OFFICIAL: Inspiron 1720 Owner's Thread

I am so bummed! My unit was SUPPOSED to ship yesterday, I ordered it on July 8. HA! In the last hour...they emailed me and told me it now will not ship until July 26. Geesh! The crappy part is that my trusty 8 year old Inspiron 2500 has now decided to act up, my LCD screen is only working part of the time and getting ready to bite the dust! I just hope I can get buy another week. Supposidly, my unit is in the build stage...who knows, maybe it will ship sooner than the 26th.


222-8603 Inspiron 1720, Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, 2.2GHz, 800Mhz, 4M L2 Cache 1 $1,444.00
313-5490 Flamingo Pink Color with Microsatin Finish 1
466-8374 2GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm for Inspiron 1720 1
320-5500 17.0 inch Wide Screen XGA+ LCDInspiron 1720 1
320-5467 128MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400 1
466-8379 160G 5400RPM SATA hard drive 5400 RPM 1
420-6556 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English 1
313-5195 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP,INSP1720 1
420-5769 Internet Search and Portal 1
420-5924 Icon Consolidation Application 1
420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp 1
420-6995 DELL SUPPORT 3.4,DIM/INSP 1
463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access 1
420-7026 Media Direct 3.3 1
420-7244 Dell Support Center 1.0 1
430-0493 Integrated 10/100 Network Cardand Modem, for Inspiron 1
341-4716 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive 1
420-6464 Roxio Creator Basic 1
313-4783 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0 1
430-2334 Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11a/g) Mini Card 1
320-5681 Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam 1
412-0968 Creative Earbud EP630 1
420-6591 Network Associates McAfee 8.0 English, 15-Month Subscription 1
312-0519 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, Inspiron 1720 1
412-0148 No Internet Service Provider Requested 1
412-0915 MS WORKS 8.5 1
950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty 1
412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec 1
960-2780 Warranty Support,Initial Year 1
987-8109 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3 1
987-5447 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year 1
983-3100 Type 3- Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year 1
310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System 1
310-9348 Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor 1
320-5811 Premium Deep Metallic Pink w/ Soft Touch LCD back color w/ 2M pixel Camera Insp 1720 1
466-7741 Thank you for choosing Dell 1
412-0930 Paint Shop Pro Plus, Dim/Insp 1
310-7253 90 Watt Spare AC Adapter, for Inspiron 9400/E1705 1
420-7091 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS 1
420-7092 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS 1YR-FREE 1
987-4817 Insp Datasafe 3GB,1YR(Incl in price),DHS 1
Subtotal: $1,552.00

 

Does anyone have wuxga (1900x1200) screen? Is it as grainy as the one in 1520?

 

got around 2 and a half hours on my 6 cell battery... and the midnight blue is really so dark.... looks black

 

It is beautiful! Love the glossy look. All in all ...this is a great laptop....Little bit of trouble with Vista and wireless but whay can u do

 

yeah the keyboard is awesome...

 

Wow. WOW! I got my laptop yesterday, and unfortunately have only had about 30 minutes to toy around with, but I am extremely impressed so far. Build quality is great, the whole unit is incredibly sturdy and won't flex at all.

The screen.. .is.. AMAZING. I got the 1920x1200... and it looks absolutely stunning. The colours and contrast is rich. Worth every penny I paid to upgrade. Keyboard feels very nice to the touch. I thought it would be strange since it is located off-center compared to the screen, but I haven't noticed any discomfort. I got the black finish, and it does pick up streaks from your fingers (moisture?) but it's easily wiped off so it doesn't bother me at all. Vista runs very smoothly. But my god.. THE SCREEN!!!! SO NICE!!

 

Just a question to those of you who have your 1720, how thick/heavy does it feel? I know, being a 17 inch laptop, that it is a big machine but in comparison to others of the same size how heavy is it. thanks!

 

As has been mentioned already, it's super easy. The Inspiron manual that comes with the laptop explains how to change the RAM. One stick is accessible under the laptop, while the other needs the keyboard removed, but it's pretty straightforward.

I honestly do not know the answer to that question.

