I've had my Dell Inspiron 1720 notebook PC for over four years now and I love it still.  The only problems I've had it with it were minor - the first being I let a friend borrow it and she downloaded something that was infected, but that had nothing to do with the laptop.  The other is that I'm on my third power supply now.  Dell just doesn't make reliable power supplies apparently as I've noticed I'm not the only person who's experienced this problem. I'm not a hardcore gamer, so I can't say whether or not this computer is good for any 24/7 World of Warcraft players, but I am a professional writer and it has been perfect for my uses.  (I've written 5 novels on it and it keeps up with me!) I've seen complaints about the mousepad, but I use a regular usb mouse, so I'm probably not the best critic of that feature.  When I have had to use it on the go, it's worked fine and I've not had any problems with it, it's just not my favorite way to manipulate the cursor. Overall, I love the larger screen.  It's great for watching movies, shows, videos online.  The battery life has gotten shorter over the years, but that's to be expected.  Finding a laptop bag that fits a 17" laptop can be a bit trying, but it's a small price to pay for having the widescreen.

Jenmac

Bentonville, AR

I purchased this laptop just over three years ago and purchased the three year warranty. I purchased from a Dell kiosk at a local mall as the salesman could give me better pricing than the website. I chose to omit some things Dell considered standard features, such as the cam. When the laptop arrived all the components I left off were there. I had added a wireless mouse and keyboard at the suggestion of the salesman but have never used them. I upgraded the wireless mouse to a more full featured ergonomic Logitech model and disabled the touchpad.   At two years and 11 months the first hard drive became corrupt. Five weeks after that the second hard drive also became corrupt and unusable. Each reinstall takes a week from your life, waiting for the new drive to come with the service technician and then about 24 hours of re-install and re-setup from backups, subscriptions and Dell "canned" software on the drive. About a month after hard drive number two was installed, it too became corrupt and unusable. I have had hard drive number three and a complete replacement of the memory. This has lasted 3 months. I have added another multi year service warranty agreement that has covered the component swapping thus far. I upgraded from Vista to Win7, only to find that the Aero themes disables cut and paste in all the Office products and Outlook.   I wonder if I should be a convert to Apple.   The off shore help desk tries as best they can to remedy the problems. They call back in the day they say they will. I have a problem with Dell reclaiming the corrupt hard drive in a time limit. First of all, I paid for the drive. Secondly,  I need to hang on to it to make sure I have all the data that can be extracted.  Leave a mailer and I'll return the drive when I'm sure I'm ready. Dell turns the corrupt drive back to its manufacturer for refund or (?)reformats / sends out again, depending on whats found on the return test.  I would say the 2 extended warranty purchases have saved me money and time. I looked around and did not readily see 3 year extended warranties. PC shops in the area keep Dell machines that are turned in and refurbish and resell. The latest failure is the keyboard, again the offshore help sent out a new one, I am expected to install myself

JackieD7

Penfield, NY

When I decided to invest in a computer, I checked out a lot of different brands and models before choosing this one.  The main reason I chose Dell was that my brother (a true techno-nerd) recommended it.  He knew I needed an affordable laptop that would be reliable and long-lasting, with little maintenance required.  In the end I picked the Inspiron 1720. Let me just say this: I love my laptop!  With the 17-inch widescreen display, I can comfortably watch movies, play games, and surf the net without having to squint to see the screen.  The graphics are clear and smooth, with much better resolution than my desktop computer.  Also, the different preset power plans let me decide what is more important: battery life or performance.  I've heard lots of people complain about Windows Vista, but I have yet to have any problems with it.  The only downside to it is that it is not an easy-to-travel-with laptop.  Due to its width, I was unable to comfortable use it on the plane during a recent trip.  Other that that, it's been fabulous!

cassiya2

Vinemont, AL

I have had this laptop for just over 3 years now and it has performed very well and delivered exactly what has been promised. I bought it to act more as a replacement for my desktop and it has been a great replacement and a plus is that it is also portable, something my trusted desktop never offered. I can not think of one serious issue I have had regarding this laptop. The screen is generous. The power cord did need to be replaced just shy of three years however, I have heard this is fairly standard in regards to laptops. My battery does need to be replaced at this point as well but since I never use it without access to a plug I have not yet replaced it and probalby won't do so unless absolutely forced to. I would not hesitate to recommend this computer to someone looking to replace their desktop but still wanting the portability of laptop on occassion. If you are looking for something to be portable more than that, then this computer probably is not what you are looking for.

tduby1

Clio, MI

This computer is a giant. The screen is huge. If you are one of the lucky ones to get the hd screen than you will enjoy 1920 by 1080 resolution. Computer screen however is not a glossy screen so the viewing angles are not the best. It is best for office work, but not for watching movies. This laptop is definately very heavy (not very portable), so don't plan on carrying around. It feels really heavy on the lap even. Laptop is equipped with 9 cell battery so it will last about 3 and half hours on midium brightness with little multi-tasking. however don't expect more than 2 hours on full brightness with multiple programs open. laptop has option of installing an extra hard drive. Dual core processor packs enough punch for even the most intense applications. Laptop already has sd card reader so you won't need an external one for backing up your pictures. My dvd writer came with lightscribe technology so you can burn dvd with covers on it.

