The Dell Inspiron line offers PC’s for mainstream users and in the middle of the model lineup is the Dell Inspiron 1420, also known as the Inspiron 14 for short. Stuck between the budget conscious 13 and flashier 15, the Inspiron 14 also is more functional than the Inspiron 9 netbook and less capable than the XPS laptops. But being average doesn’t mean this PC is a bad choice, after all, Toyota moves a lot of cars built upon the basicas of being reliable and practical. Though with such tech laden gadets reliability is uncertain, the Inspiron 14 is practical and will appeal to the mainstream consumers it was intented to. priced between $600 and $1080
HIGHLIGHTS: 14.1 inch WXGA TFT LCD display, Vista Home Basic and Premium OS, Blueray disc drive, Bluetooth, advanced wireless options including Wi-Fi catcher and advanced antenna design, 2.0MP webcam, optional nVIDIA graphics card and mobile broadband. Dell Media Direct, Starts at 5.4 lbs. 1 year limited hardware warranty with in home service after remote diagnosis. Choose between Blue, black or Product Red.
SPECIFICATIONS: Width: 13.1 inches Height front: 1.26 inches Height rear; 1.5 inches Depth: 9.6 inches.
Choose between Intel Celeron, Pentium Dual Core and Core 2 Duo processors up to 2.0GHz, Vista Homa Basic or Premium, 1-4 GB of memory, a 14.1 inch (1280 x 800) LCD display with or without True LIfe or upgrade to the 14.1 high resolution (1440 x 900) Ultra Sharp LCD display with True Life, 120-320 GB hard drive rated for 5400 or 7200rpm, CD/DVD burner with Blueray capability, Intel GMA X3100 video card or upgrade to the nVIDIA GEFORCE Go 8400M GS with 120MB DDR3 dedicated memory, 6 or 9 cell lithium ion battery, optional 2.0MP webcam, 4 USB ports, integrated 10/100 LAN and 56k modem, IEEE 1394a port, 8-1 media card reader, VGA and S video outputs, stereo in, headphone/speaker out and dual digital mic audio jacks, optional Bluetooth 2.0 consumer IR, optional USB external TV tuner card, Dell Wirless 1390 or 1490 802.11g mini cards or Dell wireless 1505 wireless N mini card or Intel Pro wireless 3945 802.11a/g mini card or Intel Wireless Next Gen N mini card. 54mm expresscard, 7.1 channel surround sound, and media control buttons.
Customers RAVE about: Inexpensive, color and equipment choices, portable
Customers RANT about: Cheap feeling, dated design/equipment , touch pad and speakers could be better and noisy CD/DVD drive
OVERVIEW: There is quite a lot of overlap between the base Inspiron 14 and the Inspiron 13 so buyers would do well to cross shop them and compare features and price online at Dell’s website. The 14 line offers an array of techincal options which the 13 does not, so the more computer savvy buyer could make a strong case for purchasing a 14 over a 13. The Dell Inspiron 1420 offers better screen quality and resolution, advanced wireless options, a beter graphics card, and more audio/video ports. Combined with a slightly larger screen, the Inspiron 14 makes sense for home entertainment purposes but is also quite easy to travel with. If portability and price are less of a concern, then one may also consider stepping up to the Inspiron 15 which can be specced with Vista Ultimate and more audio/visual equipment. It also comes in an array of fun colors!
OTHER OPTIONS:
* HP Pavillion DV6915NR
* Gateway T-6836
* Toshiba Satellite A305D
* HP Pavillion DV2915NR
from 405 votes
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