[New] Vostro V13

So my mom ordered a V13 in December and received it last week. I am currently away from home, but here are my thoughts:

We ordered the $649 option: C2Duo SU7300, Win7, Intel Pro 5100, etc.

I liked:
Extraordinarily thin and light. You can easily pick it up with your thumb and index finger.
We weighed it to be 3.756 lbs, and it was offered to be starting at 3.5 lbs, so good job Dell.
The hinge is solid, somewhat like the E6400's, but only time can tell how long it will last.
Build quality seems solid.
The fan is pretty quiet, and it was loudest upon initially setting up Win7, but that's a given.
Touchpad is large; I found it pretty easy to use.

I disliked:
The keyboard is just average, and coming from an E6400, I was a bit disappointed. (I love the E6400's keyboard.)
Additionally, (and this just might be the default settings, but) once I unplugged the AC adapter, the computer would stall for a bit, screen would go black, and change to the settings while running on the battery. The same would occur if I plugged the adapter back in.
Battery life is average. This disappointed me the most. 4 hours with wifi running on the lowest brightness setting. I can achieve 3.5 hours with my E6400 and that's with the NVS160M (specs in my signature).

 

Great feedback, thanks. Can you comment on the screen? How's the black level, contrast, etc.?

Any keyboard flex?

 

The battery life and the quality of the keyboard are the two features that are making me hesitate in buying this machine. I'm not sure 3 hours on wi-fi is enough for me, even if I'm around the house; having to bring the charger with me everywhere I go. And from the pictures, the shallow keyboard doesn't seem to be as good an option, as, say for example, the one on the Asus UL30 series. Though it seems the trackpad maybe better.

What are your thoughts on the keyboard?

And do you guys foresee a longer-lasting battery being released for the laptop in the future?

 

I'm afraid I don't have the V13 with me, or I would use the keyboard extensively to let you know. The fact that I don't remember the keyboard makes me believe it wasn't special.

4 hours is sufficient for me, but it's up to you whether it's enough. Compared to my E6400, the V13 we bought was just thin and light. Battery life isn't spectacular even with the absence of an optical drive. I've actually been looking into other ultraportables, such as the Asus UL30A, which you've mentioned. I doubt larger batteries will be available for the V13, since it's internal. Just remember, the battery is a 6-cell 30WHr internal battery.

However, I absolutely loved walking around the house with the V13, but I'm sure this could said of any ultraportable.

 

First pro review is online (in German, use Google translate, if you like), the review is very positive, and it's not even the top of the range model:

http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Dell-Vostro-V13-Notebook.24726.0.html

 

Thanks for the reply. Perhaps if you didn't notice the keyboard, it couldn't have been too bad either

I think I can get over the battery issue so it's just the supposedly 'clakety' keyboard making me nervous. I might just wait for the order to come through in a few weeks and return it if it isn't good enough. I'm wondering what other owners have made of the keyboard in comparison with the UL30 or 'chicklet' design. I'm a fussy person when it comes to keyboard quality (having had mild RSI in the past) and I might end up writing a lot of my thesis on it. But as I said, it's my first laptop so it's difficult to predict how I might adjust to it.

 

I got my v13 yesterday, ironically I felt that the keyboard is very good, not clacky like what other have said. My previous laptop was a Vaio VGN-SZ437N, which is quite a premium laptop in my perspective for its price is more than 2 times of the V13. The keyboard on the V13 is similar to the vaio except it is softer and has more resistance, the layout and spacing of the keyboards is almost identical which made me adapt to it very quickly. What I think is bad is the button on the trackpad, I felt it was not very solid, clacky.

 

Hi 3doog. Thanks for your thoughts on the keyboard. Am I right in saying the screen has matte finish which reduces glare in comparison with the glossy screens of most notebooks?

My V13 is due in two weeks if I dont cancel and order the UL30 instead...decisions decisions....

 

yes, it does have a matte screen which reduces glare

 

I'm torn between the V13 and the M11x, not really designed for the same purpose but it's really going to be more of a run around machine so either running the same res would suffice.

If the V13 had a backlit keyboard option I would be all over it, so still deciding.