Direct2Dell

my dell inspiron 1525 was accidently dropped and now the hinge on the left side is completely broken in half. im lucky though, because after a nearly 5 foot drop the screen is perfectly fine and there is nothing else wrong with my computer. the plastic on the left side is also cracked, and on the right side hinge the plastic cover is cracked in half. im amazed with this computer and its durabilty through that, in fact, im using it now :] but i need to find a website to order the parts from, preferably cheap, because im in boarding school, and i have to get my laptop back from repair a.s.a.p. ...so if anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

Please send me drivers of dell inspiron 1525 laptop

thanks

I need the Bluetooth drivers for Inspiron 1525 compatible with Windows XP Pro. (BCM2045)

Like many others I am searching for a Dell Latitude C640 Laptop manual

Is there any one who can help

Gordon Reed  (Stockport)

no comment

hello guys, first i would like to say i am glad someone can help me with this.   well, this is my problem. my dell inspiron 640m, is working beautifully, almost too good to be true, untill, i don't when, but it just started shutting off my itself. i mean, at first it will restart on its own, but now it will fully go off. usually this occurs when i am playing a game. i really like tekken 3, and when i am playing it and then the pc just goes off. i thought that the game's specs were too much for the pc, but when i play simplier games this still occurs. please help

Have an Inspiron E1505, purchased last April, started overheating a couple of months ago while my son was away at college.He is not at a local college, so he decided he had to finish out his semester with it. Now that he is home with it. we ran diagnostics & said it was the fan, replaced fan, not the problem, still overheating. was told it is a sensor on the motherboard. cost $300+ to replace. also screen flickers when booting up. 
I need help!  now 2 months out of warranty.

sounds like many of Dell laptops are overheating, an engineering flaw??

very unhappy customer..  Karen

I would advise anyone considering buying a new Dell laptop NOT TO. Buy one from another manufacturer. I bought an Inspiron 8500 (fully loaded with many options) also with 3 year warranty. It was less than a year old when it developed a fault. During boot up it said that the ac adapter was unrecognized and just to be nasty the DELL BIOS restricted the cpu speed to 1.2GHZ instead of 2.4GHz and would not allow the battery to charge. I contacted DELL who said it was caused by a faulty AC adapter and they sent out a new one. It made no difference to the problem and adapter was still unrecognized by DELL BIOS. I loaded latest BIOS A08 no difference. I contacted DELL again they said it must be caused by a faulty power socket and this would not be covered by warranty (they said it is normal wear and tear). I explained that i had only used it inside on desk top conditions and that it had never been dropped, knocked or subjected to any other accident. Dell repeated that this was wear and tear and would not do anything about it, even though it was still within its first years warrant and had an exteneded 3 year warranty. I have struggled along now, for several years using what is effectively 1.2GHz machine instead of the 2.4GHz I paid for.

Before you buy a new DELL laptop think about what you will feel like if you buy one and end up in the same position as me.

 Thanks for reading

Neil

I just want to see the price becuse i want to buy one!!

I agree with Former Dell Fan. Dell seem to miss the point that it is as important to make robust pc and moke pcs that people want to us. The 1520 could not compare with the HPs out there. Look at the design, the finish of the HP Pavillion dv6700t. The xpecial edition version is just a diiferent league from Dell wehn it comes to design.

Performace wise I believe they are both on the same level, but pricewise, te HP compares much better and with more options. Dell wnat to reserve the fingerprint to its XPS model only. What's teh point of having two types of laptop. Does Dell wnt to make those buying an Inspiron look cheap as compared to those buying and XPS 1530.

Dell, go out there and see look at what your competitors have to offer. Maybe Dell is making too much money, or is happy of the name it has established. Butthe technological world is in constant change, do something or you will soon lose you sopt in the sun.

 Hoping to see a better (much better) product and tons of options at competitive price (please don't steal on memory upgrade etc) when the 1525 comes out. So far looking at teh australian website there is no option for graphic card and the 1680 x 1050 is not offered while it was/is available on the 1520. Is this a move to force customers to go to XPS, commeon I don't have that kind of money. I would move to your competitor!!!

I hope that Dell will include fingerprint recognition in the new Inspiron 1525 coming up, and not keep this feature to XPS only.

 HP has been offering same fro a long time and I think it is cool. It is one thing, apart from the awsome design of HP, that is keeping me away from the Inspiron, else if I had the money I would have gone for the XPS.

INSPIRON 1721 XP SOUND DRIVER??

How about those sound drivers for the Inspiron 1721 on Windows XP? It's been months and months that people have been asking, (since July in google cache)and still no sound, video, or modem drivers for the Inspiron 1721 on Windows XP. Is there a release date in sight? 

Inspiron 1721 video drivers can be forced to install. Download ATI catalyst 7.10. When you try to install, it will quit, but that's ok, because it unzips the files you need. Goto Device Manger, select VGA card,select update driver, select let me choose which driver to install, browse to the ATI driver directory, select the 1200 series. Now we have a forced video driver, but still no sound, or modem. 

The modem isn't too big a deal to me personally, but having no sound on a high end laptop is just unacceptable. Does anyone have a work around for this issue? Can we expect an Inspiron 1721 Windows XP sound driver soon?

PLEASE RESPOND. Thanks for your time.

I just upgraded my RAM in my 1720.

I had 2 GIGS of DDR2 PC2-5300 (667 Mgz)

my windows Vista Experience index was 4.8

I upgraded the RAM to 4 GIGS of DDR2 PC2-6400 (800 Mgz)

My Vista Experience number went down to 4.5

Whats up with that

I did the upgrade because my bus speed is 800 so I figured if I was going to upgrade the RAM I might as well get the Bus speed to match

Why would the index number go down with the increase in RAM and Bus Speed

Warning.....

I have had 4 system exchanges within the last year and I am still having problems.  This last system exchange, I was given an Inspiron 1520 and about 1 month later, the processor has already been replaced and now the system will not even come on.  No lights, no nothing.  Dell wants to replace the motherboard but I told the tech that I do not want anymore replacement parts for this system.  After 4 system exchanges and still problems, that tells me that this line of notebooks (no matter how nice looking they are) are prone to failures.  I just wish there was some way I could get my money back but since it has been almost 2 years from the orignally purchased Inspiron 5160 that that it all started from, I am out of luck on that.  I just wish Dell would at least let me trade it for a different type of system notebook.

I ordered my 1721 on 7/25/07 I received my 1721 on 7/30/07

my  Sysetm Summary

Cost me less then 900 dollars Shipped ( now for same config. they want over 1300 LOL )

Yes the system Came with Vista intalled.  With a few days worth of searching I was able to find all the drivers for xp pro 32bit version and my 1721 works wonders

After being passed around to various people in Dell's phone support mess, I was able to find out a few things, my Inspiron 1520 is being delayed a month not because of the color (I ordered Black) but because of the graphics card. I selected the Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 3100. I tried to find out if it was possible to change the graphics card to another one to get it shipped sooner, even if the card cost more. And would you believe I had to get passed around to other people to find out that it was possible to switch the card, but that it would delay the shipment even more past the new ship date of the 5th of October. And this person still insisted that my system was being shipped on Sept 5th. So apparently all the graphics cards are out of stock. It also appears that the price of the 1520 has come down since I ordered mine, and no one could give me any info on that. I wanted to know if my price would be the ordered price, or the lower price.

 Why can you not call one person at Dell and get all of your business done?

It seems to me that Dell needs to start with a wholesale firing of the people that have caused this fiasco, and replace them with people that actually want to work for  paycheck. It sure would be nice for the CEO to actually come out and tell us for real what the problem is. And to give folks a hardware upgrade, or a cut rate price for having to wait 2 months or more for their system that was ordered in good faith.

www.dell.fr

Randomly on dells french website where they do offer a 7200 RPM HD on the 1720 model...

Sadly though they still don't offer what I'm looking for which is the 8700GT, we annoying and strange that they don't offer 7200 HD on their UK website.

 So an 8700GT (512 prefered but I'd live on 256)

7200 RPM HD

and maybe an HDMI port and I'm sold...

The discount that I recieved on the 1721 that I ordered was so great that I feel as if they don't want to ship it because they don't want to honor the price. Does anyone else feel this way?

I ordered a pink Inspiron 1520 July 27th, every other day I receive an e-mail or annoying phone message that it has been delayed. I am very upset my

granddaughter has to walk to computer lab on her campus. Her first night there as a freshman a girl was carjacked on campus. I worry about her and I am furious with Dell over the delay. My grandson wanted to order one and we are going another route on his. I have not enjoyed any of my process with Dell.

