[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How are Dell laptops? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 3/1/2008 9:20:04 AM EDT
| I can buy one through work and I really need a new computer. I am kinda set on a laptop. Just wondering what some of you think about them, and what do you like or hate. |
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They get the job done. I have one but I maxed out most of the options to get the performance where I needed it. ETA: I guess I should say I've had it for about 5 months now, it runs Vista, and I haven't had a single issue with it yet. This is my fourth laptop, first Dell. |
| I work with one 10 hours a day. Haven't had any problems with the computer, aside from Vista. Company ordered it the day Vista was released, so I have had it from a few days after that. I can't really comment on the batteries though, I usually have it plugged in. |
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We use Dell Latitudes and they all work, as designed. I have five D830's that travel with me for training our PM's. To be honest, I have had problems with just about every brand of laptop. Ranging from tits up/DRT to minor issues with case closures. Sony was by far the worst. |
Their laptops are not bad, but I would only recommend them for someone who would NEVER NEED ANY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE! Not only will you not be able to understand them, they just suck all around. I am typing on one now, but I will never buy one again. The laptop is fine, but I will not support a compnay that cannot back its product better. |
| I've used 4 or 5 different models over the last 10 years or so as my desktop replacement. (Last two have been XPS.) My issues have mainly been with Windoze rather than the hardware. I'd recommend getting good on-site warranty though if it will be an important machine. The depot repair is OK if you can do without the machine, but I'm using mine almost every day. |
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I am typing the on a older XPS m1710 gaming machine. This thing has been to hell and back over the last three years and still works great. Never one problem. I have lugged this big thing all over the country, its been dropped atleast a dozen times. Got sand in it at the beach. You name it. Just installed vista afew weeks ago and aside from to find and install a couple of drivers even that went off without a hitch. That being said I also have a MAC and I am becoming spoiled using that machine. Just the other day I was surfing the web and almost downloaded a Trojan. I got it stopped just in time but damn that was close. Totally my own stupidity but you don't have to worry about that shit with a MAC. So I forget from time to time that one has to be careful with PC's. You just don't half to walk on eggshells all the time with a MAC the way you do with a PC. |
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We have 61 Latitude D820's at work. Most of them are between seven months old and one year old, but we've shipped laptops back to Dell nearly a hundred times. That's right, the average one of those pieces of crap have been back to Dell twice. That doesn't include the new batteries we've bought. We're replacing them about every four months. We have a junior IT guy that wastes half of his time dealing with the Dell problems. Dell is costing us a tremendous amount of productivity. It makes me really miss the Apple laptops we had before.z |
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We had Dells at work, and they got beat up a bit, now we're going with the Toughbooks. I had a Toshiba in my last job, and it was good, before that one I had a Compaq, and that one sucked, get having to go in for repair. Now I have a Dell, my wife has a Dell, and we love them. But we bought the ones in the "Sale" portion of the website, where it had been returned for some reason, and then added the extended warranty. I can't complain about Dells. They are serving me well. |
