Awkward and impractical (Dell Inspiron 4000)

Member Name: queen_rain

Product:	Dell Inspiron 4000
Date:	31/01/05 (764 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap refurbished on ebay

Disadvantages: awkward design, tiring on the wrist, CD ROM drive difficult to access

As a writer, I need a laptop, but not having much money, I'm limited to refurbished and second-hand ones. Everyone recommended Dell laptops as the most solid ones, the ones least likely to need repair, and the ones easiest to repair if repair was needed.

Still, it seemed that Dell computers were out of my reach. Even second-hand, they just cost too much. So I bought a refurbished Toshiba, and when that died on me within two years, a second-hand IBM, which started going funny within half a year. On each occasion, the repairs would have cost more than the computer itself.

So I resolved to invest in a Dell. To my surprise, there's a good selection of second-hand Dell laptops for sale on Ebay, often with guarantee. I read the customer feedback and avoided any vendors who had gotten a complaints, and I also read the small print and avoided those with hidden charges.

What I should have done, but omitted in my haste, was to visit a computer shop and have a look at Dell laptops.

I really didn't have a clue about the different Dell laptops available, and didn't know the difference between the series. As far as I was concerned, a laptop was a laptop. As long as I could write my books on it, access the internet for research, and send e-mails, I was satisfied.

The only other criterion was price, so I went for the cheapest Dell laptop that offered a battery, internet access, windows ready-installed, and warranty.

I have purchased a refurbished Inspiron 4000 on Ebay, and have paid £300 plus postage for it.

It is a good, solid machine - but oh so uncomfortable! After half an hour of typing, my wrists ache.

That's because the front edge is quite high and really presses on the inside of the wrists.

After an hour or two at the computer, my arms and shoulders ache as well.

I have previously used a Toshiba laptop and an IBM Thinkpad, as well as various PCs with keyboards, and have never experienced hurting wrists.

I haven't been able to find a high enough wristpad to protect my wrists from the hard edge. Fortunately, after three months of frequent use, I'm getting accustomed to it.


Well, I guess it is my fault, for buying a computer without playing with it first. I would buy from Ebay again - it's much cheaper than getting the same product from local shops second-hand - but I wish I had looked at the model first. I thought design didn't matter to me; but now I know it does. Perhaps, had I seen an Inspiron 4000, and placed my hands on the keyboard, I would have realised the disadvantages of its awkward shape, and chosen a different model.

That's not the only design fault. That the oddly - pointlessly - curved outer shape looks ridiculous is a matter of taste, and of no great importance to me.

But the 'thumbpad' looks just like part of the plastic cover, I didn't notice it at first. I thought the 'knob' in the centre of the keyboard was the 'mouse' equivalent - as it was with my IBM laptop - and was annoyed when it did not work.


I also could not find the CD Rom drive at first, and nearly complained because it didn't have one. I spent nearly an hour trying to get the thing to work because the features were 'hidden'. I felt right stupid! (I'm quite bright normally, and laptop-experienced - I imagine for a laptop newbie the experience would have been even more frustrating)


It's at at the front, on the right-hand side, and the button to press to open it is very low down, hidden under an inwards slope. I can't just feel it blind; if I want to open the CD Rom drive, I have to turn on extra lights (!), pull my chair back and bend down to desk level, before I find it. Not practical.


The laptop is also very heavy - compared with my previous ones - and not practical for carrying around, and the battery doesn't last long.

If the battery runs out, there is no previous warning system. A warning appears to change battery, but it appears too late. The computer goes almost immediately into standby. Standby is something this computer does not take kindly to. It locks and freezes and won't talk to me again unless I unplug it and then leave it to sulk undisturbed for a minimum of five hours. Not good.

Beyond that, I have had no technical quibbles. The pre-installed Windows 2000 has performed without hitches and glitches; installing AOL and Panda has also been smooth and they run trouble-free.

Summary: