Dell Inspiron™ E1705 PC Notebook
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- Weight: 7.94 lb.
- Mobile Technology: Intel Centrino Mobile Technology
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
- Laptop Type: Desktop Replacement
- Installed Memory: 512 MB (DDR2 SDRAM)
- Display: 17 in. WXGA+ TFT Active Matrix
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WOW! A Complete Desktop Replacement
Pros
Fast, huge, excellent sound and display, Good desktop replacement. Best warranty service I've ever experienced.
Cons
Huge, Heavy
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Well worth every penny. It may be heavy, but its speed and power make up for it over and over again!
As I an architecture student, I needed a powerful desktop replacement that could provide amazing power, while still being somewhat portable. Luckily, as it was to be a gift, I was able to get everything I needed, and not skimp as a typical student would. So, here is a review of the E1705 with every necessary upgrade possible!
If you are on a tight budget, I would recommend getting a smaller dell, and upgrading the specs. If you regularly use Photoshop, AutoCAD, or similar programs, AND are willing to search for days to find a bag large enough, then this is the Laptop for you!
Ordering
My Dell was ordered from the dell USA website, sent to Miami, and then sent to me in the Caribbean. Ordering was no easy process, and my order was put on hold, as they said my credit card was useless. Well, a week later, after I had paid with a new card, I found out that they had charged both cards!
To cut a very long story short, my Dell was shipped in less that a week after payment was confirmed.
The Box
I had the Dell sent to Miami, and then I sent it to the Caribbean. I was a bit worried at first, and it went by sea, and not air. However, the packaging was very robust. The outer box held 2 more boxes, one unmarked, except "laptop made in Malaysia". (Makes me wonder how it got to Miami so quickly!) The other box contained all the goodies, CD's, etc. The laptop was firmly placed inside the box in a static shield, and molded foam.
The Laptop
The Laptop is silver with white trim. It has very clean minimal lines. Besides the plethora of ports, the exterior is relatively simple. With the lid closed, you can see the power, processor, and battery lights, as well as control the music through a series of buttons. The speakers are mounted on the edge, so you can hear them with the laptop closed, and so that you don't muffle them too much as you are typing.
The lid lock is secure, but opening it up the first time made quite a lot of creaks. The stiffness only lasted a few times, and now it is perfect.
Inside there is a standard laptop keyboard, and some more status lights. I am surprised that there is not a numeric keypad on the laptop, as there is more than enough room for one. The keyboard is placed about an inch from the top, which leaves plenty of room for wrists to rest on. (And my collection of post-its to myself!)
The power button is large enough for most users, and will not power up the computer accidentally.
I was surprised that there is no physical wireless switch. You have to power up the pc to use a keyboard shortcut to turn it off. Just remember to do this before flying!
There are 2 air vents on the sides of the keyboard, as well as many more on the body. This got me wondering just how much heat this thing is going to produce!
As for ports, on the left side there is an optical drive (Dual layer DVD RW), 2 USB ports (All are USB 2.0), and a PC lock slot. On the right side there in an Express card slot (NO PCMCIA), Firewire, Mic and Headphone jacks, and a SD/MMC/xD/MS/Pro milti-slot. I'm not sure what most of those are!!! My Olympus SP - 350 uses xD, so this was a bonus! On the back there is a power jack, Digital Video Interface (DVI), 7-pin mini-DIN connector, 4 USB ports, a phone jack, Network jack, and a 15-pin monitor connector.
Features
Now for the good stuff! As I use AutoCAD and Photoshop daily, I went for:
17 inch UltraSharpTM Wide Screen UXGA with TrueLifeTM
Intel? CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
2GB of Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 memory
256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GS,
100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
80 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Display
This display gives plenty of desktop space without much strain caused by glare. However, if tiny text is not your thing, I would suggest not getting such a high resolution. If the resolution is set below the native resolution of 1920 x 1200 things get blurry. The computer is set by default to enlarge web pages, for easier reading. This is nice, but makes the web graphics blurry, with jagged edges. If you change the setting, they go ridiculously small.
