Pros and Cons of Vostro 1400-Mini Review

This will be an informal mini review of my newly received Vostro 1400.

Here's what I ordered:
1 223-1214 Vostro 1400, Intel Core 2 Duo T5470, 1.6GHz, 800Mhz FSB 2M L2 Cache
1 320-5565 14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA TL LCD for Vostro 1400
1 311-7285 1GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 DIMM
1 320-5563 128MB nVidia GeForce 8400M GS Graphics Card
1 341-4903 120G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
1 420-7289 Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
1 412-0995 Dell Exclusive MediaDirect Instant Play Software Application
1 430-0493 Integrated 10/100 Network Cardand Modem, for Inspiron
1 313-5521 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+R write capability, w/o Roxio Creator
1 313-4783 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
1 430-2445 Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card
1 320-5567 No Built in Camera 1400
1 410-0997 No Anti-Virus/ Security Software requested
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested
1 312-0556 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for Inspiron 1400
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested
1 412-0379 No software package
1 983-3920 Warranty Support,Initial Year
1 987-6829 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1 987-7047 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus Return To Depot, Initial Year
1 983-4130 Type 7 Contract - Mail-In Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
1 900-9987 Standard On-Site Installation Declined
1 430-2452 Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0+EDR)
1 310-8627 You have chosen a Windows Vista Basic System
1 310-8319 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
1 466-8762 Thank you for choosing Dell
1 312-0559 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery, for Vostro1400
1 420-7179 Dell DataSafe 2.0 Online, No Install
1 420-7185 Dell Support 3.4, No Install

I received this Friday after ordering on 7/12/07 and was placed on the priority build list since I was a frequent customer of Dell. I received the notebook in good working order and no accesories were missing.

First thing I noticed was how heavy this notebook was compared to my 14.1" Lenovo N100. The second thing I noticed was how quickly the casing got smeared with fingerprints, an absolute nightmare if you ask me. Third, and most importantly, this notebook felt absolutely rock solid with no flex anywhere. The casing has a macbookesque feel to it and imparted a feeling of a quality notebook.

After turning it on, I noticed that the screen was NOT grainy, and was actually much sharper and had a more accurate color than my previous Lenovo. When pushed from the other side, the screen had absolutely no ripple and the screen itself did not flex whatsoever.

The loose battery on the other hand is something that should not be present. It does rattle and have quite a bit of movement both with the 6-cell and the 9-cell. The battery life itself seems pretty decent at around 3 hours for basic usage on 2nd from highest brightness setting, although I haven't formally tested it.

The keyboard is pretty good compared to the old Dells and is close in quality to my old Lenovo but not quite there yet. The one thing I am having issue with is the touchpad. It doesn't seem to recognize my tapping the pad to click on something half the time. I've played around with the settings but it doesn't really seem to help. Thats where my old Lenovo was absolutely amazing in terms of its accuracy and response. Hopefully Dell will realease a new a driver.

The other issues I'm having is that the fan seems to be constantly running, and somewhat loud compared to my Lenovo Core Duo. I perceive this will be a major issue since it will drain the battery so quickly. I'm not sure is this is a Vista issue or if the computer just runs hot. Although the heat is never felt on either side of the notebook so maybe its just doing its job. The mouse buttons themselves have an excellent feel with a soft push feel to them, similar to the HP lineup.

Now for the biggest downfall of this computer. Vista!!!! The inability to have the appropriate drivers to roll back to XP is driving me absolutely crazy. I may even have to return the computer since none of my work programs are compatible with Vista. If anyone knows where I can get all of the drivers please let me know.

If you have any questions let me know.

 

Thanks for the review. Is the outside plastic or magnesium? There seems to be some confusion about this. The Inspiron 1420 obviously has plastic so if the Vostro has magnesium than that'll lay to rest claims that they're pretty much the same. Also, what software are you having trouble with? I use some advanced software that I am worried may not work when I got a new laptop.

 

It feels like the outside(behind the screen) is a mag alloy finish although some parts underneath(bottomside of computer) are plastic

 

Thank you for the short review. The battery issue kind of concerns me.
When the laptop is unplugged and you close the lid and walk around with it, does it feel as though the battery may fall out or may bend pins or something similiar?