 

I'd say it's pretty heavy for a laptop. I wasn't expecting anything light by any means and will likely not be carrying it around too much, so weight is a non-issue for me. I was surprised to find it much larger than my old 17" laptop, however the weight is comparable. I also have thje 9-cell battery which likely adds an extra half pound.

 

Would you say it'd be good for college?

 

Man, if I had this laptop when I was in college, it would have been sweet! I had a 486 in college

Seriously, though, if you do a lot of walking around campus, make sure you get a decent 17" laptop backpack and you should be fine. Putting it in a backpack helps distribute the weight and makes it easier to carry (as opposed to, say, a briefcase type laptop bag)

I carry mine to work every day (granted it goes from my house to my car, then from my car through the parking lot and up the elevator to work). I haven't tried carrying it long distances for long periods of time. But it doesn't seem like it would be a big deal if I did

 

Glad to hear about the 1920x1200 screen....I'm really leaning toward that.


Regarding the RAM, I checked the specs in the manual and it states that it supports the 667 mhz RAM. It doesn't say it supports 800mhz, so my guess would be that it wouldn't work on that laptop.

 

how thick is it with the screen closed, is it similar to HP 17 inchers or a lot thicker

 

how many processes did u guys have while running it the first time? i had like 67... is that too many?

 

Thanks for the response. I actually have one of those Belkin Messenger bags Dell has on the site coming. Theyre giving it to me free, so I'm covered. And if that doesnt distribute weight well, I'll go for a backpack. Thanks again!

 

Ya, I'm still in college and I think it's great. It all depends on how you are going to use your laptop though. I rarely took my old laptop (also 17") onto campus or to class, so weight didn't bother me. When I did haul it around from time to time, I just slipped it into my backpack, and it felt no different than if it were a textbook.
So, my answer would be it depends. If you have similar computer habits as me, then yes it's great for college. If you want to have a computer with you all the time, taking notes in class, then I would suggest going for either the 1520 or the 1420.

 

800mhz will work, it just might not run at 800mhz (as a matter of fact, it won't run at 800mhz).

 

Haha...well maybe it would operate, but there is no point in buying more expensive RAM without the extra benefit. And who can be sure it would work even? Not worth it.

Maybe the XPS will be 800mhz version.

 

Faster doesn't necessarily mean more expensive. You'd be surprised how crazy RAM pricing gets.

Ummm...anyone that can read? Faster RAM is fully backwards compatible.

 

Do we have any reviews of the 1720 or 1721 yet? USA review of the notebook.. I don't want some other country except USA please. Just because the deals and things are different.
Thanks ~

 

Yeah, it's really ANNOYING any more... The big computer magazines are so far BEHIND THE CURVE on their reviews, they often don't review a system until it's actually discontinued, or on the VERGE of being discontinued...

Just WHAT GOOD does THAT do ANYONE?!?

Then again, there are SO MANY SYSTEMS out there, maybe they just can't keep up.
Jeff

 

Hi,
Can anyone tell if 1720 supports 1G ethernet (1000 or gigabit) ?

Also any ideas if the cpu will be upgradeable to 45nm mobile penryns which will ship early next year?

 

Processors in laptops are usually soldered to the board.

 

if they're bga yes but they also come in pga packages.

any idea about the gigabit ethernet?

 

It's a Broadcom 440x 10/100 controller in my 1720, so it doesn't look like it supports gigabit.

 

Yes, this laptop shopping is VERY frustrating (not that the "Gigabit transfer rate is likely to mean much to most of us at the present time, but since it's becoming a standard, it's still NICE TO HAVE)... Both Gateway AND HP offer the 10-100-1000 as STANDARD, and Gateway has the the 1920x1200 as the STANDARD resolution, with 1680x1050 as their "lower-resolution" option and NO 1440x900 option, but Gateway doesn't even OFFER the built-in webcam and microphone, and HP offers only two different brightness versions of the 1440x900 plus one 1680x1050, but they DO include the option of a fingerprint reader along with the webcam and mic.

Why can't ANYBODY offer ALL the options?!?
Jeff

 

I didn't see a gateway which supported the new 800 MHz mobiles (ie no t7500). Do they have one?
Their best seems to be 860xl and that's upto t7400 only.
thanks.

