- Available in Multiple Colors
- Relatively Inexpensive
- Highly Customizable
- Quality Control Issues
- Can't Quite Reach Same Performance Levels As Other Notebooks
- Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 Dual Core Mobil Processor
- 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
- 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) Display and 2MP Webcam in Bezel
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 256MB
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wireless, Bluetooth
- Four USB 2.0, FireWire, ExpressCard/54, 8-in-1 Reader
- 14.1" x 10.6" x 1.7" @ 6.4 lbs.
- Vista Home Premium, MS Works, McAfee Internet Security
11/6/07 – Dell's Inspiron lineup of notebooks is clearly targeted at those looking for a notebook within a budget. The reason for this is that their XPS lineup is designed to fulfill the performance market. That is fine for the ultraportable and desktop replacement segments, but leaves a void for the thin and lights.
It is still possible to configure the Inspiron 1520 to provide a solid mobile computing platform, it just fails to live up to offerings from other companies. For example, most configurations still use the older Core Duo T2000 or Core 2 Duo T5000 series processors. It is possible to get it with a T7250 for improved performance thankfully. This combined with 2GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory allows it to run the Vista operating system smoothly. 3 or 4GB configurations are available but not worth the extra cost.
Hard drive choice are quite good with a good set of capacities. Even the smallest 160GB 5400rpm drive provides it with a good amount of storage. DVD burners are pretty much the standard and the best option. Dell also offers Bluray drives, but the costs aren't really worth the investment.
Graphics are a mixed bag. The base 1280x800 screen is definitely a strong choice and matched up well with the GeForce 8600M GT 256MB graphics card. The larger 1440x900 and 1680x1050 screens are useful for those needing some extra resolution, but it decreases the size of text. The graphics cards also isn't as able to handle these higher resolutions due to its smaller memory size.
So, where does this leave the Inspiron 1520? Its a good choice for those looking for a low cost all around notebook, but it isn't really going to excel in any particularly area. Dell's support has also declined in the past few years
