Good and bad (Dell Inspiron 1501)

Member Name: destiny2909

Product:	Dell Inspiron 1501
Date:	09/08/08 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable... most of the time!

Disadvantages: Battery life inconsistent

I have owned my Dell for almost a year now and on the whole, have been very happy with it. It runs very quickly and is always quick to start up. It is also quiet as a mouse, no deafing fan meaning I can't hear my music playing!
The keyboard is easy to use and just the right size for me. However, I imagine that someone with bigger hands/fingers might find it all a bit of a squeeze...
I don't like the location of the speakers AT ALL on this model. They are right at the front of the computer, which means, while you type, your arms are right over them, muffling any sound/music quite considerably! I found this very annoying to start, but have now got used to it. However, it is worth baring in mind if your computer is your main way of listening to music...
This model is available with Vista or XP (I chose XP because of the bugs Vista still has). Generally the system seems very stable and I have only had a few instances where it has stalled. This seems to happen when I have a lot of programs open at the same time. I have also had the "blue screen of death" a couple of times, which is worrying, yet nothing has ever come of it...
The battery life is poor to say the least. You would be doing well if it lasted 2 hours...
Basically, this computer got me through a very intensive year long uni course without letting me down (and I really worked it hard), so in all, I'd recommend it!

Summary: Good value for money and hard wearing.

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