Owner's Thread: Dell Inspiron 11 3147 2-in-1

I've not found it to be hotter at all with the iPearl Hardcase. Not sure why people would say that. If anything, it feels cooler due to the plastic insulating it from my skin. But it isn't dissipating heat any slower with the iPearl mCase (plastic housing and plastic hardcase). And an SSD runs *much* cooler than a HDD, so my 3147 runs VERY cool for me.

The tippy part is somewhat true, but it is (almost) equally as true w/o the iPearl case. When I take the case off and lean the screen back a bit, the front of the unit floats very slightly off of the ground. The iPearl case doesn't make that (much) worse, but neither does it help it. A design issue, IMO.

On the added 6 ½ oz (not 8 oz as I originally thought), keep in mind that the *main* reason I got it was to protect the top & bottom from scratching, so in that regard, the cost was completely justified for me. But that is my needs and expectations. If scratching of the thin paint job isn't an issue for you, then you are right, It probably isn't justified for you. And those SSD's are pricey. I was lucky to be able to use a previous notebook's SSD for this laptop.

 

Hi Quatro, Thanks for that very helpful "real-user" info about the iPearl mCase. Maybe the person who said it makes the laptop run hotter is comparing internal operating temps with and without the case on? From the pictures I've seen it looks like the mCase leaves plenty of clearance for the fan vent in back, so IF the case makes it run hotter it would most likely be due to trapping heat dissipation from the bottom. But I don't know if that reviewer did the test. I'll see if I can find the review again.

You're right, tipping could happen anyway if the screen is angled back too far, and certainly if the screen is poked. I've been using my laptop on a sloped "clip-case" (plastic storage lap-desk with carry handle), so I haven't noticed tipping. The laptop also happens to fit perfectly inside the clip case for storage, along with a letter-size notepad, a few little compartments for pen, usb stick, etc but not the charger, so it's a convenient and sturdy all-in-one lap-desk and carrier around the house and in the car. I'll use the Amazon Basics carry case for "real" travel so I won't look like an overgrown 5-year-old carrying my bright blue plastic clip case (it probably won't fit on the plane tray anyway).

I agree, the thin, soft paint scratches much too easily, so I've waxed it as you described earlier and it seems to help a lot. Thanks for that tip! I'll probably also get the iPearl case after all, for the same reason. I don't carry it around a lot, so the added weight isn't a big deal, especially compared to my big 6.5 lb laptop. My lap-desk/clip-case probably weighs about 12 oz but serves a different purpose so I'll continue using it anyway. Perhaps the iPearl-clad device will fit inside my clip case!

Yes, SSDs are expensive but so much faster, lighter, use less power, and prices should keep coming down. Hey, if I start charging my family & friends for tech services I could buy one in no time! I won't do that, but I do think DELL owes you and a few others here a big fat check! By the time that happens, SSDs will be about a penny a GB ...

 

That clip case sounds like a cool idea! Useful too. Pay no attention to what others may think of the color. Outside of business environments, strong colors are quite popular now.

I can't see how that iPearl case could trap any heat. The only vent is quite clear of the case. Now if the reviewer had cloth trousers or a carpet covering the vent, that could cause heat buildup. I can't test it since I have an SSD in mine and so it runs very cool. And I turn mine off when not in use; that SSD is so fast to boot up (8 sec to the sign-in screen and then another 4 sec to the desktop screen and the mouse cursor works.) Some people leave the laptop on for long periods and that might cause heating issues.

I'll add that my fan hardly ever turns on because I only run office-type apps on this laptop. No games. A few times I've watched movies, but the resolution and screen on my tablet gives *such* a much better picture, that I prefer to use that over this laptop for movies.

EDIT: I just watched nearly 2 hrs of two TV episodes via the CBS app .... and still no fan has come on. I know the fan works because occasionally, it has come on. Putting my hand on the bottom near the fan, I can feel warmth, but not "hot" to me.

Amazon now has the 500GB Samsung 850 EVO for $209:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E500B-AM/dp/B00OBRE5UE/

I paid $339 for mine back in Nov 2013 and I thought I was getting a good deal. Ouch! So those prices are dropping (42 cents/gig now!). Amazing compared to what they used to be.

