I bought the Inspiron 1525 in the Summer of 2008, and I have to say I'm really impressed. I've been using a laptop for years for school work and all sorts of stuff, and every time i've actually got it, i've been disappointed; there has been some problem, or it has started crashing and being rubbish quickly, some feature wasn't quite as I'd imagined... I could go on. But this laptop has been a breath of fresh air. The whole design and feel of it, it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into making it a decent computer. Anyway, to get started.
First things first, this is the first laptop I've had with Windows Vista. I really wasn't looking forward to switching from beloved XP to vista, but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. It looks great on a laptop, there's all sorts of fun things like Media Center, really awesome games, and connecting to a wireless network is a breeze. It also feels a lot more secure, although perhaps a little too secure; every little action you make prompts a little thing saying, are you sure you want to do this; very annoying, but you can disable it as i have.
The keyboard on the laptop is really cool; soft, silver keys, all placed intuitively - for example, the delete key is easy to find at the top right of the keyboard, not jammed in in a seemingly random setting. Things like the brightness settings, which I find myself using a lot, are not at the top on some F7 or F8 keys, they're on the computer arrow keys, usable by pressing 'FN'. I type a hell of a lot and it's a joy to type on, whereas other laptops i've had i've found i've had to really bang the keys sometimes!
The trackpad took a little bit of getting used to, it's a little sticky, but once you do it's fine. It has scrolling things too which are pretty handy!
The other really cool thing is the built-in webcam. Now, I've used friend's laptops with a built-in webcam, but they didn't even compare to this. The picture is really clear, always in focus and the right brightness. This may be true of other laptops with built-in webcams, however the thing I feel seperates it, is the stereo microphones; one on each side of a microphone. I'm a big Skype user, and I don't even need to use a headset now; I can just talk normally, I can move closer or further away, and the levels adjust automatically, but never producing any feedback; It's awesome!
Six months on and I haven't had any problems with it at all, which is a lot compared to previous computers. The Dell website is always stocked up with new drivers should any bugs have been found, and friends that have had to send things back after a year or two have found the support team very helpful. An essential thing to buy is the extended warranty; it will ensure the computer lasts you a long time.
Another thing I bought was the Dell Remote - this is available when you are customising what you want. This is really great, i can lie in bed watchign a film and pause it or turn it down with no effort at all if the phone rings. Oh and the speakers are pretty good too.
So anyway; i think this is a really good laptop. Friends of mine have laptops with similar features; they may be cheaper however they never feel as robust and when a problem happens, as is inevitable with computers, they have had little support from who they bought it from or the manufacturer. I would buy a Dell again!
PS there are two headphone sockets if you are watching something with a friend on a train or something - Brill!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Product is fine but dont bother buying from them direct due to poor customer service/ norights (-) Product is fine but dont bother buying from them direct due to poor customer service/ no rights
(+) cool and quite robust trackpad, good display,64-bit windows 7 (-) few connectors,dell drivers only, not realy for gameing (most models), finger print prone!
My boyfriend has a Dell but don't think it;s great, well reviewed though
sunmeilan 27.03.2009 20:56
Great review, the only thing that I can see is missing is the price - a general idea would be good. I am surprised by Vista too - I've really got to like it.
Panasonic UJ-220, 12.7mm tray-type BD Writer which is the next generation of storage, ... more
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Advantages: Great price, Amazing Laptop, it comes in a wide Variety of colours ... .. . Wow ! Disadvantages: I can really honestly say that I have nothing to complain about !
James-89 27.10.2008 (27.10.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Dell Inspiron 1525
Advantages: thin, light weighed, good battery life, nice keyboard touchpad,solid performance and featurs, fast speed Disadvantages: No dedicated Graphics option, a bit noisy
rizzu87 15.11.2008 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Dell Inspiron 1525
Advantages: Great price, Amazing Laptop, it comes in a wide Variety of colours ... .. . Wow ! Disadvantages: I can really honestly say that I have nothing to complain about !
James-89 27.10.2008 (27.10.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Dell Inspiron 1525
Advantages: Can take it into Best Buy for Geek Squad. This is convenient, because Best Buy has many locations. Disadvantages: Slow, keypad breaks easily, internet issues, overpriced.
taylorb82 25.06.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Dell Inspiron 1525
Mar 27th, 2009
(Sep 13th, 2008)
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