Dell E178FP

Advantages: Good spec, reasonable price, great processor
Disadvantages: The piano black surface attracts dust and dirt.

...I purchased the Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop back in January for my daughter's birthday. I had a limited budget but wanted to get her something with decent enough spec for playing computer games should she wish to do this, and a large hard drive as she is a big fan of making videos on her digital camera and downloading music - two things which can eat up hard drive space. I did a fair bit of research before purchasing and decided I wanted to get the best spec I possibly could for my money and the Inspiron ticked all the boxes. I paid £399 in January 2009 in Currys for the laptop which was the absolute limit on my budget. The Dell I purchased has a dark blue coloured lid, however the rest of it is a shiny piano black which looks lovely. I would have preferred metal for the mousepad area - it feels sturdier and doesn't seem to attract... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Relatively Cheap
Disadvantages: Cheapness comes at a cost.......

...laptops have been stored in cases every night and treated with care. Both daughters have subsequently got laptops out in the morning, only to find the screen cracked and unusable. They haven't kept these in either cold or hot conditions, they haven't been dropped, had drinks spilled over them or in any way ill-treated. Both machines, at less than 1 year old (but, of course, screens are not covered under warranty). This apparently is not uncommon, (simply google the issue for more info). The issue seems to be a result of manufacturers constantly seeking to lower the weight and width of laptops - screens are now so thin that they are incredibly susceptible to damage even when treated with extreme care.... As a result, both girls have replacement laptops and Dell are no longer on our Christmas card list!!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: The look of the dell inspiron laptop seems more classy then other notepads. It is simplistic.
Disadvantages: Maybe Dell Have gone too simplistic with this model as the features are nothing to rave about

...The Dell inspiron laptop has an attractive classy look, it has a simplistic stream-line look. When I take it out its case I feel good about it because its not a big bulky embarassing computer thing. However, if your one for keeping everything clean and tidy and no smudges anywhere, then maybe you might be irritated by this laptop. With its glossy look smudges, smears and fingerprints stand out like a sore thumb. You feel like your constantly wiping it. You also have to watch what you wipe the laptop with as it is quite easy to scratch. A better idea for Dell would be to provide a cloth to clean it with, one they know wont damage your laptop. It would be a real bummer to scratch it while cleaning it. I also decided to get the colour black because there wasnt a lot of colours to choose from which I found quite dissapointing as... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful