Any Vostro 1000 owners out there?

Ummmmm no?

• Yes, the Vostro 1000 is weaker than the 1500. No magnesium alloy, no mylar-sealed keyboard... it's identical to the Inspiron 1501. Except it's black and doesn't come with bloatware
• No, the Vostro 1000 is not better value than the 1500 just because it's cheaper. A Core 2 Duo Vostro 1500 offers much more performance for your dollar than any Turion-equipped Vostro 1000
• Yes, the Vostro 1500 is more modern. Any low/mid-end laptop is more modern than the Vostro 1000 because the Vostro 1000 was designed to be "basic" = it's going to have parts that are quite a bit behind bleeding edge. While a Vostro 1500 can still be configured to have formidable processing power, the Vostro 1000, in comparison, has anemic perfomance at best. Just because it's released at the same time doesn't mean the parts inside are as modern.

 

The vostro 1500 is identical to the inspiron 1520 which I have it is in no way any stronger than a vostro 1000 I've dropped mine once and the "strong" magnesium alloy cracked and bent from a very small drop. It is no better off than the vostro 1000 chassy. A $450 dollar vostro 100 with a 1.9ghz processor will preform equally to a vostro 1500 with a 1.4ghz core2duo for a cheaper price. You can't deny that.
Last, both models support equal ram and other features and were released at the same time. Yes the 1000 is modeled off an older inspiron body, but that doesn't make it an older computer. The motherboard and everything would have to be different to support a dual core amd.

 

Though you're technically right, "value" is based on more than just the power you get for the money you spend. If a computer is going to be handling basic business tasks, web browsing and movie viewing, any laptop Dell offers right now will work just fine. The thing might not run AutoCAD, Team Fortress 2 or 1080p footage well, but if that's not what the user wants from his laptop then there's precious little value in the extra power offered by "better" computers, no matter how cheap that extra power is, because it'll probably never be utilized to any meaningful degree.

There's value in having the right tool for the right job. And for someone who needs something that'll run basic business tasks well with a minimum of fuss or expense, the Vostro 1000 is a damn good tool.

 

That's uncommon. Are you sure you dropped it on the lid? The lid is the only place where magnesium alloy is used on the 1520, to protect the LCD. (That's why I recommend Latitudes, magnesium alloy everywhere.)

Where are you getting your numbers from? I just had a look at the SuperPi 1M benchmarks for both the T5250 (C2D, 1.5GHz, slowest I can find on processorfinder.intel.com) and the Turion TL-60, which is at the moment the highest available processor on the Vostro 1000. 36 seconds on the T5250, 49 seconds on the TL-60, meaning clock per clock, the Core 2 Duo processors are much faster than their AMD counterparts. Sure, the TL-60 may edge out the T5250 on some benchmarks by virtue of its higher clock speed. But the TL-60 is an old processor, has a 1W higher TDP than the T5250, and in my experience, any AMD processor, including the TL-60, has poor power management when compared to Intel's SpeedStep technology.

With regards to memory capacity:
Vostro 1000: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos1000/en/OM/html/specs.htm
Vostro 1500: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos1500/en/om_en/html/specs.htm

Just because a computer is released at the same time as others doesn't make it modern. The Vostro 1000's components are outdated. For example, I can build a system from new parts. If those new parts include a new case, a new power supply, new optical drive, new RAM, new processor and motherboard, then the system is new. However, I could easily be using pristine, untouched parts from 12 years ago to make myself a state of the art Pentium II system. When I place it next to a new blazing fast system with say a Q9300, 8GB of DDR3, a 9800GTX, Blu-Ray burners, and 2TB in RAID 0, is it really fair to call it new and modern just because I'm putting it out at the same time my friend's putting out his new system?

It's the same with most budget/"value" computers. If you're not paying, you're not going to get modern parts. It's that simple. The TL-60 was released 2 years ago, and Intel's CPUs have come a long way since then, making the TL-60 almost non-competitive to all but the slowest Intel CPUs. Sure, the CPUs and other parts may be new. Does that make it modern or less outdated than it is? No.

To the OP: The Vostro 1000 is still a great laptop for basic tasks, at least it's a heck of a lot better than most other laptops in that price range. You'll get Dell's 6.5 row keyboard which is very comfortable to type on and Dell's support is great, and build quality and reliability is significantly above average in my experience. (Typing from a 5.1 year old Dell Latitude D600 right now)

Edit:

And it is. There has to be a market for it, otherwise Dell wouldn't make it. Even I'm typing from a horrifically underpowered business laptop right now, and though I am in severe need of a new laptop, I can see people who actually don't need power, for example my parents who send a few emails a day and maybe visit some websites to check the weather and their stocks.

 

Actually your wrong. http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=bqcwi1s&s=bsd

It's been commented by others on this forum with a simple serach that the machine only goes up to 2GB, check the link as Dell loves to make money off their memory upgrades. Some have also said it's limited by the BIOS. Some have been able to get 4GB to run but it require a BIOS update. Again do a search on the NBR forums for the answer.

I've owned both the 1501 and Vostro 1500 and I can say in a qualified manner the 1501 feels lighter and the build quality is not as good as the 1500. Check the NBR reviews for comparison before you speak. The only thing you got right was the ATi graphics part as it allows for some gaming. I was able to play Crimson Skies very nicely whereas the nVidia chip has problems running that game.

Since the 1500 was built after the Inspiron 1000 design which is basically a Inspiron E1405 and doesn't have the horsepower of the Vostro 1500 you're wrong there as well. I'll take a C2D over a AMD Turion X2 CPU if given the choice. That in my view makes the Vostro 1500 a more current and capable machine over the Vostro 1000/Inspiron E1405.