But we never do, do we? We are such push-overs for those in need. ;-)

 

Hi Quatro, I'm with you about the clip-case color! I think it was intended for kids taking their coloring books & crayons to Grandma's. but it makes a good portable office desk. I have 3 of them now in different colors to corral my loose notes & sketches. Now I need a coordinating mCase to complete the look! Business environments would be happier places (and some studies say more productive) if they'd brighten up with more color.

I'm sure you're right about SSD vs. HDD heat. The fan in my laptop doesn't go on very often, either (mostly office and stored music, no games, some streaming vids but they're better on my big laptop). The only heat on bottom seems to be under the HDD. I hope to change it for SSD soon and then dock the HDD for backups. The speed alone will be a big improvement.

Do you recall what brand of wax you used to protect the paint? I used some Turtle Wax I've had forever, but just now I read the fine print more carefully, and it says not to use it on some kinds of paint or finishes. Maybe an uh-oh moment coming, but if so I guess I can take it apart, clean it up, spray with epoxy paint, and then apply a good wax over the paint. I'd appreciate your recommendation for the wax you used, as it seems to work well for you.

No, I wouldn't charge family & friends or anyone else in need (and I'm sure I get more than I give) but I'm thinking my cat needs a paying job to help pay for MY toys (hers are cheap enough: pens, balls of yarn, big twist ties, my shoe laces...) Too bad the cat-videos market is saturated to the max. But you're right -- SSDs are now about the same price per GB as SD cards and USB sticks, so I won't have to save too many more pennies to get mine.

 

I used Carnauba wax (for cars) because several pen collectors (incl myself) use that for vintage pens (which *don't* have a paint job ... so maybe you're right!) I'm probably the only maniac trying this on this laptop, so I hope I'm not suggesting something stupid. I used:
http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-A2216-Deep-Crystal-Carnauba/dp/B0009IQX6I/

I bought that brand only because it was cheap yet still Carnauba wax (and, like you, it was what I had on hand). There is likely better out there. It was adequate for the small amount I needed. I only put a bit on the palm rest area and on the upper sides next to the keyboard (I avoided the keys and the entire keyboard area, of course) and some on the central area of the touchpad. I let it dry for an hour and then polished those surfaces which seemed to add a hardness to the paint. I can't be sure though. I put two coats on the surfaces, which took a while as I had to be very careful in my application not to get wax in the cracks and crevices.

The touchpad also felt scratchy, which irritated my fingertips, so I put a bit of wax there as well and buffed it (careful of the grooves around the touchpad!) I was worried that the wax might lessen the sensitivity of the touchpad, but it didn't seem to.

To protect the top & bottom, I still think the best is an ultra-thin hardshell case like the iPearl mCase hardshell for the Dell 3147/3148.

Spray with epoxy paint? Wow. That sounds like a lot of work and I'd probably mess it up! For me, the easiest is the iPearl case on the top & bottom and a bit of carnauba wax on the palm rest area (I also carefully peeled off the "Intel" sticker on the palm rest area and stuck it on the bottom next to the other sticker there. I don't like stickers on my palm rest area.)

Keep in mind that no wax like that is meant to be permanent. Most all are water-soluble. But it (and the resultant buffing) appears to harden the paint surface, which is fine with me.

I agree. The speed of the SSD is a big improvement. Very quiet as well. Plus the added benefit of no scratched HDD platters if you drop the laptop. I wish the laptop were SATA III compatible, but it isn't. Still, it is fast enough at SATA II.

 

Hi everyone, this is my very first post here.
First, thank you to everyone who shared their info regarding the wifi upgrade to 7260.
I just opened up a laptop for the first time in my 60 years and swapped out the wifi card.
Tinier fingers would have been helpful !!! I had the new drivers ready to go but apparently didn't need them.
When I fired up my 3147 I was presented for the first time with a 5mgz option. I chose it and headed to the speed tests.
I SWEAR this is true.... before the upgrade my highest D/L speed clocked at 4.67 mbps.
After the upgrade, I was startled to find the speedtests registering at 121 mbps.
HOLY MOLEY ! ! ! ! Thanks again everyone for helping to give me the confidence to this all by myself

 

Holy Moley indeed. Quite an increase in download speed. Well done that you managed the upgrade yourself (and that you bought the right-sized wireless card. They come in two sizes.)

