Combining Power and Mobility into One Package
Written: Aug 26 '01
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Pros: Thin, medium weight, and very powerful
Cons: Gets very hot, 1 USB port
The Bottom Line: By and large this computer combines many elements of design and muscle to make an all around practical work and play solution.
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| Chewy3's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 4000 Series |
The Dell Inspiron 4000 notebook computer combines an extraordinarily powerful processor while maintaining a sleek and medium-weight feel. I will divide my review into 5 sections; each will have a rating out of five stars and at the end will be averaged out for the total score.
Power
*****
The power on this system is truly unparalleled, featuring Intel Pentium III with SpeedStep™ technology. You can purchase 800, 900, or a blazing 1000 MHz processor. I opted for the 1 GHz option because I run a lot of processor intensive software including various games which it handles very well. The processor speed acts as the “brain” of the computer and is the number one factor in deciding the performance of your computer. I firmly believe in buying the latest technology at the present and keeping it for 2-4 years so that it stays relatively modern for a while.
As for the RAM (Random Access Memory), which is the second most important factor in terms of performance, you can choose from 128, 256, 384, and 512 MB. If you only need to use your computer for internet access and word processing you probably do not need more than 128. If you use a lot of software or run many different programs at one time you will need more than 128.
The battery life for the Inspiron 4000 surpasses most of its competition in battery optimized mode. If you just leave it on, I have gotten from experience 3-3.5 and sometimes close to 4 hours on the 59 watt battery. When you are running a lot of software or a DVD you can get 2-3 hours. The battery can fully charge in under 1.5 hours while on, which is definitely a plus. If you need you computer on batteries more than this time, I suggest buying a second battery for $100. If you switch to maximum power mode you will suffer a lot of battery time.
Overall the performance is above average than most computers in its class. In fact on CNET’s performance test it tested higher than all of its competitors in maximum power mode and battery optimized mode. On that note you can unquestionably say that this ranks among the best in terms of power.
Style
****+
Dell computers in general sport a sleek, thin look with a black chassis which makes it appear more professional. This notebook weighs about 6-7 pounds depending on how large the hard drive is or how much RAM you have or what kind of battery you have. It is also only 1.5 inches thick with a 14.1 inch XGA or SXGA+ screen which supports higher resolutions but is more expensive. The keyboard has very comfortable keys at full size but if you press too hard the keyboard is a little flimsy. The power switch is located inside the computer so that it does not switch off in transit. Overall the ports and plugs are mostly located in strategic areas for maximum comfort.
Reliability
****
Overall, the Dell Inspiron 4000 is pretty reliable especially when plugged into a power source. I have noticed the usual freezes and errors that are commonly found on Windows type systems. Unfortunately, the reliable Windows 2000 is not an option for the Dell Inspiron models.
The DVD player plays flawlessly without skips from the many movies that I have experimented with; I was very happy with this feature. Also the built in modem and Ethernet card have been very reliable and I have seen speeds upwards of 53.3 K which is the maximum allowed on 56k modems.
Another minor gripe I had with this system is that it can get extreamly hot when it is on for a few hours and gets very uncomfortable for your lap. This can get some getting used to but is nothing too major.
Mainly the only problem is the typical Windows operating system. The only thing you can do is to keep your computer relatively clean and defragment often– Dell does ship it with a lot of junk on the hard drive. You might even what to format the hard drive and install a new copy of Windows if you want maximum performance. You may also want to wait a couple months upon the release of Windows XP.
Expandability
*****
This computer is very easy to upgrade and improve. With 2 FutureBay™ slots you can add and take out drives even while the computer is on. The computer comes with 1 serial port, 1 parallel port, 1 USB port, 1 Mouse or Keyboard port, and a docking port. I was a little disappointed that it only had one USB but if you really needed two you could buy a USB hub or port replicator for $20-$30. Also, there is a TV-Out port located on the right side to transfer the screen of your computer to a TV. This also means that you can watch your DVDs on TV which I have done and is quite impressive. An IrDA (infrared) port is also located on this computer but I have not had a chance to use this as of yet.
RAM is upgradeable up to 512 MB and is quite easy to install. If you want to save a little money you may want to consider buying additional RAM from a different company and install it yourself. Just about the only thing that cannot be expanded/changed on this computer is the Video Card weighing in at only 8 MB SGRAM. Also something to consider is that if you add anything that is not Dell made and causes your computer to break in some way, it may not then be covered by the warranty.
Value
****+
This computer is a very good value for your money. The one downside is once you buy a computer (any computer for that matter) the value depreciates rapidly as would a car. Three months ago when I purchased this computer at the top of the line it was about $2400. Much to my dismay, you can get it now for a couple hundred less. I guess you have to jump in sometime. But, much to Dell’s credit this same computer with its specs would have run upwards of $3500+ with Sony or IBM made computers so I think this is a very good value in most respects. Also something to note is that if you do not need portability at all you can get a much better desktop computer for the same or lesser price (upwards of 1.9 GHz).
Overall
****+ (4 ˝ stars)
By and large this computer combines many elements of design and muscle to make an all around practical work and play solution. If what you need is a very powerful yet lighter than the average notebook you should definitely consider this laptop. Also, the value compared to other name brands including Sony and IBM’s computers make this look much more attractive in price for the same features.
Product reviewed with this configuration:
- 1 GHz Intel PIII
- 512 MB SDRAM PC-100
- 14.1” XGA monitor
- 10 GB HD
- 56k Modem with 10/100 Ethernet PCI
- 8 MB SGRAM ATI Rage Mobility 128 bit
- 8x DVD
- Nylon carrying case
- 59 watt lithium-ion battery (I’d recommend getting two if you are away from a power source for over 5 hours)
- $2400 (now a couple hundred dollars cheaper; also wait until there are deals on Dell.com like free 128 RAM upgrade or $100 rebates, they are up most weeks and are definitely worth the wait if they are not up at the time)
Reviewed 8/27/01; contents may be out of date by the time you read this.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2400
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: DVD
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Epinions.com ID:
Chewy3
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Member: Omar Halabi
Reviews written: 12
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