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Overview CR Quick Recommendations Ratings Latest Ratings Canadian Ratings How to choose Features A guide to brands A guide to tech support Repairs & reliability Tech support First Look FORUMS ELECTRONICS FORUMS Get real-world advice from others about choosing a new computer, printer, peripherals, etc. Ratings Laptop computers Below is the Ratings chart for laptop computers. Models are organized by type and listed by overall score, from best to worst. Click on any model for more information, including our Recommendations and an expanded features list. Browse through the entire chart below. Or click here to narrow the list of choices, based on your needs and preferences. Customize the Ratings chart. Click for more information. Brand and model The designation for the item we tested. Untested models that are similar, and should perform comparably, are listed in small type under the tested model. When included, brackets indicate the color code of the model we tested; similar models appear with empty brackets since more than one color may be available. Note that additional letters or numbers may be appended for a particular sample of the model to signify year manufactured, or other such information. close Brand and model Price An approximate retail price. close Price Test results Results based mainly on evaluations performed in our testing labs. For information on specific attributes and tests, click on the icon below the column title. close Test results Features Important attributes that might affect your buying decision. For information on specific features, click on the icon below the column title. Additional features may be included on the individual model pages; click on the model's name to reach its page. close Features Small type: similar model(s) CR Best Buy indicates an exceptional value. Overall score This is based mostly on ergonomics and display quality but considers multimedia features and other factors. The displayed score is out of a total of 100 points. close Ergonomics Represents how easily you can access features, as well as power consumption, heat, and noise. close Display Covers display clarity, color, contrast, brightness, uniformity, and reflectivity. close Features Includes hardware such as memory-card slots and AV connections, and software such as security programs and productivity applications. close Speed Based on performance while running multimedia applications and 3D games. close Speakers Covers speaker fidelity, bass response, and loudness. close Battery life (hr.) Estimated battery life in hours while running productivity applications. close Carry weight (lbs.) The weight of the laptop as you would carry it around, including the battery but without the power adapter or a removable CD/DVD drive. close Travel weight (lbs.) The weight of the laptop as you would pack it for traveling, including the power adapter, removable drive, and a spare normal-capacity battery. close Processor Also known as the CPU (Central Processing Unit), the processor is responsible for running commands and handling data. Processors come in different speeds and may have two or more cores (ex. dual-core), which let you more quickly process multiple complex tasks. We recommend a dual-core processor such as the Intel Core 2 Duo. However, those with basic needs can settle for a less expensive processor such as the Intel Pentium Dual-Core or AMD Turion 64 X2. close Video adapter Also known as the video card, the graphics adapter processes all the data that you see on your screen. They come in different speeds and may be integrated (most common, but is slower and uses up memory) or discrete (which is faster and has its own dedicated memory). If you will not be playing complex 3D games, any integrated graphics adapter will do. Otherwise, buy a discrete graphics adapter from ATI or NVIDIA with at least 128 MB of memory. close Memory (GB) Also known as RAM, memory is a temporary storage area for data. Its size is an important factor for performance. We recommend at least 1GB of memory, preferably 2GB. close Hard drive (GB) The hard drive is a permanent storage area for data. This is where all of your files, such as documents, music, and programs are stored. Hard drives come in various sizes and speeds. Most laptops come with at least an 80 GB hard disk, which is plenty for storing music and photos. But you may want a larger hard disk if you intend to store video. Most laptops have 5400 RPM hard disks which are fast, but 7200 RPM hard disks will allow programs to load faster. close Optical drive The optical drive reads and/or writes to CDs and DVDs. Most PCs come equipped with a DVD-RW, also known as a DVD burner, which lets you read and write to DVDs. A slightly less expensive option is a CD-RW/DVD combo drive, which does not let you write to DVDs. Some