In reference to the colors?  I ordered a Jet Black 1720 on August 23 with no options indicating a delay of more than three days (the Wireless-N card).  Upgraded processor to 7100, switched regular to matte finish screen, 128 graphics and choose the Integrated sound.  While the ESD given at the time of order is 09/19, currently a call to the automated update line indicates that the system is in PRE- production and gives an ESD of NOVEMBER 21.  Whats the deal here?!?!  At this point I'm really really not accepting the "color" delay story!  Is there any chance of acutally having this system before the semester ENDS?!?!

Boy am i disappointed in Dell, i thought these people cared about where their money is coming from cause apparently they dont. Or are they already so rich that they dont give a hoot about their customers? You would think a company as big as dell would actually deliver what they are advertising (even if it wasn't delivered on time cause it would probably be worth the wait) but to wait forever and then get no features, i mean no XP, come on. Shame on you DELL.

I certainly wish I had read these post prior to placing an order for a Flamingo Pink notebook for my daughter on July 31st.  Original ship date was August 28th and now has been moved to October 1st. I am going to shop around this weekend for a laptop and then cancel my order if I find what we need. Dell representative stated today that it was an industry wide problem. When I said I didn't care what color it was at this point, I was told I have to cancel the order and then reorder to change the color.  Interestingly enough I called to days ago to check on order status and there was not even a hint that it could be delayed at all, let alone another 34 days. Talk about lying by omission.  I am a very disappointed former customer.

Dear Dell,

After waiting for my Inspiron 1721 with 1.8ghz amd turion, 2gig ram, 160hd, camera, and 256mb integrated video, I have decided to send my whole package back.

This laptop is slower than my old inspiron 2200 (1.2gig ram) while running vista, so i decided to install windows xp,

NO LUCK THERE.

WHY SEND OUT THESE POWERFUL MACHINES IF THEY CANT EVEN RUN THE OPERATING SYSTEM RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX?

can you honestly tell me that WoW will run at 25fps on my old laptop and i cannot get any more than 20 out of my new machine?

good game dell you have lost a customer forever.

Cancelled my Dell 1720 order after one month of delays.  Sony has a full line of color laptops ready to ship.  I recieved my new Sony in three days after ordering and it has been great.

Folks.  If you don't want to wait, order in basic jet black.  I'm wondering if anyone is actually reading the previous posts on here or not.  It's been stated by numerous users, myself included.  Once I cancelled my red order and placed a new one for basic black, I had my new system shipped in 3 days!].  Just for the record, not offering XP isn't Dell's fault.  It has to do with the "Santa Rosa" chipset from Intel and their licensing agreement that requires Vista to be installed on these systems at the factory.  Dell won't offer XP because they can't legally support it on these systems.  Just because Intel has drivers for Vista and not XP, don't go blaming it on Dell.  There are a few people out there who are compiling driver lists to get their 1520s running on XP instead of Vista, but remember that it is unsupported if you get it to work.  If you want XP still, go for an AMD chipset instead on a diferent system.  For myself, I'm more concerned about the fact that software companies are being as greedy as M$.  Most of them are requiring you to purchase the latest version of their programs to gain Vista compatibility and/or support.  SPSS (stats) and Adobe are among the guilty parties [you need SPSS 15, Acrobat 8 and Photoshop CS3, for instance for Vista...your year-old Acrobat 7 standard or pro is a no-go, as are any earlier versions of many other programs].

BTW, the more I use my 1520, the more I love it.  And for the record, NO, I don't work for Dell.

Hey I've got a 1420 in Blue... it came to me  1 month 2 weeks after placing my order ... I called up Dell Customer care n they apologised n gave me d blah blah.. n told me as a goodwill gesture for delay they'll either upgrade my RAM or my warrenty from 1 yr to 2 yrs...

Im not crazy abt the warrenty.. but to upgrade the RAM on my laptop they want to TAKE IT BACK TO FACTORY... and put d new RAM n deliver to me.... now I dunno if thats a good idea what if they goof up n give me someother laptop bak...worse.. after another 1 month!!!

People, let's try to look behind the scenes, ok? It's not Dell's fault that they cannot buy TFT panels for their laptops. Dell is not the only one laptop producer who has serious problems with order fulfilling because of the lack of TFTs and some other components. Other brands also reported problems...

The inspiron 1520 arrived this morning.  That's less than a week from order time online to arrival at home.  I've already had it up and running and installed my Office 2007 for work and been customizing it.  Other than needing to uninstall the pre-installed "google desktop" feature and getting used to Vista, it's been a snap.  This order was shipped in 3 days mind you.

System specs

Inspiron 1520 2.2GHZ Core 2 Duo, NVidia 8600M GT 256mb graphics, 2 GB ram, 160gb 7200 rpm hard drive, 1280x800 Glossy WXGA widescreen true-to-life, bluetooth, intel wireless-n, 9 cell lion battery, dvd+- dual layer drive, Vista Business, in Jet Black Matte finish. Ordered: 8/13. Arrived: 8/20 (with next business day shipping).
 

I received word that my pink inspiron 1520 has finally been shipped. I appreciate it being sent before the new estimated delivery date.

pink <3er : That does sound about right. They are experiencing terrible backorders right now.

I was looking to replace my very reliable, very satisfactory 6.5 year old Toshiba and the Inspiron 1520 seemed the best option for the money. I thought it was odd that the ship date they gave me was 16 days after my order date when I would normally expect about 7 days for something like that, but I am willing to wait for a quality product and good support.

But the problem with taking so long to ship, you have time to read through a lot of customer feedback and reviews and things, maybe things you wouldn't have seen when you were initially researching the purchase.  After reading all of these complaints about ship dates being pushed back, I really didn't want to wait another two weeks just to find my ship date delayed when I could do as Martha did and walk into a store and walk out with my computer in 20 minutes.

 
And that's just what I did today. I went to the Apple store and bought a MacBook. The additional $500 was well worth the vastly superior buying experience, and I have no worries that my machine will be a doorstop in less than two years.

 

Well, FYI, I got my 1520 in less than a week.

But then, it might be for the fact that I live very close to their manufacturing plant. Asia Pacific region.

 However, there seems to be a problem with my system performance... way too slow, takes 60secs to open .txt file...

 Njoy.

the whole way dell has handled this entire situation is just plain horrible. I ordered my inspiron 1721 on 7/16 original ship date was 8/2, but it has also like many of you been pushed back to 8/28, but not only was my notebook delayed they split the whole order into 3 different shipments and now my notebook has been delayed, my second order which if the carrying case for the notebook and usb flash drive has been delayed, and my printer has been delayed 4 different times. the printer was supposed to ship 7/29, and every week it gets pushed back now it's says it will ship on 8/24 which i know it won't. One thing for sure i will not be recommending dell to anyone in the future

I just wanted to send a glimmer of hope to those of you waiting. I received ship notification today for my new 1720. I ordered it on 8/7/07 and it shipped today 8/17/07. I was originally given a ship date of 8/28/07. While I was unhappy with the original ship date, I was willing to wait considering I've waited 4 years. Anyway, I'm delighted that my new 1720 is on the was early. Maybe the delays are over??

Specs on my system:

I hope this brightens someone's day.

Chris

I've been looking into this whole backorder mess online. It seems that laptops ordered during July 13th-17th have been continually delayed while some ordered before then or after then have been shipped already. I spoke with a girl who ordered the same machine as me, with the same if not similar specs. She ordered hers a week after me, and recieved it a week after she ordered it. What is with this?

 I understand that some people would say "cancle your order then" but thats not the point. I was told I'd get my machine by a certain date and never did and now the date is being pushed back again and again while other people who have ordered the same machine as me, after I did are getting theirs before me. I could get a laptop elsewhere but the one I ordered through Dell is coming preloaded with everything I need for school- and I can have it fixed on my campus (which is out in the middle of nowhere so a 2 hour drive to civilization or a 5 hour drive home would be an inconvenience).

I love Dells. They are great computers. I just don't love the way we have  been deceived throughout the process of this order.

Ordered a Pink 1420 for my daughter on July 10.

After all the delays, Dell canceled the order on August 1 and placed a new order.  That one was delayed once and now the ship date is estimated on AUGUST 30.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!. 

Contacting the support numbers and e-mail still haven't answered my question.  IF it gets delayed again, I am canceling the order and going with something else. 

I ordered the Inspiron 1521 computer on July 24th and have yet to receive anything....not even the printer I also ordered.  I finally got a phone call the other day and they said that the printer wouldnt be available for shipping until the 17th of August. 

Now today, my computer(which I need for college classes on August 20th) won't be shipped now until August 27th....IF YOU NEED THIS COMPUTER ANY TIME SOON I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BUYING IT. 

 HOPEFULLY, the computer isnt a let-down once I FINALLY get it.

For goodness sake, just cancel the order if you are so frustrated. Will a color cover make that much of a difference? Are Dell tech specs so unique that you can't find an equivalent laptop elsewhere? In this world of commodity PCs, customer service makes all the difference, and Dell is not offering that!

