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"Hideous LIGHT LEAK on ALL 9300 screens (Dell-approved!)" on by Honest J
Pros: Dell did everything right, except for the screen
Cons: Lousy SCREEN, but not because of "sparkly whites" . . .
Summary: Long-story short: Dell KNOWS that there is a light leak fogging the bottom inch of all 9300 screens, but considers the fault "acceptible". It ISN'T. At the very least, they could tell their tech people about the problem, and not waste HOURS of their customers' and tech people's time trying to fix an INNATE MANUFACTURING PROBLEM.
See for yourself; pop in a letterboxed DVD, or change your desktop to solid black and you will see the white fogging along the bottom of the screen. May not be a deal-breaker for some people, but we found it, and the obnoxious rigamarole Dell put us through, highly annoying. Read our pathetic little story before calling Dell about this problem. Don't let them waste your time the way they did ours.
Based on reviews here, we thought that we had found our reasonably-priced, fully-featured dream machine. We decided to order from Dell, though we'd been hoping to acquire a laptop more quickly than the custom-build (top of the line EVERYTHING, including SCREEN) and shipping would allow. After two and a half weeks of anxious waiting our fully-loaded 9300 arrived. It was a big honker, but we'd expected that. It seemed pretty well-built, and all of the components seemed to work well. After seeing people here make a stink regarding the screen, we looked for the "sparkly" whites, and saw no real problem there. Then we popped in a letterboxed DVD, and saw a quite pronounced white fog along the bottom inch of the screen.
We tried everything to get rid of the problem, even some of the (ridiculous) "press-away-the-light-leak" methods found on the internet. We called Dell's tech support. The first tech we spoke to put us though the standard (45-minute) list of generic display-correction routines, such as plugging in an external monitor, resetting video card settings, etc, etc, without EVER recognizing our clear, specific, description of the problem. She referred the matter to an on-site tech. He arrived the following monday, and, without even booting up the machine, tore it apart and replaced the entire LCD screen and screen power supply. When he turned it on afterwards, the light-leak was still there. Hmm, he didn't know what to do about that. He told us to call Dell again the next day.
We spoke with the same tech that we had on the first call. She displayed no knowledge of our case (as if she didn't make a single note during the first long call), and tried to make us jump through EXACTLY the SAME laborious, unproductive hoops as the first time around. When we balked, she transferred us to a "specialty" (ie, "problem-customer") tech, who, taking an unnecessarily patronizing tone, immediately informed us that the problem was obviously their top-of-the-line graphics card, which, in his opinion, tends to run hot. He would send out the on-site tech the very next day to replace it. We expressed doubt regarding the card (housed in the body of the laptop) causing a white, suspiciously light-leak-type fog in both the first and second LCD screens, and received a condescending lecture on electrical impedence, the omniscience of Dell's tech support, and the necessity of another tech visit. We acquiesced, because we'd been taking abuse on the phone for an hour-an-a-half, and we were weary.
The next day the same on-site tech popped by and spent two hours completely disassembling our darling 9300 and replacing the hard drive, graphics card, and LCD screen. When fired up, the same glorious light leak was evident, and the tech sulked away, telling us to call Dell AGAIN, and ask them what to do. As instructed, we called back the second, more arrogant tech, and told him of our results. We offered to e-mail him a photo of the screen, in which the light leak was clearly visible. For the first time, he trotted off to actually LOOK at a 9300. He called us back to say that YES, HE'D SEEN THE LIGHT! But there was nothing that he could do about it. But it was really no big deal when viewing a white screen (!). We told him that, in addition to being annoying, we needed a premium LCD screen for professional photo and video manipulation. He had the gall to suggest that we simply attach ANOTHER MONITOR for important tasks like those (that the 9300 is ADVERTISED as being PERFECT for!). We were speechless. When we regained our composure, we asked him to transfer us to the Returns department.
After a month, heartbroken, we shipped the laptop back. Shame on Dell.
And shame on c-net for heartily endorsing a product without checking for what we now know is a common, but NOT inescapable, large-LCD problem. -
"Get this laptop, its awesome! I'll tell you why." on by ClosetMonster3
Pros: Everything about this system is great. Best laptop and best bang for my buck
Cons: I have no major gripes with this laptop. I would like the white trim to be black- much like the XPS Gen2
Summary: I am fully pleased with the Dell inspiron 9300. I had read many reviews for this system, asked user opinions, watched videos about this laptop and done any other kind of research that I needed to- all for about 6 months! I have dont a lot of homework and research to make sure that this was a good investment. I can tell you that it was the best choice that I have ever made! I actually have no basis of comparing my system to other laptops because this is my first one, but I can say that is has provided everything that I wanted in a laptop.