 

how about some sexy pictures ?

 

1stStrike was looking for the drivers also. He has XP running on his now. Links to sound and wireless drivers were posted here.

 

Thanks for the mini-review...covers a lot of the items folks want to know. What CD/DVD's did you get with the system. Did you get the Vista reinstall disk?

 

Thank you so much for the review. I'm currently looking at the Vostro 1400 as well, so any further updates you can provide will be greatly appreciated by all of us here

 

how weird, on my Vostro 1400 I can't get my finger prints on that thing no matter how hard I try.

 

No its not that loose but it does have some play to it.

 

You're not greasy enough.

Nice mini-review. The loose battery's a bit disconcerting from a quality control standpoint.

 

I got a CD with all the drivers on it as well as some help CD software with Dell live support. I did not receive the Vista Premium DVD.

 

As far as the software issue, I use Novell Groupwise 6.5 for email and also something called EPIC which is medical software so we can check in on our patients from home. Also having issues with Nero 7 Premium, Windvd 7, and my Comodo firewall.

 

Prez,
So do you like your new laptop? I will receive my laptop tomorrow. I only worry about the screen, I ordered wsga+ screen. I will let ya know tomorrow.

 

Isn't the components basically the same as VOSTRO 1500?.... then can you just grab the 1500 xp drivers?

 

how loud is it? is it annoying?

 

You can look into the thread on the inspiron 1420--the components are the same anyway, so you can probably get by looking at a different machine (Inspiron 1420, 1520, or Vostro 1500, 1700) for XP drivers. I know they have drivers for the 1500.

 

Here is the best pics I can find at the moment. Site is in chinese but pics are awesome.
There are even some benchmark screenshots too.

http://benyouhui.it168.com/thread-561922-1-1.html

 

I just noticed that the plastic casing on the right side above the CD/DVD drive sticks out a little further than the drive itself and thus leaves a sharp edge where you can get scratched. The left side casing sits flush and has no sharp edges.

Also the volume/play buttons at the top right seems somewhat cheap and its easy to press two buttons at once or even the wrong button since they are so close to each other.

 

It's not annoying but its always running and it isn't even blowing out warm air. Whats weird is that when I was uploading pics from my camera, the fan started blowing at a high speed like I was playing some game or something. It eventually turned down but it took 15 minutes after I had already loaded the pics. That to me is strange.

 

I know I'm starting to sound real negative here but I noticed that my number two key does not work unless I really pound on it. All the other number keys work fine.

Also I reinstalled the touchpad driver and am still having the issue where it does not recognize my tapping on the pad. Anyone come across this yet?

Overall I'm leaning toward returning it for the following reasons:
1. Fan is constantly on
2. The number 2 key does not always work
3. Vista and the lack of easy support to install XP
4. The plastic overhang above the CD/DVD drive
5. Overall weight

Reasons for keeping it:
1. Solid build overall
2. Good battery life
3. Great screen
4. Fast as hell

 

Numbers 2 and 4 sound like quality control issues which you should have a chat with Dell about, if you feel like going that route.

There's not too much you can do about #3, although I've heard it isn't too bad finding XP drivers for the hardware.

#1 and #5 are probably the two things you'll really have to focus on.

 

I'm expecting to take delivery of my Vostro 1400 tomorrow. I can post some high resolution photos if that's what everyone is looking for....let me know.

 

yes, please do :]

 

I think everyone's looking for more pictures - something to kill the time while they wait.

 

Ive had my 1400 for 2 days now and here are my impressions

Pros
- Good overall build quality
- Good keyboard
- Extremely easy to upgrade (cpu, ram, hdd, are easily accessible)
- Great battery life (I am getting up to 7 hrs with low brightness)

Cons
- Loose battery ( I have the 9cell)
- Horrible backlight bleeding (esp compared to my old d630 and e1505, I have the wxga+)
- Comes with a 2-prong power adapter (more noise/EMI compared to 3-prong)
- Vista DVD not included
- I don’t trust the spring latch

You can deal with the constant fan spinning problem. When I swapped out my stock T5470 for a T7300, I replaced the stock thermal pad on the heatsink with artic silver, now it runs much cooler and quieter, so try that for starters. I can deal with most of the minor quibbles, obviously dell will have to cut corners to sell the inspiron/vostro line for so cheap, this is not new. But the backlight bleeing is particularly bad and is constantly noticeable. I will have to wait and see if I can get used to it.

edit: i also have the slight plastic overhang on the right side, but its not really noticeable IMHO

 

Prez, about your touchpad issue, try turned off dragLock to see if that helps.

