OFFICIAL: Inspiron 1720 Owner's Thread

Thanks a million! My hopes are confirmed - Dell's keyboard has the best layout of any 17" full size I've seen! I think I need to order one.

 

Jeff, i got that, and it only put me at 1374 so i had to get the Audigidy software too, to put it at 1399 then i took off 350 with a coupon dropping it to 1049 and then the tax was like 60+ odd dollars... i don't know whats up with your set up... lemme check my order again but I'm 110% positive that thats my set up

 

Oh and did you make sure that it was the basic 1 year warranty? (I guess these should be PMs...)

 

Actually Lynus, I was wondering the same thing so this information is pretty useful.

Since the $350 dollar coupon isn't available anymore, I think your configuration and its price isn't possible anymore... Everyone I've seen with ridiculously low prices has had the same $350 coupon.

 

got mine a couple days ago ...Alpine white! Hot like fire!

 

You can get my config for 1374 without a coupon or anything so thats not bad, I had to get the audigidy to actually be able to use the coupon, i would of preferred something else besides it tho... I doubt it was worth it

 

Just ordered mine...ships the 6th of aug supposedly......bummer

 

They seem to be giving everyone HUGE wait times but shipping early by a bit... I haven't had mine shipped early...

 

Ordered this system on 7/9/07, shipped on 7/13/07. This will be my first laptop system.

Inspiron 1720, Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, 2.0GHz, 800Mhz, 4M L2 Cache
Jet Black Color with Matte Finish
2GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm for Inspiron 1720
17.0 inch Wide Screen UXGA+ TLLCD, Inspiron 1720
256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600
160G 5400RPM SATA hard drive 5400 RPM

 

Not fair... i ordered on 7/8/07 and it still hasn't shipped... I feel cheated

 

Ummmmmm, Lynus, it just MIGHT have lessened some of our confusion A GREAT DEAL had you bothered to MENTION that $350 COUPON when you said you got yours for $1,111! :rolleyes2: :tongue: :twitcy:

So just HOW did you get that coupon offer? I bought an XPS desktop system just before Thanksgiving, and they send me emails all the time, and I've been taking a closer look at them since I started laptop shopping a few weeks ago, but I guess I missed that one -- got one for (I believe it was $219 off the new 1420 -- one-day-only sale)... spec'd that one out and put it in a cart, came back two days later and the price was, sure enough WAY HIGHER and there was a red line at the top that said "this item is no longer valid."

At this point, unless I get some RIDICULOUS deal from somebody, I'll probably wait another 11 days until South Carolina (where I live) has it's annual 3-day "sales tax holiday" for "back-to-school" shopping, which includes ALL computers... Particularly since they raised sales tax to 6% this year, that should save me about $100... but if some of the OTHER deals HP and/or Dell are offering online expire in the meantime, it could mean no net savings, or even a net LOSS, so I know I'm playing a dangerous game with that...

One thing I'd like in a laptop that Dell just doesn't seem to offer and HP does is a built-in TV tuner... Except that the Dell webcam is 2 Megapixel and the HP is only 1.3, I can't find much difference between the laptops other than the fact that the HPs are less expensive, which is why I'm posting this HERE, because I'm hoping some of YOU can tell me...

The XPS 410 I have is after buying 2 HP Media Center Desktop centers in a row (and RETURNING the second one for a refund after MULTIPLE problems with it), but I've had reason to make NUMEROUS visits to tech support with Dell, as well, and in almost every case, I ended up having to solve the problem through OTHER resources (although the computer, overall, is very robust).

Thoughts on, say, the HP dv9500t vs. the Dell Inspiron 1720???
Jeff

 

Jeff, I've heard that HP has a lot more problems than Dells. That few hundred dollars might be better invested to prevent some problems.

 

Well Jeff, I will tell you I got the coupon online, I googled "Dell Coupons" check like 3 sites, and one of them brought me here, I haven't left since...

Furthermore the sales tax where i'm from is anywhere from 6.7-7.5 over the NW Ohio area, so your getting lucky in that dept.

I'd say just search for some coupons and see what comes up, the one i used expired on the 12th i think but i think it was canceled a day or two before that because it only worked for 4000 comps and then it was terminated...

I hope i can help convince you to get a dell but if you save money with the HP then jump on it. I found HPs to be way more expensive than the dells because of that coupon again but I did look into them, either way your going to be getting a consumer friendly laptop that you wont be paying money for a name on...

