With a complete top-to-bottom revamp of Dell's entire laptop line in mid 2007, why the need for a new mainstream model so soon? While the current 14-inch Inspiron 1420 hits the size/features/performance sweet spot, and the high-end XPS M1330 and the XPS M1530 are slick, thin 13- and 15-inch models, respectively, the middle of the road Inspiron 1520 was always a little too big and clunky for its own good. When compared with the 14-inch version, Dell's basic 15-inch Inspiron -- long the bread and butter of the company's consumer laptop line -- got lost in the shuffle, offering a small increase in screen size but at the expense of a larger, more unwieldy chassis.
Dell's taken these points to heart, and the company has reworked the 1520 in the form of the Inspiron 1525. It's a smaller, lighter version of the previous 15-inch Inspiron 1520. However, after getting used to the brushed metal of the XPS M1530 (which itself starts at only AU$1,699), the new Inspiron 1525 has a somewhat cheap plastic feel, and we're not sure how much abuse it would stand up to on the road. But for a laptop that starts at only AU$749 it offers a lot of bang for your buck, including an HDMI output and touch-sensitive media controls, which are solid extras for a budget laptop. Our review unit bumps the spec up and includes a T7000 series Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM, Vista Home Premium, N wireless networking and Bluetooth for about a still reasonable AU$1,240.80.
With the upgraded Inspiron 1525, Dell has managed to shave a little bulk off of the system -- it's about 30 percent thinner and 200 grams lighter than the 1520 model it replaces -- and the smaller chassis leaves less dead space on the keyboard tray.
The keyboard is the same full-size model found on Dell's other Inspiron and XPS laptops. While the keyboard is not our favourite as its tapered keys may not offer enough surface area for chubby fingers, it feels solid and responsive. Above the keyboard sits a row of media control buttons. These are of the touch-sensitive variety we're partial to, and the Inspiron 1525 is the cheapest laptop we've seen those on yet. An additional quick-launch button is also above the keyboard for starting Dell's proprietary multimedia management software, but chances are you'll stick with more established programs such as Windows Media Center or iTunes.
The 15.4-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280 x 800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size. Our screen was glossy, as is common with consumer laptops as they make a better video viewing experience. We typically see matte screens on business systems, and generally prefer them rather than trying to fight the glare from our desk lamp or sunlit window.
With 2GB of RAM and a 2.0GHz T7250 CPU, the Dell Inspiron 1525 offered no surprises on the performance front. Dell's upscale XPS version -- the XPS M1530 -- was faster, sporting a better processor and video card (the 1525 is stuck with basic Intel integrated graphics), but similarly configured versions of both systems would offer nearly identical performance, with the XPS premium going for better design and construction.
The Inspiron 1525 ran for 2 hours and 41 minutes on our DVD battery drain test using the included six-cell battery, a decent score for budget 15-inch laptop. A nine-cell battery is also available, but it's large enough to stick out conspicuously from the back of the system. Our DVD battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.
Dell includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labour warranty with the system. Upgrading to a three-year plan will cost an extra AU$199.10, which includes on-site service. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, and Dell's robust online knowledge base and driver downloads, although XPS customers get access to a different, better-quality, tech support line. Dell will also send you a free recycling kit for your old laptop on request (basically a prepaid postage label to ship old products back to a recycling facility).
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
System configurations:
Dell Inspiron 1525
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250;
2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 965GM Express; 120GB
Saegate Momentus 5,400rpm
Dell XPS M1530
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700;
2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT; 160GB Hitachi
5,400rpm
Gateway M150
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7100;
2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400XT; 120GB
Western Digital 5,400rpm
Apple MacBook Core 2 Duo - 2.2GHz / 13.3 inch
OS X 10.5.1 Leopard; Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz; 2,048GB DDR2 SDRAM
667MHz; 144MB Intel GMA X3100; 160GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm
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gsavage
31/08/2008, 02:20 AM
rating
7/10
Worked straight out of the box. Some of the negative feedback listed appears to be a bit silly as this is a discounted consumer laptop, what sort of performance do people expect for a sub $1,000 laptop. Yes it has some flaws and the battery life is a bit short, but the price is pretty reasonable for the features of the unit.
Pros: Good basic features, with some higher end bits thrown in. Clear display and easy setup. Like the media features and the overall design.
Cons: Cooling fan is pretty noisy and the hibernation doesn't work when running on A/C power. Battery life is a little disappointing and plastic casing feels a bit flimsy, also the inbuilt speakers are a bit soft even at full volume.
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kohein
27/08/2008, 06:09 PM
rating
4/10
Yeah the laptop would be great if you didn't have to go through Dell's terrible shotty Customer Service, and that makes future hardware upgrades virtually impossible, unless you want to call Dell 10 or 20 times chasing up memory.
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???/
26/08/2008, 03:03 PM
rating
10/10
i need to know to buy this laptop or not?
Pros: oh and about the rating, ive never used this laptop so its not true
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peter
28/07/2008, 12:07 PM
rating
5/10
i have had the motherboard replaced twice by dell on my 1525 ..everytime i shut down it does not retain the settings for the pixels and reverts t 8 bit all the time ..the motherboard fixes the dell side of things ,however they are telling me when i sign into bigpond wireless i have to reset all the time does this sound right ..the old story i think when in doubt blame someone else .i would have thought it had nothing to do with bigpond it still must something in the dell operating system
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peter
28/07/2008, 12:04 PM
rating
5/10
i have had the motherboard replaced twice by dell on my 1525 ..everytime i shut down it does not retain the settings for the pixels and reverts t 8 bit all the time ..the motherboard fixes the dell side of things ,however they are telling me when i sign into bigpond wireless i have to reset all the time does this sound right ..the old story i think when in doubt blame someone else .i would have thought it had nothing to do with bigpond it still must something in the dell operating system
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Rayj545
14/07/2008, 07:07 PM
rating
8/10
If your inspiron has problems shutting down (mines did) you have to uninstall MediaDirect from your computer...trust me it works!!! I contacted Dell numerous times because mines would just restart everytime i would try to shut it off or put it on sleep.
Pros: smooth operator
Cons: MediaDirect causes problems with the computer's ability to properly shut down/sleep/hibernate.
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leighton
22/06/2008, 02:32 PM
rating
1/10
I give this model a low rating. I purchased mine from Staples and have had troubles every since. I'm taking mine back.
Pros: I don't have anything positive to say about the laptop, only it is thinner and has more usb ports.
Cons: The computer crashes all the time and has been like this since I purchased. The mouse pad is not user friendly and at times does not seem to function. I am getting hung up in applications and have to hit the ESC button several times to unluck. I have a back computer and I would not recommend anyone to purchase.
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Manoj
21/05/2008, 05:34 PM
rating
10/10
This is the super, sleek and slim laptop ever... Its options are mindblowing...
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dman
11/03/2008, 02:31 PM
rating
10/10
fast and sexy
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Sridar
06/03/2008, 11:53 PM
rating
6/10
I just used it once and i had put it to the Sleep mode and the laptop will not wake up even after trying to press the Power button upteen number of times and trying to charge the batteries and press other keys and what not. Since this is a new laptop i have to wait for the support person to come and do what isd needed. Also by default they give only Vista, so it is better to ask for a different OS like XP while ordering than to worry later.
Pros: As i mentioned earlier i have used it only once and still to explore to know more
Cons: Wake up problems after Sleep.
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