Impressive - Highly Recommended
Written: Sep 23 '03
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Pros: View Body
Cons: View Body
The Bottom Line: Value for the money, excellent features, Excellent for mobile students or professionals.
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| _m3k's Full Review: Dell Inspiron 600M (600MBS1) PC Notebook |
Note: very long, scroll down to the stars if youre in a hurry.
Ive spent 2 years watching the laptop prices become lower and lower waiting to make my move. Processor speed increased, LCD screens became more vibrant, and notebook designs became thinner. Then, Intel introduced a new chipset on the block designed from the ground up for mobility, the Centrino. Boasting longer batterylife and incredible performance in thinner and lighter designs, the centrino was pricey at the time it was released. So i waited.
Not a while ago, Dell released a new line of notebooks. They didn't appeal to me at first because of the blue portion of the lcd which i thought made it look cheap and unprofessional (however i did like the new silver appearance.) The only two that didnt include the blue were the Inspiron 8500 and the 600m. Because I dont like widescreen LCDs, I decided to check out the 600m.
Damn. I was impressed. The 600m includes the new centrino package with processor speeds up to 1.7 GHz. Dont be tricked by the clock speed. WIth the Pentium M's 1MB cache, a 1.4Ghz Pentium M can outperform a Pentium 4-M 2.2Ghz!
The screen is excellent. A choice of XGA(1024x768) for regular users or SXGA+(1400x1050) for the advanced users. I highly reccommend the SXGA+ as there isnt much of a price difference and the graphics are intense.
Hard drive speeds could be improved though. Currently they run at 4200 rpms, not bad for a notebook, but, a 5400rpm hard disk could drastically improve performance.
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That all being said lets get to the portion about my order.
1 month ago, Dell was offering the 600m with a $1000(cdn) discount. From the original $3600, i was able to purchase it for $2600(cdn) not including taxes.
The system came equipped with
Pentium M Processor 1.6Ghz
60GB Hard Drive at 4200rpm
14.1" SXGA+ TFT LCD
512MB DDR Ram (266)
Intel PRO WIRELESS MiniPCI Card
24x10x24x8 CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
USB floppy Module
1 Adapter
1 mousepad (heh)
I seriously needed a new computer for Grade 11
After sitting out 3 weeks, it finally arrived right after tbe blackout (poor timing) Dell reccommends you read the safety portion of the manual before operating the unit. DO IT. Important stuff that you should know.
After going through the user setup, (setting up your location, etc,) It ran windows for the first time. Damn. It immediately connected to our wireless network. 2 minutes later i was surfing the web, and sharing files with our other computers
The Dell Software preinstalled could slow down your performance. I recommend re-installing windows to decrease the lag. You wont regret it. Dell includes a CD with the applications and drivers and you can select the ones you want to install. Remember to update your video drivers from the Dell website. Some games require it too.
Speaking of games, I decided to test out the 64MB Radeon 9000 on this baby and it blew me away. Extreme performance in Battlefield 1942 and Unreal Tournament 2003. Battlefield can run with 64 people at maximum graphics, at the highest resolution with virtually no lag at all.
The SXGA screen is perfect for photo editing and the 60gb Hard Drive has enough room for my 3D animation and video editing files. Macromedia flash runs smoothly and renders at lightning speed.
Now about the structure of the laptop.
Overall, I like it. The sliver look. I hate the blue finish around the keyboard however. But, you get over it in time. The laptop is 1.3 inches thick when closed and weighs roughly 5 pounds. I can hold it on one hand while standing and type with the other.
The laptop Screen is a little flimsy however. Very thin, a plus for mobility. When I press in the middle of the screen, there is some distortion in a few spots around the outer edges of the laptop. After less than a second, it returns to normal.
Here’s something that no one has mentioned, after reading hundreds of reviews. See the DELL logo on the bottom of the screen in the middle? If you press on the other side of the screen on that spot. The screen case flexes outwards. It doesn’t present that much of a problem, but it annoys me as i am paranoid.
The keyboard. Feels very sturdy while typing. Has a crisp sound when you type. Bends inwards about a quarter of a centimetre while pressing hard. During normal typing, it doesn’t present any problem.
The touchpad is different. ITS HORRIBLE. Occasionally it will lock up and lag when you use it. The touchpad buttons feel like they are going to fall off after heavy use. Do yourself a favour and buy one of those mini mousse for laptops. Futureshop has some good deals.
And an issue that appears a lot, heat. Yes the left palm rest does heat up from the hard drive. No, it doesn’t get uncomfortable. Yes, the Ram Cover does heat up extensively. Yes I did scald myself while touching it but it was my fault for placing the unit in a poorly ventilated area. Yes the screen area around the dell logo does get extremely hot while the unit is on full brightness. No, don’t touch it. It doesn’t heat up as much on low brightness.
What else could I address. Ah yes, sound quality. The outer speakers are decent enough to hear your favourite movie in almost quality sound. But you might want to up it up a notch and use headphones. Youll thank me. However when no sound is playing and you have headphones in, you hear a faint static sound coming from the the headphones. Noticeable, but not annoying.
The battery life is excellent however if Dell could produce a stronger battery, instead of the 4 hours I receive currently, we could be getting 8 hours. However, that would sacrifice the light design. The adapter is strange. When you plug it into the unit while it is powered off, you hear a buzzing sound. Very high pitched. Its not your unit, it’s the adapter. Dell should address this issue as it ticks me off from time to time.
Overall, I would rate the following specs as follows:
Pentium M Performance
5/5
Hard Drive Performance
4/5
Graphics quality and screen resolution
5/5
Sound Quality
4/5
Structural Integrity
4/5
Value for your Cash
5/5
Overall Satisfaction
4.5/5
That’s it. That covers most of the issues. I hope my report full of speling, gram.mar and structur@l errors is sufficient. Updates will follow.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2600
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
_m3k
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Reviews written: 1
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