My Vostro 1400 review

So first the specs:
14.1" anti-glare WXGA LCD
Intel Core 2 Duo T5470 1.6GHz 800MHz FSB
2GB DDR2 667MHz RAM
128MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS
120GB 5400 rpm hard drive
8x DVD+/-RW optical drive
Dell Wireless 1390
56 WHr 6-cell battery
Windows Vista Home Premium

I ordered it August 2nd over the phone. Getting Vista Home Premium wasn't too difficult. I just asked and the CSR said something like "yeah, I see it here." ESD of the 16th. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when it entered boxing the next day. I had a feeling I might get it early when I read that someone that ordered it one day before me had already had it shipped. Mine shipped on the 6th, I got it on the 8th via DHL.

Intro and Build
Note: Throughout the review I will be comparing it to my 3 year old desktop (3GHz P4, 1GB RAM, XP Pro) and to the family's Apple iBook G4.

As always with Dell, the packaging is nothing special, but I quickly got through it to reach my prize. It makes a good first impression, all black and business like. I certainly won't feel out of place among a bunch of suits at the airport. Further investigation doesn't disappoint either. The build quality exceeds my expectations. I'd say it's on par with the iBook, maybe a bit better in some regards. One minus it shares with the iBook: no DVI or HDMI output.



I really like the keyboard. It's chunky and has a feeling of being durable. You may not like it if you like the kind that is really light, however. I don't like how the DVD tray reaches all the way to the bottom, because it bends in slightly when you pick the computer up by the sides. My 6-cell battery was a bit wobbly up and down at first, but easily solved with some hidden electrical tape. Everything else really impresses me. The whole chassis bottom is mag alloy, as is the top cover/rear of LCD. Overall no discernible flex. One minus: the top cover attracts fingerprints easily.



I have no complaints about the screen (CMO). No graininess, sharp, bright, good colors and contrast. Very minor light leakage at bottom. I think it's better in every regard than the iBook's. I'm glad I got the anti-glare, a fact that'll probably be reinforced during school in bright rooms. I'm also satisfied with the 1280x800 resolution, even though I use a lot of software that could use a little more, such as Photoshop and 3D graphics.

I'm not a big fan of the spring hinge. It's strong enough that the whole computer raises off the table an inch or two when I open it. It also shuts a bit too aggressively. I can't simply close it, I have too control it the last inch or it slaps shut. Another concern for my father, an engineer, is durability. He fears the spring may get loose after a while.

Usage and Performance

The trackpad is ok. It's not as good as the iBook's, with a bit too much physical resistance (I guess the paint is too grippy). It's completely useable, though. I used it for a few hours before my Logitech MX 400 mouse came in, and I was quickly able to get used to it. The touchpad buttons are nice and soft.



Battery life has impressed me. During wireless internet surfing with the LCD brightness at low, I've been able to get about 3 hours.

I don't have any annoying CPU whine. A fan on the right side of the computer is on all the time, while the one on the left turns on and off randomly. They're both pretty quiet, so no complaints here. It's not as quiet as the iBook, however. The computer never runs hot, though, so I guess they're doing their job. At most it gets slightly warm on the left of the palm rest and on the bottom right.

This computer is my first Vista experience. Vista seems ok. I can't say it's an improvement over XP Pro, but not bad. It does seem like a resource hog, however. My XP Pro computer has about 40 processes running, while the 1400 had over 60 when I got it. After getting rid of some startup and services, plus installing my software, it's now about 55. I'm sure I could get that number lower, but as I'm a Vista novice, I don't really know what's safe to turn off.

Some actions aren't quite as snappy as I wish, but I think it's getting better so maybe it's Vista's Superfetch getting used to me or something. It's kind of strange, because some performance aspects aren't overtly quick, but some are a lot faster than the 3GHz P4. Photoshop CS3 calculations run faster on the 1400, but zooming in, for example, is slower. It's all a mystery to me. Microsoft's Virtual Earth ( maps.live.com), however, is a lot faster on the 1400. Before, on the P4, I had thought it was my internet connection lagging, but I guess it was the computer.

I do have some more complaints about Vista. The User Control thing was really annoying, so I turned it off. It frequently asked me if it was ok to run a program, even if it had asked me about the exact same program 5 minutes earlier. The computer also takes a while to get to sleep. The XP Pro and iBook systems go to sleep instantly when I press the button, but the 1400 takes almost 10 seconds for everything like the hard drive to go to sleep, even after turning off hybrid sleep. Coming out of sleep is also problematic. The computer itself turns on quickly, but it takes like 30 seconds for the wireless connection to work again, whereas the iBook reconnects instantly. Anybody know why this is? I've read that other Vista owners experience this, so I'm not sure I'd blame Dell or the 1390 wireless card. It's pretty annoying. I like being able to turn the iBook on to quickly check something online, and I'd like to do the same with the 1400.

