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- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
5.0 stars
"This Laptop is better than the reviews suggest"
Pros: Speed
Backlit keyboard
Weight (not heavy for it's size)
Performance
Options
PriceCons: The Speakers
Summary: I am an IT/CS manager and I picked this laptop based on price and benchmark scores. I bought my directly from Dell and not Best Buy. I had problems with Best Buy's warranty in the past and really think Best Buy may be the result of the poor reviews. If you buy from Dell you can get the onsite warranty service and have issues resolved in 24-48 hours. I had my mother-in-law get a Studio 17 about 6 months ago and she has had no issues with her?s either other than getting used to Vista.
The only actual negative thing I can point out on this laptop are the speakers. They are usable, but lacking what I would expect from a laptop in this class. It is not noticeable unless you play music or DVDs.
I cannot stress the underrated user reviews on this laptop being incorrect. I got the new Centrino 2 CPU and the 800 Mhz ram but everything else was the same specs. This laptop flat out performs very well. Mine is very fast and boots up quickly. I have not been in front of my desktop much since I got this laptop. I can also say that the performance of this laptop would allow me to get by without my desktop.
The backlit keyboard is very nice for my use too. The screen is bright and tack sharp it is also the LED backlit screen, but I would have liked more resolution. This laptop does come with some crapware that I would rather them not put on there (Google desktop, ect...), but all computers do. I really like the fingerprint reader; you can login to windows and websites with it. There is also an option for facial recognition software for the webcam, but it was not something I wanted.
One neat thing is that you get the cd media and Dell has also put a backup image on there so you can restore it to the factory build. You do not get both options all of the time.
One last thing to mention is that I also got the Dell Mini 9 on sale for 139.00 when I bought this laptop and with the two combined it was an awesome deal and if you have this option then do it. While the Studio is not heavy for its size there are times the Mini 9 is nice when you want something small to carry.
Bottom line, do not rely on the user reviews for this laptop; the Cnet review is more accurate representation of what you will experience. You will not regret your purchase if you go through Dell. I think Dell?s mistake was allowing there systems to be sold by a 3rd party.
