Studio 15 build quality?

How do you guys feel about your Studio 15's build quality?

How is the flex on the lid/keyboard, how good is the paint? Is the material on the keyboard/wrist rest capable of fading like a lot of laptops do. Do you feel it is sturdy?

Also many people have said the speakers are bad, about what level does it start getting distorted at, and do you have the Sound Blaster Audigy software of the standard option?

Thanks

 

Leaving aside that my Studio 15 arrived with some damages around the casing I would still rate the build quality to be poor. Compared to an Inspiron 1525 the Studio seems to be made from lighter plastic less well put together.
The keyboard flex is one of the worse examples I have ever seen. For me it’s nearly unusable. A real shame as the Studio specs are really good. I was ultra disappointed.
The Studio 15 makes it’s clear that Dell is cutting costs big time. The Inspiron 1525 may be cheaper and an older design but its construction is fair above the Studio.

 

I would say my Studio reflects decent build, overall, but shows
deficiencies in certain areas. The black, molded speaker grill
isn't flat on my unit, and shows two indentations. This is either
due to the grade of plastic, or assembly technique. All the Studios
I've seen at Staples show this defect.

As stated by redshovel, there is quite a bit of keyboard flex. When
I was at Staples, I checked an Inspiron 1525, which was right next
to the Studio. It had ZERO flex, so I'd have to say the Studio has
a cheaper build, or it is a result of the optional backlight.

I don't know if you could classify this as poor build, but the standard
1280 x 800 screen has pretty big viewing angle problems. Vertically,
it is very limited, resulting in a narrow viewing "window." I'm talking
about just a few degrees, not inches.

I don't know - so far, the Studio has been kind of a mixed bag for me.
On the plus side, the finish is exemplary, and the computer has good
speed for my needs.

Rob

 

Ouch.. this is really disappointing for me to hear. I mean, wow, can it be that bad? I've been definitely looking into a Studio 15 because as far as I'm concerned, it is the best looking 15 inch notebook on the market, even better than the 1530, oddly enough. However this is really disappointing to hear.. I have a sony, which is made out of plastic, yet theres zero flex on the keyboard/palm rest and only little on the LCD.. and thats fairly important to me. Combine that with the quality of the speakers (which everyone says is well below average or worse) and it makes me wonder.. but I'll be heading to staples to look at it myself. But really this sucks!

 

Build quality is a personal thing: everyone has their own standards. The
best thing you can do is check out a demo unit and see for yourself.
Bring along a CD, too, so you can judge speaker quality.

Rob

 

Thank goodness someone else aggress with some of my views on the Studio 15. Some may think I have been overly critical of the Studio and I know I got a damaged one but even still it’s an inferior built machine compared to the older and cheaper Inspirion. And that’s a fact!

 

Overall good. There is a bit of keyboard flex if you press down hard but the keyboard is very comfortable. There is some flex around the touchpad and, while the LED screen is absolutely stunning, it does feel a little cheaply contained.

 

My model lacks these problems which you explain, except there is a small amount of keyboard flex but only when you press extremely hard, all in all the keyboard is one of the most comfortable and easy to use keyboard I've ever used on a laptop.

I strongly disagree with your problem with the default screen, mine has excellent viewing angles, and I'm talking usable screen almost upto about 145 degrees.

Although it is all plastic I think its very sturdy, the screen doesnt bend when opened and the hinges are strong too, I am very pleased with mine.

As mentioned before in this thread, build quality is subjective so my opinion may differ to others, but I hope your studio satisfies your needs and other would be buyers are not frightened off by such stories, because your more likely to post if your unhappy than if your happy right?

 

Wow, this is very dissapointing to hear. The Studio line of laptops are beautiful design. A keyboard with flex is a deal breaker to me... my last laptop had a horrible keyboard with tons of flex. Which is the main reason why I had to sell it after just 6 months of purchase.

My XPS keyboard is not perfect, as I think the Inspiron's have a much stable keyboard. (My mom's E1405 has a excellent keyboard - with zero flex.

I'm not entirely sure if quality of a build is just a matter of opinion. If you can compare a ThinkPad to some of earlier Dells (my Dell Inspiron 600m was a prime example) it's night and day. Creaky plastics when lifted from an angle, laptop lid flops around and isn't stiff, etc. I hated my 600m simply because of the awful build quality.

I thought these Studios were supposed to be atleast as good as their "normal" Inspiron lines. I've seen both the i1420 and the i1720 and they seemed to atleast equal of their predecessors, with nice stiff hingles and while not perfect keyboards -- very good to type on.

Are all these Studios manufactured this poorly?