Conclusion

I'm really pleased with my new computer so far. It's a great, professional-looking design, feels well-built, and I hope it'll be with me through many years of university. I just hope I have no problems with transferring the warranty to the UK (I'm going to study in London). I'm also really pleased with the Logitech MX 400 laser mouse, in case anyone needs a new mouse. It's comfortable, quiet, and precise, though not small like a notebook mouse.

I hope you find my review informative. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I'd appreciate it if anyone could shed some light on the slow wireless reconnection.

 

Nice review! I have a question though.... Is the battery wobbly? Other Vostro owners have complained of this and I just want to know if it's widespread.

 

Oh, BTW, NICE PICS!! The first pic is awesome. What type of camera is that? The clarity is great.

 

As stated in the review, the battery was a bit wobbly up and down, but this was easily solved with a few pieces of electrical tape.

Thanks. It's a Sony DSC-H2, nothing too special. I could've used the family's Nikon D70, but I guess the H2 was good enough.

 

Any insights into the slow wireless reconnection issue?

 

The vostro looks so awesome in those pictures that Im starting to wonder if I made a good choice by ordering the regular inspiron 1420. That black is SEXY!

 

I'm running the Intel card and I'm not experiencing the slow wireless reconnection. I'll do some more testing though.

 

I am spoiled by the 6 hours battery life of x60s+8cell

I purchased a 4cell for my x60s and get about 2.5 hours... it's simply not enough, when you want to do some work unplugged...

3 hours impressive battery life isn't really impressive.

 

my vostro 1400 gets about 5 hrs on a 9-cell.

 

First off, nice review. The pictures are quite nice. I guess what they say is true, black makes 'things' look thinner. Sounds like most of your problems stem from Vista.

Keep in mind this is with the 6 cell battery. I'd expect close to 5 hours with the 9 cell.

 

Hello,
I´ve heard the power connector is not angled, is that right?

Greeetings from Germany

 

That's correct - it's straight in.

 

What a pity. I hope I can get an adapter for it.

 

Man, what a sweet review. I agree that the pics are fantastic! Keep up the good work.

 

Hah, my old laptop (compaq) was horrible because of this issue. At one point it got stuck. I actually like Dell's method, though Apple's is the best (more as in it's cooler).

I don't have to worry that stepping on my cord won't bring down my entire laptop.

 

ya that is a good feature with the magnetic power. I just think it would take dell a while to do something like that because of patents and such. also it would be looked at as an obvious copy.

 

You can get five hours. I had the screen on full brightness and was surfing the entire time (bluetooth off), and on powersaver mode, and I got 4 hrs and 12 minutes.
Had I turned down the brightness, definitely would have hit 5 hours since the screen is the power-hungriest part.

 

Do you have the dreaded whining sound of the cpu?

 

Did you try any games w/ the 8400? How was it? what games did you try?

 

I have no whirling sound and I don't even know what people are talking about :>
I have put my ear up to the fan and while you can hear it, it is virtually silent at normal typing distances. I just got back from the library and other laptops I could hear, but not this one.

 

I have no CPU whine.

I'm sorry, but I haven't. I haven't played any games for around 2-3 years. I use the Internet, Photoshop, and 3D graphics software (3ds Max).

 

I seem to have partially solved the lengthy wireless reconnection issue. I uninstalled the Dell 1390 drivers, and then Vista installed the generic Broadcom drivers when I restarted, and now it's much faster. Down to about 8-10 seconds from 20-30.

 

How is it with photoshop and 3D graphics software?

I am currently using CS2 on a inspiron 6000 and there is not much noticeable lag. I was hoping to get around to use CS3, but my graphics card is too low end, so I don't think it's worth trying, I have a x300.

 

Photoshop doesn't rely on a fast graphics card. A dual core CPU and a good amount of RAM will improve performance.

 

haha, I was focusing more on the 3d effects that are in cs3

 

Ah, in the extended edition. Sorry, I forgot about that version altogether.

 

Anyone knows the response time of Vostro 1400's LCD screen?

Is it true that Dell's 14.1" screens are actually a little larger than other 14.1" screens?

Will Dell make XP an option on the Vostro 1400 eventually? (I still don't understand why Dell offers XP all other Vostros but the 1400.

 

i like your review good job.....right now i feel very happy for making a wise choice of buying a vostro 1400....it looks so nice ^^ i can't wait for mine to come