laptops come with Blu-Ray or HD DVD drives, which let you play high-definition movies. close Memory-card reader At least one flash memory-card slot (CF, SD, XD, MS, etc.) close FireWire port Number of Firewire (IEEE-1394) ports for capturing digital video. close Remote control A remote control for multimedia. close Built-in webcam A built-in webcam for videoconferencing. close Built-in microphone A built-in microphone. close Shop online Clicking "Shop Online" will allow you to obtain product pricing and availability information from a number of online retailers. If you wish, you can also purchase the item from one of those vendors. close 14.1-INCH BUDGET MODELS Dell Inspiron 1420 $970 67. 3.75 5.7 7.2 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • • Lenovo 3000 N200 14.1-inch $900 63. 3.25 5.3 6.6 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 1 80 DVD-RW • • • HP Pavilion dv2500t $900 61. 3 5.4 6.9 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • • Sony VAIO VGN-CR190 VAIO VGN-CR290 $1050 $1000 61. 2.75 5.3 6.8 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • Acer Aspire 4520-5803 $600 57. 2 5.5 7.0 Athlon 64 X2 TK-53 Nvidia 7000M 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • Gateway T-1616 $750 57. 2.5 5.5 7.1 Turion 64 X2 TL-58 ATI 1270 1 160 DVD-RW • • • 15.4-INCH BUDGET MODELS Dell Inspiron 1521 $720 61. 3 6.4 8.0 Turion 64 X2 TL-50 ATI X1270 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • Sony VAIO VGN-NR160E/T $830 60. 3.25 6.2 7.7 Core 2 Duo T5250 Intel X3100 1 160 DVD-RW • • Toshiba Satellite A215-S4697 Satellite A215-S7422 $700 $720 60. 2.25 6.1 7.6 Turion 64 X2 TL-52 ATI X1200 1 160 DVD-RW • • Acer Aspire AS5520-5334 $650 59. 1.75 6.1 7.6 Athlon 64 X2 TK-53 Nvidia 7000M 1 160 DVD-RW • • • • Compaq Presario V6500Z $655 58. 2.75 5.9 7.3 Turion 64 X2 TL-58 Nvidia 7150M 1 120 DVD-RW • • • HP Pavilion dv6500z $725 57. 2.5 6.0 7.4 Turion 64 X2 TL-58 Nvidia 7150M 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • Gateway NX570X $795 57. 2.75 6.3 7.9 Pentium Dual-Core T2060 Intel 950 1 160 DVD-RW • • Compaq Presario C700T $595 56. 2.75 5.7 7.2 Pentium Dual-Core T2310 Intel X3100 1 120 DVD-RW • Acer Extensa EX5620-6830 $600 56. 2.25 6.4 7.9 Core 2 Duo T5250 Intel X3100 1 200 DVD-RW • • • • Dell Inspiron 1501 $645 55. 3 6.4 8.0 Turion 64 X2 TL-50 ATI 1150 1 120 DVD-RW • Everex StepNote NC1510 $480 42. 1 5.5 6.7 VIA 1.5GHz C7-M VIA Chrome9 1 60 DVD-RW 15.4-INCH WORKHORSE MODELS Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch $2000 69. 4.25 5.3 7.4 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo 128MB Nvidia 8600M GT 2 120 DVD-RW • • • • Dell Inspiron 1520 $1045 65. 3.75 6.5 8.0 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 120 DVD-RW • • • • Lenovo ThinkPad R61 $1190 63. 3 6.4 7.8 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • Lenovo 3000 N200 15.4-inch $1000 62. 3 6.0 7.4 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 160 DVD-RW • • • Sony VAIO VGN-FZ190 VAIO VGN-FZ290 $1110 $1410 62. 3 5.6 7.3 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 120 DVD-RW • • • • Lenovo ThinkPad T61 $1185 62. 3 6.1 7.4 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 120 DVD-RW • • • HP Pavilion dv6500t $900 60. 2.5 6.0 7.5 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 120 DVD-RW • • • • • Toshiba Qosmio F40-ST4101 $1270 60. 1.5 6.8 8.9 Core 2 Duo T7100 128MB Nvidia 8400M GS 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • Toshiba Satellite A200-ST2043 $1165 59. 1.75 6.5 8.3 Core 2 Duo T7100 128MB ATI HD 2400 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • Gateway M-6816 M-6823 $850 $850 56. 2.5 6.3 7.8 Core 2 Duo T5250 Intel X3100 2 160 DVD-RW • • • 17-INCH WORKHORSE MODELS Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch $2800 75. 5.25 6.7 8.9 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo 256MB Nvidia 8600M GT 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV680 $3000 73. 2.25 9.9 12.7 Core 2 Duo T7300 512MB Nvidia 8600M GT 2 160 HD DVD Reader • • • • • Dell Inspiron 1720 $1440 69. 2.75 8.3 10.1 Core 2 Duo T7300 256MB Nvidia 8600M GT 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • • Toshiba Satellite P205D-S7479 $1300 65. 1.5 7.9 10.0 Turion 64 X2 TL-64 256MB ATI 2600 2 250 DVD-RW • • • • HP Pavilion dv9500t $1150 65. 3.25 7.5 9.2 Core 2 Duo T7300 Intel X3100 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • • Dell Inspiron 1721 $1190 64. 