Yes... Another M1530 Review

This is my personal review of the Dell XPS M1530 after having it for a week now. I’ve come to slightly different findings than a few other reviewers. This laptop as of late seems to be oft reviewed. This laptop replaces a three year old $800 Acer 5021 with Turion ML28 and X600. I’m a Mechanical Engineering college student, so the laptop gets used for random things from gaming to music to CAD.

Laptop Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2MB cache/2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB)
200 GB Free Fall Sensor Hard Drive 9.5MM (7200)
9 Cell Primary Battery
3 GB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz (2 DIMMs)
8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio Software Edition
Bluetooth Wireless Card 355
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
15.4 inch WXGA Laptop Screen
Intel 4965 802.11a/g/n Dual-Band Mini Card
Price: $1,175.65 after tax. Refurbished.

Immediately after receiving the laptop, I found two issues right off the bat. 1) I got a two prong adapter. 2) I still dislike Vista. The first issue was resolved by Dell with great customer service. I logged onto Dell Chat, requested a three prong, and was promptly sent a new adapter via DHL Airborne. The latter issue was fixed by going to XP Pro. When Vista first came out, I tried Vista Business but immediately went back to XP. Gave Vista (Home this time) another try with this laptop but still disliked it. I only wish Dell had actual M1530 XP driver support instead of requiring finagling.

Build Quality:
I’m honestly going to say I’m ever so slightly disappointed with build quality on this machine. For reference, I was debating between this laptop and a T61P with the Mg roll cage. I know, the price difference between the two laptops makes it an unfair fight for the Dell. Still, I wish the LCD panel cover had better internal reinforcement. Applying pressure on the outside does cause slight distortion on the display, whereas the T’s are rock solid. Besides from that though, I have no complaints with build quality. The metal case is definitely nice and feels solid overall. The base is a great improvement in rigidity compared to my plastic Acer, which flexes a lot.

Build Quality 8-1/2 out of 10

Performance:
Benchmarks and all have been covered already by other reviewers. Seat of the pants, this laptop is definitely quick. I honestly didn’t see a need for a new laptop in terms of performance. My Acer does everything I need it to. The only reason I got this is because the Acer was literally falling apart on me and I had to constantly keep it plugged in as the battery was disconnecting while inserted due to chassis flex.

LCD Panel:
Oh, the dreaded grainy screen issues of the M1530… I actually received a CPT141F lcd panel. Right out of the box, I was impressed by the vividness of the display. It’s actually a beautiful display with zero dead pixels. After reading the threads on grainy/bleeding, I got a bit paranoid about mine and set about looking for issues. Initially, I found backlight bleeding around the edges (about half a millimeter in from the sides and bottom). Then I realized I wasn’t looking at the screen from dead on perpendicular, and all the bleeding “went away.” So, I notice bleeding from angles off of perpendicular in complete darkness, but I can’t notice any deficiencies under normal usage. Viewing angles of the screen are pretty good; the horizontal is excellent while the vertical is average for this type of screen. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the CPT screen.

Screen: 9 out of 10

Battery Life:
Battery life on this laptop is excellent. I’m getting over 5 hours with browsing and office. I would recommend getting the 9 cell as not only extends life, but also tilts the laptop up for easier typing and better venting.

Other observations:
There are a few design things that I’d love to point out to. One of the best things with the M1530 is the slot load DVD burner. I’m personally a big fan of slot loads on laptops. One nice design feature is the burner is recessed inside and the DVD slot actually cut into the metal case. My old Acer merely had a drive faceplate cover that was easily damaged; it’s actually missing all its clips now and just barely hangs in there to cover the burner.

The travel remote is another favorite of mine on this design. It’s a great little tool for presentations and media viewing. Awesome thing too, Dell shipped me the laptop with a remote in the express card slot and had a second brand new remote in the box. I’m happy to report the remote still functions properly for volume, media controls, and up/down with XP Pro without any additional software.

Overall, the case design is also just beautiful. I love the Tuxedo Black finish. It definitely attracts attention from others and it looks much more high class than most people would associate with a Dell. Quite a few people now have actually said they wish they’d considered an M1530 instead of the *insert blank* (Macbook, HP, R-pad, etc; No T-series folks though. haha). The brushed Al feels nice, and overall the laptop just looks great.

Other thoughts:
I wish that more companies would follow the Apple style magnetic power connector. If Dell would reinforce the front panel and change the power connector to a magnetic type, I’d love it even more. As it is, I feel it’s a great laptop for the price. The only laptop I’d consider over this would be a T-series Thinkpad, but I can’t justify the high price of a Thinkpad when I can just save the money and get another replacement down the line. If my Acer can last three years with a failing plastic case (still works, just not portable), I’m confident this can last 4+ years barring any hardware issues.