Ordered Inspiron 1520 on 7/4 with ship date of 8/2.  This changed to 8/28 and I was not notified by Dell.  Now here's where the fun begins... read today's chat below with Dell and somebody tell me when my laptop is arriving?! Anyone else having this much fun!!!!?

12:22:02 PM  DELL: Thank you for being online, Bob. I have updated the shipping address on the order. You can check online after few hours and it will be listed. The order is in production and the Est. Ship Date: 8/28/2007. The order is going to be delivered on or before 8/29/2007. It is just an estimated shipping date; it may ship out early to that date also. Once the order ships out, I will email the tracking information to your email address.

12:22:02 PM  DELL: How am I doing so far at resolving this issue to your satisfaction? At the end of our interaction an instant survey will be offered to you in this chat window, so please keep the window open to participate in the survey.

12:23:12 PM  DELL: Bob, are we connected?

12:23:40 PM  Bob Peters: I received an e-mail and a phone call 2 days ago saying the order was in final production and would be shipping in 2-3 business days. Can you confirm this?

12:24:07 PM  DELL: Yes it is going to be shipped out as soon as possible.

12:24:36 PM  DELL: Is there anything else that I may assist you with?

12:24:58 PM  Bob Peters: Not what I asked. Is the information that was given to me via both the e-mail and a telephone call accurate or not? I'm looking for an honest update.

12:25:37 PM  DELL: Yes that is correct information you are receiving about the order, Bob.

12:26:16 PM  Bob Peters: If that is the case, then the order is shipping today. When will this be confirmed?

12:26:27 PM  DELL: You have opted for the next day shipping method, once the ships out, very next business day the order will be delivered to you.

12:26:47 PM  Bob Peters: Can you confirm that the order is shipping today?

12:27:43 PM  DELL: It is not shipping out today, Bob. The order is in production and the Est. Ship Date: 8/28/2007.

12:28:19 PM  Bob Peters:Then why would I receive an e-mail and a phone call from a rep telling me otherwise? Does this make any sense to you?

12:29:23 PM  DELL:I apologize for the inconvenience, Bob. I am not sure why you are getting such calls from our customer care department.

12:30:39 PM  DELL:I have not received a response in over a minute. To ensure that I have addressed all your questions or concerns, please respond within the next two minutes to allow me to continue our chat.

12:31:15 PM  Bob Peters: And e-mails as well. Are they looking at information in other places? I'm not trying to be difficult but I believ the fact is that you have no idea when it will ship and that the 8/28 date could be extended due to delays in production. I feel bad for you because Dell has placed you in a position where you are unable to be straight forward with your customers.

12:32:38 PM  DELL: Bob, I am sure that the order is going to be shipped out on or 8/28/2007.

12:33:15 PM  Bob Peters: I'm sure we will be chatting again, thank you for updating the ship to address

12:33:38 PM  DELL: Is there anything else that I may assist you with?

12:34:17 PM  Bob Peters: Yes, you can ship the order today as confirmed this week! Have a great day!

I just cancelled my order for my 1720 today...

Delivery date was September 11th, while I ordered mine July 16th.

I will reconsider buying a 1720 after my vacation, end of September, hopefully all delivery problems are solved by then, the prices will be lower and more options available....

Byebye DELL, maybe we'll meet again.

I am absolutely fed up at this point. My laptop was ordered around the 14th of July. We did it over the phone and we told the man who took the order that this computer was for college so we needed it by September. He assured us that it would be shipped by July 27th and my printer and Lojack would follow shortly after. Since then we have experienced 3 delays for all 3 items. My new estimated ship date for the computer is the 28th and the estimated arrival is the 3rd or the 4^th of September. I start classes on the 5th. We have called Dell to get a decent explanation and a realistic estimate of how long it will really take for the computer to come. I only wanted to know if my laptop would be backordered again, because surely you guys can foresee whether or not that will occur. Each time we get put on hold for 20-30 minutes at a time, occurring multiple times. A dell representative told us she would e-mail us back with more information, and never did. We're starting to wonder if she even gave us her real name. Is this how you train your representatives to behave? We don’t want to be transferred, put on hold, or to be told that they don’t have information to give us. We just want the truth. Similarly, we went to call the man who took our order initially and is extension is out of service. I considered canceling the order but it would be foolish now considering I wouldn't get the type of system I need for school in time for school anyway, because its too late to order a computer elsewhere. The laptop I ordered was configured to meet all the necessary requirements I may have for my major further down the road.

I have to wonder, for a company that is currently experiencing such drastic backorders, why do you continue to take orders from new customers? Do you even warn them that they won't receive their orders on time? I know that we were never told of the backorder situation.

I’m starting to wonder now if these backorders are ruining the quality of the computers. I keep hearing horror stories about how laptops coming out of the current backorder are poorly put together or computer configurations are incorrect. The least you can do is make sure people who have had their orders delayed a few times, get a system that is in good shape when they arrive. I’m kind of worried now to see what my computer will be like when it comes.

This whole ordeal has really messed me up for when I go to school. I have to pack up my desktop now to take to school with me until my laptop comes. This means having to disassemble it, set it up in my dorm room, remove my anti-virus software, and download the school’s software. I have to configure it to the school’s internet which means changing all of the settings I currently have to allow my computer to access the internet at my house. Once my laptop comes, I have to disassemble the desktop again, store it in a dorm room that is already small enough, until I make the 5 hour car ride home on break which only leaves me having to assemble it again when I get home and having to reinstall my anti-virus software… and then there is the fact that I won’t have a computer to take with me to classes, and once the laptop does come I’ll have to learn how to use it- which I was hoping to do prior to getting to school.

Aside from that, when our order was taken the representative put it as a home computer order. We had a coupon for $200 off the laptop that Dell had emailed to me through my school email address. The representative told us that the code wasn’t working and simply dismissed the matter. We were told later that the discount couldn’t be applied because it was a home computer and not for school- which was a blatant error on dell’s part. The man who took our order knew it was for school because he kept on assuring us that with 4 years accidental damage coverage, and Lojack, I shouldn’t have a problem making it through college with this system.

This is our third computer we have bought through dell. Prior to this our experience with the company has been excellent. The service was great and the product was great. I am thoroughly disappointed now. I was really looking forward to my computer and now it seems like more of a chore than anything else. My frustration right now through the roof. If anything, I just want my laptop to come. I can wait for the Lojack and the printer. (Which, why exactly are these backordered?)

I just want Dell to understand that they are making a lot of people very very angry. We’re YOUR customers, isn’t it YOUR job to make sure we are happy? This may mean having to tell us the truth. Don’t tell us that our orders will be shipped within a week or two when you know that it won’t be at least for another month and a half. Just let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly. This may mean losing some customers, but hell, at least that will free up some more of the backorders and help you satisfy the people who still want to buy products through you.- It also may make Dell realize that they can’t keep being deceitful to their customers about what is happening with their orders.

I don’t want anymore emails, or phone messages asking if its okay my system be backordered again. I don’t want to waste my day being put on hold. I don’t want to have dell representatives getting angry at me for insisting I find out exactly what is going on with the current backorder situation. I don’t want be ignored, transferred, or lied to. I just want my laptop. I can live without the printer and the Lojack for a while.. I just want my machine.

Please know, I wouldn’t be so angry if Dell was just honest from the beginning- I’d probably be a lot more understanding because I would have known what I was getting myself into.

I noticed that there semed to be some conflict (or atleast some error in the description) between the selectable HDD for the inspiron 1520.

What i do not uderstand is how the 'least superior' of the three (option 1) is $23 more expensive than option 3? and why there is there a $120 difference between #2 and #3, which appear (word for word) to be the exact same thing? I tried to do the Dell chat, but he did not seem to know what he was talking about and it didnt seem like the translaton software for the people i was speaking to in India was working very well, and after sitting on hold for 30 min when i called del didnt seem to work out to well either...

Also:

How does that make sense? lol they are going to charge me $46 for a web cam, or $46 for no web cam, or i can have no web cam for free.?

I ordered a 1520 on 07/16.  I was disappointed that my estimated delivery date was so far out (08/14), but I was very excited with the laptop I configured and decided to wait.  I got my notice today that the ship date will be pushed out another two weeks to 08/28, like everyone else.

 If the color selections are really the reason for pushing out delivery dates, perhaps Dell should pull their ads touting the color choice until they can actually deliver the product.
 

Well I just got my new Inspiron 1521 ( decided to upgrade from my old inspiron) it looks good and runs well.

 Now down to serious business, getting rid of Vista and installing my legit version of XP.

 You all know by now the sad part of this story... no video drivers for XP ...

