Inevitable?

I hear many people say the Inspirons are of lower quality and within 1-2 years they assuredly begin to fall apart. They make it out like the laptop almost self-destructs. Is this a matter-of-fact genuine claim or just a case of those who've had problems being more vocal than those that're satisfied?

Has anyone had an Inspiron that has had a long life and continued to function perfectly over the years?

 

It will be a year next month for me and she's still going strong, no major issues at all

 

They may not be as rigid as some of the more expensive notebooks out there; but that doesn't mean they fall apart in a couple of years. If you take good care, then they'll last a long time.

I had the previous generation Inspiron 630m for a year; then sold it to get a smaller dual core notebook. At the time of selling it, it was as good as new, no visible wear n tear (perhaps a slight fading of the palm rest , but not noticeable unless you look very carefully). However I took proper care of it; like using a separate notebook carrying case instead of throwing it in to a bagpack with other books n stuff, and didn’t toss it around nor used it under extreme conditions (mostly used it indoors).

So I guess a lot depends on the way you use it.

 

I've only had my Inspiron 6400 for just over two 2 months but I can honestly say that this is the best build non-business type kind of laptop I've ever owned. It's much sturdier than most notebooks out there.

 

My 6400 is almost a year-old now, but it looks good as new (no visible sign of tear and wear). I've never experienced any issues at all. It's fast and still running smoothly.

 

I've had my 6400 for about 6 months now, and its still in perfect shape. The lid hinges are still as resistant as whe n first opened the lid. My battery still lasts 6 hours. No visible wear and tear. I love this computer.

 

i have my 6400 since 4 months and my dvd-drive is not working anymore.

 

My E1705 was a year old this past March. Have had 0 issues with it, and it's traveled quite a bit with me. Worst thing is my cats keep peeing on my laptop bag and I have to replace it every 3-4 months. b\But the laptop is still going strong.

 

I had an old 9400. In less than a year's time, the plastic hinges started giving me the wobbles. The paint on the LCD cover and around the corners of the keyboard started fading away, it was really obvious.

 

I have a 4+ year old Inspiron 2650 that is still going strong. Also have an E1505 that I've had for about six months and it is as good as new and it's used fairly hard because its my primary system.

 

My Inspiron 6000 is at least 2 yrs old.

The screen is brighter and evently lit, unlike those screen which has light leakage at the bottom.

I always put it inside a plastic grocery bag. It does get scratch up easily.

 

My friend and I both have inspirons that have been working flawlessly for 4+ years.

Thinkpads on the other hand...I dont know of ANYONE in my group who has not had a major problem in 4 years

 

My 6 year-old Inspiron 8000 is still in daily use. Had a screen backlight problem 3 years ago but otherwise fine. Has travelled between Australia and UK a number of times but admittedly spends most of it's time on a desk. My 12 month-old Latitude D830 does not seem any more robust or better built to my eyes.

 

I'm pretty tired of whoever it is that spreads rumors about poor dell build quality. My laptop is solidly built. Yes, they're made of plastic, but the plastic is stiff and sturdy. And if you ever take a dell apart, you'll see that dell puts that chemical thing (forget what it's called) at the end of their screws so that they don't become loose over time. I also have a 4-5 year old inspiron 8200, it creaks a bit now when I open it and I lost the PCMCIA cover slips, but it works just fine.

 

My 6000 had the speakers quit at 11 months (under warranty), and the screen went at 15 months (NOT under warranty). After talking with "Joe" over in India who I couldn't understand, Dell wanted $500 for a new screen. Screw that. So my 6000 is dead in the water after 15 months. I'm tired of not being able to understand their customer service folks and feel I got screwed. This is the last Dell I will buy, and I have bought several in the past. No more.

 

Ammortize the cost.
You would have paid more for other brands.
Plus, once you are out of warranty, NO company is gonna fix things for free.

Now the question is, have you taken a look at my signature ??

 

I bought an outlet 6400 right about a year ago, I no longer own it, but I am in close contact with the owner and use it from time to time, it runs great with no sign of crapping out anytime soon.