For the FAN, have you checked the BIOS setting for the fan? I don't notice the Dell's fan runs any more frequent than my IBM and HP.

check out my opinion on the 1420
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=147058
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=144582&highlight=1420+d620+

 

I just got mine today! So far it seems good, I haven't noticed the fan yet.
The battery is definitely jiggling, even more so than I had expected from the reviews I had seen. Feels nice overall, but I've been using it for all of 45 minutes so far

 

hey guys i cant wait to see pics...
why r yu not posting some pics??? yu dont a cam or what?

 

Tell me how to post them and I will or somebody pm me with their email and I'll send them to you to post

 

Just as an update, I called Dell and they're sending me out another Vostro in 3-5 business days. I'll let you guys know how the new one is when I get it.

 

my v1400 = boxing...swhing!

 

Mine has the wobbly battery, but none of the other problems you've mentioned... I think I can live with it... I talked to dell about it and the guy wanted to replace the motherboard... yeah...

 

Good Luck and let's know.

BTW, my 1420 battery rattle too but should be easily fix with a felt pad or stacked tape. Probably due to poor quality control on initial production. The whole chasis has good design and very sturdy compare to 640m/1405.

 

Thanks for the posts guys this has been really helpful. I am eagerly awaiting my vostro on Monday 08/06 for business use. Running VMWare mostly and for .NEt and Java development. So I am keen to use the 64 bit technology that it features. Pity it does not have 10/100/1000 Lan card

What I've got
Vostro 1400
2.0 Ghz CPU
4.0 gb RAM
1440 X 900 Screen
bluetooth
wireless N - Network

 

My Vostro 1400 should be arriving tomorrow. I was not able to have a rep change the OS to Vista Premium however during multiple calls with Dell Did you laptop come with Premium installed and the proper tagging for it?

 

Mine is coming with premium. I ordered on the phone (because I wanted premium and they lost my online order the night before anyway) and they had no problems at all giving it to me. However when we called about the online order they said it couldn't be done. I think it's totally a matter of who you talk to.

 

Yeah it came with premium. I just called up and the lady had no problem changing it over.

 

Did the dell lady charged you exta for sending the vista premium Disk

 

I didn't read back all of the posts but if you mean weather it cost extra to get premium over basic yeah it's another 30 bucks. We (at least I) didn't get a disk though (I still have to call about that).

 

Hi All,

People who got the vista premium CD when they called up the Dell people.. Did Dell people charge you?

 

No they dont.

 

I just ordered my Vostro 1400 today.

I bought a cheapy Toshiba Satellite A135 from Circuit City, but found out that they take up both memory slots for 1GB and they make you pay $150 for a 9-cell battery that lasts 5 hours on power save mode. The default battery went from 100% to 63% in one hour of just uninstalling crapware and playing Bejeweled 2, so I just decided to get the Vostro for $749 and have a good laptop and battery right from the get go.

I did want to clarify, you pay them to upgrade from basic to premium, but not for the OS media, or is prez saying that he got both free of charge?

 

Hi prez even i need a CD of vista premium.. will they give?

 

with the replacement are all your issues gone?? do you have any lighty bleeding? thanks

 

Yes all my issues have been resolved but I seem to have a different keyboard, one which seems less thinkpad like. There is some minor lightbleed but nothing extreme.

 

yes just call them up and they'll send it to you for free

 

Thanks a lot prez..

 

Thanks for the review. Makes me feel better that I kept the T61 that was shipped the day after I ordered a V1400 and then cancelled 24 hours later.

 

Guys Vostro1400 is a good laptop.. only the batttery... but the build quality and everything is good.. for this budget u get lower version in sony an IBM