Inspiron 1100 A+
Written: Oct 26 '03
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Pros: Comfortable, Fast, Inexpensive
Cons: Not very upgradeable, small screen
The Bottom Line: Buy this if you want a great laptop on a budget!
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| stevevb's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 1100 (1100SAP) PC Notebook |
Dell Inspiron 1100
The Dell Inspiron is a fantastic entry level laptop. On the whole this laptop is a winner in the essential areas for a mobile computing platform. The performance is excellent and is comparable to what one would expect from a modern desktop PC. Options for upgrading this laptop are mainly selected when ordered which is a minor drawback. This is also a very comfortable machine to use, and carry. It is definitely the best laptop I have owned.
With its 2.0 GHz Intel Celeron CPU, Intel 845 graphics chip set, and a fast IDE disk subsystem the performance is much more than enough for productivity applications, graphic intensive games, software development, and much more. The standard configuration is, as I mentioned, a 2.0 GHz Celeron processor, i845 graphics, and a 20Gb fixed disk. In addition the system is equipped with a Broadcom 10/100 ethernet host adapter with a twisted pair interface, and a 56Kb modem in the internal PCI bay. The standard configuration memory of 128 Megabytes is a little on the low side but it is 266Mhz PC2100 RAM which is very fast. I run both Windows XP Home ( the factory installed OS ) and Linux (RedHat 9.1): windows boots in about a minute and a half, whilst Redhat takes slightly longer. Application performance is also very respectable, I am able to use Open Office for my productivity uses. The only thing slowing it down is the small memory base, but this can be increased cheaply ( I just purchased 256 Mb more RAM for 44.99), even with only 128MB Open Office is still quite usable, and it is an application which needs plenty of resources both, CPU and memory. I also use this computer to play some graphics intensive Both F-16 Multi Role Fighter and Comanche 4 run at full speed with no slowing down or stuttering. On the Linux side of things the lack of ram and the video chip set make for a slower use speed. This is most likely because Gnome needs a lot of memory and the X windows support for the Intel 845 is brand new. There is nothing particularly outstanding about the modem or networking, they both run as they should. The Dell Inspiron is not the worlds fastest computer, but it is more than fast enough for me and will be even better once I add new memory (brining the total RAM to 384 MegaBytes.)
I have some issues with the upgradability/expandability of this laptop. Some of these limits are to be expected because this a low end machine. The CD option has to be configured at the factory, so if as I did get the standard CDROM drive, this cannot easily be swapped out later for a CD/RW or a DVD drive. For me this is not an issue because the system has two built in USB 2.0 ports. As mentioned earlier the RAM is user upgrade able as is the Hard Drive. Another drawback of the system is that there is only one PCMCIA/CardBus slot, which is at the present moment taken up with the 802.11b card for wireless network access. I am hoping to replace the Modem ( which now resides in the internal MiniPCI slot) with a 802.11 MiniPCI card. freeing up the PCMCIA slot for something more important like a SCSI host bus adapter. Also lacking on the system are keyboard, mouse, and serial and parallel ports which would have to be replicated through USB, which is fine, except that there are only two USB 2.0 ports so a USB hub or two would be a wise investment. Not surprisingly the video system ( graphics adapter and LCD screen) is not upgradeable.
Interacting with the computer is an absolute dream, there is only one weak area, the LCD. The size is not the biggest at 14.1 inches, more importantly the resolution mazes out at 1024x768 pixels. Additionally there is no pixel translation, that is to say that if you select a screen resolution smaller than 1024x768 the is display does not cover the entire screen. The best aspects of this laptop are the weight ( .66 Lbs without a battery) and the physical layout. The keyboard, is the perfect size and extremely comfortable for me to type on (unlike similar offerings from Sony and Compaq). The pointer is of the touch pad type and is centered right below the keyboard and is also in the most comfortable position I have yet found. The computer is easy to carry and fits not only in my backpack, but also my girlfriend's briefcase quite comfortably. Additionally the area below the keyboard has ample wrist rest room and I have yet to get a hand cramp from typing on it. The plastic shell of the computer is mainly metallic gray with blue trim and top colour, not that this should matter to anyone.
If you are looking for a desktop-replacement, then this is not the laptop for you; but if what you want is a mobile computing platform on a budget then this more than fits the bill. The Dell Inspiron gets an 'A' in all the tests of a good laptop; it is portable, comfortable, somewhat expandable, and most of all inexpensive ( laptops do get dropped and stolen).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 649
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Celeron
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
stevevb
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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