Dell it's simple adresse the situation. Say if you will or will not release video drivers... if I don't hear anything about this within 15 days. I'm cashing in on my total satisfaction return policy and I'll sadly never buy a Dell every again...

Sorry Dell was fun while it lasted,

Daniel, ex-5 year user, consumer and not to mention all the fellow consumers I convinced to buy Dell...

If you will see my previous post and everyone's suspicion, the 8/28 date is just a temporary system holder for them.  I called today and cancelled my original Inspiron 1520 order for the red system I had placed the start of July and ordered a 1520 in Black, but did tons of upgrades that weren't available at the time I placed the original order for the red one (changed to 7200rpm hard drive, Vista business from Vista home premium, jet black color to avoid shipping delay, 2.2ghz from the 2.0 processor, from abg to N-wireless, added the bluetooth, and even the screen).  It only ended up $250 more than before, but I've maxed out the system now despite all these changes.  Yes, the 8700GT NVidia would be nice, but the 8600 is also directx 10 compatible with GDDR3 memory so nothing wrong with that at all.  Anyway, my new preliminary ship date is (ready for this???) 8/28...2 weeks from today and the EXACT SAME date I had after the two delays on the original red 1520.  Just for fun (?) I ran through the configuration with the red color, and the prelim ship date would have been 9/19...a 5 week delay.  Black is only 2 weeks!  So if you are not hung up on the color, you could cancel your original order and place one for black and receive it on the same ship date or sooner than your original order based on the experiences of others in this forum.  I'll keep you posted how this one goes.

 

For three days, I've been trying to order Inspiron 1520 notebooks. And after all the effort, just the moment I thought that everything was going fine and smooth, my orders got cancelled for no reason.

I don't know why Dell is trying so hard to NOT sell me the notebooks I want, but first the LCDs were backordered, and now the orders are cancelled for no reason and my rebate coupons expired with Dell's tremendous efforts of cancelling and backordering my orders for three days.

If Dell was just a small company I would think that they were trying to stall the order until the rebate coupons expire. But that's not it I know that.

Dell has terrible Chat Customer Support personnel (their job is to redirect you to Sales or Order Modifications department, they don't have any permission to do anything helpful), 40 to 50 minute wait time on Call Center of Order Modifications department (I've listened to that stupid tune for 50 minutes can you believe that! just to backorder a stupid LCD), and a terrible web site which does not mail me any important issue that is going on with my orders (if my order gets cancelled, I don't get a notice of who cancelled my order for which reason), and if you are in a hurry like me (I have a deadline of 20 days from now, but they can't manage to build the computer faster than that haha so I'm in a hurry :)

I'm trying to be a good customer Dell, I'm trying to buy your notebooks, but you're nowhere near being a good sport. You don't answer my calls, you don't solve my issues via chat, you randomly cancel my order, you make my coupons expire..
 

Hey! After numerous emails and phone calls and hours of being on hold. I emailed the customer advocate and expressed my displeasure over the delays. I asked for the price to be reduced to the current price since I did not have the computer to use for the past 2 months, and it was $195 cheaper now. This was the response:

I understand everyone's frustrations as well.  I had my 6000 stolen while on research in Peru back in early June and ordered the new 1520 (in red) when I arrived back in the US in early July since the 6000 was (sadly, imho) "discontinued."  As a university faculty member, I am quite disturbed by the "employee purchase program" and the new switch to delluniversity as well, as I can't find what I'm looking for there, but that's another issue all together.  Anyway, I ordered my 1520 with the 256mb NVidia 8600GT, 15.4" non-glossing screen (I didn't want a huge thing; would have bought an HP had I wanted that).  I got the red color at that time (none backordered on July 10th or delays reported either).  Well, no explanation, but it has been stuck "in production" on the status page since July 11th...delayed first from July 30th to August 6th...then a 2nd time to August 28th (apparently, like the rest of you).  I was going to cancel or change to jet black to avoid delays AGAIN, but I sat for 3 hrs on hold to the 877-868-3355 number Mon morning (phone battery died), tried for another 3 hrs that nite (always went to a voice mail box that was FULL) and then 3 hrs each yesterday morning and evening (stuck on hold).  No one ever answers at the number.  I find this interesting as Dell asked me, and probably some others too, to call their number if we wished to cancel (according to the website, they have to do it by voice or email, not the confirmation click).  So had I wanted to cancel my order, I STILL haven't been able to get ahold of a real person days later since the shift to the 8/28 ship date.  And everyone seems to be getting a different story (LCDs, color problems, etc).  Yet if you look at this blog (http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2231768) you will see we are not alone in our frustrations and poor explanations from Dell about their systems.  I have recommended our IT department drop Dell as our official supplier at the university

I agree with the others.  This technology will be OUTDATED when we finally get our laptops (2 months later than order date, if that soon). We are probably all getting tired of all of the rants on this forum about the delays, yet if we can't get a real person on the other end of the line or email responses from the company, what are we left to do?  I am sorry to see the posts suggesting we go to Dateline or 60 Minutes, but am suggesting that "off the shelf" units would be best for our kids if they need a laptop for school or college this Fall.  A comparable Gateway is $500 more according to their website, so what are we to do?  WAIT...

I have the same problems here in The Netherlands. Ordered mine July 16th, and it is now delayed till September 11th... Huh... September 11th...!?

Bad date to expect something at your doormat.... ;-(

I will receive a call from a service employee today, who is investigating the possibility to get it delivered sooner (Ultimately August 20th) as I will be on vacation then. If not, I will cancel my order since the prices will have dropped significantly around September 11th, so I will be able to get better specs at the same or even lower price from DELL or any other vendor. I still prefer DELL but not at every price.

The lack of service I have experienced with Dell is astounding. I ordered my 1720 on 7/5/07 and have had my ship date changed 3 times. Now it is 8/28/2007. I start school well before then and expected to have my computer for class.

A corporation should NOT sell a product to consumers knowing full well they cannot deliver. It is expected that you have your system within reason of a ship date, not a month later. This is ridiculous. I will be sure to tell everyone I know not to bother with Dell.

I'm now starting to wonder if I will ever get my system - or if Dell is going to continue to toss me empty promises.

THANK YOU ARI!!!

 I am in complete agreement with you.  I have been telling everyone here at Emory my order troubles.  I have never in my life spoken with so many representatives over an issue which NEVER was explained or resolved.  Had I known at the time of purchase, I would not have had bothered with this at all, it's not worth the time!  I've wasted SO many cell phone minutes just from being on hold (I'm not looking forward to my cell phone bill, I don't have a land line).  Med School has already started and I'll be more than a month into classes before I'm expected to have my order shipped!

I am placing an order with HP (I'm getting a lighter notebook, virtually the same specs, with some free stuff too!).  Their expected ship date is the 15th, that's 9 days from today. Whichever arrives first, I'll keep (but like you guys, I have an estimate for the 28th from Dell), but either way, Dell has seriously struck some awful chords and I am very uncertain about my future relationship with this company. 

I have purchased several computers with them and lately it's been going down the tubes.  My last purchase was in Nov. of this year. I purchased a desktop.  Since I was a University employee I was entitled to a  discount that never showed up in the bill, I was given a mouse and keyboard that stopped working 3 hours after use, and I had a cell phone bill 3X's my normal rate because I was on the phone for so long trying to figure out why my computer wouldn't start up again and ended up having to do a complete restore just days after purchase.

This really is unethical treatment and should not be ignored.  No matter the issue, Dell is responsible and Dell needs to start making moves to keep their customers!  Give us a reason for staying with the company because at this rate, the computer I ordered will have already depreciated in value by half and will need some serious updating by the time I receive it!

BTW, a friend of mine ordered a brand new BMW, had it custom built, painted, and SHIPPED FROM GERMANY faster than the computer I've ordered has even been assembled.

You tell 'em Ari!! I ordered my Inspiron 1720 on July 5th. I need it for college  next week. My original date of delivery was July 27th, then August 6th, then Aug. 28th. Even if it did come in Aug. 28th (do we really think that will happen), the technology is now outdated. I went back into the system and looked for the pricing on different computers. I upgraded  to T7500 and 2.2 ghz, Intel Next-Gen Wireless-n mini-card, and was given a price that is $110 cheaper. What's up with that? I can't even get customer service to lower my price for what comes up in the system now much less give me some free accessories etc.. So..I bought the latest technology for the going price, now its old, I haven't received my laptop, and I am expected to pay more for older tech than for more recent tech. This is my first experience with Dell. I usually use Gateway, but sadly I didn't this time. I would have more respect for Dell if they had been upfront in the beginning thereby accepting their responsibility and allowing their customers an opportunity to place orders elsewhere. Instead, I put faith in what I was told by customer service and now I am up the creek without a paddle and at the mercy of some merchants who are taking advantage of the situation.

