Inspiron 1520 owners lounge

Proudly, i will join the club soon just waiting for some money to come in this month. It will be the signature one i just have a single question.

it's about the speakers, i haven't seen any detailed picture/description about them, specially about their location. where exactly they are? are they muffled by putting hands to type or they are near to the display? thanks in advance!

and as you are were once, i'm now, cuz i cant wait to put my hands on it

 

this will explain everything.... http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsid=3821

 

i did the same thing but only with memory from Newegg. I ordered my laptop on the same day as yours I think. I had know idea I will receive mine so quick too!

 

MINE IS BEING SHIPPED YEAHH!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL TUESDAY!!!!!!!

Order Date: 10/18/2007
Order Status: Shipped

They still don't have a tracking number yet but I will probably get it tonight.!!! i can't ****ing wait man. I hope Monday or Tuesday!

WTF!! I ordered the 2day shipping and they gave me ground and DHL has ESD of 10/24!!!
What should I do!!!!

 

thanks for the input, but actually i had already read that.

the fact is that i didnt understand well where "under the front edge" means. does it mean the front like where the media buttons are located or really under / almost under the 1520?

i will be using a headphone most of the time, but sometimes it is good to add some "background" effect provided by the speakers.

 

Hello all,I just registered to this forum.

I'm a proud Dell Inspiron 1520 owner =) my first laptop and I'm loving it ^_-,although I do wish I had bit more cash and would have gotten the Dell XPS M1730.

 

Just an FYI for new 1520 owners...

I wiped & reinstalled the whole system this weekend. I just couldn't account for about 20GB of space on my drive, in addition to the 10GB useless (IMHO) 'restore' partition. That 'lost' 30GB was bugging me. Plus, I like clean systems....

This was my first 'scorched-earth' install of Vista, though I've done it countless times with XP. It's pretty simple. Took about 1.5 hours, drivers and all. Now I have all of that 'missing' space back. I have the 160GB drive, and now I've got 140GB free after the install instead of the 110GB previously. My 1520 is also running even smoother and better than before. Not that the 1520 comes with a lot of bloatware, but that restore is most definitely a pure Vista install - no Dell branded stuff at all (no 'Dell Recommended' power scheme, no 'Internet Explorer by Dell').

There are multiple threads around here about rebuilding, but to recap...

1) Boot to MediaDirect install CD. It will re-partition the drive correctly. This will get rid of the restore partition, allocate the space for Vista, and reserve a partition for itself later.
2) Install Vista using the restore CD.
3) Restore various drivers. Video, wifi, etc. The included driver CD worked well, though I had downloaded the drivers in advance.
4) Reinstall MediaDirect (from Vista).

Done.

Quite impressed with Vista: I had 3 'unknown devices' in the device manager. Common occurance when you redo the OS and forget some component. Just for giggles, I clicked on each one and did the 'Search Online for drivers' from Vista. Boom! Found the Ricoh card reader drivers and installed it with no fuss. I had forgotten about that, but awesome that Vista was able to figure it out with minimal work on my part. Sweet!

 

nice,I too had thought I would want to reformat my 1520,due to that wasted 10gb and alot of *ahem*nonsense utilities that i don't use..actually I use none of them,and what did the 20GB took up?I noticed the ammount of space it used but don't know what it's used for.and btw when u reformat and partition the drives..would it still remain in the 136GB and 10GB or can u set up ur own partition value?or does it just default it at one partition?

 

The MediaDirect step (the very first step) completely repartitions the drive. It did not even acknowledge that there was a 10GB partition. It prompts you as to whether you want to allocate the full space to the OS, or only a part of it. I used the 'full space' option, and that divided the drive into two partitions (instead of the OEM-spec three). It made a 148GB partition for Vista and like a 2.5GB partition for MediaDirect. I have the 160GB drive, and having roughly 153MB of actual space is about right, due to the way all of the manufacturers rate hard drives.

Since the 1520 comes with restore CD/DVD's for everything (Vista, Dell Drivers, MediaDirect, and Roxio), that 10GB 'recovery' partition is, IMHO, wasted space.

I could deal with having that 10GB partition, because at least it has a potentially useful function. My real concern was where the other 20GB-ish of space went. Fresh out of the box, I copied my 35GB digital library of photos and music to the 1520. And no, I don't remember how much space was free when I started. Then I installed antivirus, office, Picasa, and iTunes. At that point I had like 65GB free, which seemed quite low. I removed my photos & mp3's and the space returned to about 100GB, as expected. Still low...

If we do the math...