 

The 860xl is the laptop to which I refer, and WHATEVER you saw them supporting on their website I'll take your word for... Their website is WHACK, anyway... I COULDN'T even get a CART TO LOAD, just so I could "play" with a purchase... Figured maybe that was because I didn't have an "account" there... So I set up an account, and it did it THE FIRST TIME, but it included one of those SHOVE-IT-DOWN-YOUR-THROAT options they have at the start (that bluetooth mouse), which I was SURE I had clicked OFF at the beginning, and no matter WHAT I did, wouldn't remove it from the cart, would SAY it was removing it from the cart, but wouldn't do it... plus, was SAYING I was getting free shipping (after a $20 handling charge), then did some $29 discount off $54.50, which is MORE than $20, lol)... So I went back and tried configuring AGAIN, and MADE SURE all three of the CHOKERS were taken off at the beginning, and every time I clicked "add to cart" after that, I had the same problem I had before I created an "account" (it would say there was nothing in my cart because I had either been idle for 30 minutes, or some other silly stuff)... considering they had THE ABSOLUTE WORST TECHNICAL SUPPORT I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED when I had problems uninstalling and reinstalling their Pivot software for my fpd2185w monitor last fall, and got VERY RUDE and nasty with me in email, that screwed up website deal, combined with no option for a webcam, or microphone, made up for the good price on the laptop and I just swore them off and I'M NOT GOING BACK!

THOSE PEOPLE ARE FREAKIN' CRAZY -- NO WONDER THEIR SALES WENT TO CRAP!
Jeff

 

Nice, ordered on monday, my order shipped on saturday fedex express next day
hopefully early monday it'll be here....or does fedex ship on sundays?

 

Ordered mine last Thursday...currently estimated delivery date of 07th August.

 

BUMP... any reviews for this bad boy?
haha.. I'm hoping some will show up soon and test the graphic cards for the 1720. MInes in transit with DHL ... should ship out monday or tuesday.

 

Hey 1720 owners !
Still making up my mind .. upgrading from Inspiron 9300
Whats the general feedback then ?
I mean are you happy/satisfied .. did it meet your expectations ?

A few negative points that I have read abt:-
- 9 cell battery sticking out
- 8600 DDR2 < 7900 GS
- No HDMI/DVI

The most im. thing .. is it worth your Money ??

Cheers
AG

 

i am just about to get my 1720 in a week...... i don't know whether i'll be happy with my purchase or not...... well thats what i get for not doing some research......!!

any ways i have some questions...... if some one could help....... preferably from 1720 owners......!!!

1) hows the dual layer DVD writer....... i have heard its got some serious issues in writing DVDs...... and that it could not be read by other drives...... does this pose a real threat......???

2) what abt the display..... is it better than the ones on the 1520...... i am really worried in this dept...... coz i'll be textin a lot....!!!!!

3) have any of u guys experienced heat issues...... i mean does it get too hot when over load......

4) does the headphone jack in the 1720 produce unwanted noise like the 1520......

5) lastly.... what do you guys have to say about the overall performance of the notebook..... r u impressed......?????

sorry for my Q's...... but i am kinda anxious to know......

BTW these where my specs i opted for....
T7500 2.2Ghz
2Gb ram
8600mGT
160 gb 7200rpm
1920*1200 display!!

 

1. No problems from the DVD burner. Reads fine, writes fine. Other computers read burned DVDs fine.

2. I have the WUXGA+ display and it's beautiful. Sharp, bright, definately no graininess. There is a bit of light leakage though.

3. Under heavy load, it does get pretty hot, to the point of being uncomfortable, but not unbearable. It'll make your lap sweat for sure.

4. There's a very tiny bit of noise from the headphone jack. I believe it's from the screen. As you turn the brightness down on the screen, the noise gets louder. You probably won't notice it unless its really quiet.