Black is true black, and white is luminous, both are easy to see in a variety of lights. There are 7 brightness settings which allow the computer to be used in a variety of settings. Yes, you will have to strain out in the sunlight… but in a normal room this is perfect! Color rendering is also very good, and my pictures look amazingly lifelike.
Performance
I chose the 667MHz processor and RAM, on a suggestion that there was no point getting one faster, and the other one slower. The result of the dual core processor and the plentiful RAM is that everything is FAST! Photoshop opens in 4 seconds on a clean computer, and 8-12 seconds on a full one. This computer loves having multiple applications running. There is no noticeable speed difference, even when I am running SKYPE, Photoshop, AutoCAD, and browsing the web while burning a DVD. (Ok, pushing it slightly here, burning a DVD takes a lot of power!)
The computer starts up quicky, and does not have any glitches that I have noticed. It hibernates easily, and loads everything from hibernation in seconds!
While the 100GB hard drive may not be the largest available, I chose it for its spin speed. Files load quickly, and Photoshop does not falter while applying filters.
The graphics card gives great performance. It makes SketchUP work much faster that on my work desktop, and the shadow renderings are quick and effortless. Hopefully I will get to try it out on 3DS MAX soon!
Operating System & Software
The XP pro was worth the extra $150. Networking has been a breeze, moving seamlessly through 4 networks that I have configured it to. No need to restart between networks!
The laptop came with Microsoft Office basic, which includes Outlook, Word, and Excel. PowerPoint would have been useful!
The icing on the cake was free 3 years McAfee. I used to be a Norton user, but now that I have worked my way around McAfee I like it! It is an easy to use interface, and seems to be doing it's job. (Keeping my fingers crossed!)
Portability
As this laptop is so huge, I spent ages finding a suitable backpack (Dell didn't have any of theirs in stock!). I got a Columbia Backpack, which has padded protection. However, it only goes ? of the way up the laptop, so I have made a foam piece for the remainder of the way. It is now the best-protected laptop out there!
The 80 WHr battery gives 2 good hours while actually USING the laptop quite hard (movies, Photoshop, wireless, etc.) and almost 3 for just word processing. The bigger battery comes with a larger and heavier charger, but it is worth it! The battery has a status button with LED lights, so you can check the charge without having to turn on the computer.
While it is HUGE, everything (charger, my wacom, laptop, a notebook) in the backpack still weighs in at under 10 lbs, so it can be carried around if necessary. However, it only just fits into the new British regulations for carry on luggage, and doesn't fit on an airplane tray table!
The laptop is a bit warm to be used on the lap for too long! It has a hotspot on under the top right hand side of the keyboard that gets a bit uncomfortable on the legs. You can also feel the heat through the keys! Other than that one spot, the laptop remains pretty cool.
Audio
The built in subwoofer means that this is a mean sound machine. Ok, so it is only a little over an inch in radius… but somehow this computer packs a good punch! The sound can easily full a room, and doesn't sound like it is coming out of cheap speakers either. Sure, it might not quite be BOSE quality, but it is impressive. I usually listen to my music at about a quarter of the volume!
Durability
Dell is very proud of their "Road Ready" performance, and this computer is no exception. While this laptop is still new, and treated with care, it feels robust and strong. It has a "strike zone" designed to protect the hard drive from bumps and falls. Nothing on it feels loose, or out of place.
Overall
This was well worth the money paid. It is fast, easy to use, and has excellent graphic capabilities. However, it is not a good example of portability, and is best left on a desk for all to see!
Two Years Later
This laptop is still going strong, but mostly thanks to the fantastic Dell 3-Year In Home Next Business Day Warranty. Nowhere in my warranty information does it say WORLDWIDE. When contacting tech support, they always tell me the problem can next be fixed when I return to the States. However, one poor tech support guy let it slip that my coverage was worldwide. Since then, I have to remind every tech guy, but they come back a minute later to sheepishly admit I was right, and to say that they have ordered the repair.
I had the LCD replaced in the UK because after the laptop was a year old it developed a small group of dead pixels. As it was more than seven in a group, the LCD was replaced without question.
