Laptops Arena

If someone would ask me which is the notebook that all my friends use, I would answer without even thinking about it: Dell Inspiron 1525. Of all Dell Inspire notebooks this model offers the best balance between price and quality and this is why it was the choice of a lot of notebook users. You can buy this notebook in 8 different colors and 4 patterns. The 15.4 inch screen escapable of showing very clear and sharp images even if the display is glossy and it will reflect any powerful light. When you open the lid you will see nothing but silver. The keys are very firm and they give a positive response when you are typing. The touchpad has a new design and it is very pleasant to use even if your fingers are a bit wet. The left and right mouse buttons produce a clicking sound when you press them but some of my friends are having trouble with the left mouse button after one year of using this notebook. They have to press it repeatedly to get it to work and there is no more clicking sound. The scroll areas are marked specifically so you know exactly where to put your fingers. Above the keyboard you have a set of multimedia control buttons which are touch sensitive. Whenever you press them they will light up. Here you also have the normal power button and another button which launches your default web browser.

There is nothing to complain about the number of ports and connections. You have 4 USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks, express card slot, an Ethernet port, a HDMI and S-Video out plus a Memory Card Reader, FireWire and the Kensington Lock slot. One thing we like is that the back of the notebook has no ports as they would be difficult to reach. The speakers are okay and they produce decent sound especially because they are located above the keyboard so there is nothing blocking the sound. It is recommended you use headphones if you want to get better sound quality and you can even attach some external speakers if you use this notebook at home. The unit reviewed has a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 processor with 2 GB of DDR2 RAM, an Intel integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 and 120 GB of available disk space. If you want you can upgrade to 4 GB of DDR2 RAM and you can also choose one of the models that have an integrated 2.0 megapixel Webcam. The graphics card on this notebook is not that great because Dell has other similar notebook models dedicated to people that need better graphics. In consequence this notebook was not made for gamers due to the weak graphic card.


Even if you run multiple applications this notebook will not have any hit issues. Even if the fan keeps the system cool it makes a lot of noise and this could be disturbing if you are used to working in a quiet environment. The battery life is not very satisfying. You will get your unit with 6-cell battery which can last almost 3 hours with the wireless function turned on and the screen set to maximum brightness. However if you put your notebook on "power saver" mode you will extend the battery life to 3 hours and 30 minutes. Even if this notebook was a very good choice for people who don't have a lot of money to spend, it seems that the Dell Inspiron 1525 is no longer available for purchase on the Dell Website.



However we are told of a new Dell Inspiron notebook which is a replacement to the 1525. The Dell Inspiron 1545 (which is also called the Inspiron 15) is also available in different colors, just to keep the Inspiron tradition. The standard color is called Matte Black which is fingerprint magnet and you need to keep it clean all the time. The real nightmare will be revealed when you open the lid. Everything is black and glossy. Other than attracting fingerprints the design has nothing special worth talking about. The notebook is made of solid plastic so there should be no problems with durability. The keyboard is pretty much the same like the one used on the Inspiron 1525 except that now the keys are black.



We are not happy that Dell has decided to take out the touch sensitive multimedia control buttons because they made the notebook look more professional and they will also very useful especially when you are watching an movie or listening music. The speakers are a bit better than the one found in Inspiron 1525 and the sound does not suffer any distortions even if you turn up the volume. The boring design is compensated by the components inside the notebook. The processor is a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800. The system also has 3 GB RAM which means you need to use Windows Vista or Windows 7. The graphics card is still an integrated Intel GMA 4500 which means this notebook isn't good for gaming even you can use it for pretty much anything else. The 250 GB of available disk space means that you can use this notebook as your primary computer. Except for the video card another very bad aspect of this notebook is the battery life. The average for a 15.4 inch notebook is about 4 hours and the Dell Inspiron 1545 only lasts an hour and 30 minutes (we use it with a non-intensive reading test).



This notebook is very good for people who are picky about their computer and only need a machine that can help them get things done. This means it's okay to browse the internet, read or write documents, edit pictures, watch movies, listen to music and even play some mainstream games. You have 3 USB ports, one VGA port, one headphone-out and one microphone-in jack, an Ethernet port, Kensington lock and 5-in-1 Card Reader.



The starting price for this notebook is $380 but if you want to customize your notebook and go with the ATI Mobility Radeon video card you will end up paying $800.