God speed I hope that rant helped you out, I'm kinda tired right now...

 

No "rant" inferred, Lynus (and I hope you didn't think I was "ranting" at you about not mentioning the coupon earlier)... I actually thought it was sort of funny that you neglected to mention that "little detail" in the first place, lol.

I DO appreciate you telling how you found it, though... As I get closer to the final decision (I have saved carts at BOTH the HP and the Dell websites, lol, which I keep going and changing, from time to time), I'll start looking for coupons, too, now that I realize I can Google for them and possibly save BIG BUCKS that way (Yeah, $350 is BIG BUCKS when you're talking $1,400... that's like 25%!!!)
Jeff

 

http://www.edealinfo.com/portal/coupons/category.php?cat=comps

I have found this site to have the most complete list of coupons for many different companies. This is after googling for a week straight Slickdeals.net, xpbargains.com, and meanbargains.com are all pretty good sites. Hope this helps.

 

Slickdeals Is Prob One Of The Best Discount Sites Around

 

Yeah, I just bookmarked 'em after perusing what deals they have on Dell and HP laptops... Didn't find any deals there I haven't been already getting through the company websites, BUT, it does look like a place you might occasionally find some they don't promote, so I'll definitely be back checking up when I get closer to final purchase date.
Jeff

 

Can somebody do at least a sort of a mini review with lotsa pictures????

 

Hey Jeff, I was just tired and kept typing and typing last night, sorry if some of it doesnt make sense but it seems ya'll were able to read it fine, you shoulda seen some of the spelling errors, i swear i added like 2-3 syllables to words with only like 1

 

Well I ordered mine 12/07/2007 and have payed on 13/07/2007. I'm waiting for payment confirmation.

 

mine shipped getting tomorrow. review coming tomorrow night. tell me what you waant to hear.

 

Well depending on what gpu you got, i want to hear about game performance

 

What color is yours?

 

Yay for the testing stage! My 1720 has been in the stupid "Build stage" for a couple weeks now.. I woke up this morning and called dell and am finally in the Testing stage! woo! I ordered on 7/3...

How long do the testing and boxing stages take?

 

i think my specs are n the first page... but the important ones

2.0 ghz
8600 gt
1 gig of ram ( gonna upgrade from new egg )
1920*1200 screen

 

for me ( and i checked like every 3 hours)

testing was 2 days
boxing was 4 days then it shipped.

 

I have got two questions:

Is it possible configure a RAID 0/1? I asume that the Bus HW is integrted in the mainboard.

Is posible to fit a 8800M in a 1720 when becomes available?


I love 1330, the 1520 makes more sense but I will be married with a 1720..


All the best.

 

i dont think you can put it in raid - just because they don't even offer it as a setup
to find out - you can check the bios and see if it allows a raid setup.


you cannot upgrade it to a 8800m from my understanding. at least not easily --- it is probably feasible as an after market in a few months but we wont know until it actually comes out. usually if the system doesnt change (i.e. the 1720 uses the same motherboards) and it get's a new video card (8800) you can buy it as a part and try to install it seperately - which people have done on the old e1705.

 

Not a problem, Linus -- particularly as you saw them and fixed them

The first forums to which I ever belonged were at The Gardenweb, and they had (and as far as I know STILL HAVE) NO edit features... so if you lose your temper and type and send something you immediately regret, or you go typo silly when you're half asleep, it's there FOREVER, until, and unless your post (and possibly YOU) get removed for whatever you posted, lol... Luckily, I never have, but it was A LONG TIME before I ever joined another forum and discovered there actually WERE forums that had "edit features." I was SO GLAD!

It's come in HANDY at least TWICE for me, so far -- both times I posted a response to someone that I immediately realized came off as condescending (not to you), and went back and edited it as quickly as possible, hoping they didn't have time to read it, lol.

By the way, I've been using the Windows Experience Index as a sort of "loose benchmark" way of comparing different laptops, although I've already been told by several people who seem to DWARF ME in their knowledge of these things that it's not a TRUE benchmark (it's still the ONLY comparison available on ALL Vista systems, regardless)... I was at Sam's Club this afternoon and poked around on a couple of their 17" laptops. They had a nice "looking" Toshiba 17" laptop with the AMD chipset in it... I don't remember all the particulars, as I was in a bit of a rush, but what I DO remember is that when I checked out the WEI on it, it scored a 2.4!!! (the overall score is based on the lowest single score, which in that case was the graphics score for Aero performance)... Geesh, I didn't think the Windows Experience Index scores WENT that low, lol!

