My husband has had this computer for about 3 years now. He was very happy with it and it has not given him major problems overall. It gives a good performance and so he uses it as a desk top, especially as it is a 17" so not so easy to carry around.

It came with intel T2400 processor, 1.83 GH, Windows XP Media center, 1 GB ram memory. 17" widescreen display. 6 input/output ports. eah pair stacked on top of each other, 1 pair to the side and 2 pairs at the back. A definate design advantage as it means you the USBs dont get in each others way. You can put 2 on eachpair with ease.

Design
It has a silver casing with the bit around the keyboard a beautiful dark brown wood. Aesthetically very pleasing. It weighs about 3.6 Kg which considering its size is quite light. Having said that I wouldnt fancy carrying it to work.

It is opened via a slide lock at the front edge of the screen, typical of most Dell laptops and a bit annoying at times. Once opened the screen is quite stable. I had a smaller 15" Dell which went completely fuzzy after a while as my son was walking around with it while the screen was open!! but this one seems quite sturdy.

Next to the power button just under the screen there is a shortcut button called the Media Direct button which is a power button that takes directly into the Windows XP Media Center.

At the front edge of the laptop there are seven audio control buttons to adjust the volume or mute it as well as playback options which we have never used and dont know how to. I believe it is solely for the Media Centre in Window XP, which we dont use.

The 9400 has a DVD rewriter drive on the left side of the machine.

A definate disadvantage is the graphics. The screen freezes often and you have to shut down and start again.

The battery life is not very long and I have had to replace the battery after 2 years on all my Dells.

All in all a reliable machine that has not given any major problems.

It cost around £1500 new and worth the price. The problem with Dell computers in general is in my experience ( We have had about 6 of them over the last 10 years) is that small things start to go wrong just as your warrenty is about to expire and it costs a lot to extend (around £90 for 1 yr, £139 for 3 yrs). 3 years is the longest that any of the Dell laptops we have had have lasted and that is the 9400. Outside your warrenty service the costs esculate very quickly. Even to call Dell it is an expensive 0870 number or there is a premium line number. Another service is where you e mail them and they will call you back but you have to pay a minimum amount before you even speak to them, which is around about £30. The Dell service is a shambles and if anything has put me off buying more Dells in future then its their service, in or out of warrenty period. Having said that if you are lucky and the computer has no faults then you have got yourself a good deal with a Dell.