House of Dell | The Unofficial Dell Weblog, with News, Reviews, and Information.

(Source: PCMag)

…according to NotebookReview.com’s monthly list, at least. Compared to last month, the 15.4″ Dell Inspiron e1505 has risen one spot to No. 2, beating the 13.3″ Sony Vaio SZ. It’s now second only to the 15.4″ Toshiba Satellite A105.

Dell also has a second entry on the list, with the XPS M1210 at No. 10 (previously at No. 5).

For those interested, at No. 4 is the Lenovo ThinkPad T60, while at No. 5 is the Apple MacBook.

Read more news and reviews on the Dell Inspiron E1505 notebook.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

We said so. After online news sites reported that Dell China screwed up by marketing incorrect specifications (it’s only one spec really) for its Intel Core Duo T2300E-equipped machines (of which the Inspiron 640m is part of), we ventured that it was only a matter of time that Dell would admit fault and start compensating those involved - even if an entire comsumer web campaign was required.

In fact, Dell has gone so far as to offer full refunds for those who are not satisfied with its admission of error. We think this is a great move, especially with the use of their weblog as the medium of communication with the international community.

It doesn’t change the fact that Dell China’s marketing department made a boo-boo, but I’m sure Dell’s willingness to communicate with their accusers (and link to them BTW) will please many the critic.

[News via Direct2Dell]

Read the entire entry »

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

It seems that the grand prize for Rock Star Go Home, the online game specially made for viewers of Rockstar: Supernova (you know, that rock star talent show) is a Dell Inspiron notebook.

The exact model hasn’t been stated, but they do state that its “…the latest in mobile computing…”, whatever that means.

So, if you’re interested, check out Rock Star Go Home’s website, and start utilising your prescience to predict which aspiring rock star will go home next.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: PCMag)

PC Magazine made it their task to select four of the best Back to School laptops for this year recently, and not surprisingly, the Dell Inspiron E1505 made it on the list.

After all, when the E1505 was reviewed in May by PCMag, they made sure to emphasize the sheer value-for-money you’d be getting from the 15.4″ laptop. Of course, for sub-US$1000, a 1.67GHz+ dual core processor, 1GB+ RAM, an ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 graphics card and DVD burner would surely look good to any budget-conscious student.

Anyway, if you wanted to know, the other three notebooks selected were the 13″ Apple Macbook (duh…), the HP Pavilion dv5000t and the Toshiba Satellite M105-S3011.

Read more news and reviews on the Dell Inspiron E1505 notebook.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

Accompanying NotebookReview.com’s review of the Dell Inspiron e1405 notebook (also sold as the Inspiron 640m) is ars technica’s review of the business-class / entertainment-class notebook.

Like previous reviewers, AT notes the e1405 low cost, high performance, and solid battery life. Surprisingly though, the notebook’s design struck a chord with AT. For those who read through the previous review of the Inspiron, you’d remember that I wasn’t impressed at all with Dell’s bland design.

Anyway, what’s important is still the great value for money the Inspiron e1405 represents. You will definitely not get a graphics powerhouse, but for sure, “it’s suited to general-purpose use of all kinds, but its integrated video will leave gamers cold and its all-plastic construction might keep true aesthetes at a distance. Still, for general use, it’s not clear what others features could possibly be expected at this price point, and the machine is especially recommended to those who need power on a budget.”

Read more news and reviews on the Dell Inspiron e1405 (a.k.a. Inspiron 640m) notebook.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

Remember the bad news I was referring to when we looked at the review of the Dell Inspiron 640m yesterday? Well, this was what I was talking about: Dell sold Inspiron 640m notebooks in China with T2300E processors even though they were supposed to contain the more expensive T2300 processors.

While this is very much like the prior New Zealand case, unlike that one, Dell has announced that it will not compensate for their error.

Why? Because Dell claims that the difference between the two processors are minimal - just like how it claimed that the ATI X1400 was “equally powerful” compared to the undeniably more powerful GeForce Go 7800GTX graphics card.

But of course, it won’t be surprising if Dell turns back and reverses its decision when the various consumers hit by this mistake start taking concerted action against it.

[News via ChinaTechNews]

Read the entire entry »

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

If you are the news scouring-type, you probably heard some bad news on the Inspiron 640m, or rather, Dell itself a few days back. But before we broach that topic (in another post, of course), let’s look at the positive side of things: A review of the Inspiron 640m (a.k.a. Inspiron e1405).

This 14.1″ Core Duo T2300 (1.66GHz)-powered notebook is clearly an attempt by Dell to compete on value, with a sub-$750 tag attached to a solid set of specs, e.g. 1GB DDR2 RAM, 80GB (5400RPM) hard disk drive, etc. You’re not going to get a “cool” design, nor a dedicated graphics card, for that matter. But if you’ve been using a single-core processor, and are looking for an upgrade on the cheap, you’ll probably find few choices as good a this one.

The reviewer’s conclusion probably summarises it better though: “The main charm of the Inspiron e1405 is that it manages to provide good portability, pleasurable viewing and high performance at a low cost. With this particular model, there were very few flaws, and none of these was sufficient to warn against this notebook. What impressed me most was the display, though I had recently made a decision to go with a lower resolution matte screen when actually purchasing a notebook for myself. I really enjoyed watching a DVD on the e1405 and found the display surprisingly easy to work with during normal usage, too. What strikes me about the e1405 is that it accomplishes so much in a small package and does so at such a low cost. ”

There. ‘Nuff said.

Read more news and reviews on the Dell Inspiron 640m (a.k.a. Inspiron e1405) notebook.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

PC World has compiled a couple of Top 5 notebooks lists in its August magazine issue - one for desktop replacement notebooks and another for all-purpose notebooks.

In both lists, Dell notebooks rank third - with the XPS M1710 representing Dell for the desktop replacement segment, and the Inspiron E1505 for the all-purpose notebook segment. Despite the rankings, however, both notebooks were actually extremely close to their higher-ranked counterparts, with only 1 or 2 points separating them from the top notebook in the lists.

Not surprisingly, battery life was quite a weakness for both of Dell’s offerings, with the Dell XPS M1710 trailing by around 30 minutes compared to the No. 1-placed HP Pavilion dv8000z, and the E1505 trailing by over two hours compared to the Pavilion dv5000z.

In my opinion, these lists serve as an indicator of sorts that Dell has to up its competitiveness just a little more - especially in light of the fact that its most dangerous rival, Hewlett-Packard, is at the top of both lists.

Read more news and reviews on the Dell XPS M1710 and Inspiron E1505 notebooks.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: PCMag)

As if the Dell Inspiron E1505 wasn’t cheap enough already, Dell cuts prices even further. PCMag’s recent review of the notebook saw its price at US$999 (after an E-Value coupon), but now, Dell’s selling the dual core-powered notebook at US$699 (from an initial US$1,234). Imagine, comparable notebooks from Toshiba and HP are retailing at US$1,249 and US$1,199, respectively!

In fact, Dell’s price-slashing isn’t limited to the Inspiron E1505. Their Dimension B110 desktop is selling at a low price of US$349. And if you opt for a CRT instead of the supplied LCD, the B110’s price drops to US$299.

Anyway, these discounts come in the wake of another price-cutting spree a week or two back. Without doubt, Dell is seriously trying to turn around their rather disappointing first quarter results.

More information and reviews on the Dell Inspiron E1505 here.

Read the entire entry »

(Source: PCMag)

Looking for a 15.4″ dual core-powered notebook on the cheap? Well, look no further. According to PCMag’s review, you won’t find another branded notebook with the same value for money as the Dell Inspiron E1505.

And at US$999 for a 1.67 GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, a DVD burner and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1300, I can see why.

Anyway, PCMag awards the E1505 a clear-cut 4.5 out of 5 rating, as well as their Editor’s Choice badge. And if the ratings didn’t speak for themselves, the conclusion surely does: “With dual-core mobile processors introduced just this January, it’s encouraging to see a laptop with the Intel Core Duo available for people who appreciate technology, but don’t have a lot to spend on it. Add to that the myriad other features you get, and buying the E1505 becomes a no-brainer. (Don’t forget that E-Value code.)”

More information and reviews on the Dell Inspiron E1505 here.

Read the entire entry »