One more reason to DISH on Toshiba!
Jeff

 

Well i called dell at about 5:00 and i am now in the BOXING stage! woo hoo! .. (I had gone into testing at about 11:00 am this morning) ... Now lets hope they can get that sucker boxed up fast! I want!

 

It would rock if you would comment on:

1. Game performance when playing in non-native resolution (like 1440*900 or something.) Since I can't imagine many new games running that well on the 1920*1200 native resolution, if you could comment on this, I would be infinitely grateful.

2. Is the touchpad metal or plastic (please tell me it's plastic, or at least not as crappy as the HP dv9500t's metal one)

Thanks so much!

 

can someone check to see if your 1720 contain the 8600M gt DDR3 and not the ddr2 crap..


Ordered mine on July 12,, .. its in production stage sigh
shipping is august 3rd

Also, should i up my 1720 to a T7500 processor and the high resolution 1920x1200???

 

"2. Is the touchpad metal or plastic (please tell me it's plastic, or at least not as crappy as the HP dv9500t's metal one)"

Being laptop ignorant, as I am (truly, I am, though I'm doing my best to get educated here), what's WRONG with a metal touchpad, and in particular, WHY is the one on the HP dv9500t "crappy"???
Jeff

 

This 17" laptop with its weight and the 9 cell battery protruding out the back looks more like dell's 20" "laptops". In fact, I think this should not be called a laptop but rather a portable desktop or a "2-laps-top".....

Thanks for the review

 

Just got mine today. Everything was fine, until I decided to reformat it. It's currently stuck at the final "Completing Installation" step, and has been there for two hours. I emailed support, and had a chat with a representative, but the problem still persists. The laptop looks great though.

 

You nhave to install it in ATA mode... go to the BIOS and go to onboard devices and go to sata operation, and switch it to ATA mode... I wonder how the system builders managed to install it...

 

Speaking of "having to install" things, I want to tell you folks who HAVEN'T made your purchase decision yet (and I still haven't decided on HP, Dell or someone else, although it's 99.9% either HP or Dell)... One REAL ISSUE I'm having with Dell I NEVER had with HP... NEVER during three years using my Media Center PC I bought from them (which I will soon be networking with this Dell again, when I can find room to set it up), was SOFTWARE UPDATES!

With HP, all I had to do was agree to automatic updates (like with Microsoft and Windows), and the system automatically checked and periodically downloaded the latest software, firmware or WHATEVER I needed from the HP website and installed for my computer -- whether it was printer drivers, firmware updates for the computer, or whatever (the ONLY thing it missed -- something I'm pretty sure everyone HAD to REQUEST, was the upgrade to Media Center 2005, which I'm STILL MISSING BADLY on that computer's OS)...

With Dell, however, there's not ANY WAY I can even REQUEST such a service... I have to periodically LOG IN to my Dell account, as I just did a few minutes ago, then click a couple different links to get to the right place in technical service, THEN click to enter my computer's Service Tag, then click on the right thing to bring up a LIST OF UPDATES, that seems to have NO RHYME OR REASON to its organization... no chronology AT ALL, and so I have to scan through ALL OF IT, by date, and try to remember the LAST DATE I checked for updates, because they have NO WAY to archive what I've downloaded and installed already (you can save a list, but that doesn't tell you what you actually installed)... and if it's a FIRMWARE UPDATE for, say, the DVD drive, and they use half a dozen different ones, EVERY SINGLE TIME you have to check Device Manager to see if the firmware update is for the particular drive YOU HAVE!

It's a REAL HASSLE... never had to mess with all THAT with HP, and although I really think Dell builds better hardware, the more I'm typing, the more I'm thinking this is one reason I may just get that dv9500t, "crappy metal touchpad," or not!
Jeff

 

that's a good one, since I'am on the fence,... couple more,...
HP
- docking port
- slimmer
- hdcp output
- gigabit port, do like that for network/backup
- only 1680x1050
- changing wireless, bios locked
- plastic case, more flex
- 12-cell battery option


for the daily plug unplug,think the docking port is valuable

for the weight, think if I have one power adapter at work, even leave the battery out, it be lighter than my 6000 with 9-cell
for home, do love the 1920x1200 rez,... but for work, the cae applications
are geared 1280x1024 min, and with 1680x1050 be more usable, since some menus don't have fonts, and somehave 0 linewidth aka 1pixel,...

just looked at the macbook pro 17",... and has only one disk bay,...
and don't think I could leave that with corp it to install windoze stuff,....

gateway pushing in too, looks colorfull,...

