Um, does this thing come in some normal color?
Written: Dec 14 '00
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Pros: Fast, reasonably priced, available in four goofy colors!
Cons: None so far
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| basilisk4's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 3800 C500ST |
I realize that some people like everything in their lives to be extremely colorful. For them, the Dell Inspiron 3800 can be purchased in different colors, presumably to match the outfit you're wearing that day. Personally, though, I think that some things are just not meant to be made into artistic ventures. What I look for in a computer is a whole lot more utilitarian than whether or not it comes in a nice mauve or periwinkle color. Once a manufacturer starts worrying too much about the aesthetics of their product, quality often suffers.
Nevertheless, Dell is a well-respected industry leader with whom I have several years of positive experiences, so I was able to overlook the goofy color. The Dell Inspiron 3800 with which I came into contact was a nice blue color. From a hardware standpoint, the Inspiron 3800 is very similar to the Inspiron 7500, with which I've had a fair amount of experience. We had two Inspiron 7500s at my former place of employment, and they were both relatively slow and irritating.
All Inspiron 3800s are not created equal. That is, you can currently purchase one of these laptops with a processor ranging anywhere from an Intel Celeron 600 MHz to a Pentium III 800 MHz. Basically, there's something in there for everybody -- if you want to color-coordinate your computer to your car's interior but don't want to spend a lot, then go with the Celeron 600; if you want blazing speed from something that looks like a big, digital blueberry, then go with the PIII-800. The Inspiron 3800 I used had an Intel Celeron 500 MHz processor, which is fast enough, but it was certainly slower than a high-speed Pentium III.
One thing to be aware of with respect to the Inspiron 3800 is base memory. The 3800 comes with a paltry 32 MB RAM base, so I would strongly suggest an upgrade of at least another 32 MB. There are only two SDRAM DIMM slots in this machine, but it's nice that it's upgradable to a sizable 512 MB RAM. I must reiterate, however, how important it is to have more than 32 MB RAM in your machine, if you ever intend to use it. If you don't believe me, try running more than one or two programs at once.
As far as other specifics are concerned, the Inspiron 3800 offers a nice variety of different available extras. The display is excellent, available in either 12.1" or 14.1", and both are active-matrix. The last time I checked, the Ultra ATA hard drive comes in sizes of six, ten, and twenty GB. Of course, CD-RW (8x4x24 maximum) and DVD-ROM (8X maximum, 2.4X minimum) are available for a little bit (around $150 each) extra. Here's a free piece of advice: don't try to burn CDs at 8X or watch DVDs on this machine with only 32 MB of memory. If you just want a standard CD-ROM drive, a 24X one is included.
Now here's the important part: the Dell Inspiron 3800 is available in four goofy -- I mean, "brilliant" -- colors! According to Dell, any of the available colors is "just right for matching, say, a jacket." So, if you're deeply concerned about color coordination, this laptop definitely deserves a second look.
In terms of a quality alone, the Inspiron 3800 is certainly a solid choice. With its impressive array of standard features and the excellent technical support for which Dell has become famous, you'll most likely be quite satisfied with your purchase. Moreover, the Inspiron 3800 is a nice compromise between the $1,000, bargain-basement-type laptops and the $3,500 Sony VAIOs. The price is much closer to that of the extremely cheap, low-grade laptops out there, yet the performance and power available on this machine rivals that of much more expensive laptops. You could actually buy this laptop as a primary computer, if you so desired, provided that you upgrade the memory to at least 64 or 128 MB. In addition, you would probably want to get a regular monitor, keyboard, and mouse, for home use.
I would recommend the Dell Inspiron 3800 to anyone who wants a tacky-looking laptop but doesn't want to spend $2,500 on a goofy-looking iMac. Either that, or if you just want a dependable laptop with excellent customer support, the Inspiron 3800 just may be the right choice.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1,499
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Celeron
Processor speed: 401-500
Screen Size: 14"
RAM: 64
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 4-6
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Epinions.com ID:
basilisk4
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Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 233
Trusted by: 214 members
About Me:
Soon-to-be married 26-year-old lawyer who likes electronics, computers, and cars.
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