Just One Problem- A Big One- But Just One
Written: Sep 30 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great graphics, fast, customer support, good battery, a portable desktop
Cons: A heavy machine
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| hwz1's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 7500 (G650YT) PC Notebook |
The Dell Inspiron is great except that the memory does not allow me to store the intimate photos that I frequently take of my girlfriend. Ooops, I guess I should not write that for fear that she might discover the photos. No, actually, I am kidding and do not have any "naughty" photos that I should not have- just an attention getter.
At any rate, the Inspiron 7500 G750YW is one of the few computers- laptop or desktop- that I have ever used that has just one problem (I will get to the problem later). I have been completely impressed with everything that Dell has provided me with the 7500 and that has not always been the case when it comes to me and Dell computer. However, for the 7500 the company apparently decided to quit cutting costs and, instead focus their energy on making the best and most complete product around.
THE PARTICULARS:
* Intel Pentium, Intel Pentium III, or Intel Celeron Processor
* 15" SXGA Displays (Considered to be excellent quality)
* Starts at $2,129 as listed on the Dell Website
* Up to 30 GB of hard drive
* 128 MB of RAM
* Microsoft Office 2000 software
* 24 hour customer support (Can be good or bad depending who answers)
* Surround sound with two stereo speakers
* StrikeZone- provides shock absorbtion for your hard drive
* Three year next business day on sight service (Great feature)
* A changeable port that permits floppy or CD loads
* Battery life about two and a half hours (Heavy usage)
THE GOOD:
1. The Inspiron 7500 is considered to be a "portable desktop" because of the fact that it has more capabilities than most laptops. I would agree that the 7500 is more than just something that you use to do minimal tasks while traveling. By minimal, I mean Word or Works and some light web surfing or email. In other words, you can do a lot more with the 7500 than you can realistically do with a lot of laptops.
2. The battery life is excellent and when I mention two and a half hours of usage, I am talking heavy usage. If you are just doing something on Word, you can go much longer than with other laptops.
3. The service can be excellent. I say "can be" because I have found that it depends on who is on the other end of the phone. My parents- who are not exactly brilliant when it comes to electronics- have received some poor service from Dell, but I have never had a problem personally.
A second point to made when it comes to service is the three year next business day guarantee. Very useful, though hopefully never used. Think of it this way: You are a traveling businessman (or woman) and something major goes wrong in Feline Meatloaf, Montana (Ok, so I made up the name...). You are pretty good with computers, but just cannot figure out what is wrong and you have a presentation to make tomorrow to the CEO of "But I Do Not Want to be Meatloaf" cat food company". What will you do? Simply place a call to the Dell service/support team and they will be there. Guaranteed.
4. The 15" SXGA screen is normal. What is not normal is that the graphics appear brighter on the 7500. I do not know about you, but I often find that the screen color tends to be a little dark on a laptop. Not at all the case with the 7500. I find that the screen is almost as light as my desktop and quit easy to read.
5. EXTRAS! Yeah, you have a lot with the 7500. The sound is good for a laptop. The graphics make game playing and internet surfing a pleasure. You can utilize a floppy disk or a CD. Internet surfing is as simple as can be. As is the internet hook up.
THE BAD:
1. Finally, the long awaited problem with the 7500. Yes, it is a laptop and yes it does provide a heck of a lot more than you will find on most laptops. However, there is a price to pay for the all the added capabilities- namely the fact that you had to be participating in the Olympic weightlifting competition in order to be able to carry the 7500. Ok, not quite, but you will find that the portability is a good deal more difficult because of the additions.
Additionally, a pet peeve of mine when it comes to computers; the manner in which they are priced. Why do Dell and others list the price so low when you pay more than twice the amount of the listing for the "works"? I understand that not everyone buys the same model, but why not make up an estimated price from the defaults in the customizing screens? Sorry, but that is just a pet peeve of mine when it comes to buying a computer.
CONCLUSION:
I would recommend buying the 7500 if you are looking for a laptop that can do a little more than the average machine. Dell advertises the 7500 as "Desktop Performance in a Notebook" and they are not too far from being correct. Just keep in mind that the weight can be a burden if you are traveling long distances and having to carry the 7500. Finally, in my opinion, Dell has finally gotten it right with a laptop. I think they truly decided that they needed to improve their image when it came to the consumer- times have not been great of late- and they have done a good job.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hwz1
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Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 845
Trusted by: 923 members
About Me:
Just got a big promotion that will move my new wife and I to Atlanta.
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