OEM:
160GB =~150GB actual space. 150 - 10GB restore partition - 3GB mediadirect partition = 137GB for Vista. I had maybe 1GB worth of apps (Office XP, iTunes, Picasa, AV software) installed, and my system had just barely over 100GB of space free. You can't tell me that Vista requires 37GB just for itself. I poked around the folders trying to find the missing space but was not successful. I'm brand new to Vista, but I've rebuilt and debugged Microsoft OS's for years (going back to DOS 3.3...). All I can think is that perhaps there was some other hidden file/folder. Admittedly, I did not check for that. I could have probed further, but at that point it wasn't worth my time and I decided to do the reformat. I wanted to anyway, just needed an excuse.

Now:
160GB = ~150GB actual space. 150-3GB mediadirect=147GB for Vista. At a fresh install, after all drivers and service packs applied, I had about 138GB free. Copied my 35GB media library, installed the above-mentioned apps plus a few others, and I have 98GB free now.

So before, 65GB. Now, 98GB. Discounting the 10GB restore partition, that's a 23GB difference!

 

nice,I will reformat on the weekends..can't wait to get rid of all the crap installed..thanks zigby for the insight..

and one thing,you said it didn't even acknowledge the 10gb of recovery?I was thinking to create 2 partitions (excluding the media direct) A partition the main one where my OS is installed and B a 2nd partition like say maybe 40GB for all my music, video, etc ... I was thinking that by partitioning it this way...that whenever I wanted to do a clean format and install OS I would just have to reformat partition A and B will be left untouch ..so my music and all will always be there..is that possible?

 

No problem.

You can partition the drive however you want, and yes, you could install the OS to one partition and your media to another. They will just show up as different drives. Normally that's easy to set up during the Windows install, but things are a bit different with this MediaDirect software. I think that you would instruct the MD software to NOT use the whole partition for Vista, then specify the amount you want and it'll leave the other chunk for you to partition later using Vista. I'm not completely sure, so definitely read up on this. Yes, it's very handy if you're the type that reformats the OS frequently.

There are just a couple of minor quibbles about doing this. One is that it can create the false sense of security that your files are safely on another drive when they really aren't. That hard drive goes bad (which they all will eventually), and you've lost just as much data as if it was one bigger partition. I've seen this happen, "but I had two drives!" Uh, no, you didn't.

The other quibble is that you might introduce a small performance hit when doing this. You'd be physically forcing the OS to store data on different parts of the hard drive. Anything you do with your media files will require that the r/w heads move all the way to the other partition, then jump all the way back. Of course, r/w heads move around all the time, you're just forcing the locations to be further apart. Given the task of moving a pile of bricks, would you rather move the pile 5 feet or 200 feet? It's somewhat of an academic argument though, as the OS might choose to store those files at the other end of the drive anyway.

I use a portable USB 2.0 hard drive to backup & transfer my media files. It's reasonably quick and offers an extra layer of protection in case of a hard drive failure. With it, it's easy and fairly quick to grab all of 'my stuff', throw it on the USB drive, reformat, and then put it all back.

 

thanks once again zigby, I didn't think of that and yes that is sure something to think bout..and considering my harddrive is only at 5400 rpm not the high performance 7200 one..I wouldn't want to slow it down even a slight bit.when accessing diff files frm diff partitions.

 

A bit off-subject, but how can you determine where on the drive OSs write data to drives? Is it a standard to stack data towards the front/rear of the drive platters? Or is it just a random game the needle plays when it's writing data and throws it wherever it sees fit?

 

It's been about a decade since I took OS design classes in college, and it was not my specialty. Take this post with a grain of salt...

I'm pretty sure that most file systems try to write the data out in somewhat sequential chunks. I have no idea if it's like a CD and the platters are filled from inside-out, or if it's like a vinyl record from outside-in.

Of course, as files are copied, opened, moved, enlarged, shrunk, and deleted, that space becomes fragmented. At this point, it's up to the file system and disk controller to decide where to put parts of files. Some bytes are appended on to the 'end' of the chunk of data, and some are written in the open spaces in the middle. From looking at defragmentation reports over the years, it does appear that Win95->Vista (FAT->NTFS) 'tries' to keep the data together as much as possible, though I don't think I've ever seen the used space filled perfectly. In other words, the data is usually in big chunks on the hard drive, and it doesn't look like the data is a random mess unless the drive is severely fragmented.

This is why it's recommended to run a disk defragment from time to time. That operation moves the files and parts of files around to be as sequential as possible for the greatest performance possible.

 

Greetings - I just ordered my 1520 and hope to have it in a couple of weeks. I intend to wipe it (after backing up the Vista activation) and make it a dual-booter with XP/Vista. I went to the Dell site and noticed that the XP video drivers for the 1520 are for the 8400GS/8600GS - not the 8600GT - will the 8600GS drivers work OK with my 8600GT?

 

Yes, though you might want to get video drivers from http://laptopvideo2go.com/ instead.

 

how does the dell travel remote work with the 1520 does it have an IR port?

 

An update to my previous post...