By the way, it certainly is not acceptable for customers to be placed on hold for more than 2 hours. Our time is valuable also. Good management would have offered something to the customers along with full disclosure at an earlier date. I thought pink would be cute.. it was an option..but black would have been just as good for me. Now, I go off to college with what? Does anybody at Dell really care? Don't answer that. I already know,.

Why can't any customer service rep, let alone Alex Gruzen post why the inspirons are being delayed? I have tried mulitple times to find out WHY my computer keeps getting delayed, and I have been lied to it seems. I have been told that my order is on time, told the color was backordered, told the screen was backordered, and told again that it is on time and wouldn't be delayed. What gives?! I ordered 7/11 and am now delayed to 8/28. I start school 8/20 and am required to have a laptop.

This is bad practice, it would be nice to know why these are getting delayed and get some input.

I'm about 3 days away from cancelling and going out and buying an ASUS G1S locally.

Agree w/all regarding order problems with these systems. Customer service has been terrible. When asked, I am told to call different #'s within Dell to fix problems because CS won't help directly (or can't. Either way, very annoying). I ordered beginning of July and have had an order canceled without notice, reinstated, and now delayed 2-3x. Now an automated voice service calls and says it is backordered to 8/28 (I think everyone is getting that date), even though the system still says 8/1. Even the "24 hour" unresolved issue system hasn't generated a response and that was sent early last week. The kicker is when you work through the order system today for a new system, it tells you that you can get it before my backorder date! If I thought I could believe it, I would do it...

I think I will go check out the Toshiba's/HP's at Costco this week.

I ordered a pink 1721 on 7/14 and mine is also back ordered until 8/28. I got to college before that date, what am I supposed to do with no computer to do home work with. They should have anticipated all the orders they would be getting, especially for these new ones because they are in color. If I don't receive my computer soon I WILL be canceling my order and go else where.

Dell, you need to get your company in order, your losing valuable customers!!!

The following is from a Sr. VP at Dell regarding the XPS M1330. I find that it is full of hot air -- and late in coming. I can imagine the same "problems" apply to the Inspiron 1x20(1)'s, but I can't help asking myself why a similar "explanation" is not expressly given for the Inspirons. Anyway, if you have ordered a colorful Inspiron for school in September, you may want to cancel the order and go get a laptop somewhere else.

XPS M1330: What's Going On?

Alex Gruzen, Sr. VP—Consumer Product Group

... we have found the production ramp more difficult than we expected -- let me take a few minutes to explain the process. Before we begin shipping products to customers, we build a sizeable number of units to test our manufacturing process and to help flush out any issues that may impact our ability to build in volume. These test builds are a fraction of what we expect to build at full production. Once we start building a larger number of units, we may see issues that pop up in only one or two of them, but which require larger volumes to reveal themselves.  Since it's hard to tell if the issue is an isolated one or if it will affect a large number of units down the road, we investigate each one thoroughly. When that happens, it slows our build process.  

One example of this is the painting process. Right now, Tuxedo Black is the only color that is consistently meeting our quality standards. That's one reason why some customers are getting their orders before others. The finish on the XPS  M1330 is similar to a custom paint job on a car, but with one additional complexity -- on a car, typical viewing occurs from several feet away. With a notebook, the typical viewing range is much closer... sometimes a foot or less. This requires a different level of attention to detail.  Why do I bring that up? There was no problem painting hundreds at a time.  But as we increased the volume, otherwise manageable factors like dust contamination caused our successful yields to decrease.  Adding to the complexity, the Crimson Red and the Pearl White colors require more coats of paint and more touches to create the finished product -- that means there is more opportunity for dust contamination.

All this ultimately results in fewer finished parts from the paint line than we expected.  You may have noticed on Dell.com yesterday we discontinued the Pearl White color. The reason is that we are just not able to produce the kind of volumes of high quality product that we need to support demand. It takes about 5 coats of paint to get the appearance we were looking for. We are working to ship white units that meet our standards to all customers who ordered them, but those may be the last of the units using the current process, as we continue to pursue alternate methods of producing high-quality white units.

Unanticipated part shortages also hold up our ability to ship products. The most obvious issue is one mentioned in earlier posts -- the LED backlit LCD display. First off, it's new technology, and that means there are fewer suppliers available. Bright white LEDs provide the backlight for the LCD instead of a fluorescent tube. It results in a brighter display that offers better color reproduction, is thinner and lighter, and draws less power. This relatively limited supply base combined with stronger than anticipated demand -- the number of orders has simply exceeded our expectations -- has  contributed to the delays. Our vendors are ramping production as quickly as possible, but these displays continue to be in short supply.

Absolutely pathetic. Production and delivery are all screwed up. Dell has been intentionally misleading the customers.

OK GUYS.  Do some net searches.  I have found the drivers for win xp (32)  all so far but the BCM2045 ( Bluetooth) and the Modem drivers for win xp.  Everything  else i have been able to find ...

You may want to note that the ATI express x1270 is actually labled on dells site as AMD Express x1270 ATI does not have drivers themselves for this chip avl as of yet. 

if anyone has the Bluetooth Drivers for xp or the Modem that wld be excelent Otherwise i have made this 1721 XP comptatable.  ( WIRELESS TOO )  just took 2 days to do it.

I will check this thread over the course of the next few weeks if anyone comes across the bluetooth or modem drivers drop a note / link here if you need links for the drivers i used drop a note and i will be glad to link them all .

JKSJ 

I ordered a 1520 on 7/11 and my ship date just got pushed to 8/28. I was told the color of my order (midnight blue) was delayed.

Can someone explain to me why this is happening?! It is quite rediculous.

I ordered an Inspiron 1720 on July 10 and was given August 09 as delivery date. OK, not fast as lightning but acceptable. Now they advise me that delivery has been pushed back to September 14, more than two months after my order.

Is there anyone with similar experience? What are the reasons given for these extraordinary delays?

 Thanks in advance.

XP Drivers.

I have a licence for XP pro and was planning on installing it to my new 1721 and found that there are no xp drivers avil.  WHY is this.  VISTA Still has a crap load of issues minus the huge system requirements it has.  The same system running on XP wld run 3 times better then with VISTA just from OS system load alone.  

Please Offer the XP driver set for the 1X20 and 1x21 series Inspiron's.  I can totally understand and respect not selling the sysetms with xp pre loaded but give us customers a choice of which os we want to use in the end.   

Disappointed before my Dell Inspiron 1420 even arrives

I placed an order for a Dell Inspiron 1420 on 12 July, believing that Dell was trying to produce a more versatile product at a reasonable price. I was very excited as I placed my order online and eagerly anticipated receiving my first laptop. Well, it is now 31 July and I am still waiting. After several hours with "customer support", and having gone through 4 or 5 departments and maybe 7 people I have still not received any options as to what I can do to expedite my order. I am told the part causing the delay is the LCD monitor, but I have not been given any alternative other than to wait yet another week for my laptop to be shipped (6 August). That's a whopping 3 and a hallf weeks after I placed my order. I will only get it another 3-5 days after that, so I would end up having to wait 1 month for a simple laptop to be delivered. And Dell's response? Sorry, not our problem and you can cancel and re-order your laptop if you want. What?!? If I do go ahead and cancel my order and have to wait again for a laptop, I will certainly not choose Dell and would rather pay a little more and go with a ThinkPad, HP or even Apple. I have been told by the Order Modification group that because I ordered through the Educational group that they do could not handle any request to change the LCD to something that would ship faster. Yet this is the group that the customer support and post sales support say I must contact. A word of caution to Dell. If you do not look after and support the students of today who will be the business leaders of tomorrow, you will not only reduce the number of students buying your product, but also the number of businesses tomorrow. I am a patient person and will try and give Dell the chance to do the right thing, but my patience and opinion of Dell is wearing thin.

Hey folks, Do you think the long delays are applicable to the Inspiron 1x20s alone? Go look at the customer gripes about the XPS M1330 and other Dell products. Big hypes across the board, and no delivery. Extremely pathetic.

I'm trying to replace my Inspiron 8500 with a new high spec laptop, but am rather reluctant to buy another Dell for several reasons (listed as gripes below).

A dream laptop (ie. that I would part with hard earned money for) =  Core 2 Duo, 2.0+ GHz, 2GB DDR Ram, 256MB or 512MB ATI Raedon graphics card (NOT SHARED), 100+ GB HDD, 17" widescreen high resolution (WUXGA) MATTE screen (can easily live with 15.4"), Wireless N networking, bluetooth, AC adapter (with NO recognition software), external keyboard with built-in USB port. 

