Why Shouldn't I get a Vostro

Well, I found out my wife gets a discount on dell through her work. This is good news I think, as I have been looking at vostro builds, they seem to pack a ton of value for a very low price. What I am wondering is Why shouldn't I get a vostro? I What am I sacrificing that I don't know about, do dells not last, bad build quality, crappy screen, poor layout? I mean whats the catch, and why shouldn't I just go buy a similar but not as well equipped HP. Any Vostro owners want to chime in on this one, I am mainly considering the 1500. I am having a hard time getting past the stigma of Dell.

 

No reason not to, it's aggressively priced and aggressively built well. For the money spent, it's no question it's a deal.

The HP, while a bit better looking(opinion of course), is built similarly, a bit smaller in profile and weight, but weaker in the video card department.

The screen, while emphasized pretty harshly, isn't all that bad. With the Vostro's 15-day return policy, why not just check it out.

 

Yes don’t let the grainy screen complains get to you. And if you get their extended warranty, no need to worry too much about build quality either.

 

I had the same issue, was wondering what's the deal with it and for the 1-2 weeks of shipping, I kept wondering if I was making a mistake but it is great. Its size and weight may be the only drawbacks but it's not close to stopping me from riding with it every day as I got a very nice and comfy backpack with it. It is quiet, runs very well, looks alright and there is nothing that I can fault. (okay, one, there is an annoying noise when using earphones but whatever you are listening to cancels it out).

 

I canceled my order on my Vostro 1400 today, because the discount on the Thinkpad x61 is so great right now (over 40% off). For a couple hundred more dollars, I was able to get a much lighter computer with comparable specs. However, the Vostro seems like a well liked computer.

 

I have read all these horror stories of grainy screens, and I just don't want to fall victim to that. Have most of you configured with XP or Vista? Thanks for the responses so far, keep em coming! Also, is it worth paying the extra 100 to get the 8600gt over the 8400, I mainly play wow, internet surf, listen to music, maybe some movie watching.

 

I have a Vostro 1500. I'm very happy with the performance vs. price ratio; I've got everything I need here. I would say that the main issue is that it's somewhat thicker/heavier than I had originally hoped for. This can possibly be an issue for portability, but I personally don't have any real problem taking mine to and from university. Note that the thick build does result in an extremely stable, solidly built unit.

There are also other issues which are well documented on this forum, any or all of which could appear on the Vostro you receive (grainy screen, CPU whine, headphone jack hiss, etc.). All of these can be rectified however via the warranty.

BTW, I have XP, and it's running great. Gaming performance is better than in Vista, at least with current drivers. I would say that the 8600M GT upgrade is WELL worth it; although games like WoW will be very playable on the 8400 GS, anything more graphic intensive will have issues (especially with higher settings etc.). For reference, I run WoW with everything maxed except terrain distance, and generally get around 50FPS indoors, and around 30-40 outdoors, depending on the number of people/monsters/etc. that are around.

 

If you're planning to play ANY new games, get the 8600m GT. Don't play WoW

If not...stick with the 8400GS...but you'll regret it!

Grainy screens and whatnot are not the norm. There is a vocal minority on here that has gotten them. Nobody complains they got a good screen. My roommate went through a 1400 and a 1500. No grainy screens. Though he wanted the 8600GT though since he had the x3100 on the 1400

 

Hey, what do you mean about WoW, i was doing some research and the 8600M GT should run at max WoW

Theres something i may be missing?

 

a life jk, wow is a good game and should run on max with that card.

 

Haha alright thanks for the advice !!

 

Only other reason not to get a Vostro would be the 8600GT DDR2 memory. Hardcore enthusiast gamers who go for the latest hardware slaying FPS tend to complain on NBR forums that the 8600GT can't give them the details they want at 14xx and above resolutions. If OP doesn't live and die according to the latest FPS framerate and eyecandy then the Vostro is a good purchase.

I've ordered one myself and paid for it this morning. I'm looking forward to receiving it and can't say I have major regrets over the purchase.

 

I was skeptical too about my Vostro 1500. And yes, I got a crappy screen on my first one, but they have a 21-day no questions asked return or exchange policy. If it's within that 21 days they will exchange your purchase with a brand new replacement. Beyond the 21 days it may be new or a refurbished one. But you'll know right away about the screen.

Other than that the Vostro 1500 is a solid built machine, and for the price, you just can't beat it.

 

I would also recommend Vostro 1500. My screen had no problems, actually it is the best LCD screen I have ever seen.

 

I got a vostro 1700 recently and i must tell i'm not happy with dell's quality control. My notebook died after 3 days....

However, I'm glad it was a dell though. Their warrenty/exchange/replacement policy is amazing. Sent me a replacement notebook ASAP at no charge.

 

there is no reason that you should not get Vostro. Unless you care about fancy schmancy colors. Then get the Inspiron.

* I personally like all plain black look of the Vostro. It's plain, simple.
* It's practically an Inspiron in a black suit at a LOWER PRICE.
* You get the Business level Support
* The extended warranty with on-site repair is CHEAPER.
* Vostro has 30 day no questions asked guarantee exchange/return
* Any problems Vostro has, the Inspiron does too because essentially they are one and same

No reason NOT to get a Vostro over Inspiron if you don't care about the look. (all black is NICE).

 

It's a thick, heavy pig.

And, unfortunately, it runs Windows.

But, it's half the price of a sexy, thin computer.

 

what would you recommend?

 

Show me a laptop that doesn't run windows, and I'll show you a laptop that doesn't run.

 

One additional note: I do not feel any static on the headphone jack of my Vostro 1500. Either my computer does not have the problem (although it should be there if this is a design problem), or I am not as sensitive to hear it.

Regarding Vostro 1500 being heavy and thick, it is true that some people feel this way. My Vostro 1500 was originally a gift to a relative that I had carefully configured for the best price/performance. But she did not like it due to same reason, apparently she was looking for a Macbook or Sony Vaio. But I did not return it, I had paid $798 (including tax+shipping) for this laptop and it was an unbelievable deal. I kept it for myself, and used the laptop happily ever after