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Dell Laptops

I'm afraid that the build quality of Dell laptops is often very poor. While Dells were once pinnacles of computing excellence (I've got a six-year-old Dell machine I'm using as my Linux box - it's great!), they've done everything possible to cut costs, from poor tech support to cheap paint.

I'm never buying one again.
 
yeah, i had an E1505 and it started doing the same thing after 3 months. Im strictly staying away from Inspirons, but the Latitudes are built a little better and come with a standard 3 year warranty.
 
Originally posted by: Brainonska511
Dell Inspiron Laptops are value laptops. Don't expect too much out of them.
Click to expand...

This is very true. My brother and father both bought Inspirons semi-recently, and they have given them nothing but problems.

In my fathers laptop, the onboard speakers quit working, and the screen is starting to look (even more) terrible.

On my brothers, the fans don't spin as fast as they need to, or at all sometimes, and it overheats after about five minutes of use. He had to buy one of those usb fan things just to keep using it.

Consider yourself lucky that the only problem you have right now is fading paint.

P.S. Thinkpads are quality notebooks, if you are going to be in the market for a new one soon. I have a six year old Thinkpad and there is not a thing wrong with it, and there never has been.
 
If you go Dell, go Latitude via Small Business. My experience with them, while limited, is excellent. The Inspirons are hit or miss, for low values of hit.
 
Too bad, my 4 1/2 year old Sony laptop looks as good as the day i bought it except for a few keys being slightly polished from use.
 
You guys are making me nervous!

I have a 3 1/2 year old Thinkpad T40 that has been a total work-horse for me. It's starting to have some weird I/O problems recently (blue screens now and then) that are forcing me to a new machine.

The problem is that while a new T60 is going to cost at least $1,600 with a decent configuration, I can get a simlarly configured Inspiron 1505 from the outlet (prev. ordered new) for just over $1,000. I love the Thinkpad, and I especially love the little red mouse pointer and the matte black finish and I would love to get the Thinkpad again, but they're just feeling a little pricey for me right now. If I don't like the Inspiron, I'll bite the bullet and get back into a Thinkpad but for now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
 
I have a Dell 8600 that's been a workhorse for damn near 3 years now. Haven't had a single issue with it whatsoever. I know the 8600 is an older Inspiron model, but the quality and dependability has been awesome. 🙂
 
The inspirons are definitely hit or miss. I have a 9300 that is in good shape after almost two years (keyboard has been replaced once and needs it again due to broken keys) but the screen, paint, etcetera are all holding up great. It helps that it's a desktop machine and doesn't leave the desk often. I also have a 700M that the battery is dying on after a 18 months, the speakers quit after a year, the case creaks terribly and is a bit rickety, the keyboard has lost two keys, and the paint is fading (badly on the left mouse button).

I was able to fix the speakers myself but the other problems are still there in the 700M. The 700 is working and functioning well but it feels flimsy.

I have a T60 at work and it's about 9 months old. Very good shape overall. The paint won't peel because it isn't painted. It doesn't creak or have any flex like the 700 does. The keyboard is also worlds better than any of the Inspirons. That keyboard really makes the laptop much more enjoyable to use.
 
Originally posted by: Aimster
My paint is fading under the keyboard. E1705

I noticed other Dell laptops have this problem as well.

What gives?
Click to expand...

It's much worse on my sister's old P3 KDS laptop. The paint is all worn out on the palm rest.

My 2nd-hand I6000D is still holding up okay but I may repaint/clear coat it if I need to. Being able to separate the plastic parts from the hardware is great for painting 🙂
 
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