Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop Review: Bundle of joy

The Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop is a positive bundle of joy. Inspiron is the budget series from Dell, which is why it used to lag behind in terms of looks and features. But with the Inspiron 1525, Dell is really stepping up the game in this segment. It has serious looks and style now, and altogether comes as a very attractive package.

The standard configuration comes with Core2Duo processors from Intel, which runs on a 2MB L2 cache with an 800MHz Front Side Bus (FSB). So, while it can run most software and games at acceptable speeds, multitasking with resource heavy software may cause a performance loss.

The Dell Inspiron 1525 supports dual channel architecture for RAM and supports up to 4GB of DDR 667MHz modules. It comes equipped with 2GB (1,024MBx2). This RAM strength in the real world is enough for running most day-to-day operations, including some games and multitasking with an open Internet browser.

Storage is in the form of a 160GB SATA HDD, spinning in at 5400 RPM. Now, that is not the fastest HDD, but for a general Laptop, it is fast enough not to slow you down while playing music or watching movies.

The display is a gorgeous 15.4″ WXGA+ with a maximum resolution of 1440×900pixels. It sports the Intel integrated GMA X3100 for graphics. Simple games and intermediate image editing are possible. Running the latest games from 2008 or editing videos might prove to be a task at times, but your movies images will look great on a clear and sharp widescreen.

The Inspiron 1525 comes with a CD/DVD writer, and an 8-in-1 Media Card reader, which lets you, read cards from some mobile phones and digital cameras. So you get an easy way to transfer data on the go.

At 35.7cm by 25.6cm by 2.5-3.5cm, this laptop might feel a bit on the larger side, but it still quite portable at 2.7 kilos. The standard battery package is a 9-cell lithium ion battery, which is more than the standard 6cell. This translates into a longer battery life than most other laptops in this range.

It has multiple ins and outs for connecting devices. It has not two but four USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 Ethernet port, Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 802.11 a/b/g, VGA and S-Video outputs, HDMI out, Modem (RJ11) port, Bluetooth, IEEE 1394a (FireWire) and the already mentioned card reader. With all these options, it will be hard for you to find a place where you can’t hook up your Inspiron 1525.

There are also multiple optional features like a webcam and multiple colors and finishes. So you can really customize it and choose what is best for you. With an average cost below the $1000 range, it is really a great midrange laptop. It is powerful, versatile, customizable, and comes out really great!

Dell Inspiron 1525 Specifications

Processor:

Model: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100

Speed:  2.1 GHz

Front Side Bus: 800 MHz

Cache: 2 MB L2

Screen:

Size: 15.4-inch WXGA

Screen Type: TFT active matrix

Graphics card:

Type: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100

Version: Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0
Hard Disk:

Size: 120 GB

Type: SATA-150 - 5400 rpm

RAM:

Size: 2 GB / 4 GB (max)

Type: DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz

Networking

WLAN: 802.11a/b/g/n

OS (operating system): Windows Vista

Version: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
Pros: It is highly customizable. This laptop comes in many shaded, so you can always chose the one, as per your liking. Owing to the battery set up this machine can be at your service for longer hours, without any refueling.

Cons: For a 15.4-inch laptop, it seems a tad bigger than it should be. Though it can play most of the average software, but its performance takes a dip, when it comes to running heavy resource software.

Price: $649 (Starting range)