I bought this system with the following specs:
1.6Ghz processor
512 DDR2 RAM
Media Center Edition Windows XP
256 Nvidia GeForce Graphics card
Cd burner, DVD player
extra 9 cell battery
WUXGA+ Widescreen with TRUELIFE
I have also upgraded the RAM to 1.25Gigs of Ram (I took out one 256 RAM module and installed 1 GB in its place).
As I said, I found the right time to purchase this system and it cost me about 1500 dollars minus the RAM upgrade. With the upgrade, this system costs about 1650 with tax and shipping (installing the aftermarket RAM myself).
This system is super fast and can play games extremely well. (Especially because of the graphics card and RAM).
I have read about the complaints that people have had with the WUXGA+ w/ TRUELIFE display. They claim that it has "sparkles" and it is unbareable. I would like to say that I am FULLY PLEASED with the TRUELIFE display. The display is very bright, it plays games beautifully, my friends and I can view my screen even when they are sitting to the side, and best of all...the screen has little to no glare at all when I am using the computer! (with the exception that you may see the window in a dark room- which can be easily changed if you move the screen so the window or light source is outside of your view). This screen only has a small relfection when it is OFF or when completely black and in a room with a light source. It has NO reflection when I am using an application or program, or simply idling. Something that I cannot say for other brands so-called "Ultrabright" or whatever their gimmic is. Honestly, Dell has the best TRUELIFE display over any competitor. I was scetchy about whether the glare was going to be a nusance and would inhibit my gameplaying or viewing, but that is completely untrue. I enjoy it greatly and I dont regret getting TRUELIFE one bit. (I would say not to worry about TRUELIFE if all screens that Dell supplies with the system are the same as mine- you may want to confirm with dell that you will get the best version of TRUELIFE if there are different versions- I know this one is great so it is possible to get a great screen).
I like media center very much. I would say that you should get it if you like to view movies, pictures, or other files in a great setup environment and with ease of access- all in one place. Its great so that you dont have to open different windows to get to files to show friends and family. You can also use media center to watch tv and pause live tv- kinda like tivo.
I dont know what the difference between the graphics cards is, but I got the 256 Nvidia GeForce instead of the 128 or 64 Radeon simply because I wanted the best available to play the latest games. The GeForce also rates extremely high with the top of the line graphics cards in comparison with Frames per second, processing speed, (with and without AA) Its a great graphics card and I dont regret getting it either.
This laptop is great. I heard how it was going to be heavy and bulky, but that is just not the case. Although it is a 17 screen, I have NO complaints with the size, its perfect. It makes 15 inch screens seem too small to me now. The laptop weights about 8lbs, but honestly, it is not heavy at all (considering how it runs and what it has under its hood). I would take it anywhere, no problem. I plan to take it to Europe and I still have no regrets.
The fans are constantly on so it runs VERY cool. It doesnt even get hot at all. The fans are quiet and I barely notice them. They NEVER get loud, just constant quietness- its great.
As I said before, my complaints are minimal. All I gripe about is the design. I would rather the system have the black trim instead of the white (just like the XPS Gen2) I think it would look much better in black and silver. You should see if Dell will consider changing cases if you order one, its worth a shot.
The speakers are fantastic. The sub does a good job giving it lower sounds, but for being so small, it cant really do too much. It is great for its size, an added bonus.
My friend has an Powerbook G4 and I noticed that his Harddrive would speed up and make all of this noise (like it was revving its engine). I have NEVER heard my harddrive (80Gig 5400RPM) make a peep. I can barely hear it, if at all. NEVER revs up on me.
The cover is extremely sturdy. When I lift the screen from one corner, there is no flex at all. If feels very sturdy and strong.
The key board is fine for me, some wish that it had an added number pad, I really dont care because it has a virtual number pad on the keyboard if you need it.
The keys are fine to me. Some have said the keys were a little loud, (which is true) but it doesnt bother me that much. I definately dont want to sit at the front of class while the teacher is talking though! They arent as quiet as other keyboards that I have heard.
The mouse buttons are a little "clunky" too. They are somewhat loud when you push them. I dont care about this, but they arent exactly quiet enough.
The touch scroll for the mouse is somewhat touchy, but with a little adjustment and some getting used to, its fine to me.
Great system altogether, and I HIGHLY recommend it to students, gamers (I play games on it occationally, but it seems to do well at any time), possibly fulltime gamers on a budget (its gets most bang for the buck), business, travel can be done if gaming or movie viewing is a priority, and for a desktop replacement for sure.
Just a great system altogether and dont forget, its a Dell and backed by a great company with great products.
My first laptop, my first dell product, and I do not regret either. -
"Great Gaming, Great Laptop, Great Price" on by texasdeville
Pros: video card, WUXGA screen, Bluetooth
Cons: battery life, a little thick for a centrino
Summary: This review is intended to be a reasonably brief presentation of my personal opinions and impressions concerning the hardware performance of the Inspiron 9300 laptop along with a short explanation of how I have set-up my specific system.
