Anyone pick up the new Vostro 1320?

Hi!

I'm also considering buying the Vostro 1320 and I would appreciate it if those of you who already bought it could give an update on the user experience now that you've had the chance to use this model for a month. Are you guys still happy with your choice? The things i worry the most about is build quality, noise & heat issues - have you noticed anything or should I stop worrying? The last Dell notebook I owned (Dell Latitude CPx) started smoking after 1 1/2 years of use so I'm a bit iffy when it comes to ordering stuff from Dell.

Thanks.

/Kris

 

Pros: weight, size, price
Cons: heat, sound

I have had my Vostro 1320 for about a month now. I picked it up for school, so I got it pretty loaded (2.66GHz, 4gb RAM, glossy screen, webcam, fingerprint scanner, NVIDIA video card, 9 cell battery). I have used it primarily for photo editing, casual surfing (including watching shows online), and basic word processing.

My take? It does get pretty warm after extensive use. If you're using it for an hour or two, no big deal; three or more? It gets pretty toasty. I have probably had it going for about 8 hours right now, running ~3 programs on average, and I still am using it on my lap. It's not too hot to use, but it's still warm enough that it's not exactly comfortable. I had an Inspiron 9300 before this; I'd say the Vostro gets a little less hot.

It's very quick, although the fingerprint scanning software is a little slow to load lately (any ideas? it used to be really quick!). The styling is basic, but nothing to be ashamed of. Build quality seems pretty solid to me, but I haven't been hard on it. The corners are a little pointy for prolonged typing, but it's a laptop; I won't be writing papers on it without my ergonomic keyboard anyhow. The fan is a bit noisy, and the speaker flat out sucks. If you have the volume on high, it is really just able to be heard. My solution? Headphones or my sound system; not a big deal. Again, it's a laptop. I stole it for just under $1300, and I would do it again.

 

Hi, what about the battery life with the 9 cell ? For exemple wifi on, doing some basic stuff like Word ?
Thanks

 

Right now, it's at 83% battery with the monitor on maximum bright (you could definitely turn this down), with wifi on, and surfing the internet. It shows 4:00 left on the battery monitor. Hope this helps!

 

Hi Guys
I'm really confused now and i don't know which laptop i should choose, i'm in doubt between Vostro 1320 (1100 USD here), Hp PaV..(1500USD) dv3 and Studio XPS 1340 (1600USD) all with 2.66/6 CPU - 320 HDD - 4GB Ram - 9300 VGA ...
XPS and HP have LED Screen
does it realy worth to save money by buying 1320?
Thank you
sorry for my bad English

 

The Vostro is cheaper, and about the only difference between the machines is the aesthetics, the appearance of the machine.

If looks dont bother you, than save yourself some money!

I'm a big fan of matte screens, and that is one of the biggest factors for me in getting the 1320, because I can't stand glossy screens!

 

Any updates on the 1320's that have been purchased? I am considering this or the Studio XPS 13.

 

So are issues limited to these:
-crappy dell wireless
-speaker is actually non existent
-uncomfortable typing experience on thick frame and some flex on the keyboard
-small touch pad
-windows 7 issues with this system
-bothering heat in palm-rest
-shortage of battery life due to non-LED technology
ouch...how much did you pay for all these troubles?

 

anyone using 7200 rpm HDD & T6670 knows how much is the battery, does it cause annoying heat?
does the tru-life screen look washed out?

 

From someone who has a Vostro 1320, let me clarify:
- I have the Dell 1510 wireless card and the only issue (electronic interference) is fixed when disabling the A-band through the card's properties in Device Manager.
- The mono speaker is a joke; with a good set of headphones though, the sound is great!
- Flex yes; uncomfortable, not really...
- Touchpad is fine but yes, it is tiny compared to others.
- The only Windows 7 issue is actually with the touchpad; leaving the default driver, everything is OK. Trying to install the Dell/Alps driver screws everything up.
- Heats up a bit; the casing is plastic.
- On "Balanced" mode, I get ~3.5 hours web browsing with the 6-cell battery.