I suddenly lost 20GB again. But I'm not crazy...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=167983

 

Got my 1520 in today...

I looked for flaws but found none.... maybe a first for me not to find any issues with a laptop purchase.... normally there is always some little thing that I find... never anything major.

Hmm... the screen looks good... I have no idea if LG, Samsung, or Lego Land screen... looks good so I'm cool with it.

Speakers were a surprise... very clear... nice set of speakers on this system.

I played a movie, searched the net, did a defrag... all at the same time, but could not get the fans to come on... lol... notebook is a little bigger than the hp 6500, but if that gets me a cool system, so be it. I like cool and (near) silence.

Size is not really an issue... feels very sturdy, like it will last a couple of years...

For my first dell, this is a home run....

 

Now you've gone and put a hex on it. Good luck with it lasting out the week.


I got mine yesterday. Once again, no real problems with the screen, headphone, etc. I, however, expect this is temporary and it will explode in a ball fire and sharp parts before the day is out. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it doesn't.

 

About the whinning and popping noise on the 1520s... Dell Product Group has found that this is due to a hardware design flaw, involving the processor C3 power states. They do not have a work around for it since it is a design flaw with the layout of the motherboard, so a motherboard replacement will not resolve it.

This affects the Vostro 1500 and the Inspiron 1520.

 

I said that about my last laptop, a compaq, it last four years....

If yours explode, put it on youtube... that would be cool.

 

Hey jtmat, i ordered a day after you and look what i got

10/23/2007 9:38 am With delivery courier. Brooklyn, NY

hahahaha i can't wait!!! HURRY UP DHL!!!! I also took 2 business day shipping.

 

WTF is up with DHL? It's 6.14 and I still don't have my package! Wow!!!

 

I still don't have any update on package since monday and that was vague. It said its schedule to be delivered on Wednesday

They need UPS

 

Mine will be here tomorrow, will be posting in the 8600m GT overclocking thread soon

 

mines should be here too and my specs are identical to yours except my hard drive is smaller

 

lol... I had to go to the dhl depot to pickup my notebook... I was lucky since I go that way and knew the exact location.

The dhl guy never knocked on the door or got out of his truck... simply pulled up and drove off... really odd. my office is about 10 feet from the front door and I had been no place all day except to the kitchen and bathroom.

No notice on the door, no knock, no call, no nothing. Guess the fedx and ups guys know I'm home so they at least knock on the door.

I called dhl and they told me I could pick up the package after 7 but they closed at 8. lol... I go down and there is another guy there... said he had been there for 20 minutes but no one at the front desk... said he had walked outside to let people know he was there, but no one ever showed.

I waited maybe 10 minutes or so.... Lucky I had my cell phone and call the dhl "desk" and the lady came right out. Yes, I even rang the doorbell they have at the frontdesk when I first walked in, guess it does not work.

DHL sucks... or at least the one here does. lol... but I have my notebook and it is all good.

 

you got lucky jtmatt because i just called dhl and it seems like its coming tomorrow . ****ing *******s. if i don't receive it tomorrow i am just going to be pissed of at dell and give them a call and get a refund for that extra $20 i spent on 2 day business bull****. i remember when dell used to use UPS, i got my dell dimension 4700 via UPS and got it 2 days early.
if it doesn't come tomorrow then i'm going to go down to the station and smack someone and get my package and run!

 

When the lady came out from a door with my package, the first thing I thought was boy she can take me... She looked like she could handle herself... maybe a bodybuilder (yes, they have female bodybuilders).

So don't go down and get pwned by a lady.

 

Ok, I just got my Dell 1520 today and while I haven't had any problems with it so far there are a couple of things that do bother me about the Optical Drive
1. Is it just me or does the optical drive feel realllllllly flimsy when you eject it?
2. Also, again is it just my case that the whole eject/insert mechanism isn't very smooth and u can feel a fair amount of dragging/scratching noise while pushing it back in?.....

A quick response will be appreciated because I wanna know if I should get it exchanged or something

 

When I first got my compaq 3000z I thought the drive would fall apart in the first month... lasted four years.

The HP 6500 I got earlier this month felt the same way....

The dell 1520 feels the same way... they all seem to feel that way for some reason (maybe they can't make them stiff?).

I dunno why, but my old one lasted a good long time and I was not very nice to it at times... lol... don't worry about it, it will be ok.

 

Another problem with my Dell 1520, the wireless is quite nuts....My old inspiron picks up the network but this one doesn't.....has anyone else had a wireless problem?

 

yeah i have one too with mine.

 

mine feels very smooth when ejecting and pushing it back in ,and my wireless had no problem detecting networks..infact it detected few of my neighbour's networks.
You should check out the dell support page or just immediately contact the techincal support about your issue on the wireless,about the optical drive,if it's that bad or u feel something is wrong,get them to check it or smth.cause I can assure you mine at least feels smooth,but again personal perspective.

