This is my fourth Dell notebook. That is right. The fourth. My most recent was an inspiron 4100 with 1 1.06 GHz Celeron CPU. My new 1100 destroys the fairly good 4100.

The specs:

Inspiron 1100

2.4 GHz P4 CPU
640 MB ram (I upgraded through crucial.com)
30 GB hdd
14.1” TFT screen
24 x CD rom
Windows XP home

While I was reluctant to buy another notebook (as my inspiron was just over 1 year old and as a PhD student cash is in limited supply), my needs demanded another computer. My wife is always wanting to surf and write (she is a high school teacher), so I thought I could give her my “old” 4100 while I upgraded to an inspiron 1100. What a great deal this was!

Not only is my wife happy (you should have seen her antique Dell notebook from 1997), but I am thrilled!

This notebook is super fast, it can burn an audio CD in no time flat. It powers through any office app, thanks to its speedy 2.4 GHz Pentium CPU. I had had a 1.06 Celeron CPU previously, and I cannot describe the difference! I am now a full fledged P4 convert.

On Speed

The Inspiron 1100 is a smoker! The computer is NEVER slow – I can have 5 web browsers, 2 PowerPoint presentations, 3 word documents, along with mp3s playing, while downloading a large video download from Kazaa without any significant reduction in speed. I have done everything possible to slow it down, but it just doesn’t happen. I find it hard to believe that any “mainstream” user would need more processing power than what the inspiron 1100 offers.

On Looks

The inspiron 1100 has a new blue - gray color scheme, but I think it is rather ugly. I prefer the old Dell charcoal gray, but that is not too important to me. If I wanted a pretty laptop, I would get a Mac. This baby is for computing, not for aesthetics. And compute it does.

Ports

The Inspiron 1100 has 1 PCMCIA card slot and also sports 2 USB 2.0 ports – perfect for my high-speed external burner and hard drive. The old legacy ports are gone, though, which means if you have a PS/2 mouse, you will have to get either an adapter or a new mouse. This means devoting a coveted USB 2.0 port to a mouse, which is kinda lame. I think Dell should have kept the old ps/2 port. Not a major complaint though.

The Keyboard

Comfortable spacing for large hands. It isn't too loud, either.

Warranty

I know this is a personal decision - but I would suggest having only the basic 1 year warranty. That will save a lot of money that you could invest in a good office suite or anti-virus. If you will have this notebook "only a few years" then why spend hundreds more on a warranty that you probably will never need?

This is my fourth Dell notebook. I keep coming back every couple of years and I am always more satisfied than the previous time. I have previously had both Compaq and IBM notebooks, but I have learned that Dell is the best. I only use Dell now, and you should too.

My only wish is that Dell would offer computers without an operating system included. Many of use now have **legitimate** (but now unused) copies of Win 2000 and even XP. Dell could trim even more fat off of their generally low prices by considering this option – or even by allowing Linux as an option. Well, none of us are perfect, but it is clear to me that Dell keeps trying to improve both their services and their products. Wish the same could be said for other hardware and software distributors.
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UPDATE JULY 19, 2004

I have now had my notebook for 14 months. It has never quit on me and I have had no major problems. I recently upgraded the hard drive to a 60 GB 5400 RPM model, which has sped things up a bit. It also has given me a lot more room for all those MP3s. I have been very pleased with my inspion 1100. I have been a Dell fan for a long time, and my experience with this model has made me a lifetime convert.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1150
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50