 

in response to meh and rodknee since I didn't feel like quoting you both and making an epic post: My mistake on ther memory ordeal. Anyways, Indeed the core2duo beats the turion in superpi but only by a few seconds. You have to remember SuperPi favors an l2 cache of alarger size which is the only reason why the intel wins. Other benchmarks will show the amd winning the speed battle. Also, if yo udidn't notice, as stated before, the amd is cheaper which makes it a much better value.

the whole "Just because a computer is released at the same time as others doesn't make it modern. The Vostro 1000's components are outdated. For example, I can build a system from new parts. If those new parts include a new case, a new power supply, new optical drive, new RAM, new processor and motherboard, then the system is new. However, I could easily be using pristine, untouched parts from 12 years ago to make myself a state of the art Pentium II system. When I place it next to a new blazing fast system with say a Q9300, 8GB of DDR3, a 9800GTX, Blu-Ray burners, and 2TB in RAID 0, is it really fair to call it new and modern just because I'm putting it out at the same time my friend's putting out his new system?" is clearly an invalid point. the parts for a system like that wpuld have to be extremely old. Yes the computer reuses a chassis form old laptops, but the motherboard and components clearly can't be that old because those old laptops didn't even use dual core processors.
Andyes i'm sure I dropped my laptop on the lid as that is what dell had to replace on my notebook.

 

Usability and value is not based on speed alone. If the TL-60 edges out the T5450 in any benchmark, it's usually barely, and there are much more benefits to the Core 2 microarchitecture. A mobile user experience is not totally based on speed, it is also much more sensitive to things that would not concern a desktop user like heat, noise, battery life. As I've said before, Intel's SpeedStep and other power management technologies are far superior to AMD's Cool&Quiet, which would likely end up seeming the better choice to an end-user due to the notebook running cooler and having a longer battery life, as well as reducing the chance of lap burns.

Also:
VALUE ≠ PRICE
Something is not value for money simply because it is cheap! If your definition of being a better value is getting an old processor, old architecture, outdated hardware simply because it is cheap, then it is NOT a good value at all compared to paying maybe $100-$200 more for a more modern laptop.

Just because the Vostro 1000 uses dual core processors doesn't mean it's up to date when compared to Core 2 Duo notebooks. The Vostro 1000 is made of old hardware. I don't really care WHEN exactly the machine is manufactured, but it is built with outdated hardware. Sure, TL-60s may still be manufactured at AMD. Do they have a place in mainstream/performance notebooks anymore? No, because they are outdated.

Let's see:
- TL-60: 2 years old. Power management not as good as Intel's Core 2 Duo line
- Radeon X1150: 2 years old. Is an IGP, slow, weak, shares system memory. Intel GMA X3100 is probably better with power management.
- DDR2-533 only. Santa Rosa has supported DDR2-667 for over a year now, Montevina will support DDR2-800 and DDR3 soon
- RAM limitation (2GB only, at least that's what the Dell spec says)
- Small HDD options

with regards to your notebook: Sorry to hear that, but again, that's why I recommend everyone buy the Latitude line. More durable.

 

Granted, I am somewhat new to this, but is your point that Intel's generally run cooler and power management is better all around Other opinions, supposedly based on experience, have claimed the exact opposite. I know you can get strong opinions on both sides of the fence, but speed and multitasking are extremely important to me and...

I would gladly pay an couple hundred when making an important purchase to make sure that i am getting everything i need and want (and maybe then some)

What "old hardware" is it made of? Do you mean only the processor is outdated or is there other "stuff"?

Isn't the Intel GMA X3100 integrated as well? What's the difference? And finally, IYO what makes the Lattitude "more durable"? Sorry about the long thread, I'm just curious...

 

Yes, that's what I've experienced. However, if you're going to spend most of your time plugged in with a more budget-oriented notebook, it's really not going to make that much of a difference, and any dual-core is a vast improvement over the older single core CPUs (ie Pentium M, Turion ML series)

Well, it depends on what you need. If all you're doing is multitasking Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Firefox, and other similar office applications, you'll probably be fine with what you have. You may want to get a better laptop if you're going to be running more intensive applications like Photoshop, Premiere, etc or gaming.

IMO, budget systems will always have outdated parts. "You get what you pay for" is an accurate description in this regard, because budget systems will always have parts that are a few generations behind bleeding edge. The RAM limitation, the old IGP, and the reused design (for example the casing) are examples of this.

Yes, the GMA is integrated as well, but AFAIK it has lower power consumption than any integrated graphics solution put out by ATi or nVidia.

The Latitude is directed towards a corporate environment. As such, durability, reliability, and part commonality is more important than notebooks directed at consumers or small businesses. There are a number of things that make the Latitude line more durable:

• Full magenesium alloy construction (in the D620/D630, the lid and virtually all of the base excluding the battery and parts that the user touches ie. keybaord, touchpad, palmrest is made of magnesium alloy, which is light and very durable)
• Shock absorbers for the hard drive
• Internal magnesium alloy frame
• Metal latches
• The Latitude line also goes through much more rigorous testing than their Vostro or Inspiron counterparts.

Also, with the Latitude line, you also get some more features like part commonality and common docking. Each Dell D-series Latitude like the D600 or the D820 or the D630 or the D430 (with media slice or external D/Bay) can swap optical drives and dock in the same docking stations. This makes it easier to get spare parts if you happen to break anything.

The 3 year standard warranty doesn't hurt either.

 

Could you point me to those other threads that talk about the vostro 1000 ram and how to change the bios to get it to accept more than 2 g? I just ordered 4g for mine.
I have tried searches on this forum and google searches- nothing.
Thanks,
Mike