5. Overall, I'm very satisfied. But of course, I only paid $500!

 

waaaaaaattt 75% off .... mann u one lucky dude ...... i paid 1900$ for mine

 

In my opinion, the 1720 is an amazing bargain for what it is. I mean, for under $2000 you're getting a 17" core 2 duo laptop, dual layer dvd burner, WUXGA screen which is beautiful, 2-drive potential, full keyboard with numpad, and 256MB DX10 capable graphics card.

 

True that... If if the graphic isn't what it seems. Althou I would like to call and see what I can get from dell. (what i would want is that sexy brown belking 17" messenger bag) haha
I"M GETTING A DELL ~~ this week sometimes suppose to be at my doorstep! and I'm gonna rush home after someone call

 

guys is it wuxga or wuxga+ whats the diff........

mines just (1920*1200 "wuxga" truelife)........ no "+" in it....

 

So my status changed to "shipped" on Saturday.

I never use DHL - can someone make sense of this for me:

Current Status: With delivery courier.
Est. Delivery Date: 7/25/2007

Tracking history
Date and Time Status Location
7/23/2007 7:38 am With delivery courier. Tampa - East, FL
7/22/2007 7:51 pm In transit. Orlando, FL
12:00 am Shipment Acknowledged Nashville, TN
Picked Up by DHL.

------------------------------

The estimated delivery date says Wednesday, but the "with delivery courier" suggests I'll get it today. Isn't that the equivalent of the UPS "out for delivery"?

 

Someone... please get this man his new 1720 QUICKLY so he can put some more shows out pronto... PLEASE.

Also, would be interested in how you rate the build quality of this new 1720 versus the cursed Macbook Pro hardware, putting aside any OS.X and Bonjour related issues.

 

It looks as if I've been found out.

 

Interesting Development. 7/17 Order date. Original Ship Date 8/2. Updated Delivery date, Thursday. Awesome.

 

hmmm, my overnight shipping turned into 2 day shipping....dell lady said she'd compensate for that if it happened....now I don't have my laptop when I needed it and am leaving town for 3 days
all I wanted was my 1720.....

 

"The estimated delivery date says Wednesday, but the "with delivery courier" suggests I'll get it today. Isn't that the equivalent of the UPS "out for delivery"?"

Yes, Sketchy, I assume it is, presuming you live in Tampa... I'd be looking for that lappy TODAY!
Jeff

 

I thought you'd ALREADY shown who you were, SketchEtch, when you posted your link to the other forum with your long review about the MacBook Pro, where OTHER PEOPLE talked about your "Show," and named you by name, which I don't recall at the moment, but I called you by it in my first response to you after reading that thread.

So ARE YOU some PROFESSIONAL in the techie business, or somethin'? Maybe a professional writer or blogger?

Enquiring minds, NEED TO KNOW (and we don't mind). I'm "technically" a professional writer, although I haven't written anything for "publication" in 10 years... Prior to that I was part-owner/editor and writer/photographer for a weekly newspaper and prior to that contributing editor for a rather large weekly and did a good bit of free-lancing prior to that (and still have aspirations to do MORE professional writing/photography if I ever get my ACT together again), so there's no need to "be shy," unless you're in here to "bait folks" for input for some article or book, which I DON'T THINK you'd do and I'm NOT accusing you of doing.
Jeff

 

No I just host a podcast. A pretty darn successful one with tens of thousands of listeners. Need this Dell to get me back on track.

 

Sure would appreciate a LINK to that when you get it "back on track," Sketchy!
Jeff

 

So I've got my new 1720. I want to install Ultimate on it from the start. I put in the Media Direct disc, let it setup the partition, then installed Windows Vista Ultimate, with the proper SATA drivers on the disk page (from the Dell driver disc). It installed and rebooted fine, but on the reboot it now says BOOTMGR is missing and tells me to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart.

What am I missing or doing wrong?

 

I have two 160gb hrd drives and the problem looks like I installed Direct Media and Windows on the second drive, and it's trying to boot from the primary drive. I'm reinstalling Windows on the primary drive, but now Windows and Direct Media are on different physical disks. I don't know if that will work.

I'll find out in a few moments. If not I'll just say to hell with Direct Media.

 

That didn't work either. So is there no way to install Ultimate and Media Direct with 2 hard drives?