Awesome news!

 

Thanks Quatro. I did as much research as I could ahead of ordering the part and then I crossed my fingers.
I was quite surprised at how easily everything went. I didn't even have to manually install drivers.
Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. It's been a lucky day so far, I should probably head to the casino !

 

I managed to solve the problem by going into device manager and finding a whole bunch of "US ROOT HUB" disabled. Forcing them to start again fixed the problem. The touchpad still works when it feels like it...one minute it works fine 5 mins later the sensitivity goes to "1" or something and none of the gestures work, and the only thing you can do is restart/sleep it and hope it works again.

 

The root hub (USB drivers) relate to yout touchpad? That's surprising. Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Dell Touchpad driver from the Dell 3147 site?

https://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER02673997M/1/3147_Input_Driver_36TN6_WN_18.1.2.9_A01.EXE

,

 

Annnnnnnnd now I'm experiencing WiFi dropout issues with the Dell a mere 3 feet from the WiFi router.... G R R R R R R R

 

Today I noticed that if I was typing using the physical keyboard on the computer and flipped the physical keyboard under and continued typing on the tablet keyboard that when I went back to the physical keyboard, that sometimes the asdf and jkl; keys would NOT work. This is what I did:
1) with the computer open fully, I opened up notepad
2) typed into the notepad document using the physical keyboard
3) flipped the physical keyboard under
4) continued typing in the notepad document using the tablet (on screen) keyboard
5) flipped the physical keyboard back and continued typing in the notepad document with the physical keyboard
6) using the physical keyboard, the asdf and jkl; would not work anymore.
NOTE: after typing other keys on the physical keyboard for awhile, eventually the askf and jkl; keys might start working using the physical keyboard again, but it might start up after a few keystrokes or not at all

Can anyone else reproduce this problem?
Does anyone have any ideas on whether this is a hardware or software problem?
Has anyone else run into this and is there a known solution?

Note: I ran the diagnostics on the keyboard keys and everything there seemed fine.

 

Several had this issue on this thread. Several felt it was due to the cheap, single-channel Intel 1707 wireless card the Dell 3147 comes with. Switching it out for the Dual-band Intel 7260NGW -AC wireless card fixed it.

 

When I repeat your steps, I don't have this issue on my Dell 3147. All keys work properly on both the virtual keyboard (when in stand mode) and the physical keyboard when in laptop mode. I especially tested the asdf jkl; keys, as you requested, and I went back and forth between stand mode and laptop mode several times. I also tried it while using Notepad and Word 2013.

ADDED: Could you look in Control Panel > Programs and Features and see what version # you have for the Quickset64 program (it is what is controlling the keyboard off when in stand mode). Mine is ver. 11.1.21.

 

I checked the Quickset64 program and I have the same version as you do.

I really think this is a hardware problem because sometimes the asdf, jkl; and enter keys don't work after just having worked even without changing from the physical to virtual/screen keyboard....but always having changed from the physical keyboard to virtual keyboard and back to the physical keyboard again. If I use just the physical keyboard, the problem never seems to occur. Something in the switch from the physical to virtual and back to physical keyboard is messing things up. Also, it's weird that it's just these keys. The caps lock key and g and h keys always work and they're on the same line on the keyboard. In any case, I think I'm going to try setting my computer back to factory settings (if possible) and see if I still have the same problem....at least theoretically this this should eliminate a software type of problem. If I still have the same problem after the reset, I'll try to get dell to fix the keyboard. I called their customer support yesterday and they had me run the system diagnostics for the hardware and it showed everything ok and based on that they wouldn't even discuss me getting my computer fixed under warranty. If I set it back to factory settings and the keys still don't work, I'm not sure they can insist that there is nothing wrong with my computer.

