The other major design choice Dell made for the new Inspiron line up with the placement of the screen hinge with respect to the back of the laptop. The Texas computer giant introduced this forward-placed hinge design in its high-end Adamo notebook. On the Adamo, the design allows for port placement in the rear of the computer. On the new Inspiron R series, the hinge design is used to improve the range of screen movement - i.e., the display can be pushed back a lot further.
Product Specs
- Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-450M
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Storage: 320GB hard drive
- Optical Drive: DVD±RW
- Screen: 17.3 inches (1,600x900 native resolution)
- Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 5470 (1GB)
- Weight: 7.1 pounds
- Dimensions (HWD): 1.4x16.5x10.9 inches
- Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
One of the big failings budget notebooks often face is a bouncy keyboard or an unresponsive trackpad. In order to make the laptop more affordable, companies have to skimp somewhere and after general build quality, it's usually one of these two components. Fortunately, the Inspiron R doesn't seem to suffer from any of these issues.
The glossy screen has a resolution of 1,600x900 pixels which is noticeably more spacious than the 1,366x768 pixel screens which are now the norm for 15.6in laptops. This allows you to, for example, easily work on two documents side by side or use programs with lots of palettes and windows more easily. The screen is bright, but image quality wasn't the best. The backlight was a bit uneven and viewing angles were a little restricted. However, as long as you're in the middle of the screen, colours are accurate.
The broad width of the Inspiron means the keyboard and numeric keypad don't have any oddly placed or undersized keys. The keys don't give a huge amount of feedback, but they're still comfortable to type on. The touchpad is large and accurate, but the buttons are a little spongy – we'd prefer a firmer, more responsive feel.
For a large laptop, the Dell Inspiron 17R has a modest weight at 5.83 pounds. It is fitted with Intel Core i3-350M/ i5-450M processors, has a memory of 4GB 2 DIMM DDR3 1333Mhz which is expandable up to 8GB and a hard drive of 500GB. The 17.3" screen allows for excellent and quality-size views as it has a display resolution of 1600*900 pixels. To further aid in this, the Dell Inspiron 17R battery has a mic and a 1.3MP web camera. For music lovers, the laptop has SRS Premium sound and stereo speakers which produce great quality audio. In addition to 802.11n WiFi, the laptop allows for optional WiMAX and Bluetooth and has an Ethernet port. It has an Esata/USB combo connector and a media card reader (7-in-1). Additional features include a DVD burner and a Blu-ray Combo Drive.
Dell Inspiron 17R's operating system is Genuine Windows 7 home premium 64-bit and the laptop is provided with a one year basic service warranty. The laptop's numeric key allows for easy and comfortable typing.
Dell’s 17.3″ desktop replacement has a 1.3MP web camera and mic, stereo speakers, SRS Premium Sound, 802.11n Wi-Fi, optional WiMAX, Bluetooth option, an Ethernet port, three USB ports, an eSATA/USB combo connector, HDMI and VGA outputs, a 7-in-1 media card reader, and a numeric keypad.
The newly designed 17R has a brushed glossy finish in Mars Black, Peacock Blue, or Tomato Red color.
One downside to this notebook was the included graphics card. It is equipped with an integrated Intel graphics (Intel HD Graphics to be specific), and you probably won't be able to play most modern computer games without a custom video card. That's fine as I'm not an avid gamer.
I initially bought the 17R for school as well as personal reasons, and I was delighted to find out Microsoft Office 2010 Starter was included. I had been using Microsoft Office 2007 for quite some time, so it was a relief to find out that I would be upgrading. The software pack was even included in the initial price of the laptop.
The Inspiron 17R battery sports a choice of Intel Core i3 and i5 processors. The base configuration includes Core i3-350M 2.26GHz, 4GB DDR3 memory, 320GB Hard Drive, 17.3″ HD+ (1600 x 900) WLED display, 8X DVD+/-RW, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS as standard.
Other features includes 802.11n WiFi, 1.3MP Webcam, 6-cell battery, HD Audio 2.0 with SRS Premium Sound and Intel HD Graphics.
Where the Inspiron R really excels is overall performance and multimedia playback. This model has 4GB of memory combined with an Intel i5-430M processor running at 2.26GHz. Dell has added the 64-bit version of Windows Home Premium and a 500GB hard drive. This is enough power to cope with any scenario and multi-task intensive apps like movie playback with ease. It can even handle a late night gaming session from the 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5470.
The 1600x900 17.3-inch screen is sharp, but we found it too glossy in bright environments. That said, it’s perfect for movies or gaming. Points also go for brilliant audio fidelity. The speakers have a great range and while we still don’t buy the virtual surround sound from the SRS Premium audio, it does provide great music playback.
The 17R-2211OBK is part of Dell's Inspiron 7 series of 17.3-inch desktop replacement and multimedia laptops. It's big brother to the Inspiron 15R series of 15.6-inch mainstream laptops, such as the Dell Inspiron iM501R-13230BK ($599.99 list, ). They share a similar glossy, metallic lid, which is a fingerprint magnet. The 17R-2211OBK's glossy, silver keyboard deck is much more resistant to smudges. When the lid is closed, the 17R-2211OBK's chassis has an appealing profile. The front edge tapers back from top to bottom, and the back-end of the laptop sticks out about a third-of-an-inch past the lid's hinge. This feature allows users to bend back the screen further in constrained seating situations. The 17R-2211OBK uses a traditional-style keyboard, which includes a dedicated number pad. The touchpad is smooth and its soft buttons are easy to use.
The LED-backlit display has a native resolution of 1,600 by 900, surrounded by a glossy black bezel that features a 1.3-megapixel Webcam and integrated microphone. The screen displays crisp colors, but I felt it wasn't quite as bright as with other laptops. Like most laptop screens these days, the 17R-2211OBK's display is glossy, but it wasn't as prone to annoying reflections, such as I experienced with the Dell iM501R-13230BK's screen.
Dell covers the Inspiron 17R with a one-year warranty, the industry norm among home and home-office notebooks. However, the company does offer in-home service (at least, after Dell reps try to diagnose and fix your problem remotely). Other laptop makers, such as HP, typically require that you send the unit in for repair unless you pay extra for an in-home tech-support package. You can also extend the Inspiron's warranty at reasonable prices, opting for a two-year deal for an additional $69, or three years for $119. By way of comparison, HP's two-year plan, with in-home service, costs around $112.
The Inspiron 17R is a good choice if you’re looking for a desktop-replacement notebook with style at an attractive price. You won’t get mind-numbing performance from this model, and its 3D performance is best suited to, at most, low-end gaming, but it's more than capable of handling your everyday productivity and multimedia workload. If you require a bit more 3D muscle, however, the Gateway NV7901u is your best bet in this price range.
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