Part With Your Money for an Inspiron!
Written: Nov 08 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast, portable, lots of options, warranty, nice screen
Cons: Puts a dent in your pocket/big investment (but worth it)
The Bottom Line: Although this laptop was a large investment, it has been worth shelling out this much money.
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| Javelina's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 8100 Series |
Dell Inspiron 8100
After lugging my desktop around with me from place to place, I had had enough with it’s size and weight. But making the change to a laptop was going to be a big investment.
My biggest worries? Laptops cost a lot! Their screens are usually smaller and don’t have as nice quality as a regular monitor. There is a greater risk of having your computer stolen. Breakability factors go up. And laptops become outdated more quickly because of difficulties in upgrading.
What did I want out of a laptop? The ability to take my computer with me, from one location to another, with minimal work. Laptops mean you can check e-mails from hotel rooms and on visits to friends and family. They mean easier moving, saving you space and effort. Laptops are quick, convenient, and portable. Perfect for my lifestyle. I also got a warranty with my purchase, which offers peace of mind.
I bought my Dell Inspiron 8100 in May 2001, from the www.dell.com website. It was a tough decision in making this purchase, after months of research on laptops. I had looked into refurbished models, and all kinds of brands. I decided that I would go ahead and buy a Dell, because I felt as though it was a ‘safe’ purchase, and that it would be a quality purchase.
I made my order online. I had someone who knows a good deal about good computer specifications help me out on this one, because although I work on the computer all day long, I’m still not quite up and up on numbers and specifications and what works well in conjunction with different components. On the Dell website, you are guided through a number of steps to choose among a variety of options for your laptop. I chose things like a CD-ROM over a DVD, a 15 inch screen over smaller sizes, and so on. Then, the die was cast, as I entered my credit-card information and my purchase was complete.
This was a quite busy time of year for Dell. However, I received my Dell Inspiron 8100 in a little over two weeks. The Inspiron arrived in a large box, packaged to prevent damages through shipping.
I turned on my Dell Inspiron 8100, and everything was pretty much ready to roll. Dell was of course gracious enough to put all kinds of marketing ploys into my computer, with trial programs and Internet service options.
In September 2001, I was the lucky recipient of the “Sir Cam” virus. I shudder to think of this event! I knew which virus it was because I had done some research on the Internet. I reached a point where Dell Inspiron 8100 would turn on and reach a blank screen with a prompt. Nothing else. I called Dell’s customer service number, trying not to panic. I ended up calling several times, and each time I had a completely different experience. The first call I made, I believe I was told to go make a startup disk. When I called back the next few times, it was difficult to pick up where each different customer service representative had left off. One of the people kept asking me to spell “S-I-R C-A-M”, and still had no idea what I was talking about. A woman that I spoke with later knew exactly what I was talking about. I knew things were bad when Dell representatives thought it was bad! After multiple calls, I had been guided through a process where you completely wipe your hard drive clean of everything. I lost all my information and data, but it was a relief to have my computer up and working. Well… that was after a confused customer service representative misguided me in the installation process, and kept leaving out one of the drivers, which prevented me from getting on the Internet. Although there were a few hitches, I managed to get things up and working.
As a side note… Back up your computer! I was always one of those people who was cavalier about my data, and wasn’t backing up my files. External devices are comparably priced to internal devices. I got myself an external zip drive to go with the Dell Inspiron 8100, and have found it to be extremely useful. Not only can I backup things, but also I can store things on zip disk that would otherwise be a system hog. I am looking into an external CD burner as well.
In addition to customer service, Dell provides other things along with the purchase of the Dell Inspiron 8100. I got a year of DellNet by MSN (which I don’t use). There is a warranty on the computer. With the laptop, I of course have all the disks I need, from Windows ME to drivers to reinstallation disks.
Dell prides the Dell Inspiron 8100 for features like high quality graphics, a high-speed processor, and things like interchangeable palm rests. A mood changing laptop feature doesn’t quite get my adrenaline going, as I prefer features that are more about functionality, but Dell seems to like these gimmicky ideas.
My Dell Inspiron 8100 did not come with a laptop bag, so I had to go out and look for one. It was difficult to find a bag that fit the 15” screen. Even bags that claimed to accommodate a screen and laptop of this size were not able to. What I ended up getting was a Targus Lappac. I know that sometimes Dell runs promotions where you get a free bag with purchase, but they were running a different promotion at the time I bought my Dell Inspiron 8100.
The Dell Inspiron 8100 is pretty heavy, but nothing I would complain about. It’s a small price to pay for something that is so portable and functional.
I am very happy about the fact that the Dell Inspiron 8100 does not have any features that can be easily broken off. I have seen many computers at work and other places that have ports that pop out, and things like modem card plugs that stick out… and too often I have seen these features get broken or caught.
The sound on the Dell Inspiron 8100 is decent… but is your general tinny and poor quality sound, if you are playing something like music. I have some really nice speakers that are hooked up to my laptop, the same speakers that I would have connected to my regular desktop computer. If you appreciate high quality sound, and it’s something that you crave, I recommend using speakers, especially for a stereo effect. Plus, external speakers allow you to have your sound on or off, without having to go into settings after you boot up each time.
For those of you that are used to using a desktop, typing on a laptop is different, something to get used to. I have used laptops often in the past, and I found myself noticing the difference in keyboard type after purchasing the Dell Inspiron 8100 . You have to get used to the smaller keyboard (which is more condensed), more sensitive keys, and the fact that your palms are resting on a level plane (the palm rests of the laptop). It is difficult to get around this problem. Maybe one day, Dell will make those interchangeable palm rests more “squishy”! One of the things that has most recently happened is that some of the letters on the keys are starting to show wear and fading, which worries me a bit. I don’t know if this is normal, but I definitely do not like to see this.
My Dell Inspiron 8100 has a “smart” touchpad, as well as one of those rubbery devices (pointing stick) located in the center of the keyboard that serves the same purpose. It is really easy to hook up a mouse, and I can even plug it in after my system has booted, and it will work.
The battery life is all right, although it seems to be on the short side. My apartment is infamous for short power outages, which my laptop survives if the power comes back on within about two hours. You can always set your laptop for power-saving options, which can be specific to when your computer is running on batteries only. It does seem as though the little battery indicator in the task tray drains fairly quickly.
As for the performance of the Dell Inspiron 8100… I chose Windows ME and a good amount of hard drive space, and a fast processor. I rarely have problems like my system crashing. I find that things like Winamp or other large programs end up being system hogs, so I try not to use too many large programs at once. As soon as I got the laptop, I deleted all the extraneous items that I knew I would not need, such as all those ISP’s I would never use. I had every intention of buying a laptop that was fast and would not crash much, and that is exactly what I got.
Overall, I have had good luck with the Dell Inspiron 8100. It has been a joy to use and to travel with, and has been a great convenience. I cannot fathom what I would do (or how I ever survived) if I did not have access to a laptop. This computer made quite a dent in my pocket, but I hope that in making a larger investment, that the Dell Inspiron 8100 will stay around for a while. I love this laptop and am extremely satisfied with my purchase, and would recommend it!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2800
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
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