An all-round family entertainment laptop packed to the grills with powerful components
For quite some time now, we have been hearing a lot of things about ultrabooks?the new buzzword in the market nowadays?that are designed to feature reduced size and weight, and extended battery life without compromising on performance. But here?s the downside: a typical ultrabook lacks an optical drive for playing CDs or DVDs. Therefore, playing one of your favourite English or Hindi classics after a hard day?s work is a strict no-no. No wonder, productivity gets preference and family entertainment becomes an unintentional casualty on such new-age devices.
How about a piece of stylish hardware that comes in an ultraportable design with the latest technology for both productivity and fun? We are talking about the latest product from American PC maker Dell?the Inspiron 15R laptop. Take my word, the Inspiron 15R is a fashionable, full-featured laptop for smart everyday computing. It is a combination of many functions and capabilities that makes your computing experience really smart. With a high definition display, advanced audio with Waves Maxx Audio 3 technology, full connectivity, and an array of options such as discrete graphics, make this a great all-round family entertainment laptop. Whether video-chatting with family across the country, doing homework, balancing the family budget, or listening to music, the Inspiron 15R will be an essential part of the family.
An elegant moon silver test-unit was sent across to us for a product review. It is also available in two other colour options?fire red and peacock blue. Here is a rundown of its most significant features. The new Inspiron machine sports a new, distinctive design, featuring curved edges and a silver band around the edge, evoking an ?oyster? clamshell feel for a smooth, contemporary look that people will be proud to show off. It is ideal for consumers who desire a beautifully designed system for multimedia creation, entertainment and small form factor desktop for families. The computer reflect Dell?s design aesthetic that places a premium on unique materials, form factors and experiences.
The Inspiron 15R laptop features a 15.6-inch screen and upto 3rd Generation Intel Core processors to keep you stylish and connected. In the world of laptops, the processor is a very big thing and presently the king company of desktop and laptop processors is without any doubt Intel. For the layman, the chip maker has ushered in a new era in computing with its 3rd Generation Intel Core processors. The new chips offer increased media and graphics performance, and long battery life.
It?s not the brand of desktops or laptops that make you stand out but the operating software (OS) that you install. In India, a majority still go for Microsoft?s Windows OS. The new Dell machine comes with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, and will be eligible for the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade programme for peace of mind.
I strongly feel that without music, life would be very empty for most people and so whenever we buy a new gadget or even look at it, we also check for its audio features. And with many music freaks out there born almost everyday, the demand for better gadget only increases. In sync with this trend, Dell has collaborated with Waves to bring customers a rich, world class audio experience. The new Inspiron laptop features Waves MaxxAudio technology that delivers professional-quality sound for watching movies and listening to music without the need for external speakers. I usually like to take my movies and music along and with the new Dell machine, the audio-video experience was simply superb. Whenever I played an animation movie, the new Inspiron even attracted my 5 year-old daughter for instant watching.
Among other highlights, you can even make the new Inspiron your communications hub. Connecting with friends and family is a seamless affair, thanks to a robust Wi-Fi connection, built-in high definition Web camera, Skype and over six hours of battery life. Usually, when people buy a computer or upgrade it, they do so in way that they will be able to play the latest games because most of us are gamers at heart. The Dell Inspiron comes pre-loaded with some interesting games and the car racing game was one very nice, engrossing and addictive digital engagement.
The Inspiron 15R comes pre-loaded with Skype for video chatting, McAfee anti-virus software, and lots more. Importantly, the Inspiron range comes with unique Premium Phone Support for consumers ?a support that provides 24/7 service for hardware and software that includes the operating system and common software applications like e-mail, productivity, financial, internet browser, picture/movie editing software, among others.
My verdict: the new Dell Inspiron is a fashionable, full-featured laptop for smart everyday computing. It is well suited to a family with higher technological demands than basic Web browsing.
SPeCS
* Dimensions: 30.03 x 378 x 252 mm (H x W x D)
* Display: 15.6-inch WLED display
* Processor: 3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3210M processor
* Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
* HDD capacity: 500 GB
* Memory size: 4 GB
* Audio: Waves MaxxAudio 3 audio
* Weight: 2.7 kg
Estimated street price: Rs.39,682