 

I thought a metal touchpad was the coolest thing ever too, until I tried it at Sam's. Obviously it would be sturdier, but rubbing your finger across it is like trying to push your finger through molasses. (Okay, not quite that bad. ) Just try it out at a store, I think you'll agree.

Edit: And now that I realize two of you are deciding between the HP and Dell, PLEASE, PLEASE, for your own sakes try these touchpads out at Best Buy, Circuit City, Sam's, whatever FIRST.

If you like the touchpad, go for it. I just would hate to be stuck with a control method that drives me nuts. That's why I want my Dell to have a plastic touchpad. Seriously though, try it first.

And then, if you don't mind, just let me hear what you think about the metal touchpad. I just want to hear some other opinions. Thanks!

 

Someone asked me privately how I did this, and I thought it might be useful to others. The question is, how to get past the endless "completing installation..." message when re-installing Vista.

I had tried installing XP, but had way too many driver issues. So I decided to re-install Vista. During my XP trial installation, I had deleted the Media Direct and utility partitions and added the space back into the OS partition. After doing this, Vista installation would hang at the "completing installation..." message.

The solution that worked for me was to use the Media Direct installation CD to re-build the correctly-sized partitions first, then use the driver CD to load SATA drivers early in the Vista installation process.

This assumes you have all of the following:

a. A Dell Inspiron 1720 that you want to completely re-install to factory OS load, salvaging no files from the hard drive.
b. Dell's Media Direct Reinstallation CD that came with your Inspiron 1720
c. Dell's Vista Re-install DVD that came with your Inspiron 1720
d. Dell's Driver CD that came with your Inspiron 1720.

Step 1. Re-install Media Direct from a cold boot (boot from the Media Direct CD). Answer Yes or OK to all the cautions and accept all defaults. This will completely erase and recreate all the partitions on your SATA drive and copy the MD installation files onto a small partition.

Step 2. Boot from the Vista re-installation CD.

Step 3. Look carefully for a message at the bottom of the screen which says "Push F6 (or F-something) to load a third party driver. Push F6 (or whatever it says) and it will prompt you to put the driver CD in the drive. Do so at this time.

Step 4. Select the Dell SATA driver and allow it to load.

Step 5. When prompted, put the Vista installation DVD back in the drive. Continue loading Vista on the largest partition.

Step 6. After loading and restarting (several times... it is Windows, after all!), log in, put the Media Direct disk back in and finish installing it from Windows.

You are now back to a clean load with no bloat-ware. You probably have some other software that Dell installed for you, which you may or may not wish to re-install. Dell may or may not have provided installation CDs. If not, you should be able to download the installers from Dell by registering your Inspiron's Service Tag.

 

Thanks for the advice, SchecterRocker (and for caring enough to implore others to take such precautions)... I actually HAVE used the touchpads on some of these systems a little bit -- it was how I got the mouse to click what I needed to bring up the Windows Experience Index on all the laptops AFTER I used the keyboards to bring up the Start menus and get the control panels open, lol...

Frankly, I haven't found ANY touchpad to be a "joy" to use, and frankly, my primary plan is that any time I CAN I'll be using a cordless mouse ANY laptop I get... and/or I really fine-tune my touchpad's response to my fingertip (maybe put something on my fingertip when and if I have to use that a lot like a little rubber tip that gives it a point, since I chew my nails to a nub, lol)... really not sure.

I have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse for my desktop system, but right now I'm using the stock keyboard with the desktop, and sometimes have to use the stock mouse when I'm recharging the bluetooth (nice top-end Logitech set). I could EASILY cart them around with me when I need to for the laptop, or get another set... Not sure I'd want to do an extreme amount of even TYPING on a miniature keyboard, as it would "retrain" my fingers, and I don't want to do that unless I'm going to quit using a standard-size keyboard altogether, as I can hit a REAL STRIDE sometimes.