When choosing a laptop, I went through much the same process as I image most people do, “How to get the most for the money and at the same time get the options I want for my PC needs?” I mainly use my computer for gaming, programming, and other multimedia tasks. I sold my desktop, which was top of the line by the way, and wanted a true “Desktop Replacement”; well, as realistic as was possible for under $1,500. These were some of the most important requirements for me in a laptop: integrated Bluetooth, a Centrino Processor (Pentium M 7xx), at least a 533 MHz FSB, an HD size resolution and screen (16:9 and >1080i), a powerful video card (w/ DVI out), integrated WIFI, and a double-layer DVD Burner. I found the options I wanted for a reasonable price at Dell. Unlike other “gaming/desktop replacement” able laptops whose costs are in the mid to upper $2,000s, Dell offers the new Sonoma 915 chipset express technology for a much cheaper price. I obviously went with the 9300. Here is my customized configuration:
-Centrino Pentium® M 730 Processor (1.60GHz/533MHz FSB)
-17 inch UltraSharp WUXGA Display with TrueLife
-512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
-256MB NVIDIA® GeForce Go 6800 (with DVI out)
-Hard Drive 60GB 7200 RPM
-XP Professional Edition SP2 (came with XP Home)
-Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
-8x CD/DVD(DVD+/-RW) double-layer write capability
-Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps) Internal
-Battery 6-cell Lithium
-350 Bluetooth Internal
In combination with my laptop, I use the following keyboard, mouse, and headphones with my laptop as a sort of ad-hoc docking station for gaming: Logitech Bluetooth Wireless Elite/MX900 Keyboard/Mouse and Altec Lansing AHP512 Studio Headphones/Mic.
I also achieved my goal of staying under $1,500. With a “$750 off” coupon I found on bensbargains.net, I bought this laptop for $1,466.79 (See Below).
Unit Price: $ 2,105.00
Discount Coupon: -$ 750.00
Sub-Total $ 1,355.00
Shipping (2-day): $ 69.00
Discount Shipping: -$ 69.00
Tax: $ 111.79
Grand Total: $1,466.79
I received the laptop about 9 days after I made my initial order. This was pretty fast considering they must build your customized laptop, test it, and ship it. The first thing I did after receiving the laptop was to erase and reformat the hard drive. I wanted to remove all the hidden partitions and sales software that Dell pre-installs. I then installed my own copy of Windows XP SP2. This takes care of any complains that some may have with software problems on the laptop.
In some ways I feel the laptop runs smoother than my desktop did. Gaming is certainly better than my old desktop computer. I had an Intel 2.4 HT, 1GB Memory, 74G Raptor, NVIDIA FX5600 128 MB, etc computer. My new 9300 laptop has an amazing 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 video card that runs at DDR1 with a max resolution of 1920 x 1200 in combination with the 9300 WUXGA LCD screen. This is not as good as the “Ultra” card in this same model that runs at DDR3, but it is certainly more than sufficient my gaming needs. I have a one track mind when it comes to gaming, so I apologize up front for this. I only play Half-life 2 and modifications there of. With that said, I will review Counter-Strike: Source (based on the HL2 engine). I have a high-speed cable internet connection and while playing on-line I get an average of about 90 fps. It drops as low as 70 fps and as high as 120 fps (obtained using system console ~ “cl_showfps 1”). My settings are as follows:
Resolution: 1414 x 900 (goes up to 1920 x 1200)
Display Mode: Full screen
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 16:10
Model detail: Medium
Texture detail: Medium
Water detail: Reflect world
Shadow detail: High
Antialiasing mode: 4x
Filtering mode: Anisotropic 8x
Shader detail: High
Wait for vertical sync: Disabled
Hardware DirectX level: DirectX v9.0
Software DirectX level: DirectX v9.0
In summary, I am very happy with my 9300 laptop and have zero buyer’s remorse. The screen resolution is excellent and so is gaming. It plays Counter-Strike: Source surprisingly better than I expected, since ATI claims game play advantages with their cards over that of NVIDIA’s cards. This was not the case. Battery life could have been better. I get about 2.5 hours on battery, but that is with WIFI and Bluetooth radios on and LCD brightness settings on full. Overall, I was able to get all the options I wanted in a laptop for a good price. -
"Terrific notebook, so long as you don't work with dark images" on by Lightbringer
Pros: Performance, Weight, Size, Features, Build quality
Cons: Display backlight leakage, lack of legacy ports
Summary: I have owned this laptop for a couple of months now, and I have never been happier. I purchased it with a 1.86GHz CPU, 80GB Hard drive, GeForce Go 6800 Graphics, and the WXGA+ display (1440x900 resolution).