 

I hope you are able to get it worked out. The factory reset is what I'd do as well, if uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers didn't help. Let us know how the OS restore works out. Have you used Dell Backup & Recovery to set up an OS restore image on a flash drive?

 

I need help, I hooked up my 3147 to a tv with an hdmi cable and the screen on the laptop shrunk about a inch an the bottom. My problem
is it won't go back to normal. I've tried everything I can think of and am stumped. The resolution is the same as before but it doesn't fill the screen.

 

When I use an HDMI cable to project as a second screen to a wall projector, I have the same problem. It's because when Windows duplicates the screen, then the resolution is also duplicated, and so it doesn't fit/fill the screen on the wall (or TV in your case). The laptop's max res is 1366 x 768, which is less than most HD TV's now, which want 1920 x 1080.

To fix it, try using Windows Key+P and change to the 2nd screen only. It will blank out the laptop screen, but should free up the graphics chip in the laptop to adjust the resolution to the full 1920 x 1080 (if your TV can handle that). That works on my projector.

It's either that or if you must have both screens up, then you'll need to lower the resolution on your Dell, which makes for a worse picture on the TV.

 

Hi, dallasgg, Regarding getting your keyboard replaced: I had problems with my touchpad buttons sticking in the "down" (clicked) position. As you did, I set the laptop back to factory settings, and ran the diagnostics,but everything showed OK, same as you. BUT there are hardware functions that the diagnostic doesn't (or can't?) check. So, after a run-around on the Dell support web page and then on the phone with 3 Dell techs I finally contacted Customer Service (both email and phone) and reported that I wasn't getting warranty assistance to fix the problem. A supervisor from Tech Support called me back the same day, and he agreed I should have them replace the touchpad (really the entire keyboard assembly) using their in-home service. But by then I was so annoyed by the obvious ignorance of the techs about the other out-of-box problems with the 3147 that I decided instead to exchange the laptop instead (still inside the return period) for another one. With the replacement I still had the same issues others have reported, but a clean re-install of Windows and drivers, also a diy tweak inside the case to stiffen up the palm rest flex, fixed my problems. Dell techs don't seem to read any of the user comments even on the Dell forum, much less any other sources such as this one! They just don't know abut the problems we've all experienced, or how we've fixed them.

You may be past that return/exchange window, but you are still entitled to warranty service, and Dell needs to honor their warranty. They WILL do that if you push on them! Shouldn'thave to be that difficult, but the tech you talked to may have just been following a rote protocol, and anything beyond that needs a supervisor to resolve. Don't give up! If you need the phone #s I used I can look for my notes.

 

So last week I bought a Surface Pro 3 (i5, 128GB SSD, 4GB Ram) and haven't looked back. I still have my Inspiron 3147 that I gave to my roommate for $300, so the total cost of the SP3 was only $100.

I loved the 3147 for what it was, but the build quality (all plastic) left a lot to be desired for durability sake (my 5 year old laptop was aluminum casing for a no-name brand), and I wanted something more portable. Thanks for all the help over the last 2.5 months!

 

I have to agree, the 3147 is a really cheap build, and I wouldn't recommend it for anybody needing a durable or powerful go-anywhere laptop. I only paid about $240 for mine on a holiday sale, so it fit my limited budget for a small occasional laptop for email, docs, casual internet surfing. I use it almost exclusively in the house and store it on a shelf so it's not in much jeopardy of damage due to the flimsy plastic case. It wouldn't suffice for my primary workhorse PC (I also have a desktop and a sturdy travel-worthy but heavy and battery-hungry 15" laptop), but I like the small size of the 3147 for my lazy-bones recliner & hammock convenience. If I traveled with it I would have paid more for a durable & more powerful small laptop (I need a keyboard so I don't care about tablets).

For what I paid and for my 'gentle' use it's bare-bones sufficient, but like so many others I had problems setting it up to work right (touchpad, network card, faulty Dell drivers), the case is cheap painted plastic (the iPearl mcase helps), and Dell support leaves quite a lot to be desired (not likely to improve any time soon). The 3147 is not worth the regular list price, IMO, and maybe not worth the regular Dell Outlet price either, but in spite of its significant shortcomings I'm not sorry I bought mine at a substantial discount and some effort to make it work. Full credit to this forum for the great advice to resolve the problems that Dell should have caught and fixed during pre-production testing!