2.75 7.9 9.7 Turion 64 X2 TL-60 ATI X1270 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • • Gateway NX860XL $1420 64. 2.25 8.0 10.6 Core 2 Duo T7200 392MB Nvidia 7600 2 160 DVD-RW • • Toshiba Satellite P200-ST2061 $1325 64. 2 7.7 9.8 Core 2 Duo T7100 256MB ATI HD 2600 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • Sony VAIO VGN-AR670 $1360 63. 1.75 7.9 9.9 Core 2 Duo T7250 256MB Nvidia 8400M GT 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • HP Pavilion dv9500z $1120 59. 2.5 7.5 9.5 Turion 64 X2 TL-58 383MB Nvidia 8400M GS 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • 13.3-INCH SLIM AND LIGHT MODELS Dell XPS M1330 $1430 67. 3.5 4.5 6.0 Core 2 Duo T7100 Intel X3100 2 120 DVD-RW • • • • • Sony VAIO VGN-SZ640 $1700 62. 2.5 4.3 5.8 Core 2 Duo T7250 Intel / Nvidia Hybrid 2 160 DVD-RW • • • • Apple MacBook 13-inch $1300 59. 4.25 5.0 6.8 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo Intel 950 1 120 DVD-RW • • • • How We Test Our History Lab Tour ConsumerReports.org: Site Map | Overview | Your Privacy Rights | Canada Extra | en Español | Subscribe Who We Are: About Us | Our Mission | Career Opportunities | Bookstore | E-mail Newsletters | RSS | Press Room | User Agreement | Donate FREE Newsletter Sign-up for our FREE updates delivered by email. Sign-up now Copyright © 2005-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission. Welcome Thomas - Sign out Customer Service | My Account | Donate | Our Web Sites NewsBlogsForumsVideos Home > Electronics > Computers & Internet > Laptop & notebook computers > Latest Ratings Laptop & notebook computers |
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I work on them everyday, I like them. My employer paid for the Dell Certified System Engineer stuff. I troubleshoot the issue, and order what I need from a website. I bought my wife an Inspiron 1501 for Christmas of '06. The DVD/CD Rom drive died. Customer service sent me the part even though I didnt pay for onsite service. |
I suggest getting the Dell Latitude such as the D830. You can get a pretty good deal at Delloutlet.com They have a 3 year next business day warranty and are very reliable. I've been buying them for years and I've had very little trouble with them. To date, I've purchased 12 Latitudes and only one has had to have service. Some of the outlet systems may have defects and I have sent one back for a replacement but Dell paid for the shipping all the way. I work as a system administrator and I purchase systems all the time. Dell has been the most reliable and rugged. Including the Latitudes, I've purchased over 60 Dell systems in the last 4 years. I've had excellent NBD service on all the systems so far. I only purchase the business class systems such as the Latitude, Optiplex, Precision, or Poweredge servers. I would never purchase a consumer class system because they don't seem to hold up as well. I pay about $100 more for the business class systems but the 3 year NBD warranty is good insurance. |
| I got a Vostro 1500. I'm on my second one. The first crapped out after 1 week. It kept restarting, over and over between 2 -10 minutes running. I called them up and since I'm still under the 30 days, they just sent me a new one. Got it within 5 days(includes sat, sun) w/ $50 off my order for the trouble. |
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I'll never buy another Dell. My wife's Dell just returned home today for the 3rd time. Two weeks after the 1 year warranty expired we began having all manner of hardware failures. I'm hoping the new HD that was just installed will solve the problem. My Toshiba, on the other hand, runs great. YMMV. |
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Dell laptops are good to go. I use 2 Dell laptops at home, one of them about 5 years old, went to Iraq for a year with me, etc. I bought the new one a year ago from the Dell Outlet, previously ordered, but not shipped pile. We also use them at work, and they stand up to a ton of abuse. |
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I'm an IT manager and I've used a work provided Dell Precision M70 laptop for 3 years. I really like it. Used to use ThinkPads when they were IBM. Liked those real well also. I'm getting ready to retire the M70 and replace it. I'm going to replace with a Lenovo ThinkPad T61. I like the keyboard on the ThinkPad better and from a support standpoint for my staff (and me, I'm not completely useless yet) it seems like there is more automation for drivers and utilities. Also I am addicted to the track-point mouse, I can't stand the little touch pads and the latest Precision line only have touch pads. I am going to try to purchase the M70 from the company for personal use once I get my new work laptop up and running. |