18 months in the graphics card died. The problem was obvious, but Dell still made me run a full diagnostics. This was a good thing, as it picked up an error with my CD/DVD drive as well. I had noticed a few problems, but I had put it down to dirty CDs. This time the replacement was done in 4 working days, while I was in the Caribbean! Impressive!
Without the warranty, I would have lived with the dead pixels (even though I kept on trying to edit out the splotch while working in photoshop!). The graphics card would have been pricey to fix, but at least I could have done the replacement myself.
2 years old and I am still extremely happy with this laptop!
If you are on a tight budget, I would recommend getting a smaller dell, and upgrading the specs. If you regularly use Photoshop, AutoCAD, or similar programs, AND are willing to search for days to find a bag large enough, then this is the Laptop for you!
Ordering
My Dell was ordered from the dell USA website, sent to Miami, and then sent to me in the Caribbean. Ordering was no easy process, and my order was put on hold, as they said my credit card was useless. Well, a week later, after I had paid with a new card, I found out that they had charged both cards!
To cut a very long story short, my Dell was shipped in less that a week after payment was confirmed.
The Box
I had the Dell sent to Miami, and then I sent it to the Caribbean. I was a bit worried at first, and it went by sea, and not air. However, the packaging was very robust. The outer box held 2 more boxes, one unmarked, except "laptop made in Malaysia". (Makes me wonder how it got to Miami so quickly!) The other box contained all the goodies, CD's, etc. The laptop was firmly placed inside the box in a static shield, and molded foam.
The Laptop
The Laptop is silver with white trim. It has very clean minimal lines. Besides the plethora of ports, the exterior is relatively simple. With the lid closed, you can see the power, processor, and battery lights, as well as control the music through a series of buttons. The speakers are mounted on the edge, so you can hear them with the laptop closed, and so that you don't muffle them too much as you are typing.
The lid lock is secure, but opening it up the first time made quite a lot of creaks. The stiffness only lasted a few times, and now it is perfect.
Inside there is a standard laptop keyboard, and some more status lights. I am surprised that there is not a numeric keypad on the laptop, as there is more than enough room for one. The keyboard is placed about an inch from the top, which leaves plenty of room for wrists to rest on. (And my collection of post-its to myself!)
The power button is large enough for most users, and will not power up the computer accidentally.
I was surprised that there is no physical wireless switch. You have to power up the pc to use a keyboard shortcut to turn it off. Just remember to do this before flying!
There are 2 air vents on the sides of the keyboard, as well as many more on the body. This got me wondering just how much heat this thing is going to produce!
As for ports, on the left side there is an optical drive (Dual layer DVD RW), 2 USB ports (All are USB 2.0), and a PC lock slot. On the right side there in an Express card slot (NO PCMCIA), Firewire, Mic and Headphone jacks, and a SD/MMC/xD/MS/Pro milti-slot. I'm not sure what most of those are!!! My Olympus SP - 350 uses xD, so this was a bonus! On the back there is a power jack, Digital Video Interface (DVI), 7-pin mini-DIN connector, 4 USB ports, a phone jack, Network jack, and a 15-pin monitor connector.
Features
Now for the good stuff! As I use AutoCAD and Photoshop daily, I went for:
17 inch UltraSharpTM Wide Screen UXGA with TrueLifeTM
Intel? CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
2GB of Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 memory
256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GS,
100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
80 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Display
This display gives plenty of desktop space without much strain caused by glare. However, if tiny text is not your thing, I would suggest not getting such a high resolution. If the resolution is set below the native resolution of 1920 x 1200 things get blurry. The computer is set by default to enlarge web pages, for easier reading. This is nice, but makes the web graphics blurry, with jagged edges. If you change the setting, they go ridiculously small.
Black is true black, and white is luminous, both are easy to see in a variety of lights. There are 7 brightness settings which allow the computer to be used in a variety of settings. Yes, you will have to strain out in the sunlight… but in a normal room this is perfect! Color rendering is also very good, and my pictures look amazingly lifelike.