I hope you'll be happier with your Surface Pro 3! Send your room-mate to this forum if the 3147 still has issues.

 

Regarding the touchpad issues (hanging, gestures suddenly not working, etc...) and after trying quite alot of different possible solutions (different drivers, protective film, Faraday cage, you name it...) my conclusion is that it's a mechanical problem. The flimsy case tends to bend and apply internal pressure on the touchpad that causes it to malfunction.
I opened the case and inserted some spacers between the touchpad and the battery (there are two black ones that were glued there originally and I placed mine on top of them) and they seem to solve the problems almost completely but at the cost of making the buttons extremely hard to press... I can actually live quite well without them (since I tap and double tap anyhow) but I believe that it should be possible to place them differently of use thinner spacers to avoid that.
Just sharing...

 

Hi noamkot, mine didn't have those black spacers (or maybe I didn't see them). To fix my touchpad mechanical issue I laid a long thin wooden coffee stir stick (thanks, Whole Foods) in the space between the battery and the front of the case. That firmed up the flex in the case (the source of my touchpad button problems). It did the trick for me, and now the touchpad buttons work perfectly. I tried putting thin spacers on top of the battery (under the touchpad) but it made the buttons almost impossible to press, so I went with the coffee stir stick instead. Problem solved!

Also, for anyone still having crazy touchpad-gone-wild occurrences suddenly and for no apparent reason, I just read on one of the last pages in the 3137/8 thread in this forum that Dell is aware that there's a STATIC sensitivity issue with the touchpad. It builds up static during use and can't dissipate it. (They call it "flea power" on the Dell site!) Apparently the way it's resolved is by resettting the touchpad (e.g., closing the lid so it goes to sleep, then opening it again). I think I saw that there's a touchpad driver update that can reset the touchpad when it goes static-erratic, but I don't know about that driver or if it applies to the 3147 as well. The other possible option mentioned in the 3137 thread suggested adding a ground wire to the touchpad inside the case. Again, I didn't see that anybody has actually done this.
(Edit: Link to the thread I mentioned above: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-6-haswell-celeron-touchscreen.733673/page-27

My own experience is that the static from a blanket or some types of clothing can make the touchpad go crazy or simply fail to respond. Probably not good for the USB ports either.

 

Well, Johnny, we shall miss you and thank you for all of the help *you* gave!

No question that the SP3 is an infinitely better laptop. Though with the keyboard, that pushes the price close to $1,000, so in a way, we get what we pay for.

 

For me, when I close my lid (I've set mine to not turn off when the lid closes) and then open it later, the touchpad becomes glitchy and often slow. To fix that, I have to then restart the entire laptop.

 

I get this behavior too, usually happens after waking up from hibernation - I usually just put it in sleep and wake up then the it's ok. This seems to be a software problem, not a hardware though.

EDIT: I only get this problem when I first turn on the system/waking up from hibernation but never after that.

 

Cool, thanks for the advice!
Sadly, the nearest Whole Foods is 6000 miles away but I'll figure out something similar with the stuff I have around here. Also, I'm surprised that the touchpad is not grounded... I'll check it out when I open the case again and ground it myself if necessary.
EDIT:Well, my touchpad is grounded (at least the surrounding metal cage unless I'm missing something here)

 

I doubt that Whole Foods has cornered the market on those thin wooden stir sticks! I just happened to have a few on hand that I saved for who-knows-what, and they just happen to be a very good fit. I think someone on this forum used Q-tips but mine didn't fit well. A thin strip of cardboard might work, too. Anything firm that fits edgewise in front of the battery (not on top) and is about the same height.
I don't know about grounding the touchpad -- just reporting what I've read! Static makes sense to me as the likely culprit of erratic behavior. Maybe that driver update for 3137/8 I read about reloads or resets the touchpad driver when X occurs (whatever X is). Driversrestarting the laptop

 

Fortunately for me, I have an SSD in mine, so shutting mine down takes about 3 sec and a fresh reboot takes a mere 8 sec to the sign in screen. Not much trouble, though it can be slightly annoying at times. To me, it is definitely a software glitch. Sometimes mine does a keyboard typing lag as well. In every case, a quick reboot fixes it.

