A Dark Workhorse
Written: Jan 05 '09
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Pros: Reliability (so far), Core 2 Duo CPU, bright screen, Windows XP.
Cons: Somewhat heavy, slower CPU, wireless hiccups.
The Bottom Line: Recommended workhorse!
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| asafono's Full Review: Dell Vostro 1500 (682256103089) PC Notebook |
When news came out in the Spring of 2008 that PC manufacturers would be discontinuing offering Windows XP (per Microsoft), I rushed to buy (another) Dell SB notebook, a Vostro 1500. I have not regretted the purchase - here is why.
SB in Dell-speak stands for Small Business, and it has traditionally offered non-sexy, perhaps uglier equivalents of their Home line. Vostro is the budget line of Dell's Small Business.
My 1500 came with a Core2Duo Pentium processor running at 1.4 GHz (the slowest OEM-only version of it available), 2GB of memory, a 120GB hard disk, a DVD reader and writer, and standard wired and wireless (a/b/g) Ethernet. The LCD screen is 15.4". Other useful features include a memory card reader. I added a 6" cell battery, for the final price of $520 + tax. Shipping was free.
Pros:
Reliability (so far), Core2Duo CPU, bright and crisp screen, Windows XP.
Let's go through these one by one.
Reliability. This is my 4th Dell machine, and a 3rd laptop in 3 years (one laptop was bought used.) As of today, I had zero hardware problems with these (but see notes on wireless connectivity below.) This, in my view, is impressive, considering they get multiple users in a large household, and 2 of the 4 laptops were hauled to far-off lands where they got flaky power for weeks. All of these, including this Vostro, came with only 1 year warranties, and despite Dell's pleas, I declined to purchase extended warranties.
Core2Duo CPU. Intel has done a truly marvelous job obfuscating the basic specs of its CPU offerings and "platforms" over the last several years. Between Celeron, Centrino, Viiv, Core2Duo, Dual-Core, Pentium D, and i7, how does a perplexed consumer to choose? With recent laptops it is a little simpler, with Intel CPU choices being mostly Dual-core and Core2Duo. A good rule of thumb is that both are likely more than enough for mainstream tasks such as a web browsing, office tools, and audio and video (Standard Definition) playback. Code2Duo is considered more advanced, as it its 2 processor cores share a common cache, unlike the Dual-core. Core2Duo also usually consumes less power, making it better for the laptops.
Bright and crisp screen. The resolution on the this Vostro is limited to 1280 by 800, I believe, but colors are brights, fonts crisp, and in general, it looks to me as good as a desktop Dell Ultrasharp I own. Viewing angles are limited, but this is the case with most LCD panels.
Windows XP. XP Home has so far performed flawlessly for me, combining stability with ease of operation and administration. As I mentioned above, I have several computers in the household, wirelessly connected in a workgroup and sharing files. XP Pro may have features needed for an enterprise setup, but XP Home has everything needed to create a simple multi-user home network. No software or driver incompatibility issues so far, either (unlike Vista.) Where XP may be lacking is multimedia control (Microsoft had an upgraded version, Windows Media Center Edition - MCE).
One bit of advice for XP users is to have create a single (password-protected) administrator account, but always run under other, limited account(s). The inconvenience of having to having to "switch users" to an admin account is outweighed by the lower probability of having a PC infected with a Trojan or virus.
Cons:
Somewhat heavy, slower CPU, wireless hiccups.
Somewhat heavy. I knew I was getting essentially a desktop replacement for a tight place where a desktop would not fit, so this bit of criticism is unfair. Newer generation of netbooks from MSI, Acer, Dell etc. are significantly lighter - 2 pounds or so - but have lower resolution screens and slower, single-core CPUs.
Slower CPU. By "slower CPU", I mean that the Intel Core2Duo installed in the 1500 was an OEM-only version, running at 1.4 GHz. This is one of the slowest speeds available for a Core2Duo. Now, almost a year later, a 2.0 GHz processor may be available in a similar laptop configuration for not much more.
Wireless hiccups. Apparently, it is an acknowledged problem with XP (not just on this laptop - perhaps for this wireless chipset) that, after going to sleep, the OS needs to rediscover the wireless network and reconnect to it. On my laptop, it sometimes takes 15-30 seconds to complete this. Once a week or so, the laptop will lose the wireless connection altogether. I have to right-click on the wireless icon in the taskbar and select "Repair".
Conclusion.
I recommend the Vostro 1500 laptop - despite its drawbacks, it has been solid, reasonably fast and reliable. At just over $500 shipped, the price is hard to beat.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 520
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 15 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
asafono
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Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 21 members
About Me:
I have no principles; all I've got is nerves - Akutagawa Ryunosuke.
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