Dell Vostro 1700 Laptop Computer Review
January 13th, 2010It is quite obvious that the screen of 17 inch is one of the largest in the notebook market globally. The Dell Company that has a reputable name in the market of notebook has introduced the Dell Vostro 1700 battery. The device comes in the category of the Vostro, which is a macrocosm of the Dell Company. The introduction of the Dell Vostro 1700 notebook are really proven that the Company has what it takes to bring out the best performing notebooks in the world. The device is equipped with a lot of functionality and it highly adequate in the processing of data and information. The device is equipped with a screen of 17 inch that has resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels. Other features the device is equipped with are a 2.0 MP camera, Vista Home Premium, Intel Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g and many more.
The niche segments in the computer market are becoming more and more diverse and audience-focused. Take for instance Dell’s Vostro line of computers. A line of desktops and laptops aimed to suit the needs of small businesses, the Vostro succeeded Dell’s Dimension series, which catered to home and small business users as one market. Dell understood the increasing gap in the needs of home users and small businesses and created separate model lines for both markets. And Dell did not stop there as we witness further segmentation even within the Vostro series.
At the bottom of the Vostro laptop series is the basic Vostro 1000 and at the top is the feature-rich Vostro 1700 models. The focus of this review is the Dell Vostro 1710. The “17” designation denotes the 17 inch screen which is available in two resolution options – 1440×900 WXGA+ and 1920×1200 WUXGA. Processing power is courtesy of Intel’s Core 2 Duo T9500 CPUs (up to the 2.6GHz) and RAM configuration is up to a maximum of 4GB.
I ordered first the Dell Inspiron 1720 battery from Dell’s Spanish web site only to see a day later the new Vostro line which offered exactly the same specifications but for a lower price, something I did not expect since I thought the Vostro was supposed to be a business model, like the Latitude line. I rang Dell and asked for advice. The sales person told me that, with the exception of the fancy colors on the NIKON EN-EL9 battery, there is not much difference between the two hardware-wise and it is no problem if I want to cancel the Inspiron order and get the Vostro instead.
The final price, VAT included, was 950.04 euros, a saving of 200 euros over the Inspiron. This price included free shipping and 50 euros off. I ordered it over the phone since Vista Home Premium was not available on Dell’s web site for the Vostro line. The sales person was happy to change the default Vista Business edition into Home Premium.
So far, so good. One must admit that less than 1000 euros for a 17″ notebook with Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia graphics is a total bargain. However, not all was good news. It took four working days to process my order, even though I placed the order the day Vostro came out (10 July 2007). First I was told that Dell will refund me the difference from the Inspiron so I do not have to worry about payment. Two days later I was told that this is not possible so I have to make another payment. Eventually I paid by a bank transfer since Dell takes ages to unblock the amount of a cancelled order on a credit card and I did not have enough limit for the Vostro. As soon as I made the payment, that was the last I heard of the sales person. He neither replied to any of my emails nor phone calls.
After several calls to Dell’s Customer Service, I managed to have the order processed and got a delivery date of 9 August. Three days before this date I still had not heard anything from Dell and the web tracking showed that my Vostro is still in pre-production. I called Dell only to be told that as far as the system is concerned the delivery date is still OK. But the next day I received an email that the delivery is delayed until September. Very unprofessional of Dell, not to inform the customer earlier of such a delay. Eventually my Vostro arrived on the 22 August.
Tech Specs
- Core 2 Duo 1.4 Ghz ( Santa Rosa)
- 17″ Widescreen XGA
- 2 Gb DDR2 667MHz RAM
- 128Mb Nvidia GeForce 8400GS
- 160G 5400 SATA hard drive
- Windows Vista Home Basic
- 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+R write capability
- Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card
- Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
- 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Perhaps the nicest placement of ports is the microphone and headphone ports immediately at the front. These go alongside a panel of 7 media buttons that control Media Players when running Windows. These include Volume Up, Down and Mute, Play/Pause, Forward, Backward and Stop. These function with Windows Media Player as well as Dell Media Center, which is an Toshiba PA3331U-1BRS battery extremely useful pre-installed application useful for playing DVDs. Directly above the media panel is a responsive touchpad with integrated scrolling (brushing the edges of the touch-pad is the same as rolling a mouse-wheel) and two responsive mouse buttons. Of course, you can connect your own USB mouse.
The Vostro 1700 is a beautiful laptop. It comes in smooth metallic black, with silver embellishments and blue glowing LEDs. It is packed with little features for connectivity and easy of use. Everything about the laptop is smooth, from the motion of the fold as you open and close it, to the cushioned laptop keyboard keys. The machine comes pre-installed with Windows and several useful but non-invasive programs such as McAfee Internet Security and a Media Center. It works very smoothly, has a good battery life, and is overall an exceptional machine.









