DELLicious!
Written: Jan 03 '01
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Pros: Very Reliable, Good customer service, good battery life, sleek design
Cons: Standby mode doesn't work, hand cover color options aren't useful
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| krispyjala's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 4000 Series |
After having used my antiquated Dell PII-266 desktop for four years, I thought it was time for me to upgrade to something better. What better choice than to get a laptop from the most reliable brand out there: DELL!
At first, I was worried about the price since although Dell is very reliable, they are somewhat expensive. However, I was fortunate enough to find a good deal with 20% Microsoft Passport cash back (Please don't ask me about it--it has expired for over a month now). Here are the specs for those curious techies:
Pentium III 700 mhz with Intel Speedstep
128 MB SDRAM
14.1" XGA monitor
10GB Ultra ATA HD
8x DVD ROM
2 53WHr Lithium Batteries
Windows ME with MS Works
Having used this notebook for over a month, I am truly satisfied with the laptop system. I even got a chance to test the Dell's Tech Support when I had a mishap on my laptop. I guess I was too rough with the notebook, so I messed up the LCD screen (which costs about $1000 to replace). Boy, was I sweating! However, because Dell has a 30-day customer satisfaction guarantee promise, they immediately sent me a new laptop via FedEx Next Day Priority. I got it the next day, and my new laptop is working very well.
Now, the gadgets. I found the battery life to be satisfying. One time, I accidently forgot to plug in my laptop, so I unknowingly ran on battery for about two hours or more (didn't really pay attention). However, I was surprised to learn that the machine still had about 20% battery level left to run. Charging the battery is also a breeze; it probably took no more than an hour to charge an almost-empty battery to full strength when the laptop is turned on.
In addition, I truly fell in love with the DVD drive. If you want to make the neighbors on your flight jealous, this system is it! With a 14.1" XGA screen, you can get more than an eyeful of movies. The DVD movies ran flawlessly, and there's even an S-video out so that you can hook it up to a TV! I tried watching the Patriot on TV, and it was incredible. The resolution was almost as good as a good DVD player hooked up to the TV.
The video card, even though it has only 8mb of RAM, is also impressive. I had a field day running different kinds of screensavers (OpenGL, Direct3D), and it came out perfect. I haven't tried playing games on the laptop yet, but I bought this laptop mainly for academic reasons, so I'm not too worried about how many frames per second this machine can crank out in Quake III.
One nag about the system, however, is that the StandBy mode doesn't really work and usually hangs my system. I think it's more of Windows ME's fault, since those Operating Systems are so buggy (and you ask me why we should upgrade Windows to get more bugs...). Also, I didn't request for any fancy colors for the handpads (or whatever you call them) since I thought black would look more sleek and professional. Oh yeah, the outside cover looks really good, too, with a nice chrome Dell logo.
In conclusion, if you want a good laptop, Dell is it. One note is that you should be conscious of the promotions and sales that Dell has. I got my system for $1559 after the 20% MS Passport cash-back deal, which ended about a month ago. The shipping was free, as was the DVD ROM. All in all, you can never go wrong with a Dell. Just make sure you don't pay too much for it!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1559
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 601-700
Screen Size: 14"
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 9-12
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Epinions.com ID:
krispyjala
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Location: Alameda, CA
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 1 member
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