GRIPES listed below here (so you can stop reading if you want)

The number one gripe is the horrendous glossy screens that appear to be standard accross the industry nowdays. These are absolutely awful to work with because of massive amounts of glare and reflections (It's like being back in the eighties when PC monitors had shiny glass screens). Marketing these as anti-reflective is simply deceptive. Although this problem is not exclusive to Dell and I can't consider any laptop from LG, Fujitsu, Sony, Asus or Acer for this reason. People who use their laptops for computing all day rather than as an expensive mobile DVD player DON'T WANT HIGH GLARE SCREENS !!

Gripe number 2 is the nVidia based graphics cards that seem to be in every high end laptop. These brand cards DON'T fully support the OpenGL graphics libraries even though they claim to and despite some being marketed as OpenGL cards, THEY ARE NOT. We use OpenGL libraries a lot in our programming and to get things displaying correctly on an nVidia based card you have to disable all of the graphics hardware (which negates the point of having a graphics accellerator in the first place) or you have to draw everything twice just to be sure it will appear on screen = awful frame rates.

The 3rd gripe is the Dell AC adapters that from experience are totally unreliable due to the adapter recognition software that is built into them. This recognition system usually fails after 12 months and as a consequence renders the battery completely unrechargeable and steps Pentium based processors down to their lowest operating speed (I'm on my 3rd adapter in 4 years). It would be much more useful if an unrecognised Dell adapter would still recharge the battery albeit whilst the machine is turned off rather than prevent recharging at all.

Whilst I want a PC based laptop, I'm currently leaning towards a MacBook Pro and running it under Windows XP Pro, mainly because of the nice matte screen (big plus), nice design (not all work laptops should look like boring bricks), but I am hesitating because of the nVidia graphics card (big negative). If it came with an ATI Raedon option I'd buy it today.

Dell,

 Please make the 160GB hard drive at 7200RPM available for the Inspiron 1720!!!!! Please tell me when you can do that.

Hello Dell,

 why no DVI support on the Inspiron 1520 ?

Windows XP drivers for Inspiron 1520:

-- Go to www.dell.com. Click on "Support" tab.

-- Click on "Drivers and Downloads" under "Option 1: Most Popular Selections".

-- Click on "Select Model" green button.

-- Select "Notebooks", ... blah blah..., to get to Inspiron 1520. Choose "Windows XP". Click on "Find Downloads".

-- There are 21 items to download, including "important" stuff like SATA, Wireless Communications and Video Adapter.
 

Go at it, folks (especially Kyle above). I found them, but don't know if they are for real or complete (like most people, I'm still waiting and waiting and waiting for some delivery date in the far future). Let us know how things work out.

I'm another one who is going to have to pass if no XP option is available.  Not for myself -- I'd probably run Linux -- but for my mother, my father, and any other close friend or family member who asks me what to buy.  And they all ask me what to buy.

My mom is ready to buy today, and my dad will be within the next six months.  I don't use Vista myself, and I can't support family members or friends on an OS I do not use.

Dell needs to figure out some kind of option.  If I absolutely have to buy XP separately for each of them, I will -- but I need drivers!

I've been happy with Dell and I hate to go in another direction, but I surely will if Dell gives me no choice in the matter.

btw:

If my 1520 order is delayed because of some component(s) why can't they talk to me and maybe we can substitue and get it done quicker? That way I can decide to wait or substitue.

eg. if it's the screen, I can probably live with a different one......Mike

I ordered a 1520 system July 8 th

Delivery estimate was 7- 10 days at time of order. Web says delivery estimate July 23 . Calls to Dell customer reps have delivery estimates of July 27 to August 22... I need the PC for school mid August even that is really late. I cannot wait so long.

Dells customer reps should be telling people before they purchase that delays are so long, then I could have decided to wait or buy elsewhere. Now I have waited this long and the delivery date keeps getting longer.

NO ONE seems to want to commit to any kind of real delivery estimate. I used to tell people how good Dell was now I'm getting totally turned off of Dell and wish I could turn the clock back to July 8 with the delay knowledge I have now.

Does Dell have an Ombudsman I can talk to about my complaint?.....Thanks Mike

The Dell salesperson indicated to me today that the reason behind the NO XP option is that Intel won't allow it, which would support the theory that MS has coerced intel into forcing OEMs to sell their "santa rosa" products with Vista.  All of the computers left with an XP option are napa-based, however I have seen a couple santa rosa systems being sold with XP as "vista-ready"

As for Dell's role, not much they can do about it. Obviously the people who HAVE to have XP are a fringe group to them (they have probably all posted here) and won't affect their bottom line much.

So good luck everyone getting all of those legacy vista drivers that you will need, because it looks like companies are starting to lag on XP drivers for current hardware.

Hello,

I received my Dell Inspiron 1721 this week.  I, like many others here, have a requirement to support Windows XP.  There are many applications which will not run on Windows Vista yet so people like myself must support XP.

I went ahead and wiped the system and installed Windows XP.  Now that I can't get proper drivers, I am going to have to give this system to my customer with their applications working properly but without many of the system features including the video driver or sound driver.

Not supplying the Windows XP drivers for a new system when people cannot upgrade to Windows Vista is really bad business.

Please supply the Windows XP drivers for all new systems at least until Windows Vista has been out for several years.

 -Kyle

Hi,

I am an Indian guy, currently in Korea. I am planning to buy Inspiron 1520 laptop from korea. Can I get windows vista and other softwares and manuals loaded in english language instead of korean language. Secondly the warranty that I will get will be local or international warranty.

please....im begging you....

let me choose xp... 

 or at least provide the drivers for it and i will do all the work myself...

Sorry to hear your story, Matt. I knew it already: delays, delays, delays. Dell is hyping up their its new lines without having the production capacities to meet demands.

Supply the XP drivers for the 1x20s and I'll take care of the rest. I have licenses for both XP Home and Pro. 

Dell said they are refunding my postage of £100+ which is good. Although they are offering free postage on most in UK now anyway.

Hopefully one day soon I will get use my new notebooks. 

Why the heck don't they let you get Windows XP? I am actually getting 3 systems, all 3 of which will be wiped and have Windows XP installed.

A friend of mine bought a Toshiba laptop with Vista - we installed XP only to then find they don't have ANY drivers for XP. Now he has a useless brick. At least Dell have the drivers.
 

Please put on a 8700GT with 512MB!

 I was very interested in the 1520 with the 1680x1050 display, but the specs on that display are poor -- it's the worst of Dell's offerings with the lowest contrast ratio (300:1) and the lowest brightness (only 200 nits).

 The 1720 has a killer display at 1900x1200 but that's over 2Meg-pixels and a little 8600GT with 256MB is going to have a difficult time driving that display.

 I think a 1720 with 1900x1200 with an 8700GT 512MB would rock.

 

STOP BEING A BEDFELLOW OF MICROSOFT.

To buy an inspiron 1720 in Belgium i would pay 500 € more than the same configuration in France, what a good marketing !!! Dell France do'nt deliver computer in Belgium of course, you need an adresse in France !!!

I've had my notebook for a few mnths now and between upgrades and such it's now fully spec'd out.....Dell XPX 1710, 160gb 7,200hd, 4gb Ram, Nvidia 7950gtx, 2.33ghz T7600g with BluyRay drive. And I've Vista Ultimate on it.  It's wicked......I couldn't be happier with the performance playing games and movies. Everything turned up to max and the 17" is perfect.

I've had a sneak preview of the new XPS 1730, it has the Nvidia 8700m GT 256mb card and would you believe it a raid also. Can take 2 Sata's which I think is excellent plus a HDMI port...standard VGA port is gone and it also has only 4 usb ports. It looks great with the lit keyboard but I wouldn't be changing my graphics for the 8700m GT as it's just not up to much really. The 7950gtx is everybit as good and better for most games and anyways if it's gaming your into DX9 will be around for quite a while yet...... best wait for the 8800gtx out next year.

Windows XP on Inspiron 1x20s!

1) The lack of Vista Ultimate is baffling to me. It cannot be that hard to add it as an option. I really like the new Inspiron line (specifically the 15.4" 1520s) But I just won't purchase a new laptop if it doesn't have at least business or, preferably, ultimate. Reasons include networking capabilities, security, and feature set. What gives Dell? Give us our options!

2) Ouch. The $700 option cost for the blu-ray drive seems a bit steep to me. I think they'd have a bunch more sales of the option if they could bring it down to say $499. The unit cost can't be THAT high, that they need to charge $700. It has to be dissuading a lot of people from selecting the option. The $499 is great, because it is right beneath the psychological barrier of 'I'm not going to pay $500 for x!"

 3) Why no option of a T7700? Sony has it.

4) The whole emphasis on 'hd screen' seems gimmicky to me. Laptops have had 'hd screens' for quite some time now, strictly in resolution terms. I know Dell is speaking to the new capabilities to play the hd formats, but still ...