I hear often of the light leakage issues with the display, and I can confirm that it does definitely exist. However, I can live with it easily, and so long as you aren't working with dark images constantly, it is not noticeable. The leakage does not really take from any DVD movies in my opinion anyway. The display does make up for this in the way that it has a good viewing angle, even from the sides.
The performance of this system I have found to be excellent. In most uses, this laptop puts my 3GHz Pentium 4 system to shame (except with multi-tasking and loading performance, due to a 5400RPM hard drive, and a CPU not supporting hyper-threading). I can run any current game (including Half-Life 2 and Doom 3) in maximum detail, with amazing performance.
The workmanship and effort put into the appearance and construction is rather remarkable. This seems to be one of the few laptops where the notebook is rugged enough to be roughed around a bit. It has a die-cast base, and the display has metal side supports to stop the LCD panel from becoming distorted while opening and closing it. This also means that the display does not wobble around much either. I did not find any scratches or surface damage to any part of the laptop on arrival.
As one of the features rarely listed, the Inspiron 9300 also has a subwoofer inbuilt. I would not actually call it that, as it cannot reproduce subsonic sounds, however, when it is turned off through the windows volume control, the lack of bass is clearly noticeable. It seriously makes games and movies sound that much better!
As rare features in a notebook, this one has 6 USB ports (4 USB 1.1 on the back, 2 USB 2.0 on the left side). It also has a mini firewire port on the right side, with a SD Media slot, and a headphone and microphone port. In this configuration, a dual-layer DVD writer was included, which supports 24x write/read CD-R, 20x CD-RW, and can write 8x DVD, and at 4x Dual Layer. Also included is a DVI and Analog connector for external displays. However, only 2 monitors can be used at any one time, so the internal monitor and 2 external monitors cannot be used in tandem.
I guess one of the important features for the enthusiast, is that this notebook can be upgraded fairly easily. The manual includes a step-by-step section on upgrading main parts to the system, including the hard drive, memory, and wireless devices. It also covers more detailed steps, such as disassembling parts to the system casing. As the graphics card is PCI-express, it can also be upgraded if needs to be (I would assume). The CPU is relatively accessible too, and could probably be upgraded too.
However, there are some bad points to this system, besides the light leakage on the display. Probably the main issue I have found is that the touchpad seems rather small for my use. It does get quite annoying at times, especially trying to do graphics work. The battery life I don't know whether to class as a good, or a bad point, as it does manage to get about 3:20 under heavy use (not 3d graphics), and about 1 1/2 to 2 hours running 3d games. This is however better than most notbooks with this configuration. The weight is also a debate, as for this type of notebook, it seems rather light (about 3.5kg I think), but is still rather heavy for a notebook. Finally, the lack of legacy ports is a shame. There is no parallel, serial, or PS2 port on this system. There is also no option of including the legacy floppy drive, but it can however be purchased seperately as an external USB device.
As a side note of my experience with Dell, I do not see any problems. I had a couple of bright pixels on my display, which came a few weeks after the system arrived. I contacted Dell about them, and a technician arrived promptly and replaced the display and the video card on site. It did not help with the light leakage much, but the bright pixels are gone. I used e-mail when asking for support, and I would get a reply back the next day each time. I would however recommend, as with any notebook, that one of the three-year plans be chosen for the warranty. It just helps give peace of mind. Dell constantly runs deals on their website, so just waiting for a bunch of good deals to occur at once is a real advantage. With this system, I got free double memory, 10% off all warranty plans, and a $200 discount from the total price. All in all, it probably saved me about $1000!
In summary, I would recommend this laptop to anyone considering a high performance notebook, without the price tag usually associated with DTR (desktop replacement) notebooks. I believe the very few bad points make up for the light leakage of the display, and shouldn't be the deciding factor in an otherwise excellent notebook. -
"Wonderful so far! I am not a gamer or technogeek." on by Tuckervc
Pros: Screen is fine. I did not get the souped up one.
Cons: Free crap Dell foists on you.
Summary: I read these opinions before buying so I thought I should add to them with my opinion. I am an average user who likes to surf the net, read e-mail, organize digital pics, and plan to do some video editing of home movies. Using the 9300 one week and it works great with no problems. I feel like I am really going to love it long term. I did not get the souped up screen because of comments here about its problems. Perhaps it is not as crystal clear as HDTV, but it is good. Our former desktop replacement laptop was a Dell 8600 (?) and was top of the line when we got it. This screen is WAY better than that one. It is bright and crisp and I can read it on an angle, which I could not do with my old one. So if you aren't a gamer or videophile, get the "standard" screen Dell puts in this computer and you will be happy. No reason to own a desktop with this thing.
I do wish Dell would not junk up these nice computers with the annoying free software already installed. I know they will never stop. It was worth the time investment checking out the how to magazines and going on line and figuring out how to delete this crap using add/remove programs and msconfig. Be careful using msconfig though!
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