Whatever you do, don't drop anything on the touchpad/keyboard...
Written: Jul 12 '04
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Pros: Dell, seems to be a well-made laptop
Cons: May only be sold refurbished, touchpad is rather delicate, battery and speakers are weak.
The Bottom Line: Just be sure not to drop anything on the touchpad. Or leave the battery plugged in.
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| agentunderfire's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 4000 PC Notebook |
(NOTE: This is my first review for this category. Unfortunately I'm not very technically oriented and I couldn't find the technical specs for this computer online due to it being no longer offered by Dell. I will happily adjust this review if reviewers feel the below information is not enough)
When I set off on the next stage of my life, (college), my
dad bought me a laptop as part of a student package. He wanted to get me HP hardware and software (he could get a discount), but he wasn't sure if he could get it to me in time before I went off. (I was off to college on the other side of the country.)
So, after getting my package from the school's Computing store, I found myself staring a Dell Inspiron 4000 laptop. I installed Microsoft Windows ME, added things like AIM, Winamp, etc. and was off.
How I used the Inspiron
The Inspiron 4000 served me well. Including a touchpad and touchstick, it excluded the need for an external mouse. (Great for those with limited desk space.) However, included was an external mouse that could plug into the USB port.
The laptop did what any computer in the service of a college student did: used for writing papers, emailing friends/family/professors, accessing academic-related issues, IMing, playing music, watching movies, etc.
Unfortunately, the internal speakers are weak. Located along the sides of the laptop towards the front, the sound wasn't really loud enough for my roomates and I to gather around and watch movies.
However, after about 8 monthes I found the mouse cursor acting erratically. It would drift without me touching the touchpad, or it would go to one side of the screen. It would even stop responding when I tapped the touchpad.
Problems with my Dell
After making inquiries to my school's computing store, I brought the Dell in and the tech and I took a look at it. Premature diagnosis was a broken touchpad, but it'd need about a week to properly diagnose and replace the part. Thankfully, my dad had purchased a three year warranty, so I was safe. I know I had dropped a couple of books on the touchpad/keyboard area (not all at once) I felt however that the books really were relatively light--not the big heavy duty textbooks I sometimes have used.
However, I found that after another 6 monthes the touchpad broke again. Ever since realizing the books were the problem, I was disappointed. I had done my best to prevent or at least catch any book before impact, but the touchpads seem to be fairly delicate parts of equipment.
Another problem was the battery. I admit, I used to keep the battery plugged in 24/7, as no one had told me it'd be bad for it. Now, the battery lasts 5-10 minutes if the laptop is not plugged in. I am told this is a common problem with Dell batteries, which seems to defeat the purpose of the laptop.
I have yet to deal with Dell's customer service. I've only dealt with my school's tech people, and they've seemed fairly friendly.
In the nearly three years I've had this product I've experienced few problems with the exceptions of the touchpads and battery on the hardware front. I have since upgraded to WinXP and remain fairly happy with my Dell.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): Don''t know
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Don''t Know
Processor speed: Don''t Know
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
agentunderfire
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Location: The Shire, Hobbiton
Reviews written: 100
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
Working full time now.
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