Stun

Tempe, AZ

When our computer was stolen three years ago and my husband and I had to pick out a new one, we went back to Dell. Over the years, we have owned half a dozen Dells, and have always liked them, especially for the price. This one is no exception to our overall experience. We added a lot of options for my husband who is a gamer, and for me (I am a photographer), so this computer could run the full gamut of usefulness for us. And it has... I love the wide screen and the great video capabilities. It's so versatle between gaming, streaming videos online, photo processing, and just surfing the web and checking email. In two and a half years of using this computer almost daily, I have never had a major problem with it. Even though it is now our oldest computer and probably somewhat outdated now, I am very happy with it and will probably be able to use it for another couple of years before passing it on to someone else.

bartonburg

Oklahoma City, OK

I got my Dell after a previous brand turned out to be a huge disappointment.  I use it for hours and hours at a time, almost every day of the week.  While it's had some minor problems, it's been good computer.  I purchased the really expensive (accidental damage) coverage and it's been worth every penny.  Dell has replaced the screen (broken by my kids), the keyboard (I wear the keys out), the power cord and the motherboard (damaged from moving it around all the time plugged in), and the touchpad on it (again, wear & tear, and spills on the keyboard).  I believe that most of these items needed repair because of my constant use (abuse). The only thing not covered, that I think should be covered is the battery.  I've had trouble with it overheating and not charging properly even after being plugged in to charge all night long.  Dell says it's because of my frequent use, but I started having this problem very early on after getting the computer. This laptop is heavy and bulky, but honestly, I love the large screen and the large keyboard with the separate number keypad on the side.  Since I do alot of banking, accounting, budgeting work, online, it's great to have this bonus feature.  The weight of it might bother me if I had to carry it aorund a workplace, but I work from home and usually have it in my lap on the couch or at the table.

roseatwater

Meadville, MS

I was given this laptop as a gift for my birthday last year. I used it daily for hours and hours so it is getting used! In the time that I have owned it, the only problem I have ever had was not even with the laptop it self. The power supply went out on me and the battery no long holds a charge. The bottom also gets pretty warm! I run a small home business and this works just great for me. It is starting to show some where on the mouse and where my palm sits but that is about it.For as much typing as I do, one wold expect that the letters would be rubbing off the keys. They are still good as new also. Other than the fact that I had the two issues not directly ralated to the laptop itself, I would without a doubt recommebd this laptop to someone who was in the market for a new one. I do believe there are newer Inspirons out that I hope would perform just as great as this one has for me. When I am ready to replace this, I will go with another Dell.

ToniGPB

Sylvania, OH

The dell inspiron 1720 is exactly what you pay for. A big notebook, more of a desktop replacement. I'm actually typing on it right now. The size of the screen is the laptops biggest pro as well as it's biggest con, as this machine is not exactly the get up and go kidn of laptop, checking in around 12 pounds if I recall correctly. It moves, I have the intel core 2 duo processor, and running windows 7 the machine still works very well. The laptop does not last on battery power very well, does not look too good in the sunlight, and has a tendency to overheat. The battery that comes with it, the six cell, is also pretty shoddy, and died within 6 months or so of the purchase of the computer. I would definitely recommend a nine cell for anybody interested in picking one up used or refurbished, as they do not sell this particular model anymore. So, in short, I don't know that I could recommend this laptop for most people.

lettherebedwight

Newport News, VA

I bought this laptop because my old computer had an operating system that was "no longer supported" by Microsoft.  I had heard things about Dell that were all good, and things about Windows Vista that were mostly bad.  Well, I went with the Dell Inspiron and I had them soup it up with some options and I got a workhorse that has never had a bump in the two years I've had it.  My Vista fears have been non existent.  I have never,....NEVER....had a problem with this thing.  It has replaced my old tower computer, and I love the extra space it gives me.  I will buy a Dell next time for sure.....but I probably won't have to until this one is so out of date I have no other options.

busterlou45

Chicago, IL