Hashing all this out BEFORE I buy some place like this forum is really nice, though, and I really appreciate you guys and all your advice and opinions.
Jeff

 

The 8600gt is DDR2 in the 1520 and 1720, I thought this was common knowledge by now....

I did a clean install on my 1720 and you don't have to go into the bios!! you just need to make sure you install the SATA driver from the Dell driver disc at the partition reformat stage in the Vista installation, not a big deal....and a clean install makes a very noteicable difference in performance. Everything seems to run and load faster

 

@ Jeff:

Ah, I see. I too will try to keep a travel mouse with me, but for those times when I need to use the touchpad, I want it super-responsive, because no touchpad comes close to moving the mouse as fast as I want it to, and moving a mouse across a 1920*1200 screen will be interesting. But yeah, I'm glad if my opinions are helping anyone out. I'm really glad I found this forum.

 

This is true - if re-installing Vista, there is no need to make a bios change. However, if you try to install XP, you will need to make some changes to bios settings for the SATA drive to work. I don't at all recommend this, though, because of driver problems for several devices on the 1720.

And I also agree that a clean install really does make a huge difference. Or at least, the peace of mind that no bloat ware is installed makes it seem faster.

 

AHA!!! And THERE is the OTHER side of the Dell vs. HP equation -- the INSTALLATION DISKS!!!!!

Neither of my TWO HP Media Center Systems (bought almost 3 years apart -- one at Best Buy, one at Sam's) came with a SINGLE INSTALLATION DISK (other than one for printer or monitor drivers -- and the second one, the Sam's display model, went back after too many problems with it... In BOTH CASES, the SOLE way to reformat and/or reinstall the system was to create (and the system warns you this is a ONE-TIME-ONLY PROCESS and if you lose the disks you make, you're SOL) a set of SYSTEM RESTORE DISKS by running a utility installed on the system...

This particular utility creates an EXACT installation "mirror" of how the system shipped, complete with EVERY SINGLE PIECE of software, "bloatware," and whatever else HP chose to include with the computer, and when you've exhausted all other avenues of fixing a problem with your system and have to resort to this, as I did with my 2003-era m376n last August, it brings the computer back to a TRUE, like-new system status... When it finally boots up after doing the restore, it's like you just turned it on after it first came out of the box, and it has EVERY SINGLE PIECE of software and bloatware that came with the system in place, just as it was when you bought the system -- and there's NO OPTION to do a Restore ANY OTHER WAY!!!

To me, this REALLY SUCKS, and as far as I can tell, HP has been selling ALL its systems like this for MANY years and refuses to BUDGE on this issue by offering anything MORE than a "preconfigured" "RESTORE DISK" For $19 extra WITH the system when you buy it...

Dell, on the other hand, included a separate disk for my OS, another for drivers and utilities, and several others for different programs that came installed on the system, and when it came time for me upgrade to Vista, they included both a Vista disk AND a separate preparation/drivers & utilities disk for THAT, as well.

Were it NOT for HP not providing any Software disks with their systems, I may have already decided on an HP system.

When I get just about ready to buy, I'm going to call the HP sales department with my cart up online and see if there IS a way I can get installation disks, because I think I get more for my money from them and like, among other things, the built-in TV tuner they offer that Dell doesn't (not to mention that similarly configured Dell and HP systems are about $400 different in price -- and that's WITH a $100 TV tuner upgrade in the HP the Dell doesn't have!).

Decisions, decisions...
Huh?

 

I hate HP, never had any good experience with their stuff.....

 

dmlange, first, thanks for your quick tutorial on reinstalling

I managed to do a clean install of Vista (from MY disks, not from Dell's) but I had to disable AHCI in the BIOS. Now, my question is, do I want to reinstall again so I can re-enable AHCI? Is it better than standard ATA mode?

I bought and installed my own 7200RPM 200GB drive (since the 1720 didn't have the option to buy a 7200RPM drive). Is it worth it for me to reinstall everything again so I can enable AHCI? What does AHCI give me, anyway?

 

Well, my payment has been confirmed. My EST. ship date is 17/08/2007 (ordered 12/07/2007)

 

I'm pondering the same question as well... I got my system to exactly the way I want it and I don't want to do installation AGAIN...

 

Hey djatomikbomb,

Nice Pics man... i am planing to buy same like yours. how is inbuilt stereo? is sound ok? and how is the overall speed? is it worth buying. please help me. i am from india and it will cost here around 2100 USD$