 In general, I'm pretty excited about this new line. I'll watch its evolution over the next month or two in terms of what options / pricing arise. I think the current hard-drive promotion is great (and it's nice to see a 7400rpm 160gb drive - this beats 90% of the hard drives offered by dell's competitors). I like the video cards offered.

 If the blu-ray price drops a bit, and I could put on vista ultimate, I'll probably be buying one sometime this year.

What the heck was Dell thinking not including DVI...?   This is a step backwards.

I work for a software company and most of us have inspirons (lots of 9300 and 9400's).   All of our people have separate 20" Dell LCDs which we use as a second display.

I'd really like to pick up a few of these new 1720's, but there's no way I'd buy one without DVI, because the analog signal looks like crap on these LCDs.

 

In the UK, don't bother ordering a 1720 if you want it within a month.

When I ordered, I was told to expect delivery within a couple of weeks, now they put it back another month. 

I paid over £100 for shipping - now they offer that for free.

Dell, why do you hate your regular business customers so much?

 

Just got a call back from DELL support:

The reason no 7200 rpm disks are currently offered are because of pure logistic reasons. 3rd party 7200 rpm disks are supported, so I will order one (the seagate momentus 7200.2 model ST9160823ASG) from another supplier than DELL. SATA 2 is supported.

Rgrds,

Kees 

I agree with Ben Jesuit 100%.

The only must-haves holding me back from purchasing either an Inspiron or XPS laptop today are...

Why no XP option for the 1520 or 1720?  Vista has proven to be buggy, unstable, plagued with driver issues, and 10-30% slower in DX9 games. I can site numerous review websites that trumpet these proven experiences with this OS - HardOCP, Tom's Hardware, and Legit Reviews to name a few. Like many many PC users and IT professionals, I am waiting for at least the 1st or 2nd service pack for Vista to embrace it. This is a year or so away.  That leaves me the option to NOT purchase products that only have Vista as an option. I realize their may be legal or logistic or assembly line issues for only having 1 OS (on preloaded Hard Drives?), but this choice is costing DELL at least one sale as I am indeed in the market for a Laptop and would buy one of these today if they offered XP MCE or PRO as an option.

As a result, I am forced to use a competitor that does offer XP in essentially an indenticle product - Santa Rosa, 8600m GT, etc.

Which is unfortunately sad as I have always enjoyed the service and prior customability of Dell products. 

Cheers!

Ted

Dear  Lionel Menchaca, Digital Media Manager,

 My Inspiron 1520 just arrived!I'm quite happy with it but there are still some features needed to be improved. The weight, no option for choosing os and hdmi port is not in this laptop. I have another problem which is the 2 MP integrated camera is not functioning. I believe is the drivers problem. It's not shown in device manager and when I try to install it, error occured. I try to contact dell with my service tag but they said my service tag is not in their database...Gosh...I really need your help here. Thank you.

I have just called someone from DELL support and asked her what 7200 rpm harddisk is supported in the Inspiron 1720. She told me that their information states that both 5400 rpm and 7200 rpm HD are supported and that there is even a 5400 rpm Phyton disk available. When I asked her for the partnumber so I could order it from DELL, she -to her amaze- could not find the partnumber.

I told het that if she could verify that the 1720 supports the seagate momentus 7200.2 model ST9160823ASG which I intend to buy and put in the 1720 in order to replace the standard DELL 5400. She will check and come back with an answer day after tomorrow.

Also, she will check if the 1720 motherboard will support the SATA2 burst mode of 3Gb that the Seagate disk offers.

Furthermore, I asked her to let me know what 7200 rpm disks DELL advises/sells for the 1720, and when they will become available so I can order them from DELL, in case no 3rd party disks are supported. 

So, all in all, I am curious what answers I will be given. I'll keep you all posted.

I just ordered an inspiron 1720 with the DELL standard 160GB 5400 rpm HD.

I am buying a seagate Momentum 7200.2 300 ASG of 160GB and clone the DELL disk to my new one and use the original DELL disk as the secondairy internal backup disk. That way I have two internal disks, one 7200 rpm for production and one 5400 rpm for backup. Nice and easy.

And, cheaper than if I would have bougt it like that from DELL, which you cannot do now.

Problem solved.

Where is the DVI port on the inspiron 1520 (1720 too has no DVI connector)? You get analog out of any dvi-i port but no digital out of an analog port. Was it the costly DVI->VGA adapter (which would have to be put into the box) that brought you away of a DVI port built-in?

If the 1520 had a DVI connector to hook up my 20" Dell TFT it would be more than near perfect for me...

Then a LED backlit display @ 1680x1050 and it would be perfect :)

I currently have the Inspiron 1705 with the NVidia 7900GS video option. From what I understand the new 8600 GT chip is actually a downgrade.

When will dell offer the Nvidia 8700 (with DVI )or higher video solution on the Inspiron or XPS line?

I will buy immediately when this becomes available.

Don't know if other people are experiencing this but on Dell.ca (in Canada) the options offered on the new inspirons seem to be changing every day. At first Bluetooth wasn't offered (see Blue's comment) and customer service at first said it "wasn't offered" but eventually a useful agent explained that the chip must be backordered and will eventually be available. Then Bluetooth comes back and now Vista Ultimate is gone and customer service says "its not offered on this machine" without an answer as to why it was offered a day ago!?!? Shouldn't they know this in order to provide good service. I was basically called a liar.

While I love the ability to build my own notebook at Dell, it is very frustrating to have a moving target as you evaluate the options available..not to mention the unknowledgeable customer service people.

If anyone out there has an explanation and a good reason for me to come back tomorrow to see what options are added or removed, let me know.

I currently have the Inspiron 1705 with the NVidia 7900GS video option. From what I understand the new 8600 GT chip is actually a downgrade.

When will dell offer the Nvidia 8700 (with DVI )or higher video solution on the Inspiron or XPS line?

I will buy immediately when this becomes available.

 

Any possibility of additional colors?

I really would like an orange one...

I'm in Australia, and I like the new features in the 1520 & 1720, however I don't understand why Dell have chosen to not make Vista Ultimate available on these models.  Can someone from Dell please explain this (my account manager can't)?

As a business user, I want Ultimate primarily for the security (Bitlocker) and a bit for the multimedia features which some users require and which aren't in the Vista Business. Also, for some reason the option has been removed to purchase a second power pack.  I could do this with the 6400. Why doesn't Dell want me buying an extra power pack?

About a month ago, I got a 6400 with Vista Ultimate, 256MB graphics card and extra power pack, but can't get the equivalent config now.  I wish I could.

- Will the 1520 be available with NON-Reflective (TrueLife) screen?

- Why is there no option to buy a spare power supply??

I live in Canada, am an experienced PC/Windows user (using many apps other than IE and Office) and have 3 issues...

(1) OS Choice - Windows XP optioon for the new Inspiron notebooks is a must. I did order a 640m six weeks ago, both because of great reviews and because I had the option of Windows XP.

(2) LCD Delay - I canceled my 640m order today because of repeated manufacturing delays regarding the LCD, plus there was no updates from Dell unless I wasted my time listening to musak waiting for a CS rep. Now, I suspect the same LCD-related production delay applies to the new Inspirons as well. I walked through an order process for a (potential) 1420 but both LCD options (XGA and WXGA) show the same warning about production delay. Very discouraging. I guess I just can't own a 1420 within 2 weeks.

(3) RAM - How can Dell force Vista on the customers while offering a basic configuration of only 1GB of RAM? Simply irresponsible! Vista occupies 512MB just to be in the mouse-tracking loop, and won't be productive with 1GB of RAM.

Thanks for adding the option to get two 9 cell batteries on the 1520!  Now could you just add the same option when you buy it through Dell University?  I don't mean to complain, but sometimes its a bit frustrating when the options are different for the same product when you customize through differed parts of the website.  Thanks in advance!

Please comment on when Windows XP will be available.  There are at lease a half dozen posts on this page and you haven't given any update.  Since you are moderating these comments, you must be reading them.  Choosing to ignore the XP question altogether makes it seem like you don't care.  Please update us!

Who is the manufacturer of the 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT Video card, an optional upgrade on the 1720? I've searched and looked over reviews, it appears several companies make these. Unable to locate anything further on the Dell site.

Thanks

Will the 1520/1521 support hardware virtualization/paravirtualization (Intel VT or AMD Pacifica) in the BIOS?  Can it be enabled?  This is a critical capability for my next purchase.

Thanks in advance!

Where is the OS Choice?

I would have bought a 1521 the day it came out, but I'm waiting for it to be offered with XP.

Hi I strongly second the need for DVI /HDMI !

totally unacceptable to have only an vga-out on a e.g. 1920x1200 screen.

7200 rmp HD's can be 3rd party, hdmi is kina hard...

i would have bought an 1720 yesterday but not without HDMI

 ....

alex


 

With all the talk of new systems and with individuals on various forums talking about the various discounts that they receive (students, business, education, government, etc.).  Is there a discount for AARP members.

