I still like Thinkpads better
Written: Aug 27 '01 (Updated Aug 28 '01)
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Pros: screen resolution, dual mouse controls, can buy refurbished, works out of the box
Cons: limited video memory, poor sound, noisy, lack of upgradability, support wait times, support itself
The Bottom Line: Not a bad laptop for the money to take on the road, but beware of video memory and sound limitations.
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| snitch's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 4000 Series |
I bought a (DELL refurbished) 4000 last month after succumbing to a big price difference between that model and its competitors from Toshiba and IBM. High review ratings have been a factor as well. Since Dell doesn't sell through regular retail stores (neither does IBM anymore), there was little or no chance to play with the computer beforehand and, so, I relied on the ratings and the positive experience dealing with recent Dell desktops.
I must say that my experience this time wasn't as positive.
When you buy online from Dell, depending on whether you choose to buy as a Home user or a Business the site restricts you to a choice of the OS you get. I wanted to buy the computer preloaded with Win2k, and there is no way to do it as a home user (anyone knows why would a user want to inflict a bug-ridden Win ME upon him/herself?).
So, I chose the Business user entry to buy a Win2K box. Turns out the above restriction doesn't apply to refurbished PCs site, but I didn't know that at the time.
I selected my box and had some sales-related questions, so I called pre-sales support, got them resolved and paid for the system. I received a statement via email a short time later. It appeared correct stating the amount of the sale w/o the sales tax.
A day later, I received a second email statement, only this time the amount was complimented with the state sales tax. Since this was the first I ever saw the sales tax added to the balance, I frantically called Dell and asked them to change the order. The reply was that the order can't be changed at that time. I asked why Dell, of all web-based merchants, is incapable of presenting a true balance, including correct sales tax and shipping costs, at the time of sale and got no real answer, except I was told that since I was buying as a business I was liable to pay tax.
Nothing on Dell website gives you any information on who they decide to charge tax or not. Needless to say I wasn't pleased, but the only alternative option at that point was to return the laptop back to Dell and look for another one.
The laptop itself was in a good working order and all the preloaded programs appeared to work correctly - big plus, not to be taken for granted even in this now 20-year old industry.
I have an 3-year old IBM Thinkpad that I was looking to replace, and I have to say that on look and feel the Thinkpad feels like a Lexus, compared to Dell's Honda. Nothing big, just the overall feel of the system. The pushbuttons on the integrated mouse-stick are too stiff to push, the ports are all exposed, tactile feel of the case, small stuff like that. On the other hand, the screen works fine in 1400x1050 resolution, the letters are very clear and readable. The dual mouse control, stick AND glidepad, make both camps happy.
My biggest surprise came when I popped an audio CD into the machine and played it through its internal speakers. Again, maybe ThinkPads spoil you, but the sound was so poor, I thought the speakers were defective. The volume was barely audible and the highs and lows were all clipped. Thus began my 3-week long odyssey to get the problem corrected (should have read the other Epinions reports beforehand!) Dell assured me that speakers should sound fine and we started debugging the system - night after night, reinstalling the OS at one point because we couldn't get the "Advanced Controls" button to activate on the Volume Control panel (I still cannot!).
Finally, after a week of nightly tinkering with the system, I suggested they take it into the shop to look for hardware problems. I shipped it to a third-party repair depot and it came back with a replaced motherboard, but no difference in sound quality. I called again (each call is preceded by a 40-minute wait time on average, btw. That is if you are routed to the right dept. If not, and it happened fairly often, they simply drop you back to the end of the queue again. While I am on the subject, the quality of tech support was only so-so most of the time. Unfortunately this is becoming a rule, rather than exception, in this industry.)
Again, I asked that perhaps Dell simply decided to put $0.50 speakers in a $2000.00 system and that was it. I was told it isn't so. I suggested they take the system back into the repair depot and this time look at speakers. We did that. The second time the laptop came back with no changes, but with a note that said the following:
"Dell is aware of this problem with the model of our laptops you purchased. We recommend that the customer uses external speakers or headphones... Sorry for the inconvenience " and so on and so forth. If Dell is aware, why waste weeks of customer's and tech support time? Simply state the facts.
As an aftermath to this saga, I did add a pair of excellent speakers (Klipsch ProMedia 2.1) and, still, they don't sound nearly as nice when hooked up to 4000 as to my 4-year old desktop.
The second issue to be aware of is the non-upgadeable 8MB video card. With some new games out there (Max Payne) listing 16MB of Video RAM as a minimum requirement, to be restricted on a month-old machine was not something I had expected. Not that I am a big gamer, but still...
The last negative discovery was the noise the system fan makes. Having used a string of Thinkpads in the past, I was pretty sure that noise and laptops don't go together. Even when the fan turns on on a Thinkpad the sound is barely audible. On Dell you hear it in the next room (and it comes on fairly often). Now, with a 1GHz processor, a more powerful fan is expected, but I if I can barely hear it on a P4 Dell Dimension 8100, why not on this laptop?
Overall, despite all the criticism, 4000 isn't a bad laptop (and I have yet to assess its supposedly awesome DVD-playing capability). Simply, my positive experiences with Dell desktops and IBM laptops set the bar high, and 4000 loses points in comparison. If you are looking for a fairly lightweight laptop that will travel a lot and are willing to overlook the abovementioned limitations, 4000 may be a good choice. On the other hand, it doesn't quite cut it as a true desktop replacement. If money permits, look at IBM Thinkpads or Dell's own 8000 series to bypass video memory limits.
Also, on the subject of tech support. With each call taking 40 minutes on hold or more, resolving any question becomes a lengthy ordeal. Some companies, like HP, have a toll-call support with nearly zero wait times. I think, given a choice, I would prefer to pay a nickel a minute rather than waste nearly an hour every time I want to speak to a live person.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 2200
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
snitch
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Reviews written: 1
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