Dell Vostro 1520 Review

I got my Dell Vostro 1520 about 2 months ago and am pretty happy with it. I wanted something with decent speed and a dedicated graphics card so i could play games on it. The Inspiron line didn't offer any laptops with a good graphics card (only onboard), so i was left with two options if I wanted to get a Dell. I had to go with a Vostro or an XPS. At the time, Dell had a coupon code for $200 off any Vostro over $799, so I bit. The XPS models were too expensive anyways... I got a 15in, C2D (core 2 duo), 2gb ram, 256mb nvidia gfx card for pretty cheap after taxes and whatnot. (I was sad when i saw they had a better promotion a week after i bought mine).

I was switching from my Asus eeepc 1000h, so it was a big difference. Here are some of the Pros and Cons regarding the Vostro 1520:

Pros:

• - Inexpensive
• - Solid Performance (no crashes, etc)
• - Glossy/sleek design
• - Windows XP (not vista!)
• - Multimedia controls located on keyboard
• - Good battery life (8 hours with extended battery)

Cons:

• - A little heavy (my preference)
• - Glossy parts collect dust and fingerprints easily
• - Camera (1.3mp) is not as good compared to Mac's
• - Headphone / microphone jack located in front (personal preference)

Overall, I am very happy with my Vostro 1520. The cons/gripes I have with it are very minor. Its a solid machine which can also be used as a desktop replacement. It also is backed up by dells warranty for a year (send in service) which is good enough for me. I've had a good experience in the past with Dells warranty service and have piece of mind if something does go wrong with my Vostro. Hopefully, I'll never have to call them.