Dell Inspiron E1705 Laptop Review

Great machine for home computing. Great option for families who want a home PC that can be tucked-away on occasion. This is not a machine for easy transporting! It's large size and bulk make it very impractical as a true laptop. Instead, I'd call it a "luggable" that's suitable as a desktop replacement where portability is only an occasional requirement.

Fantastic machine for photos and gaming. It runs Windows Vista flawlessly.

This model is very capable, but not as expandable as some competitors (and other Dell models) out there.

The case on this laptop is relatively sturdy -- not as strong as the IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad line, but stronger than my past Dell laptops and slightly tronger than the HP laptops I order for my business.

I bought mine from Dell's online outlet, where they off-load their returned or repaired merchandise. Dell's Outlet is a lot like climbing through the "bargain bin" at the local discount store -- you can find some good deals, but you dig through *everything* in the bin, and fend off other "competing" shoppers in the process. I've bought five PC's this way. The first four have all required service within the first year. That's an unacceptable pain in a business setting, but I don't mind the hassle at home -- I've saved over $500 with each purchase.

My biggest fear in buying this laptop was the glossy "TrueBright" screen. I'd looked at screens like this in showrooms, and had been dumb-founded as to why anyone would ever want one. I was mistaken, mainly because I'd never looked at a screen that was in active use. The gloss screen is offset by the bright picture -- far brighter than the screen on the Dell 5150 I replaced. I use this machine in my sunny living room on a daily basis and I never have a problem.