Backward Compatible Issues
Written: Aug 27 '04
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Pros: Performance, sexy looks, brand name
Cons: Weight (heavy), no serial port, PS2 port, Wi-Fi, bluetooth or Infrared included.
The Bottom Line: Better value machines from other leading brands can be found.
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| markd-uk's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 5150 (5150rh) PC Notebook |
Despite better value machines being on offer, my employer forced me down the route of the Dell Inspiron 5150 assuring me that Dell, being a world-renowned brand, would be able to suit my needs.
Desperate for a machine with significant performance power the 2.8 ghz processor on paper seemed fast enough to cater for my applications and an (rather expensive) upgrade on the RAM to 1gb sorted any memory issues. Finally, the 60gb hard disk provided enough space for all my local storage needs and so I relented and agreed to the device.
I should have argued my case more strongly. For the £1200 (approx $2400) we paid for the machine, I could have got one of equal performance power that included some compatability with my equipment at home and built-in wireless networking.
The Inspiron 5150 is one of those machines that likes to forget that it has a past and Dell have conveniently forgotten that while we might be upgrading our computer performance we shouldn't need to go out and replace all the peripherals to match it. My HP Deskjet 840C printer, purchased several years ago, is an excellent inkjet printer still in fully-functioning order and more than suitable to my day-to-day needs right now; therefore it doesn't need replacing, but the fact that it needs a serial connection and the Inspiron fails to provide one means that my printer and laptop are incompatible.
Searching the external ports further, the Inspiron also fails to provide a PS2 port for my trusty old mouse meaning that I either have to use the built-in touchpad or go and purchase a new one (yes, I know they're not expensive, but it's the principle of the matter) and the lack of an Infrared port means that my SonyEricsson T610 and iPaq cannot be connected to the device wirelessly when I'm out on the road.
Having been advised that IR is becoming an archaic technology and bluetooth and Wi-Fi are the way forward I began to search the device for help in this area. Bluetooth isn't built in and therefore a separate USB dongle had to be purchased for connectivity with my phone and PDA and Wi-Fi also fails to be an integral component of this laptop. A few further pounds spent on acquiring a wireless access hub gave me Wi-Fi connectivity and prompted me to install a wireless network in my house earlier than expected just so that I could connect my printer and scanner to another PC and then network to it from the laptop. All rather excessive just to print a sheet or two of A4...
Compatibility aside, the Inspiron 5150 is indeed a performance machine and handles everything I throw at it. The 64mb nVidia graphics card is excellent and screen resolution is good, although it would be nice to have the option to choose a better resolution than 1024x768.
Appearance is quite sexy for such a large 'top, and the electric blue and silver mix for the casing provides a sleek and modern appearance. Unfortunately, such looks come at the price of build quality, for the casing is less than robust and is easily marked if knocked. Like a car, a laptop travels around a lot and is going to suffer the occasional knock. I am careful with my electronic equipment and it's always put in a secure laptop bag when travelling, but despite this care you cannot mollycoddle it in the same way you can't a child and scrapes do happen.
The casing marks easily and after regular unclipping and lifting of the screen the hinges now feel loose (I've only had it eight weeks) and the keys on the keyboard wobble mildly and appear to be getting worse.
All in all a good HP or IBM unit would feel more solid and probably a bit lighter too. The Dell does seem to have gained a few pounds over earlier models I've worked with and the accompanying power supply weighs almost as much as the laptop itself. The combined weight of carrying both 'top and power unit can cause armache on long trips and if you're looking for a light and portable unit this is not the device for you.
In short I can't help but think that Dell have left us a little short-changed and our money might have been better spent on another manufacturer, capable of giving me a similar spec with Wi-Fi and bluetooth included, as well as a satisfying feel to the build quality.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 2400
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: Greater than 15 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
markd-uk
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Member: Mark Daniels
Location: United Kingdom
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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