 

Sorry about the typos in my previous post -- my cat walked on the kb and posted prematurely!

Yes, I agree that a quick reboot fixes most erratic behaviors. I never let any of my PCs hibernate, and I've disabled Fast-Boot. I find it's safer either to stay on ("Do nothing"), or Sleep after X minutes, or do a full shut-down when not needed in the next hour or more. I've seen a few PCs lose data and lock up when trying to wake up from hibernation or fast-boot. Saving a few seconds at start-up is not worth the risk, IMO! Restarting doesn't take that long, even with the stock HDD.

I don't think the drivers are reloaded fresh after hibernation (everything is just copied back into RAM from the pre-hibernate state. I'm not entirely clear about sleep vs. hibernate in this regard.)
My touchpad or KB don't seem to lock up/lag/go crazy unless I max out the system resources. Whether it's due to a software (driver) problem or if it's due to static build-up on the touchpad, restarting makes it right again at least for a while. Dell may never fix this, so unless we can figure out the cause and a workable solution, restarting after a few hours intensive use (and never hibernating) seems to be working for me. (Maybe restart just the touchpad driver and not the entire OS? If that's sufficient, somebody smart could program a hot-key to reset the driver)

As an aside, I'll try to find out if Linux users have erratic touchpads on their 3147's. I'm not sure if the Linux drivers are modified from Dell's or the touchpad maker's, or a complete rewrite. I plan to install Mint or maybe Fedora on mine if I can improve the power-saving functions. I have Mint on a couple of 15" Dell laptops. They both run fine and faster than Win 7, but battery life is shorter than with Dell's Win-only power saver options.

 

Yeah, I swapped in an SSD as well, so it's like 10 sec to put it in sleep and wake it up, but it is still annoying.

The keyboard repeat delay/rate is not new - I always get that when I dock/undock from all the other laptops I have used. I usually just go in the Control Panel to reset those to the fastest again.

 

I don't think the 3147 supports Fast Boot? I like hibernation because I don't have to reopen/relaunch all the apps/windows, especially when I have multiple tabs in a browser, and it saves battery too. With the SSD drives, waking up from hibernation is much faster.

 

Hey new to the forum need some help. Just bought a 3147 with 4gb ram and the n3540. I have only used it a bit but the battery is dropping like well its dropping fast! I thought this thing was supposed to give me more than 3 hours. Does it adjust after a few charges?

 

Hibernation writes a copy of what's in the RAM state to the HDD.
Sleep writes nothing to the HDD. Instead, it keeps giving a small amount of power to the RAM so that the info stays intact.

 

Hi Clipse,
You cannot make a generalization about battery life. What you are doing on the laptop and the settings greatly affects battery life. For example:
* the brightness setting?
* wireless on?
* surfing the net or just office use?
* on any Web pages that have streaming video ads?
* any movie or video watching? Any of it streaming via an online source?
* How many tabs are open in a web browser?
* listening to music? Any music streaming via an online source?
* bluetooth on? Any peripherals connected to the bluetooth?.
* any peripherals plugged in via USB or a USB dongle, like an external mouse or external keyboard?
* power setting?
* any game playing? Any of those games with animated graphics?
* etc. You get the idea.

On my 3147 w/ the Intel N3530, and using a Samsung EVO 849 SSD, brightness at 1/3, no music (music via my tablet or MP3 player or phone), no internet or web browsing, no videos or games. No peripherals plugged in via USB. Doing only Office apps, email (via an offline email client) and Quicken things, I'll get over 9-9 ½ hrs battery life.

 

Thanks, Quatro! That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. So, neither sleep nor hibernation will cause a clean reload of the drivers upon waking. If the driver already in memory gets corrupted somehow, then it makes sense why a reboot (or maybe just a driver reload?) is needed to recover from a wonky touchpad.

