As you all have known from my previous post, I got a Dell Vostro 1500 notebook as my replacement notebook.

I had a difficult time choosing between HP Pavilion and Dell Vostro as both have their own pros and cons with only a slight difference of RM100 in the price.

Specification wise, Dell Vostro wins hands down as it is equipped with 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M GT, 15.4″ LCD display (1680 * 1050 resolution) and three years complete cover warranty while HP Pavilion has 64MB nVidia GeForce 8400M GS with 14.1″ LCD display (1280 * 800 resolution) only.

However, design wise, HP Pavilion has a sophisticated yet wicked cool design on its piano black polished cover and the ports and bays are conveniently placed on the left, right and front side of the notebook, unlike Dell’s.

Initially, I wanted to go for Dell XPS, but the white keyboard puts me off, so, I turned to Dell Vostro as it has an all black design inside out. Well, with the 15.4″ LCD display, 1680 * 1050 resolution and 256MB graphic card in mind, I made my choice.

A brief summary and specification of my notebook.

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.0GHz, 2MB Cache, 800Mhz FSB)
2GB (2 * 1024MB) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
250GB SATA Hard Disk
15.4″ UltraSharp Widescreen (1680 * 1050 resolution) TFT Display with True Life
256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M GT GDDR2 Dedicated Graphic Memory
Genuine Windows Vista Business
Internal 8X DVD+-RW Combination Drive with Dual Layer Capabilities
Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Web Camera
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module
Intel Pro Wireless 3945 Dual Band 802.11a/g 54Mbps Wireless Mini Card
9-Cell 85Whr Lithium Ion Primary Battery
3 Years Complete Cover
8-in-1 Media Card Reader
Integrated 10/100 Fast Ethernet
Internal 56K Modem

Upon taking out the notebook from the box, I could feel the extra weight that came with the increased size of the LCD display panel. I think it could easily reach 3kg or somewhere around there. If I have to carry my notebook and camera for an outing, I would be carrying almost 5kg on both arms / shoulders. Even though I am not on the move most of the time, the extra weight is certainly a burden.

The plastic used to build the notebook is generally quite high grade and durable. Most importantly, with such texture, there won’t be smudges all over the notebook but the general outlook of the device is pretty dull, dull and dull.

With the extra inches on four sides, one has plenty of spaces for the palm (palm rest) and can easily type on the notebook for long hours without feeling sore at the wrist. The keypads are well spaced and one wouldn’t have to cramp their fingers to punch the correct key or find the function keys are oddly placed. Most importantly, they are responsive and relatively quiet.

On the front, you have the speakers, nicely placed below the media keys. While I would prefer the speaker to be on top / near the LCD display for better sound, it is still better than placing the speakers right under the users’ palm, which is in the case of my dad’s old Inspiron. The speakers are seriously loud, perhaps, on par with my external 2.1 speakers. However, unlike HP Pavilion’s Altec Lansing speakers, which provides a well balanced sound of bass and treble, Dell’s speakers seriously lack the bass.

On the left, you have the WiFi on-off switch, a ventilation hole, microphone and audio jacks and an ExpressCard slot. I find it rather odd to place the WiFi on-off switch at the far end of the notebook. With ventilation hole at the side to dissipate the heat, the notebook is significantly cooler than my HP Pavilion notebook, especially on the bottom of the notebook. I don’t see any problem putting the laptop on my lap for an hour or two.

For the right hand side, there’s two USB ports, a LAN port, an external display connector port, IEEE 1394 / Firewire port (?) and the 8X DVD+-RW combination drive with dual layer capabilities.

On the back, you have the phone jack, two USB ports and the power connector jack. I opted for a 9-cell battery, hence, the protruding battery at the back of my notebook.

Generally, I find the ports are oddly placed and scattered around. If given a choice, I would prefer the placement of ports on the Vostro 1400 series compared to the Vostro 1500 series. The Vostro 1400 series’ placements are neater and make more senses, in a way.

For example, it’s really inconvenient and not easy to access the memory card reader as it is situated really low. My fingers are big and I can’t seem to reach for the memory card unless I lift the notebook up.

Another minor thing that bothers me is that the notebook isn’t level. The front right side’s rubber is slightly shorter than the remaining three corners, hence, the unevenness. Smalll thing that annoys the hell out of me.

The 15.4″ LCD display panel is really awesome and bright. However, that’s not the best part, it’s the 1680 * 1080 screen resolution that kicks ass. Images are really sharp and clear, the difference could be easily noticed when you watch a high definition video. With the higher resolution, it also means I can stuff really more windows and applications in one window. Internet surfing experience has also increased greatly as I can see more for less now. You can click on the picture below to see a full size image of my print screen.

Generally, it is a good notebook. However, Dell should really start considering to create a nicer looking notebook. Yes, they have created coloured Inspiron notebook but that’s not enough as generally, Dell’s notebooks are very dull and boring looking. They should also look into the placement of the various ports and slots for easier access and handling.

Price wise, performance wise and specification wise, I think Dell has done a really good job in that. I do highly recommend Dell Vostro series if you are on tight budget and don’t mind about the black and dull design. If you want a lighter notebook, you can go for the Vostro 1400 or 1200 series.

The sales representative that I highly recommend is Joanne Teoh as the experience I had throughout the process is really pleasant and she was really helpful. You can get her by calling the Dell toll free number followed by the extension number 32530.