model we
received had a paint defect out of the box on the upper right
hand cover of the LCD cover. The rubbery texture paint was
already peeling; exposing the glossy espresso brown paint
underneath. Since this peeling was visible straight out of
the box, long-term day to day use inside various cases or
backpacks might show more extreme peeling. Hopefully the paint
issue was fixed in production, as our review model has an
early May build date.
(Read more at http://www.notebookreview.com)
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Dell Inspiron 6400
The Dell Inspiron 6400 (also
sold as the Inspiron e1505 via Dell Home) is a laptop that
meets you in the middle'. It's pretty light and portable (like
the Inspiron e1405) and offers high performance and great
media options (like the Inspiron e1705). Basically, you get
the best of both worlds, at a reasonable price. Before we
begin reviewing anything, here are the specs of my system:
* Intel Core Duo T2400 / 5 Mb Cache / 1.83
GHz / 667 MHZ FSB
* 15.4" Wide-screen XGA Display with Truelife
* 120 Gb 5400 rpm Sata Hard Drive
* 1 Gb DDR2 SDRAM / 553 MHZ
* 256 Mb ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 Hyper memory
* Windows XP Media Center
* 9 - Cell Battery
Reasons for Buying
The Dell Inspiron 6400 really interested
me because it had everything I needed for the price that I
wanted. It's small and light enough to carry (even with the
9-cell) and is powerful enough for my needs. I chose Dell
because of their quality, in my mind. I've only bought one
Desktop, the Dell Dimension 8200. 6 years later, it's still
running incredibly well with Windows XP (designed for Windows
ME). Anyways, I was confident that the laptop I was about
to purchase will last me a long time, and I have plenty reasons.
Where & How it Was Purchased
I ordered my laptop on Dell's Canadian website.
I found that the site was fairly easy to navigate and didn't
get lost too often. Dell's main advantage over their competitors
is that laptops they sell are always highly configurable.
Unfortunately, I had some credit card problems that were beyond
my control, so my order was delayed. The sales representative
was very polite and assisted me throughout the process. I
got my laptop in 15 days. It would normally take about 10
days. Overall, I was pleased with the order process and order
tracking is very helpful.
Build & Design
The Inspiron 6400 feels very sturdy. It
doesn't feel flimsy, and doesn't look like things are going
to get loose anytime soon. Opening and closing of the screen
is not too loose or too tight. One hand is sufficient enough
to move the screen, provided the notebook itself on a stable
surface.
The notebook design itself is slightly above
average. The silver paint looks very appealing, but not when
combined with the white bumpers. I didn't really like the
bumpers, but I guess it looks decent. Overall this laptop
can't compare to the XPS series, but its design is good enough
to catch some eyes.
Display
I chose the lowest option, and I am still very impressed.
The 15.4" monitor is great for playing games and watching
movies. The wide-screen is very nice and is everything that
I expected. The screen is good enough so people can gather
around and watch a movie with no problems. Something to watch
out for is fingerprints. They drive me up the wall so keeping
it clean is definitely a priority.
Speakers & Sound Quality
I was very surprised with the quality of the sound and the
loudness of the speakers. If you are not a professional DJ,
I doubt that you would need external speakers. With volume
set at half and variable external sounds, its loud enough
to fill the general area of the laptop. At full, it can fill
a whole room and enables you to have a group watch a DVD with
no trouble hearing what's going on.
Processor & General Performance
If you are a multi-tasker, you will love the Core Duo. For
example, I was installing software, playing a video, and chatting
on Windows Live Messenger at the same time with no troubles.
Considering I didn't get the highest processor, I was quite
impressed. With 1 Gb of RAM, I had no problems. Start-up time
is very quick once you get rid of the annoying stuff Dell
includes. My start-up usually averages a minute.
I was surprised in terms of gaming performance. Users on various
forums gave me the impression that it would be disappointing.
I was pleased to see that games such as NFS Most Wanted and
Battlefront 2 ran with maximum settings. In general I'm sure
that high performance games should run great with medium to
high settings.
(Read more at http://www.notebookreview.com)
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Del XPS M1330
Dell launched the new line
of Inspiron laptops and desktops with much fanfare on June
26th, 2007 at a Macy's department store in New York. The flagship
laptop, the XPS M1330, garnered a lot of press coverage. The
launch coincided with a revamping of Dell's marketing efforts
in an attempt to lose the 'beige-box' manufacturer cachet
and move more upstream by making the brand more appealing
to a wider demographic.
Aside from the redesigns to the notebook line-up, Dell was
also touting the multitude of colored lids that the new laptops
would ship with, allowing a bit of personalization by customers.
In addition, the XPS M1330 was touted as the thinnest 13.3"
notebook and boasted a radically new design for Dell, challenging
manufacturers such as Sony and Apple, who were traditionally
viewed as more 'stylish' companies, known for their design.
There was substantial press coverage for the launch as well
as for the new product line, something that hasn't been terribly
common for Dell in recent memory. After years of building
my own computers, I decided to give Dell a try and ordered
the XPS M1330.
The XPS M1330 with its 13.3" widescreen
display falls somewhere between the thin-and-light and ultra-portable
categories. Its weight, at just under 4 lbs with the 4-cell
battery and LED backlit display, puts it squarely in ultra-portable
space, but its relatively large footprint means it's not an
ultra-portable in the strictest sense of the word. Nevertheless,
at under 0.9 inches thick at its thinnest point, with the
LED backlit display, it's a very stylish and small laptop,
convenient for carrying around and using in all but the tightest
of spaces.
Design
Just spectacular. If anyone could say it better, it would
be the friends that were over when I opened up the box. Words
like, 'wow', 'sleek', and 'awesome' were uttered by them and
in my mind, they were right on the money. I was also told
by a few people that the M1330 is the best looking laptop
they've seen, bar none. Those are pretty strong words for
a laptop from a company that is more typically known as the
ultimate 'beige-box' provider. Congratulations, Dell, for
designing something eye-catching for all the right reasons!
It goes without saying that the M1330 bears
a striking resemblance to the Sony SZ series, from its wedge-shaped
design to the 13.3" form factor to its use of an LED
panel. Nonetheless, it's a good design that Dell has implemented
well. Let's take a virtual tour of some of the more interesting
design features.
Using the 13.3" widescreen display
popularized by companies such as Sony and Apple, Dell mated
the chassis with an optional LED backlit display to achieve
what they say is the world's thinnest 13.3" laptop. It
sneaks in just under the thickness of the Sony SZ at the front,
but slopes up towards the back, until it is thicker than the
Apple MacBook, which is of uniform thickness from front to
back. It is on par with the SZ in terms of weight and around
a pound lighter than the MacBook, with the 6-cell battery.
The LED backlit display is about 2.5mm thinner
than the CCFL. (view large image)
I opted for the color that Dell calls 'Tuxedo Black'. The
finish of the lid is matte and, unfortunately, picks up a
lot of fingerprints, which are difficult to remove. I chose
the black color as I wanted it to look professional - something
I wouldn't be embarrassed to bring to a business meeting at
one of my co-op jobs. The chrome effect on the Dell and XPS
logos add a bit of flair, but the overall statement is muted.
Don't worry; this laptop doesn't need flashy colors or lots
of lights to get noticed.
Open up the screen and you'll notice a very
harmonious design. The silver of the keyboard and palm rest
complements the black region up the center, bordering the
display. At a glance, the keyboard looks like it might be
made of aluminum as well, but upon closer inspection, this
is not the case. A few people who saw the laptop were definitely
fooled initially.
There is no mechanical latch to keep the lid closed. Instead
a hinge spring snaps it shut and keeps it closed securely.
Even though a larger portion of the weight is distributed
towards the rear of the laptop, opening the lid can still
be a one-handed task.
There's no need to hold the base down while
opening the lid; the laptop doesn't tip backwards. Dell even
provides a little protrusion at the front of the lid to give
you a finger grip to open the display more easily. The VGA
(0.3MP, 640x480) webcam is by Creative and is mounted above
the screen, between two microphone pick-ups.
Dell made an interesting design choice
for the display module. The hinge design is quite aesthetically
pleasing, but the implementation leaves a bit to be desired.
The hinge is of the 'bamboo' type, which rotates around a
central pillar. In most cases, this type of hinge reduces
the height of the screen when opened, since part of the bottom
bezel may be swivelled behind the back of the laptop. However,
Dell has decided
to keep the screen at a higher level, by increasing the thickness
of the bottom bezel, negating one of the advantages of the
bamboo hinge. In addition, due to the added thickness of the
bezel, the laptop itself has become deeper in dimension, measuring
in at 9.4" compared to 8.92" of the MacBook, which
is of similar form factor. In fact, at 9.4" deep, the
M1330 rivals the Vostro 1400/Inspiron 1420 in terms of depth.
On the other hand, Dell may have decided that the design of
the MacBook's (and the Pro for that matter) hinge leaves the
display too close to the keyboard and isn't as comfortable
for viewing. Another possible reason is that Dell wanted their
logo to be visible on the bottom bezel. As well, due to the
hinge design, the display cannot be opened up to 180 degrees,
instead, stopping at around 140 degrees.
(read more at http://www.notebookreview.com)
Click
Here to go directly to DELL Computers Australia
Dell Laptop Models
Dell
Inspiron 1501
Dell
Inspiron 1420
Dell
Inspiron 6400
Dell
Inspiron 1520
Dell
Inspiron 1720
Dell
XPS M1330
Dell
XPS M1530
Dell
XPS M1730
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