Some folks on the Dell user forum say they've resolved their touchpad-gone-wild issue by covering the touchpad with a phone screen protector, apparently also covering the buttons since they're integrated on the pad surface. I haven't tried this but I'll get one and report back. Mine has settled down for the most part (it's set for no gestures, tap-to-click, less sensitivity, highest palm rejection) but it still locks up or goes crazy if I use it intensively. Most annoying is when it highlights/moves/deletes text when I'm typing. A reboot fixes it, but some on Dell forums claim that the screen protector will prevent it. They believe that it's due to moisture or oil from fingers on the pad, or maybe tiny debris getting into the cracks, or that the touchpad itself is too sensitive and the screen protector makes it less so. Maybe. It's all grasping at straws. For what it's worth, Linux users also report similar touchpad problems on 3147 and other laptops, so it's more likely due to hardware design/materials than drivers unless Dell is providing them to the Linux distros (Dell did briefly sell a few models with Ubuntu, including I think some 3137's but not 3147). From Amazon and other reviews, many people have had their touchpads replaced under warranty but it didn't always fix the problem. I still think it's more likely due to static on an overly sensitive touchpad, which would also explain complaints of "ghost" touches when the hand hovers just above the pad. Less likely would be maxed-out system resources so the driver in memory gets corrupted (but why just the driver?). Either way, rebooting works, which wouldn't help a dirty touchpad. But if a little piece of transparent film helps and does no harm, that would be OK with me! I'll get one and do a few little experiments.

 

I did my first full charge and at 100% it said 4 hours. I am only surfing web nothing else going on and screen dimness is about 50%. Nothing plugged in or going on.

 

With an SSD, hibernation is faster? Not in my experience. On my SSD, bootup is 8 sec to signin and then 3 sec to the Desktop and the mouse cursor moves. I doubt hibernation is faster than that. I'll test it out and report back.

*** REPORTING BACK ***
OK, I'm wrong. Restoring from hibernation state on my SSD only takes it about 6 sec until the cursor is useable. It also skips the signin screen (oddly enough, since I've not adjusted that in the settings). So it is faster by a few sec.

But at the end of the day, when the difference is only a few sec, I'd prefer to work on the system that is freshly booted, because I don't keep lots of apps or tabs open when I shut it down. But if I did, then I'd go with hibernation.

 

any suggestions for the crackling static speakers

 

I don't use hibernation at all. I prefer Sleep for short breaks to keep files open where I left off working on them, and a fresh boot after a few hours of heavy use. Hibernation doesn't save me enough time or battery to be worth the trade-offs. Programs start up fast enough for me with a click on a shortcut. Firefox can save and restore my 20+ open tabs the next time I open the browser (probably Chrome can also). For docs and spreadsheets etc I use auto-save on exit and the Recent Files list to re-open whatever I want to continue working on. My laptop just seems to work better after a restart, probably because it reloads the drivers and only the programs I need for that session.
The one thing that annoys me about a restart is the time Windows takes to load all its own stuff, then start the antivirus and find the wifi signal before I get to do anything! But it's much faster than it used to be, and my computer use isn't life-critical, so deep breaths...
For me, those couple of seconds between restarting vs. hibernation is a trivial difference, but I've spent decades scrambling to get more done faster, so nowadays I don't mind taking a breath and looking out at the "real" world for a few seconds while my laptop restarts! When it does come up, though, I do expect it to be fast and reliable, and so far it has outrun me every time!

 

What worked for me was to remove the audio drivers and let Windows install its own. Apparently there's something about the Realtec driver that causes this, but it's been a while and I don't remember exactly. I bet Quatro knows -- he probably discovered the fix!

 

Something I discovered! If its in power saver mode it crackles, change it to Dells mode and it works fine. Something in that power saver mode kills all performance to the point the audio sucks

 

On my new Dell 3147, I got cracking audio when I switched to Power Saver mode. When I switched to Dell mode, the noise stopped. The Power Saver mode sets the minimum processor percentage to zero and the maximum processor percent to zero also. If I bumped the maximum to 30 percent, the cracking stopped.