I'm definitely interested in the Inspiron 1420, but it doesn't seem available here in Europe at the moment (only its biggest brothers with 15" and 17" screens are). Why? Will it arrive at a later date or am I just out of luck?

Well, if it will become available here, I will buy one for sure.

I agree with most of the comments made in this blog. Dell has taken the right step but has missed out some essential parts for example, there is no HDMI port which i was shocked because if you look at other laptop firms such as Sony they have HDMI port on their FZ series which is similar to the Inspiron. Another mistake is Dell has not given the freedom to choose different operating system except the default windows vista home premium. i would prefer a selection of operating system especially windows xp professional which is the one i am currently or Windows vista ultimate or even ubuntu.

I hope dell can rectify these problems because as i need a new laptop i am thinking of the dell inspiron 1520 but to choose the operating system of my choice not a default. If we ring to the sales can they give us a choice of what operating system we want on the system?

Finally a question that arose many times in other websites...is the new inspiron made from plastic just like the 6000 and 6400 or is made from the same magnesium alloy as the Latitude or the Precision range? can someone in dell clarify this for me...it would be really helpful because that is one of the reason of purchasing a laptop.

These Inspirons don't seem to come with Turbo Memory? I thought that was part of the advantage of Santa Rosa?

Is it easy to add Turbo Memory later, or wait for the next model... ?

 

Lionel Menchaca - I didn't expect anyone to respond to my smiley-infested dream computer post, so thanks!  I really like the idea of this blog, I used to send my opinions through Dell surveys but they seemed ignored.  Heck, they're *still* recommending Windows XP on the O/S video learn more up here in Dell Canada. :)

I always figured making a tablet was as easy as adding a swivel to the LCD base and changing the screen, but eh, I'm not a computer engineer.  I am, however, a teacher-in-training who hates having to close and open my laptop every time I bring it to class.  I think that's how I broke the LCD hinges on my current one.  At the same time, I still want to have fun with my laptop but a lot of tablets out right now are professional-oriented without much power.  So I think Dell could really lead the way with an XPS multimedia tablet. :)

Hi,

I am planning to buy 1520 within one or two weeks. Any reviews available about the product?

I agree with lots of posts out here. Why only vista as os.. not even Vista ultimate!!!!!

Any reports about rigidness of the laptop ? That is one of my major criteria.

@jeffro & @ben jesuit

 as far as #4. 7200 RPM HD(s), Dell is offering 160 GB 7200RPM SATA HDD drives on the 1420 and the 1520.

No idea why its not being offered on the 1720...hmm

Frankly, I don't understand why people get all excited about color choice. Remember the ill-fated colour inserts that Dell tried to sell for palm rests on the Inspiron 8000?

Color is no substitute for reliability. At the end of the day, if the machine is not reliable, it does not matter what color it is.

Here's hoping that the new models (which are noticeably absent from the Small Business category) are more reliable than their predecessors.

Whwn will Windows XP be available?  If you don't know or can't say then just tell us that.  This blog is getting redicuous that only select questions are picked for answering.  The XP question has come up by several different posters in this thread and other threads and you are not answering any of them, as if completely avoiding the XP question.

It would be very nice (read: necessary) if your new Inspirons, had HDMI ports on them and also, in the 1720's case, 7200rpm hard drives.

Another feature that I would like to see is a 512MB RAM Graphics card that does not cost an arm and a leg to get.

Other than that, they look good, add those and keep the price comparable to the competition and they will be a winner. 

i would like to re-iterate what Ben said: ...is there any info you can provide about these comments?

Ben Jesuit said:

Mr. Menchaca,

 While I have your attention... The new XPS notebooks... Summer or fall?

TIA.

Wow, I just asked for color options at the tablet pc thread on the 25th, and on the 26th, Dell announces color options!  This is like fast food. :)  In fact, pretty much all my requests have been answered, except the tablet part.  I'm in love with the M1330, it has everything I need . . If there was just a tablet version with the same config, even if it was a few $100s more, I'd be ordering right now.  Otherwise, my 4 year old laptop is still surfing the net fine. :)

Team Dell, thanks for listening to us, this is definitely a great first step in the right direction.  So XPS tablet = 2009?  Is it too early to request Montevina and Vienna? ;)

P.S. Heh, I can see another guy explain the new laptops in the background window.  Very busy day at Dell.

Blue said:

When is an updated version of the XPS1710 due?

It'slooking very dated relative to the others in the line right now. 

The new Inspiron notebooks are near perfect, except for one glaring flaw.  No DVI!  The 1705 has it, but it's replacement, the 1720 dosen't.

I would have bought a 1720 yesterday if it had DVI.  I'm going to be connecting my notebook to an external monitor for 8 hours a day, and I want to make sure it looks it's best.  I just don't want to settle for a VGA connection when I've been using DVI for years.

I wonder how on Earth Dell overlooked this one critical feature, when everything else about these systems looks so solid? 

Oh my. The 1520 Is Mine. Nobody Else can Have It.

Or maybe a 1330. Will it Geta 8400GT?
 

@ Mohammed Tahir Taj, these laptops are available on the UK website at the time of writing*.

Unlike any Linux based Dells.  I still fail to understand why a new product range like this can be launched internationally complete with song-and-dance launch events, but an operating system choice has to be hidden away on the website and made only available to the US (and on two older laptops).

*except the US gets "flamingo pink" and we have "bubblegum pink".  Weird, I would have thought bubblegum pink was more of a US thing, and flamingos are native to Europe, but not North America. The Spanish also have "rosa chicle" - gum pink.   Go figure.

ps I agree with Blue about bluetooth.  How come every mobile has it but no laptops?

Some great new offerings all around. ^.^

 I can't wait until I get a job(Still in high school, but I'll be a senior this coming school year) so I can afford a new laptop(Currently using an Inspiron 8100 my dad gave me because it wasn't needed at his office anymore).

 Also, I would like to note that there is a new desktop system being offered with Ubuntu pre-installed(Don't know if you announced it yet, I haven't been keeping up). It's a gaming system.

 Concerned: I don't really get where you're coming from... I mean, I don't think a computer would be obsolete just because it has Linux pre-loaded. It may have some draw-backs but only because there(according to the manufacturers and programmers) isn't enough interest in Linux or enough people using it. They do have a point, but people aren't going to just get interested in Linux, they need to do their part as well.

 Anyway, it's great that Dell's offing Linux PCs now. I, myself, would like to see operating systems go back to when they were just a front end to something like DOS. I mean, there are still some features that are nice, but the OS itself doesn't need to do all the stuff that it does. It should be, in my mind, the most basic piece of software on the computer. And it should be the software that is on the OS that does the advanced stuff.

That's just my opinion though. ^.^



 

Hi.  I will likely be purchasing a 1520 in the next couple weeks as I get ready to start law school.  I noticed that the battery screen no longer offers the options of purchasing additional batteries.  I would really like to be able to order two 9 cell batteries with my notebook like you used to be able to do.  This option also exists on the brand new M1330 which it makes it a little more bizarre as to why its not included for the 1520.  Also, do you know if the 9 cell battery alters the dimensions of the notebook, or is it the same size as the other batteries?  Thanks.

Fantastic new machines, but very hard to order today!  The website keeps sending me back to the beginning of the build process and is moving pretty slowly.

 My question is this:  On the new Inspiron 1420 and 1520, I have selected the required options, yet the blu-ray drive is not available at the optical drive selection screen . . . Does the dvd-rw drive have blu-ray support that is not listed?

A few things I'd like to see in the months ahead with these inspirons:

1. Nvidia 8700m GT, that's 8700m GT. A step up from the 8600m GT

2. HDMI port

3. Choice of black keyboard.

4. 7200 RPM HD(s)

I'm waiting for at least 1,2,&4 before buying 2 1720 models.

 Docking port would be nice also.

While I am excited by these new offerings, I must admit that I am concerned by them as well. The reason may be slightly off-topic but I wanted to voice it nonetheless: Where is the OS choice?

Lately it seems like Dell has been working towards providing the customer with more options of OS, with a very brief Vista-push-back-to-XP followed by a limited selection of Ubuntu offerings. By unveiling new machines that only run Vista, Dell is sending an uncertain message to its customers. In the past year I have purchased 3 new laptops from Dell, and because I wanted to show support for Dell's drive for Ubuntu I have been budgeting to purchase a 4th -- to "put my money where my mouth is".

However, this leaves me in a dilemma: I do not want to purchase a computer that is already obsolete simply because it has Linux preloaded. (Of course, every computer is obsoleted every month or so anyways, but these will be even more so.) To show a more obviously genuine interest in your customer's choice for OS, what steps are you taking for these new computers to be purchasable sans Vista?