Hi guys,
Been a long time since I was here last. I am typing this review on the XPS itself.
I have been using this laptop for almost 2 yrs now. and I am mostly satisfied with it. I got this in early 2008 for approx Rs 54000.
configuration as follows:
Intel core 2 duo T8100 2.1 ghz3 GB DDR 2 ram250 GB HDD @5400 rpm256 MB Nvidia 8600gt DDR 3 ram graphics card9 Cell Battery wifi, bluetooth, mmc reader. Bluetooth headset.
Now,
I bought this for my personal use so I tried to put in every possible upgrade I could in my budget, it took as usual a lot of research online and ofcourse different vendors like HP, SONY and Lenovo. The first thing I liked about this one was its looks. it looked cool and packed in a good amount of power to play high end games at ease. At that time DELL was the only one offering the same configuration at the least price. Now, some people dont prefer dell because of its limited service options, which I can tell you is not true, as I got the battery replaced within the warranty period without any questions asked, As of today, dell has opened its retail outlets so the story has changed .
It came loaded with windows vista, and runs smooth without any glitches. I recently upgraded to windows 7 and all it needed was a bios upgrade. and installed smoothly without any fuss.
So far, the performance of the system has been very consistent. Its fast in games, your presentations, with driver upgrades .plays amazing HD videos. handles multiple taskes without a problem as well. The system came with a bluetooth remote and bluetooth headset. The sound quality is amazing and is worth an add-on if you are planning to buy one . The built-in camera is 2 MP and is sufficient for video conferences and takes good pictures as well. Multi-media card reader is a handy attachment.
With a 9 cell battery you not only get additional hours but it also elevates the position making the keyboard angle very comfortable to type on. keyboard quality is good, and apparently will last for years.
Now coming to the awkwards:
well, The dvd drive starts to act up if you dont use it for long periods, and since its a slot-load drive there is not much you can do to clean it. the reading and writing speeds are good but make sure you use if frequently if you want it to last longer.
The screen quality tends to fade with time since its an LCD, but I guess thats common with any laptop. its not rapid but you will notice it after maybe 1.5 yrs as I did. The bulit quality of the lid is not what you expect after paying 50k. they could have made it with a better fit n finish.
Dell doesnt offer this product anymore, and has replaced it with newer line Studio XPS, with more or less the similar configuration but a little more expensive. So if you are rich dude/dudette and want a powerful gaming machine, go for alienware range, or perhaps a macbook pro. and if you are going for an Affordable gaming machine, go for studio 15. it has same specs at a lesser price then studio XPS.
and one last thing, when buying dell make an order either in march, or in september. since its a closing time for them, you wont believe what offers and discounts they "can" give you to make a sale.
do leave a question or opinions.
thanks.