How Dell was able to make a cheaper laptop
Written: Dec 26 '03 (Updated Dec 26 '03)
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Pros: An affordable up-to-date laptop that runs the XP OS at fast speed.
Cons: Dell doesn't mention that the laptop itself lacks lots of standard ports and switches.
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for an affordable laptop WITHOUT all the trimmings of a standard laptop, its worth looking into. Buyer beware: laptop does not include many of the standard ports.
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| stlmom's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 5100 (5100BS1) PC Notebook |
WHAT IT INCLUDES
The processor is an Intel® Pentium® 4 processor, 2.66GHz, 15.0 XGA. The Operating System is Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition. It comes with 256MB of memory. The Hard Drive is a 30GB2 Ultra ATA drive. It currently (12/2003) comes with 24X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive upgrade from standard DVD. There is a 1 Year Limited Warranty3 plus 1 Year Mail-In Service.
WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU
What you won't find out about this laptop until you've purchased it is that Dell's cut out many of the basic features found in a standard laptop. This is how Dell's able to drive the price down on this model. Here's several things you'll notice:
1. No PS2 port. A PS2 is what you usually plug your mouse or keyboard into. It's a circular shape with pins in it. This laptop does not have a PS2 port, thus, if you wish to use a mouse or a keyboard, you'll have to purchase the pricier USB version.
2. 1 PCMIA slot instead of 2. Most laptops come standard with two PCMIA slots.
3. No serial port. The serial port looks like the printer port except it only has 9 pins instead of nine.
4. No infrared.
5. No volume dial. This was a little strange. I'm used to laptops having a little circular dial that adjusts the volume. The Inspiron 5100 doesn't have a hardware volume dial. Instead, you'll have to use a Function key with a volume up or down key.
6. No physical on/off switch for the wireless card. Not all laptops have this, but it's a nice to have. My Toshiba has a on/off switch for the wireless card so that I can turn it on or off. Sometimes, I don't want to be on the network because of some softwares installs that send information over the web.
7. Floppy drive not included. You have to purchase a separate USB floppy drive.
8. Cheap touchpad. It doesn't have a middle button or scroll functionality.
I guess when I received the laptop, I was shocked to find these items missing.
As for the technical support, the service people were nice, easy to reach, but did not solve my problem. Instead, they sent me through a series of reboots and BIOS resets. When I received my laptop, the CD drive would crash whenever a CD with autorun was inserted. I called the Dell support twice but they were of no help. They were ready to send me a new CD drive, but I told them that that wasn't the problem since non-autorun disks worked fine. I told them that I thought it was a software problem. After surfing the Dell support site, I found that the CD drive driver had been updated two days after I purchased my laptop. I upgraded my drivers and the CD drive worked fine. I was just surprised that the Dell support weren't as up to speed on these issues.
CONCLUSION
All in all, it's a good laptop if you need a cheap up-to-date laptop. It's not lightening fast, but it does run the XP Operating System at a fine speed. It is a little on the heavy side, but Dell makes no attempt at hiding that. If you're a tekkie, or if you're a computer consultant and need it for work, or if you expect to be getting more than two PCMIA cards, this may not be the PC for you.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1078
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 15 inches
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 21-30
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stlmom
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Location: St. Louis, MO
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"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King, Jr.
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