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I hate Smacintosh and have had crap luck with Dell talking to the dot people over in BFE that want you to format the thing all the time for most any problem. I bought an Acer Aspire laptop two years ago and not a lick of trouble ever and I treat it like shit going to the range running my ballistics program ect. while shooting in loads I developed.Folks badmouth Compaqs of which I have two desktops but I have had fine luck with them also with only a couple modems needing replacement from power spikes.Most computer troubles come from people downloading porn and looking at it getting wormed ect. and messing with program functions..as they say to keep a hardon don't fuck with it |
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I just ordered an inspiron 1720 with the following specs: Inspiron 1720, Intel Core 2 Duo T9300(2.5GHz, 800Mhz, 6M L2 Cache) 1 Midnight Blue Color with Microsatin Finish 1 3GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm 1 High Resolution, glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1920 x 1200) 1 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600 1 250G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive for the crazy low (I think) price of 1860.00. This includes 3 yr in home service and accidental damage protection. I had ordered one a few weeks ago with a lower speed processor and some other differences. When the new processor came out a week after I ordered, I called up and was able to easily cancel and reorder to the specs I wanted. So far so good. I think they must be backed up since my estimated ship date from an order generated on 2/24 is 3/14. I'm expecting good things. A friend of mine bought a top of the line 15.4" model 5 years ago and has had fantastic results with it. It's still his main home computer. My dell desktop has been the most ridiculously trouble free computer I've ever owned. A 2.53 Ghz P4 ordered in late 02', it's still fast and dead reliable with only a memory and USB 2.0 upgrade. I know others have had problems, but I've always had great luck. We're even thinking of having my old Dell P3 800Mghz machine replace my parents home computer since it still runs fine but is never used. |
| They're alright, I had one a few years ago. No real problems with it, though it was heavy as hell. (What wasn't back then?) The customer service was pretty annoying, I only remember talking to one person that spoke understandable english. Other than that it was fine. |
Oh you talked to Deepak too eh? I mean, "George" and "Larry" or whatever Dell makes them say their name is.  I have had two dell desktops, and except for one small problem, (HD went south which was under warranty and replaced at home) they have been pretty good. But their cust. serv. is a hellish mission. I will NEVER call that number again. If I had some extra cash right now I would get one of these at best buy. Just the PC, not all the crap they would try and sell you with them to make up for these loss leader sales. My techy friend tells me to make sure to get a mobile processor, appearently they draw less power and are much more quiet. $499 Gateway $449 Compac |
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I don't know about you guys, but with the upgraded "Gold" next business day service, I have never talked to anyone from India and the guys who have come out to service our stuff were all middle-aged, mouth-breathing, white men. Then again, we also have an actual IT staff, so we avoid 99.8% of the calls that a home user would need to make.... From a corporate perspective, Dell has been very good to us in both performance and support. Lastly, just about every "high tech" computer maker, or computer accessory makers has outsourced helpdesk support to some foreign country. I called an HP printer support number that tracks to Texas, and had to hand the call over to my Indian DBA so they could get it done faster in Hindi vs. English. It's not that the tech couldn't speak English, he could, it's that I couldn't track with him over the phone and the accent. 
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