Dell laptops are often the go-to machines for those aiming at affordability. Of course, that doesn't imply that buying one means that you're cheap or cash-strapped. If anything, it's a sign that you're a savvy shopper who's sensible with money. If you're a fan of the Dell Inspiron 6000 (dell inspiron 6000 battery )or the Dell Inspiron E1505 ((dell inspiron e1505 battery), you'll love the Dell Inspiron E1505 (Core 2 Duo). Considering what you get, it's a great purchase: The E1505 (Core 2 Duo) is the only $999 (E-Value code: DNCMEA1) laptop on the market that comes with discrete graphics, a Core 2 Duo processor, and 1GB of RAM. Indeed, there's no other system like it, and for that reason, it earns the Editors' Choice title (for the third time) in the budget space.
Dell's newest budget entertainment notebook falls somewhere between the company's high-end Inspiron E1705 (8.2 pounds; 17-inch screen) and its travel notebook, the Inspiron 710m (4.2 pounds; 12.1-inch wide-aspect screen dell inspiron 710m battery ). A nice compromise, the Inspiron E1505 ( dell inspiron 6400 battery )weighs 6.5 pounds and has a 15.4-inch wide screen; its keyboard is larger than the 710m's, as well. It's also a fairly good multimedia notebook for nongamers on a budget.
With the release of Windows Vista in late January, PC manufacturers have been quick to update their laptop models--those that can handle the upgrade, that is--with various flavors of the new operating system. For the midsize Inspiron E1505(hp pavilion dv1000 battery ), Dell now offers a choice of Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Home Basic. We got our hands on an updated E1505 with the Premium version and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Despite its high-end components, the laptop's performance on our benchmarks didn't wow us, most likely due to the new demands of Windows Vista. We expect to encounter similar lags on most of the first-generation Vista systems, though, and because we still like the Inspiron E1505's design and feature set, we think it remains a solid choice for home users who want a basic media-friendly laptop.
Aside from some component upgrades, this Inspiron E1505 (dell xps m1210 battery)is identical to the XP version we reviewed last year; please read that review for complete details about the laptop's design, features, and warranty.
Our Windows Vista-based Inspiron E1505 review unit costs $1,789 for a competitive mix of the latest components, including a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, 2GB of fast 667MHz RAM, a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated memory, and a 100GB hard drive spinning at a fast 7,200rpm. That's a pretty strong setup that we'd expect to perform really well, but it appears that the new operating system dragged the Inspiron E1505 down on several of CNET Labs' performance benchmarks. On all but one test, the Inspiron E1505 lagged behind a Dell Latitude ATG D620 (dell latitude d610 battery )running Windows XP on an arguably lesser configuration (the same processor but less RAM, a slower hard drive, and integrated graphics). The Inspiron E1505 did come out on top on our Photoshop test, most likely because of its ample allotment of RAM. Benchmarks aside, the laptop did not feel at all sluggish during our anecdotal use, when we performed basic tasks, such as checking e-mail, listening to music, and performing a quick system scan with Windows Defender. We think most home users will find the Vista-based Inspiron E1505 to have enough oomph for their everyday computing needs, provided they aren't heavy multitaskers.
The Vista-based Inspiron E1505's (dell latitude x300 battery )battery ran out of juice at the 2-hour, 34-minute mark of our DVD battery-drain test. That's not bad for a laptop that isn't particularly portable, although the smaller battery on the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro (which includes a slower hard drive) lasted almost half an hour longer. The Dell Latitude ATG D620, with a smaller screen and less-power-hungry components, outlasted the Inspiron E1505 by 1 hour, 21 minutes.
Dell's revamped Inspiron E1505, an entertainment notebook, now includes an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Though still a poor choice for gaming, the E1505 is plenty zippy for any other applications, including music and photo editing, and movie viewing. The 6.9-pound E1505 also throws in pretty good speakers, dedicated media buttons, and a cushy keyboard with stylish white trim, giving you a great all-around choice for consumers who don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a desktop replacement.
Generously equipped for the price, our $1186 (as of 11/6/06) E1505 ( hp pavilion zd8000 battery )came with the Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system, a double-layer DVD burner, four USB ports, a FireWire port, an ExpressCard slot, and a three-in-one memory card reader. The laptop's 15.4-inch WXGA screen is great for mainstream work, but if you need to see more on your screen at once, a WSXGA+ resolution is an option.
Equipped with a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 processor and 1GB of RAM, our machine earned a WorldBench 5 score of 102, which ranks within the top 20 percent of notebooks we've tested. The first E1505 we reviewed--equipped with a 1.66-GHz Core Duo T2300 processor (apple powrbook g4 battery )and 1GB of RAM--did not play games smoothly and ran noticeably slower than other notebooks when we worked in multiple windows. With the faster chip, the notebook is now a much better multitasker, on a par with competitors, but game play is still poor: The laptop managed just 19 frames per second when displaying Doom and 36 fps in Far Cry. The 64MB of dedicated video memory allowed by a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon X130 HyperMemory card just isn't enough to get most games off the ground. (We didn't test with the optional 256MB video card.)
Expandability is somewhat limited. The E1505 is user upgradable, with both the hard drive and memory chips in accessible bottom compartments. However, docking is nothing fancy, with only a couple of options--the better one being a screen stand port replicator, a $103 extra. (You must provide the wireless keyboard and mouse.)
All in all, Dell has another winner in the souped-up E1505. Though not for gamers, the E1505 is a strong contender for your consumer dollar.
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