Performance
I chose the 667MHz processor and RAM, on a suggestion that there was no point getting one faster, and the other one slower. The result of the dual core processor and the plentiful RAM is that everything is FAST! Photoshop opens in 4 seconds on a clean computer, and 8-12 seconds on a full one. This computer loves having multiple applications running. There is no noticeable speed difference, even when I am running SKYPE, Photoshop, AutoCAD, and browsing the web while burning a DVD. (Ok, pushing it slightly here, burning a DVD takes a lot of power!)
The computer starts up quicky, and does not have any glitches that I have noticed. It hibernates easily, and loads everything from hibernation in seconds!
While the 100GB hard drive may not be the largest available, I chose it for its spin speed. Files load quickly, and Photoshop does not falter while applying filters.
The graphics card gives great performance. It makes SketchUP work much faster that on my work desktop, and the shadow renderings are quick and effortless. Hopefully I will get to try it out on 3DS MAX soon!
Operating System & Software
The XP pro was worth the extra $150. Networking has been a breeze, moving seamlessly through 4 networks that I have configured it to. No need to restart between networks!
The laptop came with Microsoft Office basic, which includes Outlook, Word, and Excel. PowerPoint would have been useful!
The icing on the cake was free 3 years McAfee. I used to be a Norton user, but now that I have worked my way around McAfee I like it! It is an easy to use interface, and seems to be doing it's job. (Keeping my fingers crossed!)
Portability
As this laptop is so huge, I spent ages finding a suitable backpack (Dell didn't have any of theirs in stock!). I got a Columbia Backpack, which has padded protection. However, it only goes ? of the way up the laptop, so I have made a foam piece for the remainder of the way. It is now the best-protected laptop out there!
The 80 WHr battery gives 2 good hours while actually USING the laptop quite hard (movies, Photoshop, wireless, etc.) and almost 3 for just word processing. The bigger battery comes with a larger and heavier charger, but it is worth it! The battery has a status button with LED lights, so you can check the charge without having to turn on the computer.
While it is HUGE, everything (charger, my wacom, laptop, a notebook) in the backpack still weighs in at under 10 lbs, so it can be carried around if necessary. However, it only just fits into the new British regulations for carry on luggage, and doesn't fit on an airplane tray table!
The laptop is a bit warm to be used on the lap for too long! It has a hotspot on under the top right hand side of the keyboard that gets a bit uncomfortable on the legs. You can also feel the heat through the keys! Other than that one spot, the laptop remains pretty cool.
Audio
The built in subwoofer means that this is a mean sound machine. Ok, so it is only a little over an inch in radius… but somehow this computer packs a good punch! The sound can easily full a room, and doesn't sound like it is coming out of cheap speakers either. Sure, it might not quite be BOSE quality, but it is impressive. I usually listen to my music at about a quarter of the volume!
Durability
Dell is very proud of their "Road Ready" performance, and this computer is no exception. While this laptop is still new, and treated with care, it feels robust and strong. It has a "strike zone" designed to protect the hard drive from bumps and falls. Nothing on it feels loose, or out of place.
Overall
This was well worth the money paid. It is fast, easy to use, and has excellent graphic capabilities. However, it is not a good example of portability, and is best left on a desk for all to see!
Two Years Later
This laptop is still going strong, but mostly thanks to the fantastic Dell 3-Year In Home Next Business Day Warranty. Nowhere in my warranty information does it say WORLDWIDE. When contacting tech support, they always tell me the problem can next be fixed when I return to the States. However, one poor tech support guy let it slip that my coverage was worldwide. Since then, I have to remind every tech guy, but they come back a minute later to sheepishly admit I was right, and to say that they have ordered the repair.
I had the LCD replaced in the UK because after the laptop was a year old it developed a small group of dead pixels. As it was more than seven in a group, the LCD was replaced without question.
18 months in the graphics card died. The problem was obvious, but Dell still made me run a full diagnostics. This was a good thing, as it picked up an error with my CD/DVD drive as well. I had noticed a few problems, but I had put it down to dirty CDs. This time the replacement was done in 4 working days, while I was in the Caribbean! Impressive!
Without the warranty, I would have lived with the dead pixels (even though I kept on trying to edit out the splotch while working in photoshop!). The graphics card would have been pricey to fix, but at least I could have done the replacement myself.
2 years old and I am still extremely happy with this laptop!