 

Maybe that's really what fixed the crackle on mine, too, and not the driver after all. When I was fiddling with drivers and bios updates to get my laptop working correctly I probably also changed my power settings about the same time. I do recall that there was talk of a problem with Realtec audio on this and other laptops. I think it was about interference with the upgrade network card. There was quite a lot of troubleshooting (and speculation) going on in the first 20 or so pages of this thread! I read every post from start to finish and fixed my problems that way, and then I formally joined the party recently just to say thanks to all who gave so much time and talent.
I hope your audio problem is fixed now! So many odd little quirks have popped up, but so far they haven't defeated us!
[Edit: I just found the source of my recollection re. audio: see Quatro's post 379 on page 38 of this thread!]

 

Hi all, I wonder if anyone has found a power adapter for the 3147 that isn't such a big brick? That thing seems enormous for such a small laptop; it takes up a chunk of space when I have to travel. I know it has a smaller than Dell's usual tip. Right-angle tip would be nice, too, just since I'm making a wish-list.

 

Ummm.... your post is a link to manuals for a lot of Dell products. Thanks, but what question or comment or problem on the 11-3147 are you addressing? Is there something in particular?
[Edit: Hi Dmitry, I've just re-read my post, and I think I might have come off a bit snarky. That really was not my intention. I've learned a lot and fixed my 3147 issues by reading all the posts in this thread, so I believe all relevant questions, comments & info are helpful and welcome! Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the link.

 

Hi k8twyn,
I have found a power adapter that works well for my Dell 3147. I needed an extra adapter for my office so I bought this one for $26 incl shipping.Works great:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9IJPKA/

ADDED: oops. I misread your post. No, my replacement charger adapter is just as big as the original one. But it DOES have a right-angle tip!

 

Thanks, Quatro! The right-angle tip is the way to go for less strain, so I'll add that charger to my already overloaded cart. I wish Dell would stay with just one tip size for all their laptops AND find a way to build a smaller charger! I'd be willing to solder & heat-shrink the right size tip onto a smaller charger but haven't yet found the right parts. If I do I'll be sure to share!
Also on my ever-growing list, a solar charger with battery for when we lose power out here due to storms. Big and heavy, clearly not for commuting or plane travel!

 

Setting up my new Dell 3147, I'd like to know what bloatware others removed.
On the same issue, I removed Dell Backup & Restore, not realizing this was essential. Is there any way to re-install this? I'm not sure if this wiped out any recovery data also. Thanks

 

Hi techman, The only bloatware I had on mine was McAfee antivirus, which I removed immediately. I also removed MS Office (1 year "free"), as I don't need it. After letting Dell update bios and drivers I removed Dell Update and Dell Detect since I prefer to decide which updates to download/install (easy to do at Dell's support site). That's about all I needed to remove.
It turned out to be a non-issue for me, though, since shortly thereafter I wiped out the Dell factory image and installed Win 8.1 fresh (free download from Microsoft) and the drivers from Dell. Then I used Rufus to make a USB install stick. Your unique Windows OEM key is factory-embedded in the system bios so Windows installs without problems.

If you don't want to make a fresh Windows install USB, you might want to go to Dell's Media Request page
http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/media?c=us&l=en&s=dhs
and ask for the re-installation media on a USB drive. Then just put it away in case of need. It's free including shipping while your PC is under warranty, and you shouldn't need to go through tech support to explain why you want it. It's pretty stupid that they ship the 3147 with an installation DVD when there's no DVD drive! You COULD make your own install USB from the disk using another PC or an external drive, but why bother when Dell will send you one fast and free. The USB that Dell sends is only reusable on the first PC you use it on, so you can't share it even with another 3147 that has the same specs.

Unless you actually deleted the Recovery PARTITION on your hard drive it's still there. No problem if you removed and want to re-install Dell Backup and Recovery PROGRAM (the pre-installed version needs updating anyway). You can read about it and download it here:
http://www.dell.com/support/content...ell-backup-solutions/Dell-Backup-and-Recovery

I hope you'lll really enjoy your new laptop! There are some very helpful folks on this forum, and lots of us have gotten our laptops working great with all the good info shared here!