 

well my drive seems to be scraping along its track while its ejecting (and going back in) and it makes a lot of noise when it is the reading the CD as soon as i insert it.......

as for the wireless it is just strange because my intel 2200 card on my old inspiron works fine......while the dell 1490 on this new one doesn't.....i have contacted tech support.....lets see what they come up with.

 

lol yeah it makes alot of noise when reading disc...that one is true..wonder why though.

 

OK I just got mines. Unfortunately even though Im a computer guru, I am having problems. I got 1 gig of ram until later maybe tonight or tomorrow. But my 1520 with Vista Premium is freezing every now and then. What happens is this.. I can open up a program, and then try to access explorer, and all of a sudden the whole computer freezes. Then a min later it frees up and continues. It happened last night when I was playing a video file, then when I was using internet explorer, etc etc. I think Ill figure it out but anybody have this happen? When it freezes, everything freezes. I cant even click on my minimized task manager. But later Ill see if its the same once I replace my 1 gig with 2 gig.

 

hm, it could be vista's user control thing (UAC). try disabling that and see it if fixes it self. the ram shouldn't be a problem because 1gb is enough for vista to run. or there can be something wrong with the ram...

 

Ok, DHL sucks thats one, I was suppossed to recevie my 1520 yesterday and I just called them up and they said tomorrow!!!!!!! ****ing idiots. they can't deliver it today? They tried to deliver it yesterday but notthing, today nothing., tomorrow is a Thursday which I hope it comes! i called them up and they have no idea why it is in the warehouse... i've seen 3 dhl vans pass by my house today and why the **** they can't put it in one of those and bring it to me?

 

dude, as I said before... I had to pick mine up... do the same.. don't wait on those idiots.

DHL does suck, big time....

 

jtmat, i know i should go pick it up, but their depo is about 20miles from my house and its in Manhattan. **** load of traffic on weekdays and plus at late afternoon forget it you won't find a single parking spot! if tomorrow it doesn't arrive, i'm going to call them and tell them to give it to UPS and let them ship it to me.

 

I got mine right on time today! I guess DHL service is better in some spots lol

The screen on this baby looks awesome and some people said stay away from the 1680x1050. It's small but looks great!

 

I came home and started looking thru the services and I kept leaning towards disabling that Security Accounts Manager but I didnt. Instead I disabled these...

Application Experience,auto,disabled ******
Background Intelligent Transfer,Auto,Disabled
Distributed link tracking,auto,disabled ********
print spooler,auto,manual
remote access connection manager,manual,disabled
Roxio hard drive watcher,auto,disabled
superfetch,auto,disabled
table pc input service,auto,disabled
windows search,auto,disabled ******* Start this back if search looks weird
Xaudio service,auto,disabled


I put them in a notepad on my desktop. So far no lockups after a restart. Noticibly better after started. No harddrive activity a few seconds after logging in. I know there are probably Vista Guides out there that detail what can be safely disabled or not. Ill be checking out some of those later on. But so far so good.

 

If there any good free camera software to just take still pics with the webcam?

 

alright I'VE GOT MY BABY! i am typing on it right now and it is soo sexy! wow!
the hdd light is going crazy right now, i don't even know why, probably because of norton. ( gotta uninstall that). and samureye, the camera comes with dells own program.

 

Congrats. Norton is a likely culprit, but Vista itself will work the hard drive pretty seriously while it's indexing the drive. My hard drive light was constantly on for about the first hour of uptime.

 

Got my computer put together... hard drive came in yesterday...

No monitor issues... no sound issues, no buzz, no nothing....

Put xp on it and it flies... this computer is really nice... much faster than my desktop. Of course, I have yet to load the tons of software I have, except for the main stuff.

I can say that I'm very happy with Dell... I'm very happy with this computer purchase....

1520s rock... all this for $1298... wow, I remember back in 91... well, we won't go there... $2500 did not get you much those days....

And don't worry about what you heard... 7200 rpm drives make a difference... don't listen to people who claim they don't...

 

wow jtmat, your 1520 is all hooked up lol. i'm loving mine, but vista runs like crap though, i uninstall many of the bull**** programs that came and it still is like crap, gotta do more tweaking. but other than that, its so fast, i've been playing call of duty and medal of honor on it and it flys!

 

I have vista ultimate and actually like vista... but many of my business programs simply won't do vista yet. I had thought about running them in virtual pc, but it is a pain to keep opening vpc in order to run the programs I need when I can simply use xp... I like xp as well.

I hope by the time vista sp1 is released I'll make the switch to vista full time... I miss several items in vista already...

edit: funny thing was many people said don't buy hitachi drives... when I took the drive out of my dell, it was a hitachi drive. lol