Dell Inspiron E1705

by Steve
(Buena Park, Ca)

I have been purchasing Dell computers for over 7 years now. I have had very good luck with the computers, I wish I could say the same for their service.

I customized my computer for online games starting with the High resolution screen. The glass coating and 1920X1200 screen are a must. Next I selected the NVIDIA 512mb GeForce 7800 video card to drive the display. To handle the Memory requirements I took the full 4GB of Ram. Now I needed enough processor to handle it all so I picked the true Intel T-2500 dual core processor operating at 2.00GHZ.

With this in mind I also took the option of the 9 cell battery. The idea was to be a portable game system I could take with when we went to visit people. It works very well for what I intended but it is a power monster. Average life on battery alone is about 45 min. Much less for heavy game playing on Wireless.

Also I needed to add a program from Dell support to keep the fans a full speed. Heat from the processor and memory is a big problem. I need to keep a tray under it on my lap to keep it from scorching the table or my legs. The computer was shipped with a 180GB hard drive operating at 5500RPM. After two weeks I swapped this for a 7200RPM 500GB Seagate drive. The 5200RPM drive had a very slow transfer rate and caused hesitation in the games.

Overall I am very pleased with the laptop. I was disappointed in the service that Dell provided. When the battery went dead after 3 months and would not hold or take a charge I was told it was not covered under warrenty.

Also it was very hard to get a service person who spoke good english. Except for the battery issue the laptop has been operating on a daily basis three to four hours a day over two years with no problems at all.

The keyboard is large enough for easy key input and easy cleaning. The touch pad works perfect and can be used by the thumbs with fingers still on the keys. The sound of the factory speakers is loud enough to fill the room with clear sound for cartoons and movies for my grand children.

The case is easy to clean as is the screen with a soft damp cloth. The movie and sound controls are located at the front of the case for easy access and the Media Direct is very quick to play Movies.

The hard drive replacement was quick and is accessed from outside the case with the removal of a few screws and a cover. Most parts that a consumer would choose to swap out over time have very easy access. Memory and DVD drive also are designed for quick remove and replace. I would recommend this model to any person looking for a portable computer.